Butch Hartman

Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV (born January 10, 1965) is an American animator, YouTuber, podcaster, illustrator, and voice actor. He is best known for creating multiple Nickelodeon series such as The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, T.U.F.F. Puppy, and Bunsen Is a Beast. Hartman also owns a production company, Billionfold Inc., which he uses primarily to produce his shows. Hartman was an executive producer on The Fairly OddParents for the entirety of its 16-year run.

Butch Hartman
Hartman in 2023
Born
Elmer Earl Hartman IV

(1965-01-10) January 10, 1965
Alma materCalifornia Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupations
  • Animator
  • illustrator
  • YouTuber
  • voice actor
  • podcaster
Years active1984–present
Known forThe Fairly OddParents
Danny Phantom
T.U.F.F. Puppy
Bunsen Is a Beast
Spouse
Julieann Hartman
(m. 1992)
Children2

On February 8, 2018, Hartman announced in a YouTube video that he had left Nickelodeon on February 2 after having worked at the studio since December 1997;[1] he confirmed that this resulted in the end of production on Bunsen Is a Beast after one season.[2] His latest animated program, The Garden, premiered on Pure Flix in 2023. In 2021, he returned to Nickelodeon to produce a live-action Fairly OddParents reboot show, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, which premiered on Paramount+ on March 31, 2022.

Early life

Hartman was born in Highland Park, Michigan.[3] He received the nickname Butch as a young boy and continued to use it as an adult. Hartman spent his childhood in Roseville, Michigan, and his teenage years in New Baltimore, Michigan.[4] He graduated from Anchor Bay High School in New Baltimore in 1983,[4] and subsequently attended the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California.[5] He graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[6] As a young student he appeared on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour winning close to $3,000.[7]

Career

Early career

While still attending CalArts, Hartman interned as an in-between animator on the Don Bluth film An American Tail. Before graduating, he was a contestant on the Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour for three episodes and shortly after graduating, he was hired as a character designer and storyboard artist for an unidentified My Little Pony animated series. As he had no previous experience with storyboards, he was soon fired.[8] Afterwards, he found work with Ruby-Spears, where he worked on It's Punky Brewster and Dink, the Little Dinosaur. He was also a member of the video reference crew for the Disney film Pocahontas.

In the early 1990s he was hired as an artist in the model department at Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually contacted by studio president Fred Seibert to make the shorts Pfish and Chip and Gramps for the What a Cartoon! Show. Eventually, he became a writer, director and storyboard artist for several of the early Cartoon Network shows, including Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and I Am Weasel. After his contract with Hanna-Barbera expired, he went to work with Seibert at his new studio, Frederator, on the Oh Yeah! Cartoons show for Nickelodeon.[9]

During his time working at Hanna-Barbera, he became friends with future Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. The two would later go on to make the short Zoomates together for Oh Yeah! Cartoons. The character Dr. Elmer Hartman in Family Guy was named after Hartman. He also voiced various characters in the show's first few seasons.[10]

Working at Nickelodeon

Hartman at a Fairy Odd Parents Panel during Comic-Con 2009

His biggest success came in December 1997, when he created The Fairly OddParents. The series originally started out as a series of shorts on the anthology show, Oh Yeah! Cartoons. Eventually, Nickelodeon decided to pick the shorts up as a full series. Premiering in 2001, the adapted series ended up becoming a huge hit, second only in the ratings to SpongeBob SquarePants (and it briefly even passed SpongeBob's ratings).[11][12] Following the third The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius crossover The Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators, the series ceased production in 2006, but it was announced on Hartman's forum on February 2, 2007, that 20 more episodes would be produced; the 6th season of Fairly OddParents aired on February 18, 2008, starting with the 1-hour special Fairly OddBaby. From May 1, 2009, to May 3, 2009, the 3-part special Wishology aired;[13] although that too was originally intended as a series finale, the series was renewed for another season. A tenth season was eventually ordered in 2015.[14] The Fairly OddParents is Nickelodeon's second longest-running animated show behind SpongeBob.[15]

Due to the success of The Fairly OddParents, Hartman was asked to create another show for Nickelodeon; Hartman says the President of Nickelodeon asked him if he had an idea, and before he could say the title he was given the greenlight. The show would later become Danny Phantom.[16] To produce the show, in 2003, Hartman founded his own production company Billionfold Inc., which he also used, and still uses today, to produce his other projects. Danny Phantom received critical acclaim and is considered Hartman's best show, with Hartman himself acknowledging it as perhaps the best of his programs. Danny Phantom ended production in early 2007.[17]

Around 2008–2009, Hartman began production his third show for Nickelodeon, T.U.F.F. Puppy, which premiered in 2010 alongside the Jimmy Neutron spin-off Planet Sheen.[18] The series received mixed to positive reviews and ran for 3 seasons before being cancelled.

