From an early age, Tom harbored a passion for cartooning that fueled his artistic pursuits. By the age of 8, he found joy in sketching comic strip gags and reaching out to esteemed figures like Charles Shulz and Jim Davis. At 12, the discovery of Preston Blair’s ‘Animation’ book redirected his aspirations from comic strips to animation, marking a pivotal moment in his creative journey.

Tom’s initiation into the animation world occurred right after high school in the summer of 1988. Joining DIC Animation as a character layout artist under the mentorship of John Kricfalusi, the mastermind behind ‘Ren and Stimpy,’ exposed him to a crew of future animation luminaries—Bruce Timm, Chris Reccardi, Lynne Naylor, Bob Camp, Vince Waller, and more. This fortuitous entry into animation laid the foundation for Tom’s illustrious 34-year career.

Over the years, he has donned various hats—designer, layout artist, animator, story artist, and director. Collaborating with the industry’s finest on projects like ‘Ren and Stimpy,’ ‘The Prince of Egypt,’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda,’ and more recently, ‘Frozen 2’ and ‘Raya and the Last Dragon,’ has enriched Tom’s professional journey.