{{short description|Cartoonist (b. 1980)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} '''David Blumenstein''' (born 1980) is a service designer, writer, cartoonist and animation director based in Melbourne. He is a founding member of Squishface Studio, a co-share workspace for comic artists.

== Animation == Blumenstein's film Shit Party was a selection of the 2002 Melbourne International Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://miff.net.au/festival-archive/film/22735|title=MIFF 2019 {{!}} Festival Archive 1952-2017|website=MIFF 2019|language=en|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

He directed the short animated film ''Herman, the Legal Labrador'' in 2004; it starred Shaun Micallef, Katrina Mathers, Loc Nghe and Santo Cilauro.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/herman,-the-legal-labrador-2004/20709/|title=Herman, The Legal Labrador (2004) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia|website=www.screenaustralia.gov.au|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> He later directed the music video ''The Happiest Boy'' for The Bedroom Philosopher,<ref>{{Citation|last=The Bedroom Philosopher|title=The Bedroom Philosopher: The Happiest Boy|date=2008-07-24|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6Gfgqal2o|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> segments of the C31 anthology series ''Take One'' and the animated series ''Be A Man''.

He worked as a storyboard artist on the children's series ''Wakkaville'' and ''Jar Dwellers SOS'', and as an animator on the children's series ''Dogstar'' and the adult animated series ''Pacific Heat''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1732943/|title=David Blumenstein|website=IMDb|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref>

In 2014 he was one of a group of animators selected for the Designing Dreams Studio, an initiative of ACMI and DreamWorks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2015.acmi.net.au/acmi-channel/2014/designing-big-dreams/|title=Designing Big Dreams {{!}} ACMI|website=2015.acmi.net.au|language=en|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref>

== Comics == In 2012, Blumenstein co-founded Squishface Studio, Australia's first open comics studio, which functions as a workplace, retail space and classroom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uxaustralia.com.au/conferences/uxaustralia-2017/speaker/david-blumenstein-2017/|title=David Blumenstein - UX Australia|website=www.uxaustralia.com.au|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> It supports itself through workshops and memberships.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://australiancomicsjournal.com/wp/comics-and-contempt-david-blumenstein-and-tristian-on-arts-funding/|title=Comics and Contempt: David Blumenstein, and Tristian, on Arts Funding|website=The Australian Comics Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> He was also part of the Caravan of Comics, a cartoonist tour of North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/comic-artists-pursue-the-american-dream-20120522-1z318.html|title=Comic artists pursue the American dream|last=Ziffer|first=Daniel|date=2012-05-22|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

In 2013, he won an award for Graphic Short Story in Melbourne's Lord Mayor's Creative Writing Awards for a piece called ''The Bolt Report''. Blumenstein wrote the piece in epistolary voice, as his school-aged younger brother, Tristian, completing a media studies assignment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kerrynstephens.wordpress.com/2014/06/18/a-comical-life/|title=A Comical Life|last=rules!|first=My media|date=2014-06-18|website=My media rules!|language=en|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> The piece was subsequently attacked by its subject, conservative commentator Andrew Bolt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/how-to-win-1000-from-a-liberal-lord-mayor-and-make-melbourne-a-city-of-literature/news-story/c098101666820ff13c4b667c6ee0a2b2|title=How to win $1000 from a Liberal Lord Mayor and make Melbourne a "city of literature"|date=2013-12-02|website=Herald Sun|language=en|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> Blumenstein later continued writing in Tristian's voice for pieces published at Daily Review and The Lifted Brow.<ref name=":0" />

He also illustrated a comics piece written by Paul Owen covering the Australian federal election for Guardian Australia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/06/australian-election-2013-polling-day-live-blog|title=Australian election 2013 - polling day as it happened|last=Davidson|first=Helen|date=2013-09-07|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-06-11|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2015, Blumenstein wrote ''#takedown: My evening on a pier with pick-up artists and protesters'', a book about professional pickup artist Julien Blanc, who was heavily protested, and eventually ejected from the country, while on a controversial tour of Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailyreview.com.au/cartoonists-takedown-goes-behind-the-protest-lines/23811/|title=Cartoonist's #takedown goes behind the enemies' lines|date=2015-05-12|website=Daily Review: Film, stage and music reviews, interviews and more.|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2015/06/30/takedown/14347224002007|title=#takedown|last=TW|first=Reviewer|date=2015-06-20|website=The Saturday Paper|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

After submitting a piece by Tristian to the Senate inquiry into George Brandis' funding cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts in 2015, Blumenstein was warned that making a submission purporting to be from a non-existent person could find him in contempt of Senate.<ref name=":0" /> He withdrew Tristian's submission but made one himself on behalf of Squishface Studio.

Blumenstein wrote ''Free Money, Please'' in 2019 and released it simultaneously on Medium and zco.mx.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nakedfella.com/2019/04/14/free-money-please/|title=Free Money, Please – David Blumenstein|date=14 April 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> It is a graphic essay about cryptocurrency and passive income.

