Mark Zaslove
Encyclopedia
Mark Zaslove is an American television
and film writer, prominent for but not limited to animation
and entertainment
for general audiences. Throughout his career he has served as a writer
, producer, voice director, story editor
, and live-action director, among other things.
, The Little Mermaid
and Oliver and Company and shows such as Challenge of the GoBots
. By the late 1980s he had become a staff writer for Walt Disney Television Animation
, working on many of the well-known Disney cartoons from that era. He served as an episode writer and story editor for The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, in which his personal writing style of subtle humor and underlying intelligence became apparent. In 1989, in order to fill a major gap in Disney's production schedule, he co-developed a new series with fellow staff writer Jymn Magon
called TaleSpin
, for which they ironed out the concept in only three days. They both oversaw the expedited production of the show, which went from a rough draft concept to completed episodes in less than a year. The show became the first new series created for the newly formed Disney Afternoon.
He left Disney around 1992. Shortly after, he developed a cartoon series for Film Roman
based on the Mighty Max line of toys
, aptly named Mighty Max
. This series is a great example of the characteristics that defined his career: stories driven by three-dimensional characters, intelligent dialog chock-full of hidden yet relevant references, and zany situations. He also helped develop the ABC Saturday morning cartoon Cro
in 1993. He reunited with Jymn Magon in 1994 for Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
. Other notable series co-developed by Zaslove include Bump in the Night and The Legend of Calamity Jane
. Mark Zaslove was a uncredited storyboard artist & consultant writer along with Roque Ballesteros, Lyla Warren, Jeff Biancalana, Alan Lau, Warren Graff and Kenn Navarro on Space Jam
, Quest for Camelot
, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut and The Iron Giant
. He met Roque, Lyla, Jeff, Alan, Warren and Kenn again as he was working on the ultroviolent Happy Tree Friends
.
Mark Zaslove jumped into the international scene in the 2000s, serving as a story consultant and show writer for the children's series LazyTown
, produced in Iceland
. He also became heavily involved in the emerging entertainment industry in India
as well as making his foray into live-action writing and directing. He is a two-time Emmy award
winner. He now serves as a storyboard consultant to Dick Figures. and a recipient of the Humanitas Prize.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film writer, prominent for but not limited to animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
for general audiences. Throughout his career he has served as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, producer, voice director, story editor
Story editor
Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". A story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits stories for screenplays....
, and live-action director, among other things.
Career biography
He started out in animation screenwriting in the mid 1980s, cutting his teeth on the Disney movies The Fox and the Hound, The Black CauldronThe Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron can refer to:* The Black Cauldron , the second novel in The Chronicles of Prydain series* The Black Cauldron , the Disney animated film based on The Chronicles of Prydain book series...
, The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" is a popular fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince...
and Oliver and Company and shows such as Challenge of the GoBots
Challenge of the GoBots
Challenge of the GoBots is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. Most of the toys were imported from the Japanese Machine Robo toy line. The show originally debuted in animated form as a five-part miniseries, which aired in...
. By the late 1980s he had become a staff writer for Walt Disney Television Animation
Walt Disney Television Animation
Disney Television Animation is an American animation studio that is the TV animation production arm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, owned by The Walt Disney Company, dedicated to creating, developing and producing animated television series, films, specials and other projects.Established in...
, working on many of the well-known Disney cartoons from that era. He served as an episode writer and story editor for The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, in which his personal writing style of subtle humor and underlying intelligence became apparent. In 1989, in order to fill a major gap in Disney's production schedule, he co-developed a new series with fellow staff writer Jymn Magon
Jymn Magon
Jymn Magon is an American television and film writer.He spent 17 years at Walt Disney Studios, first producing children's records, then later moving to Walt Disney TV Animation...
called TaleSpin
TaleSpin
TaleSpin is a half-hour American animated television series based in the fictional city of Cape Suzette, that first aired in 1990 as part of The Disney Afternoon, with characters adapted from Disney's 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book. The name of the show is a play on "tailspin", the rapid,...
, for which they ironed out the concept in only three days. They both oversaw the expedited production of the show, which went from a rough draft concept to completed episodes in less than a year. The show became the first new series created for the newly formed Disney Afternoon.
He left Disney around 1992. Shortly after, he developed a cartoon series for Film Roman
Film Roman
Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
based on the Mighty Max line of toys
Mighty Max (toyline)
Mighty Max was a series of toys that were manufactured by Bluebird Toys PLC in the UK in 1992. The toys were similar to the earlier Polly Pocket toyline; however, these toys were marketed primarily towards young boys. In Canada and the USA, they were distributed by Irwin Toy Limited. and Mattel...
, aptly named Mighty Max
Mighty Max (TV series)
Mighty Max is an American animated action/sci-fi/horror television series that aired from 1993 to 1994 to promote the British Mighty Max toys, an offshoot of the Polly Pocket line, created by Bluebird Toys in 1992. It ran for two seasons, with a total of 40 episodes airing during the show's run...
. This series is a great example of the characteristics that defined his career: stories driven by three-dimensional characters, intelligent dialog chock-full of hidden yet relevant references, and zany situations. He also helped develop the ABC Saturday morning cartoon Cro
Cro
Cro is an American animated television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop and Film Roman. It debuted on September 18, 1993 as part of the Saturday morning line-up for fall 1993 on ABC. Cro did not do well with the viewers...
in 1993. He reunited with Jymn Magon in 1994 for Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad is an American television series. It was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultracom and DIC Entertainment, with distribution by All American Television , and ran for two seasons from September 12, 1994 to July 15, 1995 on ABC, as well as syndication...
. Other notable series co-developed by Zaslove include Bump in the Night and The Legend of Calamity Jane
The Legend of Calamity Jane
The Legend of Calamity Jane was an animated television series produced by Canal+ and France 3. The series followed the adventures of Calamity Jane. The series was gritty and had a very European animation style. It aired in France and Canada from 1997 to 1998 and in Portugal in 2002.-Series run:In...
. Mark Zaslove was a uncredited storyboard artist & consultant writer along with Roque Ballesteros, Lyla Warren, Jeff Biancalana, Alan Lau, Warren Graff and Kenn Navarro on Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
, Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot is a 1998 animated feature film from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman, starring the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Jaleel White, Gabriel Byrne,...
, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut and The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant is a 1999 animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. Brad Bird directed the film, which stars a voice cast of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Vin Diesel, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald and John Mahoney...
. He met Roque, Lyla, Jeff, Alan, Warren and Kenn again as he was working on the ultroviolent Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends
Happy Tree Friends is an American Flash cartoon and made by Mondo Mini Shows, created and developed by Aubrey Ankrum Rhode Montijo Kenn Navarro and Warren Graff. The show has become a popular Internet phenomenon and it's since debut and has also won a cult following.As indicated on the official...
.
Mark Zaslove jumped into the international scene in the 2000s, serving as a story consultant and show writer for the children's series LazyTown
LazyTown
LazyTown is a children's television program that was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show...
, produced in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. He also became heavily involved in the emerging entertainment industry in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as well as making his foray into live-action writing and directing. He is a two-time Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winner. He now serves as a storyboard consultant to Dick Figures. and a recipient of the Humanitas Prize.