Arthell Isom

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.

Early life and education Isom was raised in Paterson, New Jersey, alongside his twin brother, Darnell Isom. 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.

Isom graduated from the Academy of Art University in 2005 and moved to Japan shortly afterward. 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. 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.

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. 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." The studio has also produced animated commercials for brands including Asos.

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

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.

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.

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. He has also appeared as a guest at anime conventions including Anime NYC.

Personal life Isom's twin brother, Darnell Isom, is a co-founder of D'ART Shtajio.

Selected filmography