Doug TenNapel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doug TenNapel
TenNapel in June 2011
Born	Douglas Richard TenNapel (1966-07-10) July 10, 1966 (age 59)
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Animator, writer, video game designer, comic book artist
Notable works	Earthworm Jim The Neverhood Catscratch Ghostopolis Ratfist Nnewts
Awards	Eisner Award Winner
Spouse(s)	Angie TenNapel ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	4

Douglas Richard TenNapel (born July 10, 1966) is an American animator, writer, and video game designer. He is also a comic book artist. He is famous for creating Earthworm Jim. This character became a popular video game series, an animated TV show, and even a toy line.

Doug TenNapel also created the animated TV series Catscratch. This show aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2007. Catscratch was based on his comic book series called Gear.

Doug's Creative Journey

Doug TenNapel started his career as an animator. He worked on the TV show Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series. Soon after, he began working in the video game industry.

Early Video Game Work

In 1993, he worked on games like Jurassic Park for the Sega Genesis. He also worked on The Ren & Stimpy Show: Stimpy's Invention. Another game he helped create was The Jungle Book for the SNES and Sega Genesis.

Creating Earthworm Jim

In 1994, Doug TenNapel created Earthworm Jim. This character became the star of a video game from Shiny Entertainment. The game was so popular it led to toys and a cartoon show. David Perry, who led Shiny Entertainment, praised Doug's talent. He said Doug was "crazy talented" and full of amazing ideas.

Starting His Own Company

In 1995, Doug left Shiny Entertainment. He started his own company called Neverhood. Other former Shiny employees joined him. They worked with DreamWorks Interactive to create the game The Neverhood for PC and PlayStation. A sequel, Skullmonkeys, came out in 1998.

Television Projects

Doug TenNapel also created the Project G.e.e.K.e.R. cartoon series for CBS. He was a consulting producer for the ABC series Push, Nevada. Later, he made two short cartoons for Frederator Studios and Nicktoons. These shorts were "Solomon Fix" and "Squirly Town."

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Doug released his first comic book, Gear, in 1998. This comic was about his real-life cats fighting against dogs and insects using giant robots. These cats later inspired the Nickelodeon series Catscratch.

He has also created cover art for several music albums. These include albums for the band Five Iron Frenzy and Daniel Amos.

Doug has written many graphic novels. Flink was released in 2007. Monster Zoo came out in 2008, and Power Up in 2009. In 2010, his graphic novel Ghostopolis was released. There were plans for a movie based on Ghostopolis starring Hugh Jackman, but no updates have been given.

He also created an online webcomic called Ratfist. In 2012, Fox Animation considered making a movie based on his graphic novel Cardboard. Tobey Maguire was set to be an executive producer. As of 2025, there have been no further updates on this film.

Crowdfunding Projects

Doug TenNapel has used Kickstarter to fund some of his projects. He created a collection of his sketches called Sketchbook Archives.

In 2013, Doug and other original Earthworm Jim team members launched a Kickstarter. They wanted to fund a PC game called Armikrog. This game was a follow-up to The Neverhood and used clay animation. The campaign was successful.

In 2018, he self-published the graphic novel Bigfoot Bill. He used Indiegogo to fund this project. In 2019, Doug and the original Earthworm Jim team announced a new Earthworm Jim game. It will be exclusive to the upcoming Intellivision Amico. He also self-published another graphic novel, Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow, through Indiegogo.

Personal Life

Doug TenNapel was born in Norwalk, California. He grew up in Denair, California. He has been married to Angie since 1990. They have four children together.

Views and Beliefs

Doug TenNapel is a Republican. He shares his opinions on social media. These opinions have sometimes caused discussion. He believes it is important for people who support traditional family values to support his work.

Works by Doug TenNapel

Television Shows

Video Games

Album Cover Art