Exclusives

Greetings from Revilo

Touching emotions and conveying thoughts is what Card Designers know best. Hallmark artist Oliver Christianson adds a touch of humor to his work that appeals to men and women in all age groups. His efforts have earned him an annual award as the top greeting card cartoonist, by the National Cartoonist Society, at a ceremony in Cancun, Mexico.

Working as Writer/Cartoonist with Hallmark, which he joined 16 years ago, Christianson's work appears on a number of their card lines, which including Shoebox, Fresh Ink, Comedy Club and My Thoughts Exactly. His popularity has also earned him an exclusive line of 84 ‘Revilo’ cards for Hallmark.

Christianson, who enjoys looking at things backwards, signs his cards ‘Revilo’, which reads Oliver, the other way round. Having received his degree in illustration from the California State University in Long Beach, Christianson has worked with a number of greeting card companies and magazines that include American Greetings, National Lampoon and Esquire, before joining Hallmark. He has taught fashion illustration at the Brooks College in Southern California and is a member of National Cartoonists Society, which boasts of more than 700 professional cartoonists.

Christianson's cards have consistently been top performers for Hallmark, based solely on consumer choice. Among the top-selling cards that he has created include the popular character called ‘the ruffle lady’ which women identify with, whenever they wish to communicate with friends in a language they understand. His square and round card designs are original, offbeat and funny.

Christianson keeps a scrapbook of wedding and engagement photos from newspapers, which help him to create characters as well as understand relationships and human psychology. His cartoons have a surrealist style and his work appeals to a large segment of men, who recognize his creations, but teenagers as well as women are included in his wide fan following.

-ArtYears feature


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