His final show, Bunsen Is a Beast, aired on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons from January 16, 2017, to February 10, 2018. On February 8, 2018, Hartman announced on his Twitter and YouTube accounts that he had left Nickelodeon as of February 2 after a 20-year run.[1][2]

Other works

In 2015, Hartman launched a "kid-safe [online] network of live shows and cartoons" called The Noog Network.[19][20]

In October 2017, Hartman started a podcast called Speech Bubble, on which he talks about cartoons, movies, pop culture, and various other topics. Several voice actors have appeared on the podcast, including Rob Paulsen, Tara Strong, Jerry Trainor, Grey Griffin, and Vic Mignogna. After initially posting excerpts on his primary YouTube channel, the podcast videos were later moved to its own dedicated YouTube channel, now including full episodes.[21][22]

In June 2018, Hartman started a Kickstarter campaign for OAXIS Entertainment, a "family-friendly" streaming service. As of 2023, Hartman has yet to give any updates on OAXIS.

On June 22, 2019, Hartman released the animated web series HobbyKids Adventures. This series, produced by PocketWatch Inc., was created for YouTube channel HobbyKidsTV.[23] On 13 July, Hartman released a book, Mad Hustle, which details the ins and outs of pitching and selling a show in Hollywood.[24]

In 2019, Hartman created, wrote, and produced a Christian animated web series for preschoolers called The Garden, with help from his wife Julieann. The Hartmans have already planned at least two seasons of the series and plan to launch a subscription-based app for The Garden in late 2022. Hartman's further plans for the property include creating a VBS curriculum for churches and illustrating a children's Bible published by Thomas Nelson, entitled The Garden Children's Bible, which stars the characters from The Garden and is scheduled to release in 2023.[25][26][27] The series premiered on Pure Flix on January 1, 2023, with six new episodes and more in the works.[28]

In February 2021, Hartman was accused of plagiarism when he published his commissioned artwork of Attack on Titan character Mikasa Ackerman, in which similarities were noted to a 2018 artwork of a Japanese artist. The artist confirmed Hartman did not receive permission.[29]

Return to Nickelodeon

In February 2021, Hartman was announced to be returning as a producer of The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, a live-action/animated reboot of his original show.[30][31] The show premiered on March 31, 2022.[32]

Personal life

Hartman currently lives in Bell Canyon, California, with his wife, Julieann, and daughters, Carly and Sophia Hartman.[33] He also has three younger brothers.[34] Hartman is also an openly devout born-again Christian[35] and young-Earth creationist,[36] converting in 2000 after hearing a sermon by Frederick K. C. Price.[37]

In 2005, Hartman, along with his wife, founded Hartman House, a non-profit organization that supports those in developing nations, as well as some of the most poverty stricken areas in the United States.[38] Hartman House has built two homes for families in Guatemala, fed nearly 7,200 families with Thanksgiving meals in the U.S., and is in the midst of funding a school in Uganda.[39] At Hartman House events, Hartman usually draws and autographs items related to his work for children.[40]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1986 An American Tail In between artist
1992 California Hot Wax Eddie
1994 Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights Character designer
1995 Pocahontas Video reference cast
1997 Annabelle's Wish Storyboard artist
Direct-to-video
1998 Adventures in Odyssey: Baby Daze Storyboard artist
Adventures in Odyssey: A Stranger Among Us Storyboard artist
2006 Doogal Voice Director
2011 A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner! Waiter Writer
2012 A Fairly Odd Christmas Christmas Caroler Story and screenplay
2014 A Fairly Odd Summer Crazy Guy Writer

