Tom Ruegger

Thomas Charles Ruegger (/ˈruːɡər/; born April 4, 1954) is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and lyricist. 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!.

Tom Ruegger
Born (1954-04-04) April 4, 1954
Metuchen, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materDartmouth College
Occupation
  • Animator
  • screenwriter
  • storyboard artist
  • lyricist
Years active1976–present
Spouse(s)
Adrienne Alexander
​
(
m. 1983; div. 2004)

Annie Malley
(
m. 2006)
Children3 (including Nate Ruegger)
Websitecartoonatics.blogspot.com

Early life and career

Ruegger was born in Metuchen, New Jersey. During his childhood, he would draw images of The Flintstones when it aired.[1] He attended Washington School.[1]

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 Dartmoth in 1976,[2] he moved to Los Angeles to become an animator.[1] Ruegger began his career at Filmation, writing for Gilligan's Planet. He soon after joined Hanna-Barbera, writing and producing various animated series, most notably Snorks, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Pound Puppies, and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. He also wrote one episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

In 1989, he began working alongside Jean MacCurdy and Steven Spielberg at Warner Bros. Animation to create and produce several animated series, including Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Histeria, Batman: The Animated Series, The Plucky Duck Show, Freakazoid, Taz-Mania and Road Rovers.

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. Along with Nicholas Hollander, he developed and story-edited another animated series entitled Sushi Pack.

In 2011, Ruegger began working for Disney Television Animation and Disney Junior, where he executive produced 40 half-hours of The 7D, a comedy based on the seven Dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As of 2017, he is developing new animated series for Disney Junior.

Ruegger has received fourteen Emmy Awards for his work in animation.

Personal life

Ruegger married voice actress Adrienne Alexander in 1986; 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.[3]

As of 2017, Cody is serving as an attorney in New York City,[4] while Nathan and Luke have careers in film and television in Los Angeles.

Tom 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
Year Title Role
1976 The Premiere of Platypus Duck Director
1985 Pound Puppies Writer
1988 The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound Writer, Lyricist
1992 Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation Writer, Producer, Lyricist
1993 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Executive Producer
1999 Wakko's Wish Writer, Producer, Director, Lyricist
2011 The Voyages of Young Doctor Dolittle Writer

TV
Year Title Role
1978 Jana of the Jungle Animator
1978–1979 Godzilla Animator
1979 The New Fred and Barney Show Animator
1979 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Animator
1979 Casper and the Angels Animator
1979 Super Friends Animator
1979 Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle Writer
1980 The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour Writer
1980–1981 Sport Billy Writer
1981 Hero High Writer
1981 The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! Writer
1981 Blackstar Writer
1982 Flash Gordon Writer
1982 Gilligan's Planet Writer
1982 Shirt Tales Writer
1982 The Gary Coleman Show Writer
1983 The Dukes Writer
1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Writer
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 Writer, Story Editor
1984 Snorks Writer
1985 The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo Developer, Writer, Story Editor, Executive & Associate Producer
1985–1988 Yogi's Treasure Hunt Writer, Story Editor
1986–1987 Pound Puppies Writer, Story Editor
1988 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Developer, Writer, Producer, Storyboard Artist, Title Card Designer, Lyricist, Creator
1990–1992; 1994; 1995 Tiny Toon Adventures Writer, Creator, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1991–1995 Taz-Mania Executive Producer, Developer
1992–1995 Batman: The Animated Series Writer, Executive Producer, Creator, Story Editor
1992 The Plucky Duck Show Creator, Writer, Producer
1993–1998 Animaniacs Writer, Creator, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist, Voice Actor
1995–1997 Freakazoid! Writer, Developer, Senior Producer
1995–1998 Pinky and the Brain Writer, Creator, 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 Writer
2003 The Powerpuff Girls Storyboard Artist
2004 Duck Dodgers Writer
2005 Loonatics Unleashed Creative Consultant
2007–2008 Animalia Developer, Story Editor, Executive Producer, Writer
2007 Sushi Pack Writer, Creator, Executive Producer
2010; 2014; 2018 Nostalgia Critic Special Guest Star, Writer, Lyricist
2013 Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures Writer, Developer
2014–2016 The 7D Executive Producer, Writer, Composer
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References
  1. O'Donnell, Chuck (July 20, 2014). "Cartoon genius inspired by childhood in Metuchen". MyCentralJersey. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  2. Hunter, Sara Hougland. "Class Note 1976". Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (September–October 2016). Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  3. Lamour, Joseph (April 14, 2016). "11 Secrets You Never Knew About Animaniacs, Pinky & the Brain, and Freakazoid!". MTV.com. MTV Networks. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  4. 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.
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