Craig McCracken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig McCracken
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McCracken in January 2012
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| Born | March 31, 1971 Charleroi, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active | 1990–present |
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| Children | 1 |
Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is a famous American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer. He is best known for creating some of your favorite shows like The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends for Cartoon Network. He also created Wander Over Yonder for Disney Channel and Disney XD, and Kid Cosmic for Netflix.
Many people see him as one of the most successful creators of funny cartoon shows. His unique style helped start a new wave of creative TV animation in the 1990s. His work is a big part of modern American animated television.
Early Life and School
Craig McCracken was born on March 31, 1971, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. He started drawing when he was very young. He went to California High School and then to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). There, he met his friend and future coworker, Genndy Tartakovsky.
During his first year at CalArts, Craig made short cartoons about a character called No Neck Joe. These cartoons were shown at a popular animation festival. While still at CalArts, he also created a short cartoon called Whoopass Stew!. This cartoon later became the idea for The Powerpuff Girls. Craig married fellow animator Lauren Faust on March 13, 2004.
His Amazing Career
In 1993, Craig got his first job in animation at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. He worked as an art director on a show called 2 Stupid Dogs with his friend Genndy Tartakovsky.
While at Hanna-Barbera, the studio started a new project called What a Cartoon!. This project allowed animators to create 48 new short cartoons. This inspired Craig to develop his Whoopass Girls! idea even more. His new pilot, "The Powerpuff Girls in: Meat Fuzzy Lumkins", first aired on February 20, 1995. A second short, "Crime 101", followed in 1996.
The Powerpuff Girls was the fourth cartoon to become a full series. It first aired on November 18, 1998, and its last episode was on March 25, 2005. The show won many awards, including Emmy and Annie awards. In 2002, Craig also directed The Powerpuff Girls Movie, which was a movie about the show.
After four seasons of The Powerpuff Girls, Craig started working on his next big project, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. This show began with a special episode on August 13, 2004, on Cartoon Network. He created the show with his wife, Lauren Faust, and Mike Moon. Foster's Home ran for six seasons and also won Emmy and Annie awards.
In 2009, after working at Cartoon Network for 17 years, Craig left the company. He then created Wander Over Yonder for Disney Television Animation and Disney Channel, which started in August 2013. After Wander Over Yonder ended, Craig pitched a new show idea to Disney, but they didn't pick it up.
He then took his idea to Netflix, and it became the show Kid Cosmic. This show premiered on February 2, 2021, and finished on February 3, 2022. Kid Cosmic was Craig's first show that told a continuous story, and it was his return to the superhero genre since The Powerpuff Girls.
On July 18, 2022, it was announced that Craig McCracken is working on new versions of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends at Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. The new Foster's Home will be a show for younger kids, focusing on new characters. In 2023, Craig received the Winsor McCay Award at the Annie Awards. This award celebrates his amazing achievements and contributions to animation.
His Cartoon Style
Since he started his career, Craig McCracken has always designed characters in a simple way. This is different from the very realistic drawings you might see in Warner Bros. or Disney movies. He chose this style because it's easier and faster for making TV shows, which have limits on money and time. He also wanted his shows to look different from what was on other channels like Nick and Disney.
Some of his main inspirations come from comic book artists like Charles M. Schulz (who created Peanuts), Bill Watterson (who created Calvin and Hobbes), and Hergé (who created Tintin). All of his shows have been influenced by different things in their design, humor, and stories. For example:
- The Powerpuff Girls was inspired by shows like the 1960s Batman, Underdog, and Rocky and Bullwinkle.
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends got ideas from The Muppet Show and SpongeBob SquarePants.
- Wander Over Yonder was influenced by Yellow Submarine and Looney Tunes.
- Kid Cosmic took inspiration from Dennis the Menace and The Adventures of Tintin.
Craig's shows often focus on characters who are "underdogs." For example, Kid Cosmic is about a group of unusual characters who become superheroes. Foster's Home is about imaginary friends who have been left behind by their owners. Even though the Powerpuff Girls are strong, they are little girls, which might make people underestimate them as superheroes.
Personal Life
Craig McCracken married fellow animator Lauren Faust on March 13, 2004. They have one daughter named Quinn.
See also
In Spanish: Craig McCracken para niños
