Troy Mullin
Artist • Filmmaker • Storyteller
Some of the Brands I’ve Worked With
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Hey, You Found Me!
I’m Troy, and my studio is Mullin Entertainment. I’m an artist and filmmaker. I’m all about illustration, painting, sculpting, artistic direction, concepting, and telling stories on stage, screen, and social. After earning my BFA in musical theatre, I began my career working in theatre and producing live events. Recently, I’ve been focusing on filmmaking and content creation for the digital world. Overall, my work is directed at a family audience, inviting viewers of all ages to see the world from a childlike perspective.
Much of the work I create is interdisciplinary, finding new ways to combine materials and artforms. Whether it is capturing art being made on film in an immersive way or the fusion of practical, real-world creations (magic tricks, puppetry, etc.) with the digital world, I find distilling my artistic efforts into one category difficult. In my world, visual art and performance art are inseparable, fusing to tell compelling stories.
As a creator, my process typically begins at the conceptual phase, developing ideas that fulfill client needs in new, exciting ways or that express narratives from a unique perspective. From that point, I typically have a hand in seeing my ideas realized, using my diverse artistic skill set in every step along the way.
My obsession is creatures, and my goal is to build worlds of things no one has ever seen or imagined before. I’ve found folks tend to enjoy the presence of weird monsters or beasts in their lives more than people they consider different from themselves. Using that knowledge, it is my mission to build empathy in imagined worlds in hopes that my audience may take some of those feelings back into everyday life.
As a queer artist, I’m always seeking ways to engage with a creative team as diverse as the audiences I create for, with many of my crews on various projects being composed of a majority of individuals from historically marginalized populations. Together, I believe we can tell new stories the world has yet to hear. To further these efforts, I’m currently working in collaboration with a theatre company to develop puppets that can be operated by performers who don’t have hands, or with arms and legs that are formed in unique ways. I haven’t seen much puppeteering that explores this, so I’m excited to discover new methods to include more diversity in storytelling.
I’m also currently designing, fabricating, and directing a puppet-based short for Nickelodeon, as well as directing a series of videos for a collectable plush toy line that brings their plushie world to life in cuddly new ways. I’m always up for a new adventure, so don’t be afraid to reach out – before you know it, I’m sure we’ll be up to something fun together!
PUPPETS
Galaxy of Pride
SYFY | Televised Short | 2021
In a celebration of Pride Month, SYFY engaged LGBTQIA+ creators to conceptualize and create unique shorts that aired on national television as part of their “Pride is Universal” campaign. Mullin’s short tells the story of a nest of eggs on a colorless planet. Upon hatching, it is discovered the newborn baby aliens are brightly colored, each representing a stripe on the Pride flag.
Mullin & Friends
Independently Produced Theatrical Production | 2017-2019
Mullin & Friends was an original piece of musical theatre that traveled the state of Michigan. The show centers around Mullin and a house full of weird and whimsical puppet characters who solve life’s troubles by using their imagination. The production was also adapted into an elementary school assembly, visiting thousands of young students with a message of celebrating individuality and inclusivity. Mullin & Friends is among many independently produced theatrical productions by Mullin, with the very first show taking the stage in 2008. Mullin’s musicals give underprivileged communities access to the arts - for many of the young children and families Mullin performs for, it is their first time experiencing live theatre.
Mitten Buddies
Michigan History Center | Live Event | 2019, 2021
Developed to make museum learning more interactive and accessible, the Mitten Buddies brought Michigan’s state symbols to life as puppet characters in a wandering exhibit, sharing jokes, songs, and facts about the Mitten State. Conceptualized and developed by Mullin, who is dyslexic, the goal was to discover new ways to share information often found in lengthy text-based descriptions displayed around the museum with folks, especially young children, who are excited to learn but struggle digesting information in its current format. The resulting live experience proved to be a lasting success, traveling to multiple museums and historical sites in Michigan.
