Tom Ruegger
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Tom Ruegger is the fourteen-time Emmy-winning producer and creative
force behind many of the most popular and successful animated
television series of all time, including
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990),
Animaniacs (1993) and
Pinky and the Brain (1995)
to name only a few.
Over the last decade, Mr. Ruegger served as the executive producer and
chief creative executive at Warner Bros. Animation. In 2002, he started
his own company, Tom Ruegger Productions, and under its banner, Tom has
been involved in the development, writing and production of multiple
televisions series and feature films, both animated and live action.
These new works include
Animalia (2007) for PorchLight and
PBS, as well as a new animated series for Disney.
Mr. Ruegger began his career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera
Productions, under the mentor-ship of his childhood heroes,
William Hanna and
Joseph Barbera. Tom's early animation
efforts appeared in such familiar cartoon series as "Scooby Doo", "The
New Flintstones," "Casper" and "Godzilla'. Tom honed his writing skills
at Filmation Studios under the guidance of
Arthur H. Nadel and
Lou Scheimer, on such series as
Blackstar (1981) and
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976),"
then returned to Hanna-Barbera to serve as a story editor and producer
for a variety of shows, including
Pound Puppies (1985) and
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979).
In 1988, Tom created and produced a new Scooby franchise,
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988),"
which was the first Scooby Doo series to be nominated for an Emmy Award.
Tom joined Warner Bros. Animation in 1989 to head up production of
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990).
Thus began a decade-long creative collaboration between Mr. Spielberg
and Mr. Ruegger that spanned five enormously successful series
resulting in ratings success, a worldwide fan base, and over 30 Emmy
Awards victories in numerous categories.
With the success of
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990),"
Warner Bros. Animation began its second "Golden Age," and Mr. Ruegger
became chief creative executive of the company. Along with
Jean MacCurdy, Tom executive-produced the
studio's next major productions:
Taz-Mania (1991) and
Batman: The Animated Series (1992),
a cartoon-noir take on the dark knight that premiered to rave reviews
and strong numbers.
At the same time, Mr. Ruegger continued his collaboration with Mr.
Spielberg by creating a cast of breakout characters and a new franchise
entitled Animaniacs (1993). This "hellzapoppin'" cartoon show,
starring zany siblings Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, premiered on "Fox
Kids," and it became the comedy template for the animation industry for
a number of years - every studio wanted its own Animaniacs (1993). The series went on to win multiple Emmys as well as the prestigious George Foster Peabody
Award for Outstanding Achievement in Animation Programming. As the
creator of Animaniacs (1993),
Mr. Ruegger was the show's senior producer, and served as a story
editor, writer and lyricist on the series.
Mr. Ruegger has gone on to create and produce a number of other
acclaimed series as well. These include:
Pinky and the Brain (1995)
This animated series stars two lab mice, one a dim bulb, the other a
megalomaniac bent on global domination. Tom created this odd duo during
the development of Animaniacs (1993), and the two mice proved
so popular that they were spun off into their own prime time series on
the WB. Tom served as the senior producer of this award-winning series,
as well as a writer, story editor and lyricist.
Freakazoid! (1995)This animated
series follows the adventures of teenage nerd Dexter Douglas, who is
swept into cyberspace and transformed into the world's wildest
superhero, Freakazoid. Tom co-created this Emmy-winning series for
Steven Spielberg, and served as
executive producer, story editor and lyricist.
Histeria! (1998) This cartoon
comedy follows an eccentric cast, including Father Time, Big Fat Baby,
Loud Kiddington and Charity Bazaar, as they travel through time and
interact with key historic figures along the way. Tom created, wrote,
and executive-produced the series.
Road Rovers (1996) Tom created
this animated adventure comedy starring a team of superhero canines.
Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish (1999) Tom
co-wrote, produced and directed this animated feature film featuring
the "Animaniacs" cast.
"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)"
Tom executive-produced this feature film.
Tom grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, and attended Metuchen High School,
where he served as Student Council President, co-captain of his
school's football and track teams, and editorial cartoonist for the
high school newspaper. Tom attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New
Hampshire, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English.
At Dartmouth, Tom served as the director of the Dartmouth Film Society,
the nation's first and oldest college film society.
In his junior year at Dartmouth, Tom received a grant from the Arthur
and Lillie Mayer Foundation to create an animated film. This 10-minute
film, "The Premiere of Platypus Duck," was the beginning of Tom's steps
toward a film career and, especially, a greater understanding of
animation. Before graduation, Tom received the Marcus Heiman Award,
Dartmouth College's highest honor for creative achievement.
Currently, Tom serves on the board of directors for the Hopkins Center
and Hood Museum, which are the film/theater/arts centers at Dartmouth
College. Tom is a member of the Writers Guild and the Screen Cartoonist
Guild. He lives in Calabasas, California, with his three sons, Nathan,
Luke and Cody.
In 2003 and 2004, Tom co-wrote the pilot and served as a script editor
of the Emmy Award-winning animated series
Tutenstein (2003) for Porchlight
Pictures.
In 2005, Tom began work as producer and story editor of a new CGI
animated series entitled
Animalia (2007) for PorchLight
Entertainment and Burberry Production. The series is scheduled for a
fall 2007 premiere on the BBC, PBS and Australia-10.
