Ted Backman

{{Article|rw|safe}}
{{Otheruses|Backman}}
{{RWP Infobox
|name={{PAGENAME}}
|image=Ted Backman.jpg
|imagesize=250px
|birth=
|birthplace=WikipediaSeattle|Seattle
|occupation=*Art Director
*Conceptual Artist
*Illustrator
*Animator
|timeperiod=1996 – 2015
}}
'''Ted Backman''' is an artist who worked at Valve. 

==Biography==
Backman was a freelance artist and animator in the Seattle area before joining Valve in the summer of 1996.{{IA|20070409082949/http//valvesoftware.com/people.html|Biography|Valve's official website (April 9, 2007)}} He was hired months before the name or style of their first game was even contemplated and prior to the company's formal creation. Gabe Newell had roughly worked out what genre he personally wanted to do, and he looked to Ken Birdwell for a recommendation of a concept artist who could start on the project.''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar'' (Half-Life_2_Raising_the_Bar proof), page 18

Birdwell remembered his friend T.K. Backman's little 12-year-old skater punk brother who used to draw things. He had just graduated from the WikipediaUniversity of Washington|University of Washington's art department where he studied painting.


==Work==
{{MainCategory|Ted Backman designs}}

Backman was responsible for designing, building, and animating many of the characters, weapons{{IA|20081118193926/http//roboroto.com/tedbackadditional.html|Interview with Ted Backman|Sam Robinson's personal website}} and locations for ''Half-Life''. He has modeled, textured, and animated approximately half of them.{{IA|19990202165420/http//frag.com/halflife/interview.html|Interview with Ted Backman|Frag (1998)}} He designed most of the Synth met in ''Half-Life 2''.''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''

==Trivia==
FileTed danger.jpg|thumb|184px|right|Backman's likeness as seen in the Danger Ted Action Play Set.

In ''Half-Life'', Backman's List of minor Black Mesa employees appears  in the Sector C|Anomalous Materials Laboratory on a locker and can be heard in announcements as Easter eggs. FilePICTURE6.png|A photo of his was turned into a texture but was left unused in the files. His surname also appears on a FileSigns hospital01.png|sign in the Hospital featured in ''Half-Life 2 Episode One''.

His older brother, T.K. Backman, also worked at Valve.T.K. Backman on ReferencesValve employee emails. Backman|his video game work (August 15, 2016) His likeness was used for an FileBm23.2.png|early design of a Black Mesa Security Force|Black Mesa Security Guard in ''Half-Life'', and for Citizen (List of Citizen models|Male 2) and cut Conscript variants in ''Half-Life 2''.

During ''Half-Life 2''{{'}}s development, there was a time when the player was able to glue physics objects together. This gave birth to the "Danger Ted Action Play Set". They had the Citizen model based on Backman in the middle of a FileTed danger.jpg|desert level, and there was nothing but cars, canisters, other miscellaneous objects. The developers used Backman's body in humorous physics experiments.''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar'' (Half-Life_2_Raising_the_Bar proof), page 331David Speyrer on ReferencesValve employee emails Speyrer|"Danger Ted Action Play Set" (August 17, 2016) The map can be found in the WC map pack, inside David Sawyer's folder.WC map pack (sawyer/dangerted.vmf) (June 7, 2002)

==Gallery==
===''Half-Life''===

FileZombie white bg.jpg
FileBarnacle concept.jpg
FileBarnacle concept clean.jpg
FileBullsquid concept.jpg
FileCharger con.jpg
FileFast Walker.jpg
FileFlocking floater.jpg
FileGonarch concept.jpg
FileHoundeye concept.jpg
FileIcky concept.jpg
FileKingpin con.jpg
FileKingpin2.jpg
FileHl friendly artwork.png
FileFriendly front texture.png
FileNihilanth concept.jpg
FileUnidentified alien.jpg