He is deputy president of the Australian Cartoonists' Association.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncsfest.com/guests/david-blumenstein/|title=David Blumenstein|date=2019-02-24|website=NCSFest|language=en|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> In December 2019 a complaint was made against him by member Rod Emmerson following a cartoon/Twitter thread Blumenstein published drawing a link between News Corp's vilification of minorities and the atrocities that follow.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-03|title=Drawn-out dispute at the Australian Cartoonists Association|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/02/04/australian-cartoonist-association-blumenstein/|access-date=2021-01-09|website=Crikey|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-31|title='It's making my eyes bleed': News Corp's Knewz on the nose {{!}} Weekly Beast|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/31/its-making-my-eyes-bleed-news-corps-knewz-on-the-nose|access-date=2022-02-19|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

In January 2020 The Guardian published ''Why Los Angeles is Scientology's perfect city – an illustrated guide'', a non-fiction comic about the city of Los Angeles and the Church of Scientology.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blumenstein|first=David|date=2020-01-10|title=Why Los Angeles is Scientology's perfect city – an illustrated guide|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2020/jan/10/why-los-angeles-is-scientologys-perfect-city-an-illustrated-guide|access-date=2021-01-09|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

''Squishbook: Make comics with Squishface Studio and friends!'' (2024) was edited by Blumenstein and received a Highly Commended in the 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Wheeler Centre - 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards |url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/victorian-premier-s-literary-awards/past-awards/2025-victorian-premier-s-literary-awards |website=wheelercentre.com}}</ref>

In 2025 Blumenstein was featured in the Behind The Lines cartoon exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Blumenstein |url=https://www.moadoph.gov.au/explore/behind-the-lines/cartoonists/david-blumenstein |website=Museum of Australian Democracy}}</ref>

== Other media == In 2014 Blumenstein was interviewed by comedian/writer Justin Heazlewood for the book ''Funemployed'', which is about the financial challenges that face artists working in Australia.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grF_CwAAQBAJ&dq=funemployed&pg=PP1|title=Funemployed|last=Heazlewood|first=Justin|date=2014-06-01|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-922213-42-6|language=en}}</ref> He also appeared on the subsequent ABC radio series of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandarts/funemployed-ep.5/6054040|title=Funemployed: The Black Cat|date=2015-02-03|website=Radio National|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

Blumenstein co-hosted a podcast in 2017 called ''Pitchface'' in which he and co-host Adam Wajnberg pitch creative and business ideas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/pitchface/id1214779349?mt=2|title=Pitchface by David Blumenstein & Adam Wajnberg on Apple Podcasts|website=Apple Podcasts|language=en|access-date=2019-03-11}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He has also appeared on podcasts including ''xDiscipline'' and ''Graphic Nature''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=FM|first=Player|title=David Blumenstein Podcasts|url=https://player.fm/podcasts/David-Blumenstein|access-date=2021-08-28|website=player.fm|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020 he wrote about government communications on COVID-19 for ArtsHub.

== Design career == Currently Blumenstein works as a service designer and visual communicator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sdnow.co/past-events.html|title=SDNOW4 {{!}} Past Events|website=sdnow.co|access-date=2019-03-11}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was hired in 2015 as a founding designer in the IAG Labs, and spoke about his drawing, prototyping and design work at the UX Australia conference in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uxaustralia.com.au/conferences/uxaustralia-2017/presentation/release-the-cartoonists/|title=Release the cartoonists - UX Australia|website=www.uxaustralia.com.au|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==

* ''Herding Kites: A Celebration of Australian Writing'' (2008), by Michael Williams (Editor) *''Sciensatics'', Going Down Swinging, no.30, 2010, p.&nbsp;72-75 (ISSN 0157-3950) * ''Showman? : the Bret Braddock adventures'' (2011), Nakedfella Productions * ''Showman? : the Bret Braddock adventures. vol. 2 : overtime approved'' (2013)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trove|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/172925332|access-date=2022-02-19|website=trove.nla.gov.au}}</ref> * ''Tristian Oversees : France, England and America Thru the Eyes of Australia's Youngest Political Journalist'' (2016), Nakedfella Productions, {{ISBN|978-0-9873912-2-3}} * ''#takedown: My evening on a pier with pick-up artists and protesters'' (2015), Pikitia Press, {{ISBN|978-0-9873912-2-3}} * ''What we Tell Them: A story Book by Mr Tony Abbott'' (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Return of Graphic Nature with a new episode featuring David Blumenstein|url=https://www.graphicnature.media/news/2020/12/21/the-return-of-graphic-nature-with-a-new-episode-featuring-david-blumenstein|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Graphic Nature|date=21 December 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> * ''š! #37 'Down Down Under''' (''š!, #37'') by Kuš! (Editor)<ref>{{Cite web|title=David Blumenstein|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14918947.David_Blumenstein|access-date=2021-08-28|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> * ''Squishbook : Make comics with Squishface Studio and friends!'' (2024), David Blumenstein (Editor)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://australiareads.org.au/author-and-illustrator-directory/david-blumenstein/ |title=David Blumenstein |website=Australia Reads}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Squishbook: make comics with Squishface Studio and friends! / edited by David Blumenstein |url=https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/61SLV_INST/55a19m/alma9941173458807636 |website=find.slv.vic.gov.au}}</ref> * ''Cartoonists for Palestine'' (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Cartoonists for Palestine |url=https://www.brokenfrontier.com/cartoonists-for-palestine/ |website=Broken Frontier}}</ref>

== Personal life == Blumenstein is married to Squishface Studio artist Sarah Howell.

== References == <references />

== External links == * [https://www.nakedfella.com/ Official site] * [http://nakedfella.com/blog/2013/08/the-bolt-report/ ''The Bolt Report''] * [https://zco.mx/DavidBlumenstein/ Comics by David Blumenstein]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blumenstein, David}} Category:Australian storyboard artists Category:Australian animators Category:Australian comics artists Category:Australian webcomic creators Category:Living people Category:1980 births Category:Australian comics writers Category:Australian company founders Category:Comic book company founders Category:Australian music video directors