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 58)
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 a super creative American artist. He is an animator, writer, cartoonist, and video game designer. He also creates comic books. His work includes animated TV shows, video games, and comics.

He is most famous for creating Earthworm Jim. This character became a popular video game series. It also led to an animated TV show and even a toy line! Doug TenNapel also created the cartoon series Catscratch (2005–2007). This show aired on Nickelodeon and was based on his comic book series Gear.

Doug TenNapel's Creative Journey

Doug TenNapel started his career as an animator. One of his first jobs was on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series. Soon, he began working in the video game world.

Early Video Game Work

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

Creating Earthworm Jim

In 1994, Doug TenNapel created Earthworm Jim. This funny character starred in a video game by Shiny Entertainment. Earthworm Jim quickly became a huge hit. He even got his own toy line and cartoon show! David Perry, who led Shiny Entertainment, was very impressed. He said Doug was "crazy talented" and full of amazing ideas.

Starting His Own Company

After his success with Earthworm Jim, Doug left Shiny Entertainment in 1995. He started his own company called Neverhood. Other former Shiny employees joined him. They worked with DreamWorks Interactive to create The Neverhood. This unique game was made for PC and PlayStation. Later, they released a sequel called Skullmonkeys in 1998.

TV Shows and Cartoons

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

Graphic Novels and Comics

Doug is also a talented graphic artist and cartoonist. In 1998, he released his first comic book, Gear. This story was inspired by his real-life cats. They fought against dogs and insects using giant robots! The cats from Gear later became the characters for the Nickelodeon series Catscratch.

He has released many other graphic novels. These include Flink (2007), Monster Zoo (2008), and Power Up (2009). In 2010, his graphic novel Ghostopolis came out. There were plans to make it into a movie starring Hugh Jackman, but there haven't been any updates.

Doug also created an online webcomic called Ratfist. It's a funny take on superhero stories. In 2012, Fox Animation considered making his graphic novel Cardboard into a movie. Actor Tobey Maguire was even involved as a producer. However, there have been no updates on this film either.

Other Creative Projects

Doug TenNapel has also designed cover art for music albums. He created art for several Five Iron Frenzy albums. He also made album covers for Daniel Amos CDs.

He uses Kickstarter to fund some of his projects. Kickstarter is a website where people can donate money to help artists create new things. Through Kickstarter, he produced 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 is similar to The Neverhood and uses clay animation. The project was successful, and they even reached a goal to make a Wii U version.

In 2018, he self-published a graphic novel called Bigfoot Bill. He funded it through Indiegogo, another crowdfunding platform. In 2019, he announced a new Earthworm Jim game. It will be for the upcoming Intellivision Amico console. He also self-published another graphic novel, Earthworm Jim: Launch the Cow, on Indiegogo.

Doug TenNapel's 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. Doug sometimes shares his opinions on current events and politics on social media.

Doug TenNapel's Work

Here are some of the TV shows and video games Doug TenNapel has worked on.

Television Shows

Video Games

Album Cover Art

Doug TenNapel has also created artwork for music albums.