Full Name: Dat T. Nguyen
Born: November 13, 1974 Saigon, Vietnam
Residence: California

Born in Vietnam in the midst of civil war, my family escaped Communist Viet Cong government in 1975 a few days before the South surrendered to the North. My father, a self made wealthy man, reporter, and Veterans society member, and my mother, pregnant with my sister to be born in America, 1 year old daughter, and myself were able to escape Vietnam by way of helicopter to a naval aircraft carrier by sheer luck and chance.  After a few months in a foreign refugee camp, we were sponsored to America by a Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. There we stayed for 7 years, my parents deciding to move

I began drawing at the age of 4 starting with Mickey Mouse. I dedicated it to memory. From then on, I spent my time drawing things here and there, but only drawing copies of existing pictures from comic books, cartoons, etc. When I got to Junior High, someone accused me of being a "tracer" because I did not come up with my own original art. To some degree he was right. From that time on I began to try to draw images from my own head, only using other artists as references for things, but never copying them carefull to try and develop my own style.

When I went to College, I studied Biology for 3 years. After realizing that this was not my calling, I tried computer Information Sciences for about 2 quarters and left that behind pretty quick as well. Couldn't see myself as a code junkie assuming that this was all there was for me there. Decided to graduate with a BS in Economics to increase the variety of possible industries I could get myself in on graduation, all the while doing a colorist/illustrator job for a publishing company 50 miles from school 4 days a week for a 4 hour job.

After graduation, I went out and got a job as a graphic design artist for a an industrial manufacturing company. I believed at the time that you should do what you love as opposed to what makes you money. I still believe it, but sometimes, you have to go the other way due to responsibility. When they found out I knew computers I became the in-house computer technician, and from there on to my illustrious career as an IT Analyst. Currently, I am a member of a New Business and Integration team as a Primary Account Coordinater where I sit today and earn my living. I do graphics, illustration, and web design on the side to maintain my sanity and forever desiring the need to create a piece of work that I can admire and be proud of.

It happened all at once. In the span of a single week, I had a new job, a new house, and a new wife, and soon... a new baby boy.

Cheers to you and yours! Enjoy the site!


Dat Nguyen, Studio 1311

Career:
HS Diploma: 1993
UC Graduate Bachelors Degree: Economics 1998

1997-1998: Illustrator/color artist
1998-2000: Graphic Design/Computer Support Technician
2000-present: IT Technology, New Business Integration Primary Account Coordinator

Handles:
DatterBoy, DatterDude, MrDat, Calibanos, Constantine, Datterotica, Datman

Artistic Influences:
Jim Lee, Joe Maduriera, Scott Campbell, Art Adams, Big John Buscema, AIkiman, Bengus, A bunch of random CAPCOM artists

Likes:
My Wife, My Families, My Boys, Comic Books, Simpsons, X-men, Cartoons, Meat, beef, Tastetations Butterscotch, Hamburger Helper, Steak from the Olive Garden, playing baseball (not watching), Video Games, Peter Milton,

Favorite TV Shows:
Everybody Loves Raymond, The Simpsons, Reboot, Cheers, Night Court, News Radio, HIstory Channel, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Sponge Bob, Futurama, King of the Hill, Buzz Light Year of Star Command (seriously, it's a really funny and smart show),

Favorite Movies:
The Usual Suspects, Amelie, When Harry Met Sally, The Iron Giant, Forrest Gump, He Said She Said, Superman II,

Dislikes:
Rude Drivers, laggers, flakers, braggers, smelly feet, wussy girls, waking up early in the morn, that girl who plays Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Epsiode I, Nicole Kidman, Reality TV Shows,


Food Place:
Tofu Soup


Come show them what you're made of, or let them make something out of you.
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