Julian Clove Is Drawing Atlanta's Story, One Frame at a Time

For Julian Clove, animation isn't a career he stumbled into—it's one he says he was born into. What started as drawing on walls as a kid evolved into sketches on paper, then digital tablet work, and eventually full animation. That throughline eventually led him to the Art Institute of Atlanta, where he studied animation, film, storytelling, and fine arts, sharpening what he describes as a multidisciplinary approach to visual storytelling. Clove, who uses he/him pronouns, grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and now calls Atlanta home base for his work as a 2D animator and cartoonist. His influences trace directly back to a childhood steeped in animation's golden eras—90s and 2000s cartoons from Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Fox, alongside anime and comics. He identifies as a self-described "blerd," and that mix of pop culture, comics, sci-fi, and comedy shows up in the character-driven, humor-laced work he makes today. Beyond nostalgia, Clove's art carries a personal thread. His bio notes that his work reflects his experiences as a Black artist in Atlanta, celebrating the communities and creative culture that shaped him along the way. These days, Clove keeps busy across formats—humorous shorts, user-generated content, and brand collaborations all factor into his regular output. His bigger projects, though, are still taking shape behind the scenes: a comic series and a TV show, both set in Atlanta, with details still under wraps. At the core of it all, Clove says he just wants his work to spark creativity in others. He hopes people walk away from his art inspired to pick up a pencil themselves—to animate, draw, or build a story of their own. And if it makes someone laugh along the way, he considers that a win too. Keep an eye out for more from Clove as his Atlanta-based comic and TV projects come into focus.