By Ben Levin
Introducing our new series: “Artist Spotlight.”
This spotlight will feature articles that celebrate the many artists within Fairleigh Dickinson University’s student population. For each edition, staff writer Ben Levin will introduce you to a new artist and delve into what they do, because, as Levin strongly believes, the arts on campus deserve far more credit and celebration than they receive.
For this first edition, Levin interviewed sophomore Addie Bugdonovich (she/her), who is double majoring in 3-D animation and graphic design. She enjoys animation, drawing, painting, digital art and video game creation.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: What got you interested in your craft?
A: For animation, the moment I really realized I can do animation, especially for a job, is when I watched the “Into the Spider-Verse” movie. It blew me away, it inspired me and it was important to me. One of the reasons I got into art in the first place was comic books, because I read them a lot as a kid and I wanted to make my own.
For both animation and art in generation, it was superheroes and just the way the media they’re commonly in express their stories so visually.
Q: What are your favorite superhero comics?
A: That’s a hard one. I think my favorite is Ms. Marvel, the run that came out in 2015, I think. It is about Kamala Khan, who’s a muslim teenage superhero from Jersey City. Kamala has a hard time believing she can be a superhero because so many people don’t see her that way and they bully and discriminate against her.
Her story is about learning to accept her differences and herself, and (learning) that those are the things that make her most powerful and that, no matter what others say or think, she can save the day. It’s a very inspiring story and it’s been very important for me and I just love that book so much.
Q: What is your favorite thing you’ve made so far in your career and why?
A: This one’s hard because I always forget everything I’ve ever made the moment I have to think about it. I also tend to be way too critical of myself so admitting I like something is harder than it should be.
I think it’s actually a video game I made in 2019. It’s short and it’s simple and I really challenged myself to complete something, so I set a 24-hour time limit cumulative. So for a week, I timed myself and in 24 hours I created a short little video game. I’m proud of myself for making it in such a short amount of time and completing something for once.
It’s called “Press 2 to Tango,” and it’s a simple western-styled arcade shooter game where you have to time your shots to do damage and beat levels. I think it was a good experience for me, and I really enjoyed designing everything, making the art, and putting it all together.
Q: How has going to Fairleigh Dickinson impacted your knowledge of or appreciation for your craft?
A: I think going to FDU has most, I guess, changed how I view my craft just by allowing me to meet other people doing the same things as me. Where I come from, the arts isn’t the most encouraged path to take. Going to college and (going to) FDU, where there is an extensive program, has allowed me to meet a lot more creative people – writers, artists and animators.
It’s scary cause I’m going to have to compete with all these people for a job, but it’s also kind of nice. It gives you a sense of community and understanding and it just made me realize there are other people like me and that’s always a nice feeling to have.
Q: What do you do aside from your art?
A: Like I mentioned, I make art, and in a more hobby kind of way, I make short little simple video games, which are always fun for me. I also play the piano and trumpet and I like to sing. I love music so much.
I also read books. In general, I do things like hang out with my friends and play video games. It’s a hard question because the core of what I do and myself is creating art, because that’s what I enjoy more than anything else.
Q: What advice would you give to other artists of your field?
A: I think if I could give other animators or graphic designers any kind of advice, it would be something I try to tell myself all the time. It’s a little hypocritical since I never listen to myself, but: be patient and kind with yourself, because it’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t go the way you expect them to, or something doesn’t turn out the way you saw it in your head.
I think a lot of artists say trust the process, and that includes being kind and patient with yourself. Just keep going and try new things, and you’ll get to where you want to be, even if it’s not immediately.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share about your art?
A: I don’t know. I guess I don’t have anything necessarily to add about my art that I can think of, but if anyone wants to follow my social media I can add that in there. I share my art on Instagram (@addietood_) and on X (@addietood). I also sometimes post my animation work on my YouTube channel (@addiemations). And yeah, through any of those you can find my linktree with a bunch of other stuff I’m on.
The Pillar 