Interview with Leonidas Kouvaris
I recently had the honor of interviewing Leonidas Kouvaris, a digital artist and singer for Webkinz. Some of his most popular projects include The Pet of the Month songs and Zum designs. It was an amazing experience to correspond with him directly and gain some more insight into the game. Below is our interview, some words have been changed to fix typos, but for the most part is it word for word. I added some context via images and links to some topics discussed. An unedited transcript of the interview is here.
Do you consent to have the information discussed in this interview to be published on my Tumblr blog (WebkinzWonders) for the purpose of my composition class?
What is the timeline of your time at Webkinz, when did you start and stop working there?
I started working at Ganz back in March of 2008, and I left early 2013, so around 5 years total.
What were your main responsibilities when working at Webkinz?
I was first hired as a digital artist for the Interactive Art department and worked on creating new virtual pets exclusive to the eStore. I also created art assets for the Webkinz games and for Webkinz JR. After about a year I was given the opportunity to design a new series of characters for Webkinz called Zums. These were fairy-like creatures that would exist as both virtual characters on the Webkinz site, and as a product line of plush toys. I eventually worked primarily on product design and marketing for various Ganz properties, including Amazing World and Nakamas.
From what I can see you are primarily an artist/designer, how did you get involved with the Kinztunes? Were you interested in music or was it just a side project?
Well, it all started out by chance. One day I was working away at my desk when my boss walked in and yelled out for everyone to hear "Who here can sing"? I put my hand up and his first response was "yeah right!", but after convincing him that I wasn't joking he said if I were interested in performing on a Webkinz tune to go visit tour resident sound guy. I love music and this was a great opportunity to get away from my desk, so I got the rundown from the lead sound engineer and we quickly started work on the very first Webkinz Pet Of The Month song.
We had the lyrics written for us and a general direction...problem was, at the time, there was no formal recording studio on site and so we had to improvise. We found an empty office to record in and in lieu of any proper soundproofing, we ended up draping a Snuggie over my head while I sang. It was a great experience A proper sound recording studio eventually was built as the sound team grew, and I continued to get involved with the production of the Kinz Tunes. All of this extra work would happen during the work day, when I had time from my other responsibilities as a digital artist. I sang, I wrote, I even lent my voice to other projects doing character voices for the Webkinz JR site. I quickly became the go-to person for recording whatever random sound was needed.
What was your favorite project you did working at Webkinz?
I would have to say that designing the Amazing World vinyl figures is what I am most proud of. I ended up designing three series for the toy line but only the first two ever made it to shelves. The project was canceled pretty soon after launch, along with others including Nakamas and Tail Town. I have to say, working on Kinz Tunes is a close second, as I am still good friends with the sound engineer I met on that first day of recording. I actually just met up with him today to check out a retro arcade in downtown Toronto.
How does Webkinz keep a consistent style since there are various elements of the game? Were there guidelines when designing?
One of the challenges that the Webkinz team faced was trying to keep up with the rapid expansion of the website. Both the coding and the art for the site had to get produced quickly as there were always new features and games to implement. As best as I can remember, Webkinz had one art director from the beginning who created the art style, and it was the Creative Director (the boss for the entire art department) who made sure everything remained on brand. Later on I became a sort of liaison between the art department and marketing, making sure product development was using the same style guides as the Interactive Art department.
How does Webkinz keep a consistent style since there are various elements of the game? Were there guidelines when designing?
One of the challenges that the Webkinz team faced was trying to keep up with the rapid expansion of the website. Both the coding and the art for the site had to get produced quickly as there were always new features and games to implement. As best as I can remember, Webkinz had one art director from the beginning who created the art style, and it was the Creative Director (the boss for the entire art department) who made sure everything remained on brand. Later on I became a sort of liaison between the art department and marketing, making sure product development was using the same style guides as the Interactive Art department.
What was the work environment like at Webkinz? Was it in-person offices or remote?
The art department itself was pretty drab. Gray cubicles upon gray cubicles, located in the same building that housed the main offices, and warehouse. The people I worked with were amazing. Get a bunch of creative people together in a windowless environment and you got a recipe for crazy times. A lot of dress up days; A lot of desk decorating. I made a lot of friendships from that time.
What are some projects you’re working on now?
After Ganz I took some time off to do my own thing, creating some animated shorts with characters of my own designing. I then went on to work for a company designing educational games that are featured on the PBS Kids website. A year into the pandemic I was laid off and now I'm revisiting my project and developing it as on a mobile game.
Do you have anything you can show me from your time working there?
I've attached some sketches that show the design process of some of my earlier work at Ganz. I've included the initial concept of the Webkinz Stone Lion, isometric sketches of the Stone Lion, and the final vectored design.
Any questions that I didn’t ask that you think I should know?
Yes, Ganz is actually based in Canada. A lot of people don't know that the head offices are just outside of Toronto, Ontario
That concludes our interview. A huge thank you to Leonidas Kouvaris for taking the time to answer all my questions, I am so appreciative of his time and insight. The information provided is so fascinating, I never would've guessed most of Webkinz was designed in a grey cubical, and the story about KinzTunes made me laugh, I'll be on the lookout for more projects by Leonidas Kouvaris!
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