SPOTLIGHT

A Real-Life Superhero

Marvel Associate Art Director Dan LaDuca describes his dream job working in the gaming division at Marvel Entertainment

While many kids grow up watching Marvel movies and reading Marvel comics, Downers Grove resident, Dan LaDuca, gets to work for the entertainment company and live the dream that many kids fantasize about.

“I grew up reading the comics and watching the cartoons,” LaDuca said. “Now I get to work in the same industry that so strongly shaped my childhood. That’s pretty amazing.”

Founded by Martin Goodman in June 1998, Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is owned by the Walt Disney Company and is based in New York City.

Marvel Entertainment has four divisions: games, movies, comic books, and toys. This means there is something for every age group, ranging from young children to adults.

As far as education goes, LaDuca went to school for animation before landing a job working at Disney Land in California. LaDuca knew in first grade that he wanted to work for Disney someday. As it turns out, he ended up doing just that.

While LaDuca has worked at Disney for about five years, he has only worked at Marvel for six months. LaDuca works with a team of ten people in the gaming division where he is an “Art Director” in the credits, but an “Associate Art Director” on paper. Pre-Covid, he frequently traveled to China where he designs and markets games internationally.

“It’s so cool to experience other cultures and see how differently they approach life,” LaDuca said. “My job is definitely not a typical 9-5 office job.”

Far from a typical 9-5 office job, LaDuca’a favorite part of his job is seeing the long-term impact it has on video gamers. Designing video games means LaDuca must not only work on the creation side of it, but also look at it from the marketing side. want to get out of the game I’m designing. I have to make sure we design a game that will be fun and attractive to people,” LaDuca explained. “The game also has to have a good appearance and the graphics must be on point.”

Being the Associate Art Director for the company means LaDuca produces 3D concept draw-overs and animations, specifically with apps, video games, and PC games.

“All gaming formats are extremely popular, but console/video games are definitely the most popular,” LaDuca said. “Apps are also huge because of the digital age we live in, but there are still a lot of diehard PC gamers out there who love the good old-fashioned computer games.”

LaDuca works with five different teams, including the Chinese government.

“I deal with China-only based launches of our games, which means I work directly with China’s team that launches the games,” LaDuca said. “First, we launch in the U.S., then we launch in China, and then the next step is to launch globally.”

Having such a special job gives LaDuca a sense of pride that no other job could give him.

“It really is a huge honor to be able to work for such an amazing company like Marvel,” LaDuca said fondly. “It feels like I have found my tribe and my true calling in life.”

Not only does LaDuca have a strong relationship with his work family, but he also gets to spend more time with his family at home than ever before. Ever since the pandemic started in 2020, he has been working from home, which enables him to be more present in his young daughters’ lives. hours I work,” LaDuca said. “My daughters are five and seven and now I get to spend more time with them, which is huge. I love getting to watch my seven-year-old run around the house in her Black Panther pajamas.”

But for LaDuca, working from home still entails him to work in multiple time zones on any given day.

“I work on a California schedule by day and a China schedule by night,” LaDuca said. “That means I usually have Zoom meetings that range from 11PM-1AM. There are always hour-long gaps between my work meetings, but I am a night owl, so it works out.”

Having such an abnormal work schedule does have its perks. For LaDuca, this means he has more time to spend with his family in his hometown of Downers Grove, where he and his wife met as high school sweethearts.

“My wife and I met in Downers-we’ve been together since high school,” LaDuca said. “We really do love living here.”

Working at Disney previously means that LaDuca lived in California up until he found his way back home to Downers Grove, where he and his wife put their roots down.

“To me, family comes before work,” LaDuca said. “I wanted my kids to know their family and moving back to my and my wife’s hometown was the best way to do that. This is our little piece of paradise.”

Speaking of paradise, LaDuca has nothing but optimism for Marvel’s future plans and goals.

“The future is looking bright for Marvel as a company. We have lots of new and exciting games to be released in the next year,” LaDuca said. “A Guardians of the Galaxy game, a Future Revolution game, an Avengers game, and a Super Wars game in China.”

If you’re a Marvel fan, make sure to check out LaDuca’s work in the upcoming releases! ■

“It’s so cool to experience other cultures and see how differently they approach life, my job is definitely not a typical 9-5 office job.”

— DAN LADUCA, MARVEL ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR