Davis attended the
California Institute of the Arts, where he graduated in 1971 with a BFA degree and high honors.
Television Davis was a lead graphic designer for
NBC and received an
Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences for his animated title and segue films on
NBC, The First 50 Years: A Closer Look in 1978. He created over 200 "More to Come" on-air slides for
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and he designed the logo for
The Gong Show. Later, Davis worked as an animation director and designer for
Kurtz & Friends.
Sierra On-Line '' illustrated by Bill Davis. This game showcased the rotoscoping and storyboarding techniques that Davis introduced.|alt=Cover of Sierra News Magazine from Spring 1991 with a colorful jack-in-the-box clown with glasses and a jester hat, flanked by two puppet-like figures. Bill Davis was appointed vice-president of development and the first
creative director of Sierra On-Line in July 1989. Davis influenced Sierra's
game design and contributed to setting new standards in the gaming industry, especially in the areas of game art and animation. By the late 1980s, Sierra On-Line, led by
Ken Williams, adopted emerging technologies such as CD-ROMs,
sound cards, and
VGA displays. These technologies allowed Sierra to elevate the theatrical quality of their games, making them more similar to animated or live-action films. Davis, recruited from
Hollywood, was brought in to adapt the company's creative approach and production techniques to these new capabilities.
Other pursuits In 1996, Davis left Sierra to become vice-president of development and creative director for
Rocket Science Games.
Trowzers Akimbo Since the 2000s, Davis has maintained an active fine art practice under the artistic persona
Trowzers Akimbo. Working primarily as a landscape painter, he focuses on
Yosemite National Park and the surrounding
Sierra Nevada region, often painting on location. == Personal life ==