Tom Ruegger
American animator
Tom Ruegger
Born 1955 or 1956 (age 67–68) Nationality American Alma mater Dartmouth College Occupations Years active 1976–present Spouses
Adrienne Alexander
(
m. 1983;
div. 2004)
Children 3, including Nathan Website cartoonatics .blogspot .com
Tom Ruegger () is an American animator and songwriter. Ruegger is known for his association with Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation . He also created Tiny Toon Adventures , Animaniacs , Pinky and the Brain , and Histeria! .
Early life and career
Ruegger was raised in Metuchen, New Jersey . During his childhood, he made drawings of The Flintstones when it aired.[1] He graduated from Metuchen High School in 1972.[2]
In 1976, he made his first cartoon, called The Premiere of Platypus Duck , while he was a student at Dartmouth College . Shortly after graduation from Dartmouth that year,[3] he moved to Los Angeles to become an animator.[1] Ruegger began his career at Filmation , writing for Gilligan's Planet .[4] He soon after joined Hanna-Barbera , writing and producing various animated series , most notably The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries , Snorks , The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo , Pound Puppies , and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo .[5] He also wrote one episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe .[7]
In 1989, he began working alongside Jean MacCurdy and Steven Spielberg at Warner Bros. Animation to create and produce several animated series,[8] including Tiny Toon Adventures , Taz-Mania ,[9] Batman: The Animated Series , The Plucky Duck Show , Animaniacs , Pinky and the Brain ,[8] Freakazoid , Road Rovers , and Histeria .
In 2004, Ruegger started Tom Ruegger Production, a full-service animation studio. In 2006, Ruegger began developing, story-editing and serving as executive producer on the 40-episode animated series Animalia , based on the picture book by Graeme Base .[11] Along with Nicholas Hollander, he developed and story-edited another animated series entitled Sushi Pack .[12]
In 2011, Ruegger began working for Disney Television Animation , where he executive produced 40 half-hours of The 7D for Disney XD , a comedy based on the seven Dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs .[13]
Ruegger has received fourteen Emmy Awards for his work in animation.
Personal life
Ruegger married voice actress Adrienne Alexander in 1983; they have three sons together, Nathan, Luke and Cody. The couple divorced in 2004. In 2006, he married marathon runner Annie Malley, and they reside near Los Angeles, California. Nathan and Luke have become voice actors. Nathan voiced the baby version of Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures , Skippy Squirrel on Animaniacs and Froggo on Histeria , where Luke provided the voice for the Flame and Bumpo Basset on Animaniacs and Big Fat Baby on Histeria . Cody performed the voice of Little Blue Bird on Animaniacs and Loud Kiddington on Histeria . Ruegger's sons also are the primary inspiration behind the main characters in Animaniacs , Yakko, Wakko and Dot.[15]
As of 2017, Cody is serving as an attorney in New York City,[16] while Nathan and Luke have careers in film and television in Los Angeles.
Ruegger himself also made occasional cameos on his shows in caricature form, most notably as the recurring character of director Cooper DeVille in Tiny Toon Adventures .
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
1978
Jana of the Jungle
Animator
1978–1979
Godzilla
1979
The New Fred and Barney Show
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo
Casper and the Angels
Super Friends
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
Writer
1980
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour
1980–1981
Sport Billy
1981
Hero High
The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!
Blackstar
1982
Flash Gordon
Gilligan's Planet
Shirt Tales
The Gary Coleman Show
1983
The Dukes
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
1983–1984
The New Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Show/The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries
Developer, Writer, Story Editor, Co-Producer
1984
Challenge of the GoBots
Story, Story Editor
Snorks
Story
1985
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
Creator, Developer, Story, Story Editor, Executive & Associate Producer
1985–1988
Yogi's Treasure Hunt
Writer, Story Editor
1986–1987
Pound Puppies
1988
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
Creator, Developer, Writer, Producer, Storyboard Artist, Title Card Designer, Lyricist, Story
1990–1992; 1994; 1995
Tiny Toon Adventures
Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1991–1995
Taz-Mania
Executive Producer, Creator, Developer
1992
The Plucky Duck Show
Creator, Story, Writer, Producer
1992–1995
Batman: The Animated Series
Writer, Executive Producer, Story, Story Editor
1993–1998
Animaniacs
Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist, Voice Actor
1995–1997
Freakazoid!
Writer, Developer, Senior Producer
1995–1998
Pinky and the Brain
Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1996–1997
Road Rovers
Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Composer
1998–2000
Histeria!
Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Character Designer, Lyricist
1998–1999
Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain
Creator, Writer, Senior Producer
2000
Batman Beyond
Story
2004
Duck Dodgers
Writer, Story (Episode: Of Course You Know, This Means War and Peace)
2005
Loonatics Unleashed
Creative Consultant
2007
Sushi Pack
Writer, Developer, Executive Producer
2007–2008
Animalia
Developer, Story Editor, Executive Producer, Writer
2010; 2018; 2023
Nostalgia Critic
Special Guest Star
2013
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
Writer, Creator, Developer
2014–2016
The 7D
Executive Producer, Writer, Composer, Story
References
^ a b O'Donnell, Chuck (July 20, 2014). "Cartoon genius inspired by childhood in Metuchen" . Courier News . Retrieved August 28, 2017 .
^ Tufaro, Greg (July 26, 2015). "Metuchen 'welcomes back' alumni for Hall of Fame nominations" . Courier News . Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2017 .
^ Hunter, Sara Hougland. "Class Note 1976" . Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (September–October 2016). Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017 .
^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield . p. 426. ISBN 978-1538103739 .
^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: The shows, M-Z . Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company . pp. 639, 724. ISBN 0-7864-2256-4 .
^ Perlmutter, David (2014). America Toons In: A History of Television Animation . Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7864-7650-3 .
^ a b Kent, Milton (January 29, 1994). "Warner Bros. is whistling a happy toon" . The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved August 27, 2017 .
^ Trusdell, Brian (May 28, 1995). "Focus : Warner's Toon Factory for the '90s" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2017 .
^ Hetherington, Janet (June 11, 2008). " 'Animalia' and the Art of Talking Animals" . Animation World Network . Retrieved August 27, 2017 .
^ Baisley, Sarah (November 2, 2007). "CBS Enhanced by Action-Packed Sushi, Quirky Dino" . Animation World Network . Retrieved August 27, 2017 .
^ McLean, Tom (April 25, 2014). " 'The 7D' Report for July 7 Disney XD Premiere" . Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014 .
^ Lamour, Joseph (April 14, 2016). "11 Secrets You Never Knew About Animaniacs, Pinky & the Brain, and Freakazoid!" . MTV.com . MTV Networks. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017 .
^ Ruegger, Tom [@tomruegger] (March 28, 2016). "My son Cody Ruegger -voice of the Blue Bird #animaniacs & Loud Kiddington #Histeria sworn in as attorney today in NY" (Tweet ). Retrieved August 29, 2017 – via Twitter .
External links