Jozef Szekeres
Jozef Szekeres (born 4 July 1970) is an Australian artist, animator, writer, toy designer, sculptor, creative director, arts lecturer, and a director of the Black Mermaid Productions creative team based in Australia. He is best known for his doll creation Elizabet Bizelle, launched through his company Jozef Szekeres Dolls in 2003. He was a finalist in the 2011 Australian Cartoonist Association Stanley Awards, with nominations for Best Australian Illustrator and Australian Comic Book Artist. He co-created and illustrated the comic book series ElfQuest – WaveDancers circa 1993–94, and is currently in production of a new comic book series called Elf-Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed in collaboration with co-creator Julie Ditrich, using the original characters and concepts they created for the previous series. A preview was released in April 2011, with a later edition released in May 2013. Early life
Szekeres was born in Blacktown, Sydney, and grew up near Gosford on the Central Coast of NSW, graduating in 1988 from the Central Coast Grammar School in Erina, Central Coast. He attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the Music Composition School but did not graduate. In 1989, he moved to the Sydney central business district to work at the Walt Disney Animation Australia Studio, now known as DisneyToon Studios, and was the youngest animator employed there at that time. Career
As a freelance 2D animator and Animation Director, he created television commercials for both Australian and international markets, most notably Finlandia Vodka Pulp, Mr Sheen, Strongbow Cider Cyborg and Blowtorch, Cafe with Billy for Nescafe, The Fifth Finger for KitKat, and FantasticRiceCrackers for Fantastic. Comic books
Szekeres left Walt Disney Animation Australia in 1993 to illustrate the comic book series ElfQuest – WaveDancers, which he co-created with Julie Ditrich and Bruce Love. Szekeres returned to Sirius Entertainment in 1999 to work with Joseph Michael Linsner and his Dawn character, and created new mermaid representations of the Goddess character for two publications, Dreams of Dawn Wizard #1/2, and Dawn: Return of the Goddess #3. Szekeres returned to work with Julie Ditrich on Elf-Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed, first published in 2011. Illustration
Szekeres's illustration works have been collected several times in books, magazines, and journals, highlights being Stripped Uncensored and Completely Stripped published 2009 and 2010 respectively in Germany by Bruno Gmünder. Szekeres also got featured in leading campaigns, such as the 2007 Sydney Mardi Gras, and 2008 Sleaze Ball (which is also part of the Sydney Mardi Gras). For the 2008 Sleaze Ball, titled Villains Lair, a collector card set consisting of 16 of Szekeres's villainous artworks created specifically for the event were released for members and partygoers. Szekeres released his own collector card set (or loose leaf book) The Art of Jozef Szekeres: Mermaids & Mermers in 2008 collecting 100 artworks. They range from unpublished pieces early in his career to his most recent published works of that time. Sculptor and toy designer
Szekeres has had a fascination with figural sculpture from childhood. Early in his career he sculpted maquettes for Disney's Aladdin and Jasmine, Dylandra, and adult Wendy. Szekeres further explored sculpture adding new sculptural elements to Barbie and G.I. Joe purchased toy parts. In 2003, Szekeres released his first fashion character/doll Elizabet Bizelle (with sister character Kotalin Bizelle) titled Dangerous Discovery, the first Australian created fashion doll. In 2006, Szekeres released his doll editions Elizabet Bizelle Lady in Red, and Kotalin Bizelle Birthday Bash. In November 2020, Szekeres released his GlamourOZ Dolls Collection of 10 editions. It reintroduced his new sculpts of original caucasian characters Kotalin & Elizabet Bizelle. It also now includes two new characters, Asian Lucielle Lei and Australian Aborigine Bindi Merinda (which reflects Australia's cultural diversity). The Kotalin Bizelle doll "Ribbon Reveal" was the recipient of the 2020 DOLLS Award of Excellence Industry Choice Winner. Ten editions were released. Eight titled mainline editions were released, each edition numbering 375. Two variant editions each numbering 100, featuring hair color variations. See also 
 Elfquest

References

Australian artists
Living people
1970 births