Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken[1] (born March 31, 1971) is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating the Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Disney Channel and Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder, and Netflix's Kid Cosmic.
Craig McCracken
March 31, 1971
Cartoonist, animator, director, writer, producer
1990–present
- The Powerpuff Girls (1998–2005)
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (2004–2009)
- Wander Over Yonder (2013–2016)
- Kid Cosmic (2021–2022)
1
Regarded as "one of the most successful creators of episodic comedy cartoons",[2] his style was "at the forefront of a second wave of innovative, creator-driven television animation" in the 1990s, along with that of other animators such as Genndy Tartakovsky,[3] and has been credited as "a staple of American modern animated television".[4]
Early life and education[edit]
McCracken was born March 31, 1971,[5][6] in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. He began drawing at an early age. He attended California High School in Whittier, California and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he met his friend and future collaborator, Genndy Tartakovsky. During his first 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.[7][8][9] While at CalArts, he also created a short entitled Whoopass Stew!, which would later become the basis for The Powerpuff Girls.[7][8]
Style and influences[edit]
Since his early years of career, McCracken has chosen to design characters in a simplistic way (as opposed to the realism of Warner Bros. or Disney feature films) because it is more practical for television production, as money and time limits what the animators can do.[36] In addition to this, he claimed that the crew at Hanna-Barbera wanted their shows "to be different than what was on Nick and Disney".[36] Some of his main inspirations were comic book artists such as Charles M. Schulz, Bill Watterson and Hergé.[37] All of his series have had diverse influences in terms of design, comedy and storytelling. To mention some: 1960s Batman, Underdog and Rocky and Bullwinkle in The Powerpuff Girls,[38] The Muppet Show and SpongeBob SquarePants in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (which also has a visual style inspired by 60s psychedelia),[39][40] Yellow Submarine and Looney Tunes in Wander Over Yonder,[41] and Dennis the Menace and The Adventures of Tintin in Kid Cosmic.[42]
During his time at CalArts, he discovered the cartoons of United Productions of America (UPA), which also heavily influenced the visual style of his creations.[37] His shows often present the underdog as the main focus.[37] For example, Kid Cosmic is about a group of "punk rock" characters who "may not have the skill or the talent, but they have the determination and conviction" to create a superhero team.[42] Foster's also revolves around a group of misfit creatures that have been abandoned by their original owners.[39][43] Although the Powerpuff Girls are not typical underdogs, the fact that they are little girls might make people underestimate them as superheroes.[37] He also liked to present "the contrast of cute characters being strong and tough".[44] Although the Powerpuff Girls have been widely regarded as feminist icons, McCracken has claimed that the real background for their creation was finding "a fun idea" or "a cool concept".[44]
Personal life[edit]
McCracken married animator Lauren Faust on March 13, 2004. Faust took maternity leave in mid-2016 to take care of their newborn daughter, Quinn.[47]