Dreamlike Electric Landscapes And Twilight Nostalgia by Disney Art Director Justin Parpan

Justin Parpan is a San Diego-born writer, producer, animator, and visual development artist. A CalArts graduate (2006), he is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at USC Cinematic Arts and Creative Director at Parpan Creative (co-founded with brother Josh Parpan).

Parpan has 15+ years in animation, art directing Disney TV series like Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2014), background designing on Mickey Mouse Shorts (5 Emmys), Gravity Falls, DuckTales, and Big Hero 6. Recent credits include Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network) and developing Scarecrow Joe (Nickelodeon/Warner Bros.). He authored the children’s book Gwango’s Lonesome Trail and publishes process essays on Substack.

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His personal work explores dreamlike, electric landscapes and small-town nostalgia through mixed media (paint, ink, digital). Series like “Quiet Electric Landscape” and pieces such as “Red House at Night” (recurring dream) or “Overpass at dusk” evoke isolation, memory, and twilight melancholy with loose textures and atmospheric light. He emphasizes texture, looseness, and knowing “when to stop”.