Aaron Paul Springer is an American cartoonist, animator, artist, writer, director, and voice actor. He is the creator of the
Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
original series ''
Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer'', in which he voices the main character, Billy Dilley. He is best known for his work on the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
animated series ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character ...
'', for which he contributed to as a writer, storyboard artist and storyboard director for eight seasons, as well as co-writing and storyboarding its
2004 film adaptation.
Career
A graduate of the
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...
, Springer began his career in animation working for
Spümcø
Spumco, Inc. (stylized as SPüMCø) was an American animation studio that was active from 1989 to 2005 and based in Los Angeles, California. The studio was best known for working on the first two seasons of ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' for Nickelodeo ...
. He was best known for creating pilots at
Cartoon Network Studios that were never picked up as full series, but have developed cult followings. His most recognizable pilot was ''
Korgoth of Barbaria
''Korgoth of Barbaria'' is a pilot episode for what was originally planned as an American adult animated television series created by Aaron Springer, a storyboard artist, writer and director for ''Dexter's Laboratory'', '' The Grim Adventures of ...
'' for
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
in 2006, which was originally picked up for a full series, because of its critical and commercial success with garnering high ratings. Later events, including a formal petition to revive the show,
Bring Back Korgoth of Barbaria
on petitionhosting.com would indicate that it was dropped before production began, due to high production costs. Springer also created ''Periwinkle Around the World'' back in 2004 for Cartoon Network, that was divided into five separate two-minute shorts, produced and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Gennady Borisovich Tartakovsky (russian: Геннадий Борисович Тартаковский, born ), commonly known as Tartakovsky (), is a Russian-American animator, director, producer, screenwriter, voice actor, storyboard artist, ...
. Refusing to pick it up as a full series, Cartoon Network instead was going to release five shorts from the pilot as mobile phone content, but ended up putting them in their ''Sunday Pants'' anthology series in 2005. Springer's last pilot for Cartoon Network was ''Baloobaloob's Fun Park'' in 2009, which was produced as part of ''The Cartoonstitute
''The Cartoonstitute'' was a planned Cartoon Network project created by Cartoon Network's executive Rob Sorcher that would have been a showcase for animated shorts created without the interference of network executives and focus testing. It was he ...
''.
Springer gained notoriety through his efforts as a writer and storyboard artist on various movies and television series. His notable efforts include ''Samurai Jack
''Samurai Jack'' is an American animated action-adventure television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. Tartakovsky conceived ''Samurai Jack'' after finishing his wor ...
'' (2002–2003), '' Dexter's Laboratory'' (2003), ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' is an American Animated series, animated television series created by Maxwell Atoms for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Studios, Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It follows Bill ...
'' (2005–2007) and ''SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character ...
'' (1999–2012). More recently, he has contributed to ''Gravity Falls
''Gravity Falls'' is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines ( Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel ( Kristen Schaal) ...
'' (2012–2013), ''Wander Over Yonder
''Wander Over Yonder'' is an American animated television series that aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD. Created by Craig McCracken, it follows the adventures of the optimistic Wander, who rides across the galaxy to help the inhabitants of v ...
'' (2014) and the '' Mickey Mouse'' (2013–2015) television series.
Springer created '' Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer'' for Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
, where he voices the main character, Billy Dilley. The show was first announced in 2014 as a potential pilot. In March 2016, it was confirmed that Disney XD has greenlit the show for a full series, and it officially premiered on June 3, 2017. As of 2019, Springer is currently at Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation Inc. is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., a flagship of Warner Bros. Discovery. As the successor to Warner Bros. Cartoons, which was active from 19 ...
developing a new project.
Springer has collaborated with various animation veterans such as Lynne Naylor, Chris Reccardi
Christopher Joseph Reccardi (November 24, 1964 - May 2, 2019) was an American animator, cartoon director, writer, storyboard artist, character designer, graphic designer, musician, and producer. He worked on numerous animated television series, i ...