Little Dino, Big World
Universal Pictures, Jurassic World Franchise | Social Media Short |2022
Commissioned as part of Jurassic World’s “#RuleTheEarth” campaign, Mullin’s short brings a retro approach to the Jurassic franchise, using practical effects to realize what might happen if a little dinosaur found its way into a claw machine at an arcade.
Home, Sweet Home
San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy | PSA Concept Video | 2018
To raise awareness of endangered species experiencing habitat loss, Mullin developed a marketing concept featuring animal puppets singing an arrangement of “Home on the Range.” Puppets included the Sumatran Tiger, Thick-Billed Parrot, White Rhino, African Penguin, South American Bushmaster, and Alligator Snapping Turtle.
Secrets
The Jim Henson Company | Award-Winning Experimental Short | 2016
The Jim Henson Company asked fans of their 1982 film, The Dark Crystal, to tell stories that “fill in the blanks,” showing what happened between scenes or what was occurring just off-camera as the original plot of the movie unfolded. A winner in The Dark Crystal Fan Film Competition, “Secrets” explores the discovery of a crystal shard by a puppet recreation of Aughra, a character from the original film, among a trio of original creature puppets that were designed specifically for the short. “Fantastic!” said Cheryl Henson of the piece, “This is an important moment well played.” “Secrets” went on to be screened at The Center for Puppetry Arts and the Museum of Pop Culture.
Bunnyville
Detroit Zoo | Live Event | 2019
A moving exhibit of songs and stories, Mullin’s springtime animal puppets greeted children and families visiting Detroit Zoo as they searched for eggs and visited wildlife. Zoo staff noticed visitors struggled to sit for long-form presentations or had difficulty locating indoor venues. While collaborating to address these existing issues with guest experiences, Mullin presented the idea that if you couldn’t bring the people into the show, then the show could be brought to the people. The Bunnyville puppets engaged guests on walkways, with puppets riding in baskets carried by performers, creating a new form of interactive entertainment for the zoo. Positive guest responses to the puppets lead to the development of two original mini-musicals starring Mullin puppets.
BumBumz Suite
Jazwares | Social Media Content | 2023-present
Blending puppetry, stop-motion, and social media editing trends, Mullin brings the world of BumBumz, a collectable plush line, to life in cute and unique ways as part of an on-going initiative across the brand’s social media platforms. Beginning at the conceptual phase, Mullin develops social forward ideas that showcase the product and has helped BumBumz achieve over 30K Instagram followers to date.
ILLUSTRATION
Nickelodeon Tributes Hayao Miyazaki
Nickelodeon | 2022
Created to celebrate the 81st birthday of Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, Mullin’s illustration imagines a parade combining the characters of Nickelodeon and Studio Ghibli. The piece was among Nick Animation’s best performing posts across social platforms, generating news articles and buzz amongst fans of Nick and Ghibli alike.
Nickelodeon, Avatar the Last Air Bender Franchise | 2022
To mark the 10th anniversary of Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Mullin created four portraits, each featuring an elemental bender from the series “painted” using the element they are a master of. Water-bender Korra was created using a “water-color” technique in which the portrait can only be revealed when submerged under water. Bolin’s earth portrait was created using carefully placed colored sand, and Tenzin’s air portrait utilized painting with glue and then covering the art in a pile of glitter; revealing the image beneath required a strong gust of wind. For Fire-bender Mako’s portrait, Mullin painted with fire.
Avatar Elemental Portraits
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: Magical Origins
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland | 2019
Located in London’s iconic Hyde Park, Winter Wonderland is a themed destination for visitors to experience a park that is all about holiday magic. Among its outdoor markets, skating rinks, live shows, and rides, a question arose: “What is the magical backstory of how this theme park appears for six weeks each winter?” To answer that question, Mullin developed multiple unique backstories around Winter Wonderland, designing hidden species native to Hyde Park that contribute to the merrymaking, stories around mythical origins of attractions, and reimaginings of park maps, all while tying the magic into London’s holiday culture.
Hocus Porous
Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants Franchise | 2022
A bit of nautical nonsense created to celebrate Halloween, this parody poster illustrated by Mullin features SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward in their most bewitching costumes yet. Among SpongeBob’s top performing posts of 2022, the illustration generated 99K reactions on Facebook and over 100K likes on Instagram.
