By Cansu Waldron

Jude Buffum is a Philadelphia-based pixel artist and illustrator whose work reimagines 8-bit aesthetics for the present day. With over two decades of experience, he has collaborated with major brands like Disney, Marvel, Sony, Hasbro, ESPN, WWE, Taco Bell, and Target. A graduate of Temple University’s Graphic Arts and Design program, Jude began his career in book design before founding his own studio in 2007, where he has since become known for vibrant, retro-styled illustrations and conceptual storytelling through pixels.

Rather than leaning solely on nostalgia, Jude uses pixel art as a lens to reflect on contemporary culture. His early personal projects addressed themes like the “War on Terror” through deceptively playful visuals, establishing the blend of innocence and critical edge that defines his style today. Whether working on client commissions or personal experiments, his practice continues to surprise audiences by making the familiar language of video games feel fresh and thought-provoking.

We asked Jude about his art, creative process, and inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

My name is Jude Buffum and I am a professional illustrator based in Philadelphia, specializing in pixel art, 8-bit typography, and infographic-style illustration. I’ve been working in this style for over 20 years, collaborating with clients like Disney, Marvel, ESPN, WWE, Taco Bell, and Target.

I like to joke that I’ve been an illustrator since I was six years old, when I had my first drawing published in a local newspaper. But my professional story begins at Temple University, where I majored in Graphic Arts and Design. After graduating I was the graphic designer at Headcase Design for six years, mostly designing books, but I slowly transitioned into more of an illustrator role. I left Headcase in 2007 to start my own studio specializing in pixel art and retro-style illustration.

Pixel art is often associated with nostalgia, how do you make sure your work feels fresh?

Since the beginning I’ve really just been using pixel art as a nostalgic filter to comment on the present day. My early pixel art, before I even thought this had commercial appeal, was a series of commentary on the “War on Terror” and the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even when I’m doing client work, I’m often using this very innocent visual language to talk about more mature themes. It’s about capturing that comforting familiarity while still surprising people with something they haven’t quite seen before.

You’ve worked with major brands like Disney, Sony, and BMW — what’s been your most challenging or rewarding collaboration so far?

There have been so many great projects and clients over the years but one that stands out recently is all the packaging I’ve been doing for Hasbro’s Marvel action figures.

We started with the Sentinels from the classic X-Men arcade game but since then I’ve done a slew of Gamerverse “Vs” packs, like Psylocke vs Thanos, and those allowed me to work on all my favorite things: 8-bit typography, pixel art portraits, and channeling a client’s brand through the lens of my fondest childhood memories.

Plus they send me free copies of the figures which are REALLY hard to get your hands on! My sympathies to all the collectors out there trying to collect them all.

You just launched a course on pixel art — what inspired you to start teaching, and what do you hope students will take away from it?

My Domestika course Pixel Art Avatar Design came about because I wanted to fill what I saw as some gaps in the online pixel art tutorial world. There are some amazing pixel artists out there dropping insane amounts of knowledge but I didn’t see anyone covering two very important topics:

1) Brainstorming your ideas. I think too much emphasis is put on techniques over ideas, so I wanted to teach budding pixel artists how to better conceptualize and build worlds.

2) Turning sketchbook drawings into finished pixel art. Most people are using drawing tablets these days, but when I started doing this they didn’t exist! I would draw in my sketchbook and then use a very specific process to bring those drawings onto the computer and draw with a mouse. Now I’m not advocating for mouse drawing (though I still use it quite a bit!) but I do think there’s a certain level of personality and authenticity that you can only achieve when you start your art with physical media, even if it ends up in the digital realm.

My hope is that students walk away with both the technical skills and the creative confidence to put their own personality into their work.

What is a profound childhood memory?

When the first wave of home consoles came out (Atari 2600, Colecovision, etc) my mom was a bit skeptical of video games, but my grandfather (who worked at Coleco) gave us one. When the Nintendo Entertainment System hit the market she was even more hesitant but, after showing her a magazine article about the original Legend of Zelda game, she relented.

Fast forward to several months later and she was as hooked on the game as I was. I had recently completed the game, but late one night I snuck out of my bedroom because I thought I heard the unforgettable Death Mountain music. Hiding in the shadows of our living room I secretly watched her defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda!

Have there been any surprising or memorable responses to your work?

I’ve done a lot of themed art shows with Gallery 1988 and one year we did a comedian-inspired exhibit. My favorite comedian was the late Mitch Hedberg. He still is, but he used to be too (Mitch fans will get that one). I challenged myself to create a portrait of him with as many Mitch jokes crammed into it as possible, including ducks, krazy straws, and buoyant citrus. Somebody ended up buying the piece, and I didn’t think too much about it until I got an email a few weeks later from someone telling me they loved the piece and bought it. It was Mitch’s widow, Lynn Shawcroft.

You’re one of the moderators over at BasePaint, can you tell me a bit about that project?

Yeah! So BasePaint is this online, collaborative pixel art canvas where artists from all over the world work together to create a new masterpiece every 24 hours. This has been going on since August of 2023, so as I’m typing this we’re currently on Day 736! Artists are paid a percentage of canvas sales based on the amount of pixels they contributed that day.

As a moderator, I help keep things running smoothly — making sure the art stays on track, answering questions from newcomers, and generally teaching people how to get better at pixel art. I also contribute to the art myself (I’ve got a 7000 pixel brush, the biggest size available), craft each day’s color palette, and handle things like upgrading or downgrading brushes for other artists. It’s a really fun mix of creativity, curation, and community, and it’s amazing to watch each canvas take on its own personality.

What else fills your time when you’re not creating art?

I’ve hiked 14 of the 63 U.S. National Parks (and many of the lower designated parks as well) and I would love to hit all of them while I’m still physically able! My fiancée and I try to do a trip at the beginning of every year. Back in January we hiked Big Bend NP, Guadalupe Mountains NP, White Sands NP and Carlsbad Caverns NP. I’m such a National Park geek that I collect the ink stamps from each park in a little National Parks “Passport” book!