Andy Luckey facts for kids

Andrew A. Luckey (born October 7, 1965) is an American animator, artist, and television producer. He is known for creating animated shows and also writes and illustrates children's books and Bible studies.

Luckey has helped produce over 300 hours of TV shows. He was a producer for the popular 1980s and 1990s animated TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was nominated for five Emmy awards. He also worked on Adventures from the Book of Virtues. Andrew Luckey is also the author and illustrator of the Spin & Sparkle children's book series.

He is the son of Bud Luckey (1934–2018), who was also an animator, director, and voice actor. Andrew Luckey is also related to Earl Hurd (1880–1940), an animator who helped create and patent the process for Cel Animation. This was a very important part of how traditional animation was made.

Early Animation Work

Andrew Luckey learned how to animate at his family's studio in San Francisco. His father, Bud Luckey, taught him. Their studio made many animated TV commercials and short films. These were often for Sesame Street, a show from The Children's Television Workshop (now called Sesame Workshop).

After high school, Luckey worked briefly as a Visual Effects Designer. He helped design the visual effects for the MTV music video "Turn of the Century." This video featured the British rock group Yes and singer Jon Anderson.

College Life and Studies

Luckey first attended The Admiral Farragut Academy but later went to a regular high school in California. He had thought about becoming a Naval Officer.

After leaving Redwood High School in 1983, Luckey went to The College of Marin. He first studied biology, thinking he would become a doctor. However, he soon decided to switch to filmmaking and screenwriting. He once joked that changing his major probably "saved countless lives" because organic chemistry was so difficult for him.

In 1986, Luckey continued his studies at California State University Northridge. He joined their Radio-Television Film program. There, he was guided by Alan Armer, who helped start the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Armer also produced famous TV shows like The Untouchables and The Fugitive. Luckey also learned from other experienced people in the industry, including Benjamin Brady, who produced Perry Mason. Luckey earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Management in 1988.

Working with Famous Characters

After college, Luckey worked for a company that helped license popular characters for the Asian market. He helped manage the licensing for shows like The Simpsons and The Adventures of Tintin. He also helped place Japanese products in American films, such as JVC products in the Back to the Future and Beverly Hills Cop movies.

From 1989 to 1992, Luckey worked as a producer for Murakami Wolf Swenson, an animation studio. His most famous work there was on the animated TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This show was based on the comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. He also worked on "Five Decades with The Chipmunks, Rockin Through the Years," which featured Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Video Game Industry Work

From 1992 to 1998, Andrew Luckey worked in the video game industry. He was a Director and Executive Producer for companies like Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Interactive. One of his most notable projects was the video game based on Walt Disney's Aladdin. Luckey continues to advise on video game production. He is an active member of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and was named a Computer Graphics Pioneer Member by ACM/SIGGRAPH in 2007.

Further Education and Ministry

From 1998 to 2001, Luckey took a break from his career to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Biola University's Talbot School of Theology. During this time, he worked as a Youth Pastor and College and Career Pastor for churches in Southern California.

Current Work and Contributions

In 2003, Andrew Luckey co-founded and became President of Greater Family, LLC. This company focuses on family-oriented media.

Luckey often speaks at industry events like SIGGRAPH and The Game Developer's Conference. He has also co-authored papers for the International Game Developer's Association (IGDA). These papers discuss important topics like intellectual property rights for game developers and the quality of life in the game industry. He is a founding member of IGDA's committees on these topics.

Luckey is also an officer in the Connecticut Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, which is the United States Air Force Auxiliary.

Education Overview

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) from California State University, Northridge's Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication.
• Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Biola University's Talbot School of Theology.