Arthell Isom

Arthell Isom
Born
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationAcademy of Art University;
Yoyogi Animation Academy
OccupationsAnimator, background artist, art director, entrepreneur
Years active2008–present
Known forCo-founder and CEO of D'ART Shtajio
Notable workStar Wars: Visions (Volume 2), One Piece, Attack on Titan, "Snowchild" (The Weeknd)

Arthell Isom is an American animator, background artist, and entrepreneur based in Tokyo, Japan. He is the co-founder, chief executive officer, and art director of D'ART Shtajio, a Tokyo-based two-dimensional animation studio he founded with his twin brother Darnell Isom and animator Henry Thurlow. Bloomberg has described D'ART Shtajio as the first Black-owned animation studio in Japan.[1]

Early life and education

Isom was raised in Paterson, New Jersey, alongside his twin brother, Darnell Isom.[2] He attended Rosa L. Parks High School of Fine and Performing Arts in Paterson before moving to San Francisco to study at the Academy of Art University.[3]

Isom graduated from the Academy of Art University in 2005 and moved to Japan shortly afterward.[3] He has cited Mamoru Oshii's 1995 film Ghost in the Shell, and the work of its art director Hiromasa Ogura, as a primary influence on his decision to pursue an anime career.[4] He spent roughly a year navigating visa and enrollment procedures before being admitted to the Yoyogi Animation Academy in Osaka, since the school did not have an established process for accepting foreign students at the time.[3]

Career

Ogura Kobo

In 2008, Isom joined Ogura Kobo, a background art studio founded by art director Hiromasa Ogura, known for his work on Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell.[4] At Ogura Kobo, Isom worked as a background artist, contributing to productions including Black Butler, Naruto Shippūden: The Lost Tower, Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse, and Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.[5] Sources describe the length of his tenure at Ogura Kobo differently: some report a period of around five years, while others describe a longer stretch of roughly a decade.[6][7]

D'ART Shtajio

In December 2016, Isom co-founded D'ART Shtajio in Tokyo together with his twin brother Darnell Isom and animator Henry Thurlow.[4][8] The studio's name is derived from the Japanese phrase shitaji ga daiji (下地が大事, "the foundation is important") combined with the Japanese rendering of the English word "studio."[8] Under Isom, the studio has provided background art or production work for anime series and films including Attack on Titan, One Piece, Tokyo Ghoul, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, as well as the Netflix anthology Sturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury.[4][7] D'ART Shtajio's animation cleanup work also appears in the fourth season of the Netflix series Castlevania.[9] The studio has also produced animated commercials for brands including Asos.[10]

In 2020, D'ART Shtajio produced an animated music video for "Snowchild" by The Weeknd.[11] Trade coverage of the video's release credited Isom as director and one of its producers.[12] In 2023, D'ART Shtajio partnered with Lucasfilm on "The Pit," a short film in the Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 anthology.[13]

In 2017, D'ART Shtajio released Shojo no Piero ("The Doll"), an original short story about a Black expatriate engineer in Japan, featuring Dante Carver as the voice of the protagonist, Ijiro; Isom has said he originally conceived the story in college.[14][15]

In 2020, Isom and his brother Darnell appeared in the music video for "Entrepreneur" by Pharrell Williams featuring Jay-Z, which highlighted Black-owned businesses.[16]

Isom has said one aim of the studio has been to create opportunities to adapt stories by Black creators into anime, citing collaborations on independent projects such as Teflon Funk and XOGENASYS.[7]

Recognition and media coverage

Isom and D'ART Shtajio have been the subject of profiles and interviews by outlets including Bloomberg,[1] GQ,[2] Tokyo Weekender,[4] Rolling Stone,[11] and Essence.[16] Isom was also profiled in the Hulu docuseries Your Attention Please, hosted by Craig Robinson, and appeared on the show's companion podcast.[17] He has also appeared as a guest at anime conventions including Anime NYC.[8]

Personal life

Isom's twin brother, Darnell Isom, is a co-founder of D'ART Shtajio.[4][8]

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2008–2010s Black Butler Background artist TV series
2010 Naruto Shippūden: The Lost Tower Background artist Feature film
2010 Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse Background artist Feature film
2012 Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Background artist TV series
2019 Sound & Fury Background art / animation production Netflix film
2021 Castlevania (Season 4) Animation cleanup (studio credit) Netflix series
2020 "Snowchild" (The Weeknd) Director, producer Music video
2020 "Entrepreneur" (Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z) Featured entrepreneur Music video
2023 Star Wars: Visions ("The Pit") Animation studio partner Volume 2 short

References

  1. 1 2 "Watch Japan's First Black-Owned Anime Studio". Bloomberg Quicktake. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  2. 1 2 Gibbson, A. J. (2020-09-11). "How Arthell Isom Became the Head of His Own Anime Studio". GQ. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  3. 1 2 3 "From Fan to Creator: Arthell Isom's road to opening his own anime studio". ALL ARTS. 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Coates, Alec (2023-02-08). "D'ART Shtajio: The First Foreign-Owned Anime Studio In Japan". Tokyo Weekender. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  5. ↑ "Arthell ISOM". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  6. ↑ "5 Black-Owned Animation Studios". Black Girl Nerds. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  7. 1 2 3 "Meet Arthell Isom, the man behind Japan's first major black-owned anime studio". Face2Face Africa. 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Arthell Isom". Anime NYC. 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  9. ↑ "D'Art Shtajio". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  10. ↑ "From Adidas to ASOS, why global brands seek out anime advertising". Toon Boom. 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  11. 1 2 Kreps, Daniel (2020-07-22). "The Weeknd Looks Back at Career in Animated 'Snowchild' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  12. ↑ "The Weeknd Taps Black-Owned Anime Studio D'Art Shtajio For "Snowchild" Music Video". Hypebeast. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  13. ↑ "Meet the Visionaries: LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge on the Heartbreak and Hope of "The Pit"". StarWars.com. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  14. ↑ "D'ART Shtajio Teases a Big 2018 Year for Anime". Honey's Anime. 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  15. ↑ "Blerd Rising Star: Arthell Isom opened up a Tokyo studio to create his own anime". SYFY Wire. 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  16. 1 2 "WATCH: Pharrell and Jay-Z Champion Black Businesses In 'Entrepreneur' Video". Essence. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
  17. ↑ "Your Attention Please: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
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