Justin will be signing copies of Pedro’s Whale, a story about the power of including children with special interests, this Sunday at 2 PM at [words] bookstore in Maplewood, NJ. For more information on this and other worthwhile events in [words]‘ ongoing special needs series check out their events page. This will be Justin’s first book signing so come out or wish us luck!
On his recent trip to L.A. Justin visited Animate For the Cel of It Productions where he met director Rick Solomon.
Since the release of the New York Times article Justin has set out exploring some exciting new opportunities. While he continues to work at Gencarelli’s Bakery and at the local library he has also begun partnering with Dani Bowman, a 17 year old with autism who has her own animation studio. Working with Dani is helping Justin to develop his talents while at the same time giving Dani the leadership and management experience that she will need to manage her own business. Though Justin lives in Montclair, NJ and Dani lives in Los Angeles, they are learning to collaborate using video conferencing interspersed with face to face visits.
Justin also recently completed a course in storyboarding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City under the guidance of Irra Verbitsky. He is looking for a mentor to help develop his talents and integrate him into the professional animation community.
Since the publication of the New York Times article we have been asked many times if Justin has considered illustrating books. In fact, he has illustrated a few, all in watercolor. We have decided to share some scans from these books in the new illustrations section of the site. Enjoy!
