The Story Behind Danvillage

A colorful cloud with a third eye and a pencil going through his cloud body. He is making a heart hand gesture and the words Danvillage Illustration surrounds him.

Comic books, Nintendo games, and Saturday morning cartoons… as a child of the ‘80s, this was my life. Turns out, not much has changed.

How I work…

I'm not wasting your time in countless iterations

Step 1

Brief & Research

A cartoon illustration of a boy sitting on a tree branch, looking through binoculars, wearing an orange cap, green shirt, and orange pants, with a bird perched on the branch beside him.

Every project starts with understanding your market, competitors, and what makes you different.

Step 2

Concepts & Sketches

Cartoon artist with purple hair, pink beret, glasses, white shirt, and light blue apron, holding a paintbrush and palette, painting on a canvas set on an easel.

I bring you in early — before anything is polished. You see directions, not just a final result.

Step 3

Refinement & Delivery

Cartoon person riding a purple scooter wearing a helmet with a blue and yellow stripe, with a large white box attached to the back.

We get it right together. Organized process, clear communication, zero surprises.

Daniel Sulzberg aka Danvillage Illustration at work at home.

What I Do

  • Brand Campaigns & Identity

  • Editorial Illustration

  • Packaging & Labels

  • Music & Entertainment

  • Sports Art

  • Children’s Books & IP

  • Murals & Environmental Design

  • Beer Labels

  • And whatever you can dream up.

Press & Recognition

Featured in the Santa Barbara Independent.

Represented worldwide by IllustrationX.

Awards by American Illustration Awards, Society of Illustrators, and the Society of News Design.

Trusted by Marvel, Google, Nike, The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Dead & Company, NHL, LA Dodgers, Hot Pockets, and many more.

A cluttered home office with framed pictures, posters on the wall, and a desk with a laptop, tablet, and various items. A window with blinds shows greenery outside.

Comic books became a writing gig on the Superman TV show “Smallville.” Nintendo games turned into concept art for Pandemic Studios. And Saturday morning cartoons evolved into a Creative Director role at Red Bull. I named my studio “Danvillage” after my hometown of Danville, CA — where it all started.

I’m Daniel Sulzberg, a Santa Barbara-based illustrator who builds wildly detailed, joy-loaded illustrated worlds for brands that want to be unforgettable.

I Am:

A big kid; A fun dad of 2 tiny humans; a creative with big ideas; a collector of vinyl records; and a collaborator.

I Can:

Think outside the box and color outside the lines; always look at the positive side of things; meet my deadlines; always find a way to have fun at what I do.

I Like:

Santa Barbara; anything from Iceland; Craft Beer; Collecting vinyl records, Salvador Dali; Murakami; Tottenham Hotspurs (COYS!); Old school hip-hop; Reggae music; Bob Marley; the 1980's; John Hughes movies; Studio Ghibli; Prince; Dogs, and Mocha latte’s!

Daniel is represented worldwide by Illustration X.

You can also contact them directly at howdy@illustrationx.com

Part of the word 'ILLUSTRATIONX' with a red 'X' at the end.