Francis Cleetus (/ˈkliːtəs/) is an American cartoonist,[1] painter,[2] and sculptor.[3] He is also a creative director,[4] graphic designer,[5] and copywriter,[6] who has worked at various ad agencies including Foote, Cone & Belding, Ogilvy & Mather, J. Walter Thompson[7] and Doe-Anderson[8] in India, Hong Kong and the US.
Francis Cleetus | |
|---|---|
 Cleetus at a book launch event | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Cartoonist, painter, sculptor, creative director, graphic designer, copywriter |
| Notable work | It's Geek 2 Me |
| Website | franciscleetus |
A member of the National Cartoonists Society of America, Cleetus is the author of two It's Geek 2 Me tech cartoon compilations. He has created contemporary art inspired by Indian themes for multiple art shows in the US. He has also developed advertising campaigns for global brands including Moen,[9] Maker's Mark,[10] and MTV.[11]
Cleetus lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and continues to work on visual art, brand advertising, corporate communications and pro bono projects.
It's Geek 2 Me cartoons
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A tech cartoon about people and their off-center relationships with technology, "It's Geek 2 Me" pokes fun at its ubiquitous role in people's lives. Cleetus self-published his first compilation of tech cartoons in 2012 titled Wish Your Mouth Had A Backspace Key in the United States through Amazon.com.[12] In 2013, a new compilation titled It's Geek 2 Me – Total Timepass Tech Toons[13] was published by Hachette India for the Indian subcontinent. He has also drawn tech cartoons for the Pittsburgh Tech Council's TEQ magazine,[14] Tata Consultancy Services' @TCS magazine and other publications.
Contemporary Indian art
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In February 2012, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh commissioned Cleetus to recreate ceiling murals from a 16th-century palace[15] for their Tropical Forest India[16] exhibit. The Asia Institute – Crane House in Louisville invited him to host a solo exhibition[17] in June 2017. Pittsburgh's Not-white Collective featured his paintings in their 2018 juried exhibition[18] "In Between the Middle".[19] In January 2018,[20] the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) showcased "Karmalogue", a themed show that featured Cleetus' paintings, drawings and sculptures[21] as part of the Gallery Crawl[22] organized by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In August 2018, the Westmoreland Cultural Trust put together "Conglomeration",[23] a group show that included his work. The RAW artists organization invited Cleetus in November 2018 to participate in their Pittsburgh creative showcase "Ovation"[24] that featured over 60 artists.[25] In January 2020, his paintings were part of the "Past, Present, Future" exhibit[26] organized by GPAC[27] along with 140[28] other visual artists.
Advertising campaigns
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Cleetus has created multimedia advertising campaigns for global brands at ad agencies in three countries. After spending his formative years at Draft FCB in India, he moved in the mid-nineties to Hong Kong and worked at Ogilvy, JWT[29] and D'Arcy, before relocating to the United States in 2001 to work at Doe-Anderson.[30] In 2007, he moved to Pittsburgh-based agency MARC USA.[31] His advertising campaigns[32] have crossed geographic as well as cultural borders and won creative awards in Asia, Europe and the US.
Photo art for dogs
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A lifelong dog lover, Cleetus launched a collection of conceptual photography art just for dogs in 2019.[33] The entire collection[34] is conceived from a dog's perspective of the world,[35] and features larger-than-life dog portraits; fire hydrant centric scenery; dog food still life and renderings of chewed-up tennis balls.[36] The artwork[37] is specifically designed to be hung at a dog's-eye level near the food bowl and brighten up the pet's personal space.
Pro bono work
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In 2009, Cleetus worked with the Epilepsy Foundation of Western & Central Pennsylvania at MARC USA to create a community outreach ad campaign. The ads recreated the disruptive effect of seizures,[38] and the slogan 'seize back' urged people to help. Since 2013, Cleetus has been on the board of directors, executive committee and design team at Pittsburgh Indian Community & Friends,[39] a non-profit that hosts the Annual PIC5K Run[40] in the city. The organization has raised over $650,000 for more than 30 local charities[41] including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank[42] and the Allegheny County Fire Academy,[43] among others.[44] In 2021, Cleetus was invited to participate in the FISA Foundation’s “Southwest PA Says No More”[45] initiative in partnership with the Heinz Endowments and United Way. He joined a diverse group of Pittsburgh dads[46] to take a Father’s Day Pledge to help prevent sexual assault and domestic violence.
