You probably didn’t notice Jonathan Skabla’s name amid the slew of credits at the end ofPortal: No Escape, the recently released short by Dan Trachtenberg ofThe Totally Rad Show. He might be a faceless animator to you, but to me he’s my best pal. He’s the guy who’d greet me on Tuesday afternoon with a beer and a copy ofStreets of Rage 2.Jon has moved on and up since our days of sharing a squalid apartment. He was part of a team under Jon Chesson (an animator responsible for some of the VFX you see in games likeResistance 3andTwisted Metal) and worked on many of the shiny, glittering bits you see in the final film. Today, I sat down with my buddy to get some insight into the environment that brought youPortal: No Escape.
For starters: what’s your background in the industry?
