Craig McCracken
Encyclopedia
Craig McCracken is an American animator
and creator of The Powerpuff Girls
and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
.
. After his father died when he was seven years old, he and his family moved to Whittier, California
.
Craig became interested in drawing at an early age. Upon graduation of high school
, he attended the California Institute of the Arts
(CalArts), where he honed his animation skills. There he met classmate Genndy Tartakovsky
, with whom he would occasionally collaborate throughout his career. During his freshman year, he created a series of short cartoons featuring a character named No Neck Joe, which were picked up by Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. While at CalArts, he also created a short entitled Whoopass Stew!, which would become the basis for The Powerpuff Girls
.
In 1993, Craig was tapped by Hanna-Barbera
Cartoons to work as art director on 2 Stupid Dogs
, as well as Tartakovsky's Dexter's Laboratory
, both of which aired primarily on Cartoon Network
in the United States. He began producing The Powerpuff Girls, which premiered as a short in 1995 on studio president Fred Seibert
's animation incubator What a Cartoon!, and full half-hour episodes in 1998. The show has won both Emmy and Annie awards.
In 2004, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
began airing on Cartoon Network. This series also won Emmy and Annie awards. In April 2008, he became executive producer of a new Cartoon Network showcase project called Cartoonstitute. After 15 years of employment, he has left his job at Cartoon Network after its focus switched to reality programming.
McCracken is married to Lauren Faust
, who worked alongside him on The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and is the creator and former director of "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
".
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and creator of The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series...
.
Biography
Craig McCracken was born on March 31, 1971 in Charleroi, PennsylvaniaCharleroi, Pennsylvania
Charleroi is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, along the Monongahela River, 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. Charleroi was settled in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. The population in 1900 stood at 5,930; in 1910, 9,615; in 1920, 11,516, and in 1940, 10,784...
. After his father died when he was seven years old, he and his family moved to Whittier, California
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
.
Craig became interested in drawing at an early age. Upon graduation of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, he attended the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
(CalArts), where he honed his animation skills. There he met classmate Genndy Tartakovsky
Genndy Tartakovsky
Genndy Borisovich Tartakovsky is a Russian-American television animator, director and producer. His best-known creations are Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Sym-Bionic Titan...
, with whom he would occasionally collaborate throughout his career. During his freshman year, he created a series of short cartoons featuring a character named No Neck Joe, which were picked up by Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation. While at CalArts, he also created a short entitled Whoopass Stew!, which would become the basis for The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
.
In 1993, Craig was tapped by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
Cartoons to work as art director on 2 Stupid Dogs
2 Stupid Dogs
2 Stupid Dogs was an American animated television series created by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Program Services that originally ran from September 5, 1993 to February 13, 1995 on TBS. The main segments of the show featured two dogs, "Big Dog" and "Little Dog". The Big Dog...
, as well as Tartakovsky's Dexter's Laboratory
Dexter's Laboratory
Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
, both of which aired primarily on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
in the United States. He began producing The Powerpuff Girls, which premiered as a short in 1995 on studio president Fred Seibert
Fred Seibert
Frederick "Fred" Seibert is a television and film producer and entertainment entrepreneur who owns Frederator Studios, and who has held leading positions with MTV Networks, Hanna-Barbera, and Next New Networks; he owns Frederator Studios...
's animation incubator What a Cartoon!, and full half-hour episodes in 1998. The show has won both Emmy and Annie awards.
In 2004, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series...
began airing on Cartoon Network. This series also won Emmy and Annie awards. In April 2008, he became executive producer of a new Cartoon Network showcase project called Cartoonstitute. After 15 years of employment, he has left his job at Cartoon Network after its focus switched to reality programming.
McCracken is married to Lauren Faust
Lauren Faust
Lauren Faust is an American born animator of Polish and German descent. She grew up in Severna Park, a suburb of Annapolis, Maryland. She studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts....
, who worked alongside him on The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and is the creator and former director of "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series that premiered on October 10, 2010 on the United States cable network The Hub, and is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works. The series is produced by Hasbro Studios and DHX Media Vancouver...
".
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Whoopass Stew! | creator, director, writer, animator |
| 1997 | No Neck Joe | creator, writer, director |
| 1999 | Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip | writer |
| 2002 | The Powerpuff Girls Movie The Powerpuff Girls Movie The Powerpuff Girls Movie is a 2002 American animated film based on the Cartoon Network animated television series of the same name. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios for Warner Bros. Pictures and Cartoon Network, the film debuted in the United States on July 3, 2002... |
creator, writer, director, executive producer, storyboard artist, character designer |
| 2008 | The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!! | writer, director, executive producer, story editor, storyboard artist, character designer |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-1995 | 2 Stupid Dogs 2 Stupid Dogs 2 Stupid Dogs was an American animated television series created by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Program Services that originally ran from September 5, 1993 to February 13, 1995 on TBS. The main segments of the show featured two dogs, "Big Dog" and "Little Dog". The Big Dog... |
art director |
| 1995-1997 | What a Cartoon! | writer, director, art director |
| 1995-1996 | Dumb and Dumber Dumb and Dumber (TV series) Dumb and Dumber is an Hanna-Barbera-produced animated series based on the hit 1994 comedy film of the same name. The animated series premiered in 1995 on the ABC television network, as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup. The cartoon revolves around the continued misadventures of Harry and... |
character designer |
| 1996-1998 | Dexter's Laboratory Dexter's Laboratory Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions... |
director, art director, model designer, storyboard artist |
| 1998-2008 | The Powerpuff Girls The Powerpuff Girls The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network... |
creator, executive producer, writer, director |
| 2004-2009 | Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series... |
creator, executive producer, developer, writer, director, story editor |
| 2009 | Chowder Chowder (TV series) Chowder is an American animated television series which ran from November 2, 2007 to August 7, 2010 on Cartoon Network. The series was created by C. H... |
writer, storyboard artist Episode: The Birthday Suits |