Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Sean Eckols moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1982 where he earned a B.F.A. degree in illustration and sculpture from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco in 1994. In 1992-1993 Eckols worked in Rome as the assistant to noted sculptor Milton Hebald, a third generation student of Auguste Rodin. Eckols was an instructor at the Academy of Art College until 1997 when he relocated to Southern California to work in the film and animation industry. Eckol's film and animation credits include: "Merry Madagascar", Kung Fu Panda - Secrets of the Furious Five", "Bolt", "TJ Beary Tales", "Meet the Robinsons", "Chicken Little", "Tarzan" and the feature film "Kung Fu Panda 2", in production.