They make a way. - Maryland Institute College of Art

Brian Martel ’93 PRINTMAKING
Co-Founder, Executive Vice President and Art Director,
Gearbox Software / Plano, TX
“Now is one of the best times to be an artist—especially if
you are in the tech field. Whether you are doing special effects,
modeling for gaming and movies, web art, design work, or
illustration, every year it gets better and better. But when I
look at an artist, I want to know how well their fundamental
training is. Foundation is very important; you have to be able
to convey your ideas to the people you are working with.”
Few executives have a video game console on
their desk at work—much less make active use
of it as a key part of their job. For Brian Martel,
a founder of the 200-person strong Gearbox
Software company, it’s all in a day’s work. He is
also the principal art director for the company,
which has worked with the franchises that have
defined today’s gaming industry, such as Halo and
James Bond, and has created the successful new
franchises Brothers in Arms and Borderlands.
Like many of MICA’s most talented students,
Martel was a transfer student to MICA, studying
printmaking. He can trace the path of his success
through MICA. In fact, his early exposure to the
gaming industry came as a direct result of the
network he built while at the College. Games were
becoming much more elaborate and companies
needed artists with strong backgrounds in painting
and drawing to bring virtual worlds to life. A MICA
alumnus in Hunt Valley, Maryland recruited several
students as interns, including Martel.
His first job after college was working on a
simulation game, but he soon found that he
wanted more freedom to create expansive,
immersive experiences. He helped found a company
prior to Gearbox, it is worth noting, that was not a
huge success, but Martel was secure enough in his
ability not to fear failure. He later tapped into his
MICA network to help him land the contract that
helped launch Gearbox, and the rest is history.
Always the type of artist who likes to collaborate
with people—bouncing ideas off of each other
and pushing others to create their best work—
Martel makes a point of realizing the value in
every employee. It has helped him create a culture
of teamwork at Gearbox where employees think
outside the box to figure out the right
way to do things.
THE EXTRAORDINARY ATTENTION PAID TO EACH
DETAIL, MARTEL SAYS, CAN BE TRACED TO THE
ARTMAKING PROCESS HE LEARNED AT MICA.
Martel’s desire to always want to know more
helps him stay ahead of the breakneck pace
of technological evolution that defines the
video game industry. Now a member of MICA’s
Board of Trustees, he can also trace another
success back to MICA—meeting future wife
Meghan Martel ’95.
ENTERPRISE
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
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