Meet the Artist - Kenny Mays (Pt. 2)
Kenny's Gifs - Birbs 'n' Bread
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Kenny's Gifs - Birbs 'n' Bread 〰️
What is the last GIF you sent to someone?
- My latest Bread with Heart!
When do you feel most creative?
- I feel most creative when I leave the house. Going out for walks or cycling through the city helps to clear my mind, so when I return, I am full of new ideas and eager to get to work on something new.
Two times GIPHY Artist of the Year! That’s huge and big congratulations! 13.6B GIF views and counting! How do you keep coming up with new ideas?
- Thank you so much! It’s hard to say where the ideas come from. Each one has originated from a different source; however, I would say most ideas come from personal experiences.
Have you ever been sent one of your own GIFs - unbeknown to the sender!?
- I can’t say I have, but I always get a kick out of seeing them appear when I’m scrolling through stories on Instagram.
We see the Birbs enjoying some gaming time together and know you have worked on some game titles yourself. Do you enjoy gaming? What is the last game you played?
- I love to play video games when I can. Recently I have been playing “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”. I am also a huge fan of the OG Pokemon titles on
- Gameboy. I also created a video game with 2 of my friends whilst at university that is available to play online for free. The game is titled “HazmatSam” and it is a 2D Pixel art survival game with a plethora of features to keep people entertained. HazmatSam features a level-up system, character skins with special abilities, over 50 weapons and 5 unique maps with their own boss fights.
- If you are interested in giving it a go, it’s available to download or play online for free on Itch.io: Hazmat Sam
Do you have a project that is eternally a WIP?
- Oftentimes I will create something that I feel doesn't depict the characters the right way or will lack humour. If I make something that doesn’t make me or my friends laugh. It will become a WIP until I can find a way to make it more funny or relatable.
What makes a GIF shareable/sendable?
- Humour and relatability.
Any advice to aspiring animators?
- Practice as much as you can, try to collaborate with other artists, and it’s really important to study different techniques to help you improve your skillset and find what it is you love to do most in animation. There are many different paths to take in this career, and the more you know, the more you can create and understand when working in a collaborative environment.
What’s next for KennysGifs?
- As always, lots more Birbs and lots more Breads. However, I will introduce some new character additions to KennysGifs very soon, alongside the release of a Birb plushie later in the year!
Fans - new and old - can find out more about you via your website (links on the artist
page) - what goodies can we see coming to your online shop soon?
- I am always releasing new goodies in my store. I usually release something new every week. Also, the Birb plushie is finally in the works and will be available later this year.
Check out Kenny’s artist page for loads more links and news. 💫