===''Half-Life 2''===

FileRebel skins.jpg
FileFace5.png
FileSniper rtb.jpg
FileI.A. Latham.jpg
FileCombine Assassin con.jpg
FileFassassin head.png
FileAlien Combine Soldier.jpg
FileAlien combine soldier2.jpg
FileCombine helmet miyazaki.jpg
FileOverwatch Soldier camo.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier1.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier2.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier3.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier4.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier5.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier6.jpg
FileCombine Synth Elite Soldier7.jpg
FileSuper soldier.jpg
FileStripped soldier concept art.jpg
FileCombine Soldier clouds fire.jpg
FileSoldier01.jpg
FileSoldier02.jpg
FileSoldier03.jpg
FileSoldier04.jpg
FileSoldier05.jpg
FileSoldier06.jpg
FileSoldier07.jpg
FileSoldier08.jpg
FileSoldier09.jpg
FileSoldier10.jpg
FileSoldier11.jpg
FileSoldier12.jpg
FileOverwatch soldier bw.jpg
FileStalker duo.jpg
FileStalker blue.jpg
FileStalker concept.jpg
FileStalker bust.jpg
FileConsul transformed.jpg
FileSacktick.jpg
FileGunship con2.jpg
FileGunship concept3.jpg
FileGunship concept2.jpg
FileGunship views concept.jpg
FileDropship yellow.jpg
FileDropship side.jpg
FileDropship nb.jpg
FileDropship blue.jpg
FileDropship brown.jpg
FileDropship con1.jpg
FileStrider heads.jpg
FileStrider early4.jpg
FileStrider early2.jpg
FileStrider early3.jpg
FileStrider early1.jpg
FileStrider early5.jpg
FileShield scanner modeling.jpg
FileShield scanner modeling2.jpg
FileSynth Scanner.jpg
FileRecon Synth.jpg
FileWasteland Scanner con.jpg
FileBullsquid body signed.png
FileNewBullsquidSheet.png
FileAntlion King concept.jpg
FileAlien fauna0.jpg
FileAlien fauna1.jpg
FileSewer fauna.jpg
FileStampeder concept.jpg
FileZombie sketch.jpg
FileZombie blobs.jpg
FileFast zombie rtb.jpg
FileFast headcrab concept.jpg
FileHoundeye concept 2.jpg
FileHydra concept art.jpg
FileHydra sketch.jpg
FileTripod Hopper.jpg


===''Half-Life 2 Episode One''===

FileAdvisor pod concept.jpg


===''Half-Life 2 Episode Two''===

FileAntlion worker concept.jpg
FileHunter sketch 02.jpg
FileHunter sketch 03.png
FileHunter designs.jpg
FileHunter sketch 01.jpg
FileHunter sketch 04.png
FileHunter concept1.jpg
FileHunter sculpture.jpg
FileJuvenile advisor.jpg


===''Half-Life 2 Episode Three''===

FileAdvisor Intothepixel.jpg


===Other===

FileOffices video01.png
FileConscript idle.png
FileMale02.jpg|Citizen Male 2.
FileTed danger.jpg


==Selected gameography==
*''Half-Life'' (1998)
*Half-Life (Dreamcast port)|''Half-Life'' (Dreamcast port) (2001)
*Half-Life (PlayStation 2 port)|''Half-Life'' (PlayStation 2 port) (2001)
*''Half-Life Source'' (2004)
*''Half-Life Opposing Force'' (1999)
*''Half-Life Blue Shift'' (2001)
*''Half-Life 2'' (2004)
*''Half-Life 2 Episode One'' (2006)
*''Half-Life 2 Episode Two'' (2007)
*''Portal'' (2007)
*''Portal 2'' (2011)

==Official biographies==
{{CollapsedBio|19980111062524/http//valvesoftware.com/people.htm|January 11, 1998|Ted Backman - Art Director/Conceptual Artist/Illustrator/Animator|Ted has been a freelance artist and animator in the Seattle area for the last four years. Ted developed many of the more unusual monsters for Half-Life, including the Head Crab, Mr. Friendly, and Big Momma. He is also a black-belt karate instructor.}}

{{CollapsedBio|20070409082949/http//valvesoftware.com/people.html|April 9, 2007|Ted Backman - Art Director/Conceptual Artist/Illustrator/Animator|Prior to joining Valve in the summer of 1996, Ted studied painting at the University of Washington. During his time at Valve, Ted has been responsible for designing and building many of the people, places and things that inhabit Black Mesa, City 17, and the outlying environments. A Seattle native, Ted finds drizzle comforting and insists Paynes grey is his favorite color.}}

{{CollapsedBio|20070818032221/http//valvesoftware.com/people.html|August 18, 2007|Ted Backman - Conceptual Artist/Illustrator /Animator|No changes.}}

==See also==
*''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{RWPeople}}
{{DEFAULTSORTBackman}}
CategoryConceptual Artists
CategoryCharacter models
CategoryFormer Valve employees