Genndy Tartakovsky

Infobox actor
name = Genndy Tartakovsky


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birthplace = Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia)
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occupation = Animator
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spouse = Dawn David
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imdb_id = 0850733
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Genndy Tartakovsky ( _ru. Геннадий Тартаковский (Gennadiy Tartakovskiy), born January 17, 1970) is an Emmy Award-winning Russian-born Jewish-American animator. His work is influenced heavily by American comic books, pop culture, and anime. He is best known for the television series "Dexter's Laboratory", "Samurai Jack", and "".cite web|url=http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ap/gtartakovsky.html|title=Animator Profile: "GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY"|publisher=CartoonNetwork.com |accessdate=2007-03-24]

Early life

Genndy Tartakovsky was born on January 17, 1970, in Moscow, USSR to Jewish parents.cite web|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=7261|title=The Way of the Samurai|publisher=TheJewishJournal.com | date = 2001-08-03|accessdate=2007-03-24] His father, Boris, worked as a dentist"WATCHING TV: Is 'Samurai' one for the ages?" DREW JUBERA. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Arts; Pg. 12L. August 12, 2001.] for government officials and a Russian hockey team."MOODY TOONS; The king of the Cartoon Network." ALEC WILKINSON. The New Yorker. ANNALS OF POPULAR CULTURE; Pg. 76. May 27, 2002.] His mother, Miriam, was an assistant principal at a school. He also has a brother, Alex, who is 2 years older and is currently a computer consultant in Chicago. Tartakovsky's family moved to the United States when he was seven ["SAMURAI JACK." DUNCAN HIGGITT. Western Mail. First Edition; NEWS; Pg. 28. June 17, 2005.] due to concerns about the effect of anti-Semitism on their children's lives. Originally settling in Columbus, Ohio"'SAMURAI JACK' PUTS ART BACK INTO ANIMATION." Tim Feran. Columbus Dispatch (Ohio). FEATURES - TV PLUS; Cover Story; Pg. 03. May 11, 2003.] the family later moved to Chicago. He was greatly influenced by the comics he found there. The first book he bought was a "Super Friends" comic at a 7-Eleven.

Before coming to the United States, however, his family first moved to Italy, where he lived next to a German family. There, Tartakovsky says he was first drawn to art, inspired by a neighbor's daughter. Tartakovsky later commented, "I remember, I was horrible at it. For the life of me, I couldn't draw a circle."

Education

Genndy began attending Chicago's Eugene Field Elementary School in the third grade. School was hard for him because he felt that everyone recognized him as a foreigner. He says he never fit in until he was a sophomore in high school. When he was 16, his father died of a heart attack. He felt that his father was very strict and was an old fashioned man, but Genndy's relationship with his father was very special to him. After the death of his father, Genndy and his family moved to government-funded housing, and he began working while still attending high school.

To satisfy his ambitious family, Genndy tried to take an advertising class, because they were encouraging him to be a businessman. However, he signed up late, and therefore did not have any choice over his classes. He was assigned to take an animation class, and this led to his study of film at Chicago's Columbia College before moving to Los Angeles to study animation at the California Institute of the Arts (with his friend, Robert Renzetti). It was at the California Institute of the Arts where Tartakovsky directed and animated two student films -- one of which became the basis for "Dexter's Laboratory".

Early career

Reportedly, after two years at Cal Arts, Tartakovsky got a job in Spain on "" and "The Critic". While there, "he learned the trials of TV animation, labor intensive and cranking it out." Also, while in Spain, his mother died of cancer. Later, Tartakovsky worked at Hanna-Barbera, drawing storyboards for the show "2 Stupid Dogs".

Tartakovsky's work at Hanna-Barbera

Craig McCracken showed his portfolio to Hanna-Barbera and got the job art directing for the show "2 Stupid Dogs". They asked him if he knew anyone else, and he responded, saying that he knew that Robert Renzetti and Genndy Tartakovsky would be right for the job. This was a major turning point in Tartakovsky's career. Hanna-Barbera let Tartakovsky, McCracken, Renzetti, and Paul Rudish work in a trailer in the parking lot of the studio, and there, Tartakovsky started creating his best known works.

Major works

Tartakovsky is most well known for creating, writing, and directing the animated series "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Samurai Jack". "Dexter's Laboratory" grew out of a student film with the same title that he produced while at the California Institute of the Arts. Tartakovksy also co-wrote and pencilled the 25th issue of the "Dexter's Laboratory" comic book series, titled "Stubble Trouble". [cite web|last=Lander|first=Randy|url=http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/snapjudgments/082001/dexterslaboratory25.shtml|title=Snap Judgments: Dexter's Laboratory #25: "Stubble Trouble"|work=TheFourthRail.com|accessdate=2007-08-25] Additionally, he helped produce "The Powerpuff Girls" and has directed many episodes, serving as the animation director for "The Powerpuff Girls Movie". All three projects were nominated repeatedly for Emmy Awards, with "Samurai Jack" finally winning "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)" in 2004 (the same year he would win in the category for One Hour or More for "Star Wars: Clone Wars")

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas hired Tartakovsky to direct ', a successful animated microseries depicting the Clone Wars, taking place between ' and "". The series has won three Emmy awards: two for "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More)" (in 2004 and 2005) and another for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation" (for background designer Justin Thompson in 2005). Tartakovsky has no plans to work on future "Star Wars" projects.cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1541895/story.jhtml|title=Movie File: Russell Crowe, Seann William Scott, Ne-Yo & More|publisher=MTV.com | date = 2006-09-28|accessdate=2007-03-25]

To date, Tartakovsky has amassed 12 Emmy nominations and three wins. He has also been nominated four times for Annie Awards, winning once for The Star Wars Clone Wars Volume 2 series.

Orphanage Animation Studios

Recently, Tartakovsky has been made creative president of The Orphanage's Orphanage Animation Studios, an animation studio fabricated of Lucasfilm veterans. The company hopes to one day rival animation giant Pixar, and believes that Tartakovsky can get them there. Their first feature will be the sequel to the 1982 classic "The Dark Crystal". It will be directed by Tartakovsky, is titled "Power of the Dark Crystal", and set to be released in 2009. [ [http://powerofthedarkcrystal.blogspot.com/2007/09/production-update-from-comic-con.html The Power of the Dark Crystal Blog: Production Update from Comic-Con ] ]

Future projects

He has also been pitching a cartoon series of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" to HBO. It is unknown how the will affect the possibility of this projected series becoming a reality – whether the foray into an illustrated medium will pave the way for Genndy's animation, or if it will prove to be enough for King and the Grant publishing company.

Genndy recently helped create and directed animation on the pilot episode of "Korgoth of Barbaria". The series was set for a complete first season on Adult Swim, scheduled to air in spring of 2007, but it has been delayed. It is unconfirmed if the series will continue or if Genndy will be involved if it does.

A "Samurai Jack" feature film will be produced by newly formed production company Frederator Films, and will be written and directed by Tartakovsky. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967622.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Toon trio starts Frederator - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety ] ]

Personal

Tartakovsky and his wife, Dawn, have one son, Jacob.

References

*"Genndy's Scrapbook" ("Samurai Jack" Season 2 DVD, Disk 2)

External links

* CartoonNetwork.com, [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ap/gtartakovsky.html Animator Profile: "GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY"] .
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* " [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/9687/supersite/interview.html Just What Made Him The Cartoon Genius He Is Today] " by Paul Senior
* StarWars.com [http://www.starwars.com/bio/genndytartakovsky.html Biography]
* The JewishJournal.com, [http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=7261 "The Way of the Samurai"]