kids encyclopedia robot

David Silverman (animator) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
David Silverman
A white male with a grey beard smiles at the viewer
Silverman at 2023 SPARKCG
Born (1957-03-15) March 15, 1957 (age 68)
Long Island, New York, U.S.
Occupation Television/film writer and director
Education
Genre Comedy and fantasy

David Silverman (born March 15, 1957) is a talented American animator and director. He is best known for his amazing work on the popular animated TV show The Simpsons. David was involved with The Simpsons right from the start. He animated the very first short Simpsons cartoons that appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show. Later, he became the main director for animation for many years. He also directed The Simpsons Movie in 2007.

Early Life and Animation Journey

David Silverman was born in Long Island, New York. His father was a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. David grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. He studied art at the University of Maryland for two years. After that, he went to UCLA and focused on animation. This is where he learned the skills that made him a famous animator.

Bringing The Simpsons to Life

David Silverman is a very important person behind The Simpsons. Many people say he created the main "rules" for how to draw the characters. He was often asked to animate difficult or very important scenes. For example, in Season 2, he animated some of Homer's big, expressive moments.

You might have even seen a cartoon version of David in the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show". In that episode, he is shown as the animator who draws the character Poochie. He sometimes used funny names in the credits, like Pound Foolish for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular".

David also directed The Simpsons Movie, which came out on July 27, 2007. He has worked on other big animated movies too. These include Monsters, Inc. for Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar, where he was a co-director. He also helped with films like Ice Age, Robots, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

In 2012, David directed a short film called The Longest Daycare. This film starred Maggie Simpson and was shown before the movie Ice Age: Continental Drift. This short film was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. He also directed another short film with Maggie, Playdate with Destiny, in 2020.

Episodes Directed by David Silverman

David Silverman has directed many episodes of The Simpsons, including:

  • "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
  • "Bart the Genius"
  • "Bart the General"
  • "Life on the Fast Lane"
  • "Some Enchanted Evening" (with Kent Butterworth)
  • "Bart Gets an 'F'"
  • "Treehouse of Horror" ("The Raven" part only)
  • "Bart vs. Thanksgiving"
  • "The Way We Was"
  • "Old Money"
  • "Blood Feud"
  • "Black Widower"
  • "Homer's Triple Bypass"
  • "Krusty Gets Kancelled"
  • "Treehouse of Horror IV" (as David "Dry Bones" Silverman)
  • "Another Simpsons Clip Show"
  • "Homie the Clown"
  • "Mother Simpson"
  • "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" (as Pound Foolish)
  • "Treehouse of Horror XIII"
  • "Treehouse of Horror XV" (as "The Tell-Tale Silverman")
  • "Treehouse of Horror XVI" (as "Godzilla vs. Silverman")
  • "Treehouse of Horror XVII" (with Matthew Faughnan) (as David "Tubatron" Silverman)
  • "The Man Who Came to Be Dinner"

Episodes Written by David Silverman

David also helped write one episode:

  • "Lisa Gets the Blues" (with Brian Kelley)

Silverman's Animation Style

David Silverman's animation style is known for being full of energy and great timing. He often uses unique designs and makes characters show very strong or exaggerated feelings. His work often reminds people of classic animators like Ward Kimball and Chuck Jones.

Some examples of his energetic work on The Simpsons include Homer's very dramatic reactions in "Homer's Triple Bypass". He also animated Homer's wild reactions to a famous painting in "Treehouse of Horror IV" and his intense portrayal of a character in "Treehouse of Horror V". Another example is Homer's over-the-top speech about sugar in "Lisa's Rival".

