Roy Miles, Jr.

"I wanted to see toys that looked like me."

By Amy Gustafson, Corporate Communications

Two decades ago, many toy brands including Lego didn't have any African American characters. Roy Miles Jr. set out to change that with Biddies — a line of mini hip-hop action figures he launched in 2001. He went on to license his collectable toys to McDonalds, Verizon, and Def Jam Recordings, and he has taken his creations on the road from toy conventions to ComicCons around the country.

“I wanted to see toys that looked like me, so I made the Biddies,” he said.

Fast forward 20 years, and Miles is still making people smile and think differently as a motion graphic designer in Wells Fargo's in-house agency. At Wells Fargo, he’s busy bringing our brand to life through creative animations, many of which are used in videos shown in branches. Outside the company, he’s flexing his artistic muscles constantly working on new toys, puppets, animations, music, and films designed to make people smile.

Married to his high school sweetheart, Gretchen, for 20 years, the couple have two daughters — Gabby, 18, and Lily, 15. Growing up, Miles was inspired by the film community and the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in his hometown of Oakland, California. For more than a decade, he had a space at the famed Fantasy Studios in Berkeley where he met a slew of talented artists who became friends and mentors. Over the years, he’s also been involved with community organizations working with youth groups, speaking at schools, and teaching his craft.

We caught up with him recently while he was working at his art studio, which is blocks away from his home in Oakland, to talk about everything from being a storyteller to how his job at Wells Fargo benefits his artistic endeavors. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

What does it mean to you to be a storyteller?

It means everything to me. It's how we understand each other. I'm always interested in peoples’ stories and in different forms of storytelling. It’s why we're here — to share the experiences of others and to add to that experience.

What sparks your creativity?

I wake up in the morning thinking about making stuff and go to sleep at night thinking about making things even after having made things all day. It’s how I work. 

When I go on vacation, I'm constantly sketching and taking photographs of textures. I bring those ideas back home with me. I learn and relearn things constantly. I will never retire from making things — I want to drop dead making something.

How do you bring the creativeness you use in your toys and animations to your work at Wells Fargo?

The workflow can be intense at times. Our group [In-House Agency] is seen as a group that can handle projects we might not have been looked at to do in previous years. Work has really ramped up, so it’s easy to always be making stuff. Even when I’m not working on a specific assignment, I have a long-term project creating characters for a library we’re creating of illustrations that are pre-animated. I’m always trying to come up with cool ways people are using their cell phones or walking or paying for things.

You’re known for leaving doodles around the office for colleagues. How does that connect you with your team?

Anytime I see a white board in the office, I feel something should be on it. Sometimes I share a drawing, sometimes words of encouragement. I've been lucky to have team members that I can doodle something for and then they'll doodle something back to me. I love that. Doodles are a love language.

Everybody in my In-House Agency group is hyper supportive of my work inside and outside of Wells. It's one of the big reasons I’ve stayed here — the team. They want to know when I’m doing an art show or convention. They’ve even purchased some of my art.

What does speaking up at work mean to you?

Being the voice in the room means speaking up when you see something that may seem pedestrian to some but could easily be misconstrued as offensive or in poor taste. Many times, phrases and words can become trendy in the popular lexicon of the “meme world” or social media, but that doesn’t always translate into relatable messaging for Wells Fargo and its customers. I’ve seen good intentions from designers and writers really miss the mark, so I’ve learned to speak up when I see or hear these things. Same with imagery. As you know, we want to be inclusive to all here at Wells Fargo, but we also want to be sincere with that inclusiveness. Being a person of African and Mexican American descent, I use my experience as a person of color to guide creative whenever I get the chance.

How do you bust out of a creative rut?

It’s all about problem solving. Some of the answers don't come right away when you sit down. Many times, it's about conversations with other folks or with yourself. It's taking that walk, it’s looking at that short video clip, it’s eating that apple — it’s not about staring at the screen or a piece of paper. I get my best ideas when I'm in the shower. I draw them in the steam on the glass.

How does your Wells Fargo job benefit the projects you do outside of work?

Having a job at Wells Fargo affords me more freedom. I don’t have to rely on income from my art as much as some other artists, and I appreciate that. I’m able to do my thing, have an awesome studio, and it’s working out. It’s always an adventure. I’m always asking, “What can I make happen next?”

If you could be a toy or cartoon character for a day, which one would it be?

Bugs Bunny. He’s old school. You can’t beat him, but you want to hang out with him. He’s the king shark — a mischief maker.

Do you have a song that motivates you?

I'm always listening to or creating music. I have a loop of a song I play as a motivator. It’s calming and I use it when I’m drawing or editing. It’s the queue music from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Just the music you hear in the queue, not the entire ride. I have a 10-hour loop of it. It’s calming for me to think I’m about to get on my favorite ride at Disneyland.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Walk in any room like you're supposed to be there. I was once told that if you're in a job interview, that job is yours until it's not. They want you in that room because they want to hire somebody — give them a reason to hire you.

How has someone’s kindness made an impact in your life?

When I was in school for 3D animation, I had taken a night job at the school as a janitor. I would go to school during the day and work all night. I worked with a crew of two guys who would always look out for me at school. They knew how hard I was working and how tired I was. So, at times, they would stop me from working and tell me to take a break while they waxed the floors for me.

I’ve been shown kindness throughout my whole life. I’ve had guardian angels looking out for me. I look out for folks, too. I always give information and help without thinking that it'll be reciprocated. That's not how kindness works.

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