Our new Starring You birthday eCard, You’re Still Cool, takes us back through the decades showing that fashion trends & dancing styles come and go, but coolness is forever! Our director of eCards, Jeff, came up with the animatic for this timely card and artist Dean Heezen animated it into the colorful eCard we see today.

We got to talk more with Dean about his favorite era and more:

-What is your favorite decade?

My favorite era is the 1940s. You just cant beat the boom of Disney animation, the Big Band Jazz and Swing, and MGM musicals.

-How did you choose which decades to feature?

Working with Jeff, he gave me the specific dates to work from.  With his notes, I just thought I’d choose specific iconic markers of those decades to help give a clear visual.

-How long did this card take to animate?

This card took me about 3 weeks to animate.

-Did you come up with the fun costumes each generation is wearing?

The designs were super fun to do. Jeff gave me a clear description of what was needed while still keeping it open for exploration.

-Did you practice each dance move the characters do in the video?

I still practice those dance moves in the video!

To check our more of Dean’s work you can visit his website then let someone celebrating a birthday know how cool they are today!