J. Michael Mendel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. Michael Mendel
Mendel, circa 1992
Born	Joel Michael Mendel (1964-09-24)September 24, 1964 Radford, Virginia, U.S.
Died	September 22, 2019(2019-09-22) (aged 54) Studio City, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Syracuse University (BS)
Occupation	Television producer, associate producer, production assistant
Years active	1984–2019
Spouse(s)	Juel Bestrop
Children	2

Joel Michael "Mike" Mendel (born September 24, 1964 – died September 22, 2019) was an American television producer. He was well-known for helping create some of your favorite animated TV shows. He won five Emmy Awards, which are like the Oscars for television, for his amazing work on The Simpsons and Rick and Morty.

A Career in Television

Mike Mendel started his journey in television while he was still a student at Syracuse University. During his summer breaks, he worked as a production assistant on TV shows like All My Children and Loving. A production assistant helps with many different tasks behind the scenes to make sure a show runs smoothly.

After finishing college with a degree in television and film, he worked with famous people like James L. Brooks. He helped with movies such as Broadcast News and Big. He also worked on The Tracey Ullman Show.

Working on The Simpsons

When the short cartoons of Tracey Ullman called The Simpsons shorts became their very own TV show, Mike Mendel joined the team. He became the producer for The Simpsons from its very first season all the way to its tenth season! As a producer, he helped manage the show's creation, making sure everything was ready for each episode.

For his work on The Simpsons, Mike won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program. These wins were for episodes like "Lisa's Wedding" in 1995, "Homer's Phobia" in 1997, and "Trash of the Titans" in 1998.

Later Work and Rick and Morty

After leaving The Simpsons, Mike Mendel produced other animated shows. Some of these included The PJs, The Oblongs, and Drawn Together.

In 2013, he joined the team for the popular animated series Rick and Morty. Here, he won his fourth Emmy Award in 2018 for the episode "Pickle Rick". Sadly, he passed away in 2019. But even after his death, he won a fifth Emmy Award in 2020 for the Rick and Morty episode "The Vat of Acid Episode". This award was given to him after he had passed away, which is called a posthumous award.

About Mike Mendel

Mike Mendel went to Monroe-Woodbury High School when he was younger. He lived in Studio City, Los Angeles in California. He was married to Juel Bestrop, who is a casting director. A casting director helps choose the actors for TV shows. Juel worked on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Mike and Juel had two children together.

Mike Mendel passed away at his home in Los Angeles on September 22, 2019. He died from natural causes, just two days before his 55th birthday. His death was a surprise to many.

Remembering Mike Mendel

Many people in the television world remembered Mike Mendel fondly. Justin Roiland, one of the creators of Rick and Morty, and Al Jean, a long-time writer and producer for The Simpsons, shared tributes to him.

Several TV shows dedicated episodes to his memory. The first episode of The Simpsons' 31st season, called "The Winter of Our Monetized Content", was dedicated to him. Also, the fourth season premiere and all of Season 6 of Rick and Morty were dedicated to Mike. Even the first episode of the show Solar Opposites remembered him.

Shows and Movies He Worked On

Here are some of the television shows and films Mike Mendel helped create:

Television

Film