Danny Antonucci facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danny Antonucci
Antonucci at the 2007 Platform Festival
Born	(1957-02-27) February 27, 1957 (age 68) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	Sheridan College
Occupation	Animator, director, producer, writer
Years active	1980–present
Children	2

Danny Antonucci (born February 27, 1957) is a Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer. He is famous for creating the funny animated TV show Ed, Edd n Eddy for Cartoon Network. He also made Lupo the Butcher and The Brothers Grunt for MTV.

Antonucci left Sheridan College to work as an animator at Hanna-Barbera. There, he helped create many popular shows. These included The Flintstone Comedy Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Smurfs, and Richie Rich. Later, in Vancouver, he made his first solo work, Lupo the Butcher. He also created many commercials for big brands like Converse and ESPN.

Early life and animation beginnings

Danny Antonucci's parents moved to Canada from Italy. His experiences growing up in an immigrant family influenced his later work. This included his short film Lupo the Butcher.

Antonucci went to the Sheridan College of Visual Arts. However, he left early to start working as an animator. His first job was at Canimage Production, which was part of Hanna-Barbera.

Career highlights in animation

Danny Antonucci began his career as an animator. He worked on many well-known shows. These included The Flintstone Comedy Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Smurfs, and Richie Rich.

In 1984, Antonucci moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. He found a job at International Rocketship Limited. There, he animated short films and television commercials. His first project was the short film Hooray for Sandbox Land.

Creating Lupo the Butcher and a.k.a. Cartoon

Antonucci's first solo project was Lupo the Butcher. This short film was about a grumpy butcher who got very angry easily. Antonucci said he made this film because he wanted to create something different. He had been working on children's films for a long time. The short film was shown at many film festivals.

The character 'Lupo' became popular. The Converse shoe company even used him for commercials. This led to more work for Antonucci. He made animated commercials for Levi Strauss & Co., ESPN, and MTV. He also created a mascot for Cartoon Network called the jester.

On April 1, 1994, Antonucci started his own animation company. He named it a.k.a. Cartoon. This company produced the MTV series The Brothers Grunt. The show aired from 1994 to 1995. Antonucci also worked on MTV's Cartoon Sushi show in 1997. He directed, wrote, and did voices for it. He also created the show's opening sequence.

The success of Ed, Edd n Eddy

After working on shows like The Brothers Grunt, Antonucci wanted to create a children's TV show again. He wanted his new show to look like cartoons from the 1940s to the 1970s. He spent months designing the show. He first tried to sell it to Nickelodeon. However, Nickelodeon wanted to control how the show was made. Antonucci refused.

Instead, he took his idea to Cartoon Network. They agreed to let Antonucci have creative control. This led to the creation of Ed, Edd n Eddy.

Antonucci strongly believes in hand-drawn animation. The unique, wobbly lines in Ed, Edd n Eddy are a tribute to old hand-drawn cartoons. This style makes the characters look like they are always moving. Antonucci compared it to cartoons from the 1930s.

Antonucci said the characters in the show were based on real people. The personalities of Ed, Edd, and Eddy were inspired by himself and his two sons. The kids in the neighborhood and the Kanker Sisters were based on children he knew growing up. He also thought it was important to add Plank, a wooden board, to the show. He felt Plank helped Jonny do things he normally wouldn't. Rolf was based on Antonucci and his cousins. They were part of an immigrant family with different customs.

Ed, Edd n Eddy is the only show from a.k.a. Cartoon to have a movie. The series ended with Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show. It aired on November 8, 2009.

New projects with WildBrain

While working on the Ed, Edd n Eddy movie, Antonucci signed with WildBrain in 2008. He mentioned he had three new ideas for projects. In 2013, animator Joe Murray shared that Antonucci was working on a new series. In November 2020, Antonucci confirmed a new series based on Lupo the Butcher was planned for Netflix. However, this project was later canceled due to creative differences.

Awards and recognition

Lupo the Butcher was a very successful short film. Many people consider it a classic. Eric Fogel, who created Celebrity Deathmatch, said Lupo the Butcher inspired him. He said it showed him animation could be for adults.

Antonucci has won many awards throughout his career. He worked on award-winning commercials for Converse, ESPN, and Levi's. In 1998, he won a National Cartoonists Society Division Award for his work on Cartoon Sushi.

Ed, Edd n Eddy also received many awards and nominations. Antonucci won a Reuben Award for Best Television Animation in 1999. He also won a Leo Award for Best Director in an Animated Production or Series in 2000. The show ran for almost 11 years. This makes it the longest-running original Cartoon Network series. It is also the longest-running Canadian-made animated series. Ed, Edd n Eddy was Cartoon Network's most popular show for boys aged 2–11. Bob Higgins, head of WildBrain, called Ed, Edd n Eddy a "landmark in animation." Joe Murray, who created Rocko's Modern Life, called Antonucci "one of the founders and mainstays of modern animation."

Personal life

Danny Antonucci has two children. Their names are Tex and Marlowe. They were named after famous animator Tex Avery and the fictional detective Philip Marlowe.

Filmography

Films

Television

See also

In Spanish: Danny Antonucci para niños