, Alex Hirsch
Alexander Robert Hirsch (born June 18, 1985) is an American voice actor, animator, writer, storyboard artist, and producer. He is the creator of the Disney Channel series ''Gravity Falls'', for which he provided the voices of Grunkle Stan, Soo ...
, Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is an American animator, writer, producer, director, storyboard artist, and designer known for creating the Cartoon Network's ''The Powerpuff Girls'' and '' Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'', Disney Chann ...
, Genndy Tartakovsky
Gennady Borisovich Tartakovsky (russian: Геннадий Борисович Тартаковский, born ), commonly known as Tartakovsky (), is a Russian-American animator, director, producer, screenwriter, voice actor, storyboard artist, ...
, Paul Rudish
Paul may refer to:
* Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
, Rumen Petkov
Rumen Petkov ( bg, Румен Петков; 26 January 1948 – 10 June 2018) was a Bulgarian animator, painter and comic creator. He is best remembered for his animated series ''Choko the Stork and Boko the Frog'', which he also adapted into a c ...
, Dave Wasson
David Jerome Wasson (born September 11, 1968) is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, producer, writer, and voice actor. He graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a B.F.A. Wasson created the Cartoon Network origin ...
, Rob Renzetti
Robert John Renzetti is an American animator and author. Renzetti is known for creating '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'' and the '' Oh Yeah! Cartoons'' series '' Mina and the Count'' for Nickelodeon, directing ''Dexter's Laboratory'', ''The Powerp ...
, Maxwell Atoms
Adam Maxwell Burton, known professionally as Maxwell Atoms, is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and voice actor. He is the creator of the Cartoon Network series '' Grim & Evil'' and its subsequent spin-offs, ''The Grim Adve ...
, C. H. Greenblatt, Chris Savino
Christopher Mason Savino (born October 2, 1971) is an American writer, comic book artist, and former animator. He is well-known as the creator of the animated series '' The Loud House''. Savino has also worked on ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', ''Dext ...
, Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants' ...
, and John Kricfalusi
Michael John Kricfalusi ( ; born September 9, 1955), known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator, blogger, voice actor and former animator. He is the creator of the animated television series ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', which was ...
. Besides ''Billy Dilley'', he has created numerous pilots for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
that, although never made into full series, have developed cult followings. Springer's cartoons are unique for their inclusion of extended gags, anthropomorphism and off-model poses. Springer has cited Richard Scarry
Richard McClure Scarry (June 5, 1919 – April 30, 1994) was an American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million worldwide. He is best known for his ''Best Ever'' book series that take ...
, Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born September 6, 1937) is a Spanish/Mexican cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to '' Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book '' Groo the Wanderer''.
Among his peers and fans, Aragonés is ...
, Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...
, Vaughn Bodē
Vaughn Bodē (; July 22, 1941 – July 18, 1975) was an American underground cartoonist and illustrator known for his character Cheech Wizard and his artwork depicting voluptuous women. A contemporary of Ralph Bakshi, Bodē has been credited as ...
, Akira Toriyama, Hideshi Hino
Hideshi Hino (日野日出志 ''Hino Hideshi'', born April 19, 1946) is a Japanese mangaka, manga artist who specializes in horror stories. His comics include ''Hell Baby'', ''Hino Horrors'', and ''Panorama of Hell''. He also wrote and directed tw ...
, Shigeru Mizuki
was a Japanese manga artist and historian, best known for his manga series ''GeGeGe no Kitarō''. Born in a hospital in Osaka and raised in the city of Sakaiminato, Tottori, he later moved to Chōfu, Tokyo where he remained until his death ...
and Hugo Pratt
Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt (15 June 1927 – 20 August 1995), was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as ''Corto Maltese''. He was ind ...
amongst his influences.
Filmography
Television
Film
Music videos and Internet
References
External links
*
FunTowne: Aaron Springer's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springer, Aaron
Living people
American animators
American animated film directors
American animated film producers
California Institute of the Arts alumni
Spümcø
Disney people
Nickelodeon people
Cartoon Network Studios people
American storyboard artists
American television writers
American male screenwriters
American male television writers
American television directors
American television producers
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Year of birth missing (living people)