John R. Dilworth
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Robert Dilworth (born February 14, 1963 in New York City, New York) is an American
animator
. He is best known as the producer
, director
, writer, and creator of the animated television series Courage the Cowardly Dog
.
Dilworth attended the School of Visual Arts
in New York, where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts. After graduation, Dilworth became an art director at Baldi, Bloom and Whelan Advertising, but continued to work on his own films in his spare time, providing much of his own funding. His animated short, The Chicken From Outer Space, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996. Cartoon Network
later commissioned Dilworth to turn the short into a series, which eventually became the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Courage the Cowardly Dog
. Dilworth is the president of Stretch Films, a New York-based design and animation studio, which he founded in 1991. He also worked on the original opening for Nicktoons
and for the show Doug
.
Dilworth's short Angry Cabaret was also featured in MTV
's 1994 Animation Weekend. His breakout film was The Dirdy Birdy.
Dilworth is heavily influenced by golden-age cartoonist Bob Clampett
.
His film, Life in Transition, was included in the Animation Show of Shows
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator
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...
. He is best known as the producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, writer, and creator of the animated television series Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
.
Dilworth attended the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
in New York, where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts. After graduation, Dilworth became an art director at Baldi, Bloom and Whelan Advertising, but continued to work on his own films in his spare time, providing much of his own funding. His animated short, The Chicken From Outer Space, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996. 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....
later commissioned Dilworth to turn the short into a series, which eventually became the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
. Dilworth is the president of Stretch Films, a New York-based design and animation studio, which he founded in 1991. He also worked on the original opening for Nicktoons
Nicktoons
Nicktoons are animated television shows that are produced by and aired on the children's television channel Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign made animated series. The idea for Nicktoons was formed in 1989 and on Sunday, August 11, 1991, the first Nicktoon, Doug, was...
and for the show Doug
Doug
Doug is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Jinkins and co-produced by his studio, Jumbo Pictures . Doug centers on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending middle school. The series lampoons...
.
Dilworth's short Angry Cabaret was also featured in MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 1994 Animation Weekend. His breakout film was The Dirdy Birdy.
Dilworth is heavily influenced by golden-age cartoonist Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
.
His film, Life in Transition, was included in the Animation Show of Shows
Animation show of shows
The Animation Show of Shows is a traveling selection of the year's best animated short films, curated and presented by Acme Filmworks founder, Ron Diamond. It began in 1998 with the aim of showing the most original, funny, intelligent short animated films from all over the world and presenting them...
.
Productions
- Pierre (1985)
- The Limited Bird (1988)
- When Lilly Laney Moved In (1991)
- Psyched For Snuppa (1992) (Jumbo PicturesCartoon PizzaCartoon Pizza is an animation company located in New York City. It was co-founded by Jim Jinkins and David Campbell as the successor to Jinkins' former company, Jumbo Pictures, Inc. Cartoon Pizza's logo is a picture of a pizza with a face in front of a globe and under the logo is the company's...
for Nickelodeon) - Smart Talk with Raisin (1993) (Appeared on MTV's Liquid TelevisionLiquid TelevisionLiquid Television is an Emmy Award–winning 1990s animation showcase that appeared on MTV. The first season of Liquid Television also aired on BBC Two in co-production with MTV. Ultimately, MTV commissioned three seasons of the show, which was produced by Colossal Pictures...
) - The Dirdy Birdy (MTV) (1994)
- Angry Cabaret (1994)
- The Chicken From Outer Space (1995)
- Noodles and Nedd (1996) (later appeared on Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
) - Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon 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....
("Hungry Farm" ID) (1997) - Big BagBig BagBig Bag was a live action television puppet program for preschoolers that was produced by The Jim Henson Company and aired from 1996 to 1998 on the Cartoon Network. There were also localized versions for Canal J in France and Yorkshire Television in the UK.-Plot:The principle Muppet character was...
: Ace and Avery (1998) - Hector The Get-Over Cat (1998)
- A Little CuriousA Little CuriousA Little Curious is a children's television show which has aired on HBO Family since 1998, lasting for just two seasons , and...
(short films) (1999) - Catch Of The Day (featuring Noodles and Nedd) (2000)
- Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
(Rated TV-Y7/TV-Y7-FV) (series) (1999–2002) - The Mousochist (2001)
- Life In Transition (2005)
- Garlic Boy (2008)
- Rinky Dink (2009)
- Bunny Bashing (2011)