Danny Antonucci facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Danny Antonucci
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Antonucci at the 2007 Platform Festival
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| Born | February 27, 1957 |
| 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 most famous for creating the funny Cartoon Network animated series Ed, Edd n Eddy. He also created Lupo the Butcher and The Brothers Grunt for MTV.
Antonucci left Sheridan College to start working as an animator at Hanna-Barbera. There, he helped create many shows like The Flintstone Comedy Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Smurfs, and Richie Rich. Later, in Vancouver, he made animated short films and TV commercials. This is where he created his first solo work, Lupo the Butcher. For MTV, Antonucci made short animated clips called bumpers, his series The Brothers Grunt, and the opening for the show Cartoon Sushi. After that, he created Ed, Edd n Eddy for Cartoon Network.
Many of his commercials for companies like Converse, ESPN, and Levi's won awards. Lupo the Butcher was a very successful short film and is still popular today.
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Early Life and First Steps in Animation
Danny Antonucci's parents were Italian immigrants who moved to Canada. His experiences growing up in an immigrant family really shaped his later work, especially his short film Lupo the Butcher.
Antonucci went to the Sheridan College of Visual Arts. However, he left college early to take a job as an animator at Canimage Production, which was part of Hanna-Barbera.
Danny Antonucci's Career Journey
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 planned to move to Los Angeles to find more work. But he ended up in Vancouver, British Columbia, instead. There, he got a job at International Rocketship Limited. He animated short films and television commercials for them. His first project there was a short film called Hooray for Sandbox Land.
Creating Lupo the Butcher and MTV Work
Antonucci's first project on his own was Lupo the Butcher. International Rocketship Limited produced this short film. It was about a very angry butcher who would yell at the meat he was cutting. He would get super mad over tiny mistakes. Antonucci said he created this film because he was tired of working on children's films. He also wanted to try making a full character on film. This short animated film was shown at many film festivals.
The character 'Lupo' became so popular that the Converse shoe company used him. This led to more work for Antonucci. He made animated commercials for Levi Strauss & Co., ESPN, Converse, and MTV. He also created a mascot for Cartoon Network called the jester, along with its short animated clips.
On April 1, 1994, Antonucci started his own animation company called a.k.a. Cartoon. This company produced the MTV series The Brothers Grunt. This show aired from 1994 to 1995. Antonucci then worked on MTV's Cartoon Sushi show in 1997. He directed, wrote, and did voices for the show. He also created the show's opening sequence.
The Story Behind Ed, Edd n Eddy
After working on "gross" and "edgy" shows like The Brothers Grunt, Antonucci wanted to make a children's TV show again. He decided to do this with his company a.k.a. Cartoon. He wanted the new series to look like cartoons from the 1940s to the 1970s. Antonucci spent many months designing the show. Then, he tried to sell it to Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon said they would take the show, but only if they could control how it was made. Antonucci refused to give up control. Instead, he took the show to Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network agreed to let Antonucci make the show his own way. So, they decided to produce it.
Antonucci strongly believes in hand-drawn animation. The wobbly lines in Ed, Edd n Eddy are a tribute to old hand-drawn cartoons. This style reminds viewers of cartoons from the 1940s to the 1970s. To make characters look like they are moving, Ed, Edd n Eddy uses shimmering outlines. These lines are not as active as some other shows, but they are still noticeable. Antonucci compares this look to cartoons from the 1930s.
Antonucci said that the characters in the show were based on real people. The personalities of Ed, Edd, and Eddy are based on parts of his own personality. They also reflect the activities of his two sons. The Eds also act a bit like The Three Stooges. Their plans to make money often go wrong, just like the Stooges' antics. The kids in the cul-de-sac and the Kanker Sisters were all based on children he knew growing up.
Antonucci also felt it was important to add Plank, a piece of wood, to the show. He thought it would be "really cool" for Plank to become a character. Plank would make Jonny do things he normally wouldn't. He also said that Rolf is a lot like himself and his cousins. This is because he grew up in an immigrant family. They had different customs and ways of living.
Ed, Edd n Eddy is the only show from a.k.a. Cartoon to have a movie. The series ended with the movie Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show. It aired on November 8, 2009.
New Projects and WildBrain
While Antonucci was working on Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, he signed a deal with WildBrain. This was announced on September 4, 2008. Antonucci said he was "already thinking about three different ideas" for his first project with WildBrain. On June 11, 2013, animator Joe Murray posted an interview with Antonucci. At the end, he wrote: "He's currently working on a new series, so rock on." In November 2020, Antonucci confirmed that a series based on Lupo the Butcher was being made for Netflix. However, this project was later canceled due to creative differences.
Awards and Achievements
Danny Antonucci's first solo work, Lupo the Butcher, was a very successful short film. Many people still consider it a classic. Eric Fogel, who created Celebrity Deathmatch, said that Lupo the Butcher showed him a world of animation just for adults. It inspired him to create more "twisted" shows. Antonucci has won many awards throughout his career. He worked on award-winning commercials for Converse, ESPN, and Levi's.
In 1998, he received a National Cartoonists Society Division Award for Television Animation for his work on Cartoon Sushi. Ed, Edd n Eddy also won many awards and nominations. For his work on the series, he 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.
Ed, Edd n Eddy ran for almost 11 years. It is the longest-running original Cartoon Network series. It is also the longest-running Canadian-made animated series. It was Cartoon Network's most popular show for boys aged 2–11. Bob Higgins, the head of WildBrain, called Ed, Edd n Eddy a "landmark in animation." Joe Murray, who created Rocko's Modern Life and Camp Lazlo, said Antonucci is "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 character Philip Marlowe.
Film and Television Work
Danny Antonucci has worked on many animated films and television shows. Here are some of his notable projects:
- Heavy Metal (1981) - Animator
- Lupo the Butcher (1987) - Director, animator, and composer for this short film
- The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show (1980–1982) - Animator
- The Flintstone Comedy Show (1980–1982) - Animator
- The Smurfs (1981) - Animator
- The Brothers Grunt (1994–1995) - Creator, writer, director, and voice actor
- Cartoon Sushi (1997) - Co-creator and director
- Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999–2009) - Creator, writer, director, and executive producer
- Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show (2009) - Director, writer, and executive producer for this TV movie
Images for kids
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Danny Antonucci at the 2007 Platform Festival
See also
In Spanish: Danny Antonucci para niños
