Craig McCracken facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Craig McCracken
McCracken in January 2012
Born	(1971-03-31) March 31, 1971 (age 54) Charleroi, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Cartoonist animator director writer producer
Years active	1990–present
Known for	The Powerpuff Girls Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Wander Over Yonder Kid Cosmic
Spouse(s)	Lauren Faust ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	1

Craig McCracken (born March 31, 1971) is a talented American cartoonist, animator, and director. He is famous for creating many popular animated TV shows. These include The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends for Cartoon Network. He also created Wander Over Yonder for Disney Channel and Kid Cosmic for Netflix.

Many people see him as a very successful creator of funny cartoon series. His unique style helped lead a new wave of creative animation in the 1990s. His work is a big part of modern American animated television.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Craig McCracken was born on March 31, 1971, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. His mother, Eva, taught art at a community college. His father, Norman, was a baseball pitcher who passed away when Craig was seven. After his father's death, Craig and his family moved to Southern California.

Craig started drawing when he was very young. He went to California High School. Later, he studied at 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 Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. While at CalArts, he also created a short film called ... Stew!. This short film later became the idea for The Powerpuff Girls.

Building a Cartoon Career

In 1993, Craig McCracken started working at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. His first job in animation was as an art director for the show 2 Stupid Dogs. He worked alongside his friend Genndy Tartakovsky.

The Powerpuff Girls Take Off

While at Hanna-Barbera, the studio president, Fred Seibert, started a new project. It was called What a Cartoon!. This project encouraged animators to create 48 new short cartoons. Each cartoon was about seven minutes long. This inspired Craig to develop his ... Girls! idea further. He realized the network could not use the original name. So, his friends helped him come up with The Powerpuff Girls.

His new pilot episode, "The Powerpuff Girls in: Meat Fuzzy Lumkins", first aired on February 20, 1995. A second short, "Crime 101", followed in January 1996. The first cartoon from this project to become a full series was Tartakovsky's Dexter's Laboratory. Craig also worked on early seasons of that show. The Powerpuff Girls was the fourth cartoon to become a full series. It premiered on November 18, 1998. The final episode aired on March 25, 2005. The show won several Emmy and Annie awards. In 2002, Craig directed The Powerpuff Girls Movie, which was a story before the TV series.

McCracken and Lauren Faust at the Emmy Awards in 2008

Imaginary Friends and New Adventures

After four seasons, Craig left The Powerpuff Girls to work on his next big project. This was Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. It started with a 90-minute TV special called "House of Bloo's" on August 13, 2004. He created this series with his wife, Lauren Faust, and Mike Moon. The show ran for six seasons, all directed by Craig. It ended on May 3, 2009. This show also won Emmy and Annie awards.

In 2009, after 17 years, Craig left Cartoon Network. He then created Wander Over Yonder for Disney Television Animation and Disney Channel. This show premiered in August 2013. After Wander Over Yonder ended, Craig pitched a new show idea to Disney. It was based on his 2009 comic strip, The Kid from Planet Earth. Disney did not pick up the project, and Craig left the company in 2017.

He then took his idea to Netflix. It was approved and became Kid Cosmic. The show premiered on February 2, 2021, and finished on February 3, 2022. This was Craig's first original show to tell a continuous story. It also marked his return to the superhero genre since The Powerpuff Girls.

Future Projects and Recognition

On July 18, 2022, it was announced that Craig McCracken began working on new versions of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. These projects are being developed at Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. The new Foster's Home will be a show for younger children, focusing on new characters.

In 2023, Craig received the Winsor McCay Award at the Annie Awards. This award honors his amazing achievements and contributions to animation. The Hollywood Reporter also named him one of the most powerful people in kids' entertainment, alongside Lauren Faust.

Craig's Style and Inspirations

Since the start of his career, Craig McCracken has designed characters in a simple way. This is different from the very realistic characters seen in Warner Bros. or Disney movies. He chose this style because it is more practical for TV shows. It helps with time and money limits for animators. He also wanted his shows at Hanna-Barbera to be different from those on Nick and Disney.

Some of his main inspirations come from comic book artists. These include Charles M. Schulz, Bill Watterson, and Hergé. All of his series have different influences in their design, humor, and stories. For example, The Powerpuff Girls was inspired by the 1960s Batman TV show and Underdog. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was influenced by The Muppet Show and SpongeBob SquarePants. Its visual style also took ideas from 1960s art. Wander Over Yonder was inspired by Yellow Submarine and Looney Tunes. Kid Cosmic drew inspiration from Dennis the Menace and The Adventures of Tintin.

While at CalArts, he discovered cartoons from United Productions of America (UPA). These also greatly influenced the look of his creations. His shows often focus on characters who are "underdogs." For example, Kid Cosmic is about a group of unique characters. They might not have all the skills, but they are determined to be a superhero team. Foster's is also about a group of unusual creatures who have been left by their owners. Even though the Powerpuff Girls are superheroes, they are small girls. This might make people underestimate them, making them a type of underdog. Craig also likes to show "the contrast of cute characters being strong and tough."

Personal Life

Craig McCracken married fellow animator Lauren Faust on March 13, 2004. They have one daughter, Quinn, who was born in 2016.

Filmography

Craig McCracken has worked on many animated films and television shows throughout his career.

Films

Television

Awards and Recognition

Craig McCracken has received many awards and nominations for his work in animation.

• 1996-2004: Nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards for Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls.
• 2005: Won an Annie Award for Best Production Design for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Animation for Foster's Home.
• 2009: Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More) for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (for Destination: Imagination).
• 2022: Received the prestigious Winsor McCay Award at the Annie Awards for his outstanding contributions to animation. He also won a Children's and Family Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Animation for Kid Cosmic.

See also

In Spanish: Craig McCracken para niños