Obituary: Iguana Art Director And Freelance Illustrator Matt Stubbington

Former Iguana Entertainment art director and founding member Matt Stubbington passed away Saturday, January 22 in Cedar Park, Texas. He was 39. Stubbington got his start in the industry at the age of 13 by tinkering with graphics on his Commodore 64 from his home in Bristol, England, according to a biography on his web site. His graphics work appeared in many published computer titles in the late '80s, including the Amiga versions of Afterburner and its sequel. In 1992, Stubbington moved to California to become a founding member and art director for Iguana Entertainment, known for the Turok, NBA Jam and NFL Quarterback Club series. He stayed with the company through its move to Texas and rebranding as Acclaim Studios Austin in 1996, producing artwork and cover illustrations for a variety of projects, including BMX XXX and the Tony Hawk series. In 2001, Stubbington went on to found Big Sesh Studios and, in 2006, established himself as a freelance artist, illustrator and consultant. During this period he produced artwork for game projects including Unreal Championship, Spyro the Dragon and Auto Assault. Stubbington's work also appeared on the covers of game magazines from Next Generation and Game Informer to PSM and PC Gamer. "His genius has graced many games over the past 20 years," said former Iguana and Acclaim colleague John Nagle in an email to Gamasutra. "He was absolutely brilliant and an absolutely wonderful human being."