Unlimited Possibilities
BIC Pens | 2018
To generate interest in BIC’s 4-Color Ball Pen, Mullin created a kinetic illustration, highlighting the unlimited possibilities of just four colors and showcasing the power of what can be drawn by doodling with your imagination. Mullin’s kinetic-style “Explosion Art” has since been commissioned for other endeavors, including multiple pieces for Nickelodeon.
Monsters Unite!
Fan Factory, Sponsored by Hot Topic | 2018
Created for Fan Factory in collaboration with Universal Monsters, Mullin’s design featuring Frankenstein, Dracula, and their frightening friends, was voted Fan Favorite among thousands of competing illustrations. Winning apparel is produced and sold in Hot Topic stores.
SpongeBob PaintedPants
Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants Franchise | 2022
A fashionable approach to SpongeBob’s pants, this creation brings the classic episode “Ripped Pants” to denim as characters from the franchise are hand-painted by Mullin on a pair of jeans (that is then ripped). The post received over 100K likes on Instagram and, along with Mullin’s on-going contributions to the franchise’s social media, helped SpongeBob reach 4 million Instagram followers.
FABRICATION, FOOD ART, AND BEYOND
Across the Spider-Verse Cookie Mosaic
Sony Pictures, Spider-Man: Spider-Verse Franchise | 2023
Sony’s Spider-Verse imagines the many diverse art styles in which Spider-Man can appear. To further extend the possibilities, Mullin was commissioned to re-create the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse poster using cookies, introducing a “Baker-Verse” to the franchise. To complete the task, Mullin created a grid of over one hundred square cookies, each decorated with frosting in a unique way so when assembled together, the complete image would appear. When presented on screen, the cookies were stop-animated to reveal the edible poster in an exciting way.
Nicktoon Nutcrackers
Nickelodeon | 2022
To bring Nickelodeon’s various properties together for the holidays, Mullin created a series of nutcrackers, each designed to resemble a classic Nicktoon character. The hand-crafted creations, featuring Nigel (The Wild Thornberrys), Chuckie (Rugrats), Arnold (Hey Arnold!), and Cosmo & Wanda (The Fairly OddParents), were then performed in a stop-animated scene created by Mullin, singing the iconic Nick theme song.
Peer Gynt
Harvard | Theatrical Production Elements | 2016
As Harvard University staged a production of Peer Gynt at the Loeb Drama Center, Mullin was consulted in order to bring some of the plays more whimsical characters to life in the theater. For the production, Mullin fabricated a dozen unique troll masks, three playful monkey puppets (inspired by Japanese bunraku), and a woolly hog large enough for two passengers to ride upon its back. In crafting these elements, Mullin delved into Norwegian folk culture, researching historical designs and mythology to create authentic representations of the characters in the classic tale. Mullin also served as a guest educator, teaching the performers about puppetry and performance.
Watermelon Patrick
Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants Franchise | 2022
In an on-going relationship to create engaging social content with Nickelodeon, Mullin continues to find new and unique ways to play with food. For this endeavor, Patrick Star, a beloved character from Nick’s SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, was brought to life as a watermelon sculpture. In addition to traditional carving techniques, Mullin incorporated innovative editing tricks to bolster viewer engagement with the post, resulting in the piece becoming among the top performing content on Patrick’s social media in 2022.
The Loud House Bird House
Nickelodeon, The Loud House Franchise | 2023
A consistent creative challenge in developing engaging social content for Nick is discovering new ways to provide viewers meaningful, clever, and fresh content that builds on the years of love fans have for Nick’s various properties. For this project, Mullin conceptualized taking the house shaped logo that appears at the beginning of every episode of The Loud House and bringing it into reality as a three-dimensional bird house. Mullin also directed the video and constructed the piece, which featured live birds interacting with the finished creation (after filming, Mullin adopted the birds, who’s names are Flip and Skip).
Want to see even more? Discover all the things I’m making on social media!