Tom, along with partners
Nicholas Hollander and
Mark Seidenberg, is currently developing
a new animated series for the Walt Disney Company.
force behind many of the most popular and successful animated
television series of all time, including
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990),
Animaniacs (1993) and
Pinky and the Brain (1995)
to name only a few.
Over the last decade, Mr. Ruegger served as the executive producer and
chief creative executive at Warner Bros. Animation. In 2002, he started
his own company, Tom Ruegger Productions, and under its banner, Tom has
been involved in the development, writing and production of multiple
televisions series and feature films, both animated and live action.
These new works include
Animalia (2007) for PorchLight and
PBS, as well as a new animated series for Disney.
Mr. Ruegger began his career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera
Productions, under the mentor-ship of his childhood heroes,
William Hanna and
Joseph Barbera. Tom's early animation
efforts appeared in such familiar cartoon series as "Scooby Doo", "The
New Flintstones," "Casper" and "Godzilla'. Tom honed his writing skills
at Filmation Studios under the guidance of
Arthur H. Nadel and
Lou Scheimer, on such series as
Blackstar (1981) and
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976),"
then returned to Hanna-Barbera to serve as a story editor and producer
for a variety of shows, including
Pound Puppies (1985) and
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979).
In 1988, Tom created and produced a new Scooby franchise,
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988),"
which was the first Scooby Doo series to be nominated for an Emmy Award.
Tom joined Warner Bros. Animation in 1989 to head up production of
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990).
Thus began a decade-long creative collaboration between Mr. Spielberg
and Mr. Ruegger that spanned five enormously successful series
resulting in ratings success, a worldwide fan base, and over 30 Emmy
Awards victories in numerous categories.
With the success of
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990),"
Warner Bros. Animation began its second "Golden Age," and Mr. Ruegger
became chief creative executive of the company. Along with
Jean MacCurdy, Tom executive-produced the
studio's next major productions:
Taz-Mania (1991) and
Batman: The Animated Series (1992),
a cartoon-noir take on the dark knight that premiered to rave reviews
and strong numbers.
At the same time, Mr. Ruegger continued his collaboration with Mr.
Spielberg by creating a cast of breakout characters and a new franchise
entitled Animaniacs (1993). This "hellzapoppin'" cartoon show,
starring zany siblings Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, premiered on "Fox
Kids," and it became the comedy template for the animation industry for
a number of years - every studio wanted its own Animaniacs (1993). The series went on to win multiple Emmys as well as the prestigious George Foster Peabody
Award for Outstanding Achievement in Animation Programming. As the
creator of Animaniacs (1993),
Mr. Ruegger was the show's senior producer, and served as a story
editor, writer and lyricist on the series.
Mr. Ruegger has gone on to create and produce a number of other
acclaimed series as well. These include:
Pinky and the Brain (1995)
This animated series stars two lab mice, one a dim bulb, the other a
megalomaniac bent on global domination. Tom created this odd duo during
the development of Animaniacs (1993), and the two mice proved
so popular that they were spun off into their own prime time series on
the WB. Tom served as the senior producer of this award-winning series,
as well as a writer, story editor and lyricist.
Freakazoid! (1995)This animated
series follows the adventures of teenage nerd Dexter Douglas, who is
swept into cyberspace and transformed into the world's wildest
superhero, Freakazoid. Tom co-created this Emmy-winning series for
Steven Spielberg, and served as
executive producer, story editor and lyricist.
Histeria! (1998) This cartoon
comedy follows an eccentric cast, including Father Time, Big Fat Baby,
Loud Kiddington and Charity Bazaar, as they travel through time and
interact with key historic figures along the way. Tom created, wrote,
and executive-produced the series.
Road Rovers (1996) Tom created
this animated adventure comedy starring a team of superhero canines.
Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish (1999) Tom
co-wrote, produced and directed this animated feature film featuring
the "Animaniacs" cast.
"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)"
Tom executive-produced this feature film.
Tom grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, and attended Metuchen High School,
where he served as Student Council President, co-captain of his
school's football and track teams, and editorial cartoonist for the
high school newspaper. Tom attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New
Hampshire, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English.
At Dartmouth, Tom served as the director of the Dartmouth Film Society,
the nation's first and oldest college film society.
In his junior year at Dartmouth, Tom received a grant from the Arthur
and Lillie Mayer Foundation to create an animated film. This 10-minute
film, "The Premiere of Platypus Duck," was the beginning of Tom's steps
toward a film career and, especially, a greater understanding of
animation. Before graduation, Tom received the Marcus Heiman Award,
Dartmouth College's highest honor for creative achievement.
Currently, Tom serves on the board of directors for the Hopkins Center
and Hood Museum, which are the film/theater/arts centers at Dartmouth
College. Tom is a member of the Writers Guild and the Screen Cartoonist
Guild. He lives in Calabasas, California, with his three sons, Nathan,
Luke and Cody.
In 2003 and 2004, Tom co-wrote the pilot and served as a script editor
of the Emmy Award-winning animated series
Tutenstein (2003) for Porchlight
Pictures.
In 2005, Tom began work as producer and story editor of a new CGI
animated series entitled
Animalia (2007) for PorchLight
Entertainment and Burberry Production. The series is scheduled for a
fall 2007 premiere on the BBC, PBS and Australia-10.
Tom, along with partners
Nicholas Hollander and
Mark Seidenberg, is currently developing
a new animated series for the Walt Disney Company.