Filmography: What David Silverman Has Worked On

Television

Year Title Director Writer Producer Storyboard
Artist		 Animator Other Notes
1984 Turbo Teen No No No No Yes No
1987–89 The Tracey Ullman Show Partial No No No Yes No Segment Director: "The Simpsons" Shorts
1989–present The Simpsons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supervising Director (seasons 1–8, 16–17), Consulting Producer, Executive Consultant (season 9), Title Designer,
Character Layout Artist, Storyboards, Storyboard Consultant, Storyboard Revisions,
Main Title Designer, Background Designer, Additional Voices, Song Lyrics: "Spider-Pig"
1994–95 The Critic No No No No No Yes Visual Design
1995 Eek! The Cat No No Executive Yes No Yes Creator, Executive Producer, Voice of John Heap (Klutter! segment)
1997 Teen Angel No No No No No Yes Creative Consultant
2001 Rugrats No No No No Yes No
2014 Family Guy No No No No No Yes Special Thanks (Episode: "The Simpsons Guy")
2015 House of Lies No No No No No Yes Himself
2017 Party Legends No No No No Yes No
2018 Super Slackers Yes Yes Executive No No No
2020–2022 Duncanville No No Consulting No No No
2022 Werewolf by Night No No No No No Yes Actor (The Flaming Tuba)

Feature Films

Year Title Director Story Artist Animator Other Notes
1986 One Crazy Summer No No Yes No
1991 The Dark Backward No No No Yes Creator: "Blumps" concept
1993 RoboCop 3 No No No Yes Director: "Johnny Rehab" commercial
2000 The Road to El Dorado No No No Yes Additional Sequences Director
2001 Monsters, Inc. Co-Director No No Yes Additional Story Material, CDA
2002 Ice Age No No No Yes Story Consultant
2003 Confessions of a Burning Man No No No Yes Additional Cinematographer; Documentary
Looney Tunes: Back in Action No No No Yes Animation Consultant
2005 Robots No Yes No No
2007 The Simpsons Movie Yes No No No
2014 Such Good People No No No Yes Personal Thanks
2015 Love No No No Yes Grateful Thanks
2016 The Edge of Seventeen No No Yes No
2021 Extinct Yes No No Yes Voices of Cyclops / Donut Store Clerk

Short Films

Year Title Director Screenwriter Story Artist Animator Other Notes
1979 Tom Waits for No One No No No Yes No
1982 Luau No No No No Yes Special Thanks
The Strange Case of Mr. Donnybrook's Boredom Yes No Yes Yes Yes Layout Artist, Ink Artist, Background Artist
1987 Propagandance No No No Assistant No
2002 Mike's New Car No No No No Yes Special Thanks
2011 Night of the Little Dead No No No No Yes Tuba Player
2012 The Longest Daycare Yes No Yes No No
2016 Bouncing Blunders No No No No Yes Special Thanks
Duhkha No No No No Yes
2020 Playdate with Destiny Yes Yes Yes No No
2021 The Force Awakens from Its Nap Yes No Yes No No
The Good, the Bart, and the Loki Yes No Yes No No
The Simpsons | Balenciaga Yes No Yes No No
Plusaversary Yes No Yes No No
Te Deseo Lo Mejor Yes No Yes No No
2022 When Billie Met Lisa Yes No Yes No No
Welcome to the Club Yes No Yes No No
The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in "Feliz Navidad" Yes No Yes No No
2023 Rogue Not Quite One Yes No Yes No No
2024 May the 12th Be with You Yes No Yes No No
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Yes No Yes No No

Klutter!: Another Animated Project

David Silverman also worked with Savage Steve Holland to create a show called Klutter! for Fox Kids. This show was part of Eek! Stravaganza in 1995. David even voiced a character named John Heap on the show. Klutter! had eight episodes.

Sharing Animation Knowledge

David Silverman has visited many college campuses to talk about his experiences. He shares stories about being an animator and a director for The Simpsons. He talks about his early jobs in animation, working on shows like Turbo Teen. He also mentions that he and other animators, Wes Archer and Bill Kopp, started animating The Simpsons shorts on March 23, 1987.

During his talks, David explains how The Simpsons episodes are made. He discusses how the show and its characters have changed over time. He might even show special behind-the-scenes clips or deleted scenes. He often finishes by drawing character sketches for the audience.

David's Musical Side

Outside of animation, David Silverman loves playing the tuba! He has performed at events like Burning Man with a marching band. On June 23, 2006, he even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and played his special flaming sousaphone. David was part of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band when he was in college. He is also a member of the Los Trancos Woods Community Marching Band. In 2009, he joined the LA band Vaud and the Villains.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: David Silverman (productor) para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
David Silverman (animator) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.