Compilations
edit- Total Timepass Tech Toons (August 2013, Hachette India, ISBN 978-93-5009-624-6)
- Wish Your Mouth Had a Backspace Key (October 2006, Amazon.com, ISBN 978-14495-8712-3)
References
edit- ^ "Cartoonist launches Cartoon compilation". Upper St. Clair Patch. April 3, 2012.
- ^ "Ceiling Murals at the Phipps Conservatory". Upper St. Clair Patch. February 16, 2012.
- ^ "Upper St. Clair painter and sculptor". The Almanac. January 18, 2018.
- ^ "Ad campaign for Mohawk Flooring". Adland TV. June 5, 2008.
- ^ "Maker's Mark ad campaign". Best Ads on TV. November 30, 2005.
- ^ "Print campaign for Moen faucets". Ads of the world. November 12, 2008.
- ^ "Print Ads – Pearl & Dean LED Panels". Adeevee.com. August 16, 1998.
- ^ "Cleetus leaves Darcy for US position". Campaign Asia. February 2, 2001.
- ^ "Print campaign for Moen faucets". Ads of the world. November 12, 2008.
- ^ "Magazine ads for Maker's Mark bourbon". Best Ads on TV. November 30, 2005.
- ^ "MTV – Magazine ads". Lürzer's Archive. April 10, 2000.
- ^ "Pittsburgh cartoonist takes aim at technology". PopCity Media. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ^ "Hachette India releases 'Total Timepass Tech Toons'". Hachette India. August 15, 2013.
- ^ ""It's Geek 2 Me" Lands on the Pages of TEQ". Tech Burgher. April 30, 2012.
- ^ "Ceiling Murals at the Phipps Conservatory". Upper St. Clair Patch. February 16, 2012.
- ^ "Tropical Forest India exhibit to open at Phipps". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 27, 2012.
- ^ "Francis Cleetus Exhibition Gallery Opening". All Events Louisville. June 9, 2017.
- ^ "Notwhite Collective holds inaugural exhibition". Pittsburgh City Paper. January 10, 2018.
- ^ "In Between the Middle at the Brew House". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Opening Reception :Karmalogue". Pittsburgh Arts Council. January 26, 2018.
- ^ "Vibrant Art on Display". Pittsburgh Patrika. April 10, 2018.
- ^ "Upper St. Clair artist's work featured in Gallery Crawl". The Almanac. January 18, 2018.
- ^ "Group Art Show :Conglomeration". Trib Live. August 2, 2018.
- ^ "RAW Artists Showcase:Ovation". Popular Pittsburgh. December 1, 2018.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Ovation Showcase". RAW Artists. November 28, 2018.
- ^ "Getting the Hang of It". Pittsburgh's NPR News Station. January 24, 2020.
- ^ "10 Years of Art on the Walls". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 23, 2020.
- ^ "10 Years and 140 Artists". Pittsburgh City Paper. January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Print Ads – Pearl & Dean LED Panels". Adeevee.com. August 16, 1998.
- ^ "Cleetus leaves Darcy for US position". Campaign Asia. February 2, 2001.
- ^ "Print Campaign for the Epilepsy Foundation". Adeevee.com. July 10, 2009.
- ^ "Maker's Mark ad campaign". Best Ads on TV. November 30, 2005.
- ^ "Because our pets deserve art too". Aplus.com. October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Pittsburgh artist creates stunning art pieces for dogs". Pawpulous.com. April 19, 2019.
- ^ "Artist designs visual imagery for dogs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 21, 2020.
- ^ "Upper St. Clair resident goes to the dogs". The Almanac. March 18, 2020.
- ^ "Dog Art on display at Mt. Lebanon Artists Market". Aplus.com. November 14, 2022.
- ^ "Ad campaign for the Epilepsy Foundation". Behance.com. October 7, 2009.
- ^ "5K charity event by Pittsburgh Indian community". pittsburghpatrika.com. July 2, 2015.
- ^ "Allegheny County Executive's Office". Twitter.com. October 1, 2022.
- ^ "PIC5K Food Bank Fundraiser". YouTube.com. June 16, 2020.
- ^ "Indian community responds to food crisis". pittsburghpatrika.com. July 4, 2020.
- ^ "Allegheny County fire backdraft simulator". YouTube.com. March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Mary's Market celebrates anniversary". chartierscenter.org. September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Pittsburgh's Father's Day Pledge". southwestpasaysnomore.org. June 20, 2021.
- ^ "Southwest PA Says No More". YouTube.com. May 19, 2021.