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour Contestant
1985 Body Language Contestant
1985–1986 It's Punky Brewster Models
1987 Growing Pains Robert Jordan Episode 3.5: "Michaelgate"
1988 Just the Ten of Us Rod Grossman Episode 1.4: "Close Encounters"
Police Academy Models
1988–1989 Days of Our Lives Henry Jake
1989 Dink, the Little Dinosaur Storyboard artist
1990 Piggsburg Pigs! Key model designer
1991–1993 Tom & Jerry Kids Character designer
1993 Droopy, Master Detective Designer
1995 What a Cartoon! Creator: "Pfish & Chip", & "Gramps"; writer/director "Hillbilly Blue"
1996–1999 Jumanji Storyboard artist: 3 episodes
1996–1997 Dexter's Laboratory Storyboard artist/background designer/layout artist
1996–1998 The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper Storyboard artist
1996 Timon & Pumbaa Storyboard artist: "Beast of Eden", 1 episode, credited as Elmer Hartman
1997–1999 Johnny Bravo Storyboard artist/writer: story/director
1997 Cow & Chicken Models/storyboard artist
1997 I Am Weasel Models/storyboard artist
1998–2002 Oh Yeah! Cartoons Creator: "The Fairly OddParents" and "Dan Danger"; director/producer: "Terry and Chris"; director/storyboard artist: "Zoomates"
1999–2002 Family Guy Jonathan Weed (pilot pitch only) / Additional voices 8 episodes
1999–2002 The New Woody Woodpecker Show Storyboard artist: "Temper, Temper", 1 episode
2001–2017 The Fairly OddParents Dr. Rip Studwell / Additional voices Creator/story/writer/director/storyboard artist/voice actor/theme music composer/executive producer
2002 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius Writer: "See Jimmy Run"
2004 Danny Phantom Football Announcer 1
(episode: "What You Want")
Creator/story/writer/storyboard artist/voice actor/director/theme music composer/executive producer
2010–2015 T.U.F.F. Puppy Agent Weaselman / Agent Rodentski / Escape Goat / TV Voice Creator/story/music composer/voice actor/executive producer/writer/storyboard artist/director
2010–2013 Big Time Rush Himself Episode: "Big Time Cartoon"
Guest animator on "Big Time Christmas"
2017–2018 Bunsen Is a Beast Fido / Beast Ball / Pete / Memory Pete / Kitten Creator/writer/storyboard artist/executive producer/theme music composer
2022 The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder Executive producer[41][42]

Internet

Year Title Role Notes
2017 The Fairly Odd Phantom Internet short that reunites characters from all Butch Hartman shows created for Nickelodeon[43]
2019–2020 HobbyKids Adventures SlobbySnake (episode: "The Drawing Board") Creator/executive producer/director/writer/designs/voice actor
2019 The Garden Creator/story/writer/storyboard artist/director/executive producer[44]

Written works

Year Title Publisher ISBN Notes Ref
2017 Butch Hartman: Sketchbook 1: Stuff I've drawn or am drawn to. CreateSpace 978-1975613396 Author and illustrator [45]
3 O'Clock Club Vol. 1: School's Out... of Control! ROAR Comics 978-1941302583 Co-author with Jordan B. Gorfinkel [46]
2018 Vision: Possible! CreateSpace 978-1727377453 Co-author with Julieann Hartman [47]
2020 Hannah and the Beanstalk: A True Story of Faith Harrison House Publishers 978-1680315011 Illustrator [48]
Mad Hustle: How to pitch & sell shows in Hollywood CreateSpace 979-8639551123 Author [49]
2023 The Garden Children's Bible Thomas Nelson 978-0785241812 Illustrator [27]

References

  1. Hartman, Butch (February 9, 2018). "Why I Left Nickelodeon". Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2018 via SoundCloud.
  2. Hartman, Butch (February 8, 2018). "Why I Left Nickelodeon". Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018 via YouTube.
  3. Walker, Alana (May 16, 2013). "Animation Domination". Hour Detroit Magazine. Hour Media. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  4. Larese, Katelyn (July 10, 2014). "With Video: Cartoon creator Butch Hartman leaves his mark". The Voice. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  5. "'Fairly OddParents' is not just for kids". The Augusta Chronicle. February 12, 2004. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  6. "CalArts Alum's 'Fairly OddParents' Nominated for Daytime Emmy". May 19, 2014. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  7. Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. January 3, 1984. NBC.
  8. Fletcher, Alex (September 7, 2012). "TUFF Puppy' Butch Hartman interview: 'I want Charlie Sheen character". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  9. Milligan, Mercedes (February 21, 2017). "Nick Short 'The Fairly Odd Phantom' Is a Butch Hartman Reunion". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  10. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 190. ISBN 978-1538103739. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
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  12. "'Fairly OddParents' is not just for kids". Today. August 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  13. "Kiss Get Animated in "Fairly Oddparents" Movie "Wishology"". Rolling Stone. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
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  18. Lloyd, Robert (October 2, 2010). "Television reviews: 'T.U.F.F. Puppy' and 'Planet Sheen'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  19. "Animator Butch Hartman Launches the Noog Network | Strange Kids Club". Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
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  22. "YouTube". Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
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  24. "MAD HUSTLE | Butch Hartman". Madhustle. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  25. Milligan, Mercedes (May 25, 2022). "Butch Hartman Launching Pre-K Bible Toon 'The Garden'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  26. "The Garden website". Archived from the original on November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  27. Nelson, Thomas (March 7, 2023). ICB, The Garden Children's Bible, Hardcover: International Children's Bible. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0785241812.
  28. Butch Hartman [@butchhartman] (January 1, 2023). "My new Christian cartoon "THE GARDEN" just dropped on @pureflix TODAY!". Retrieved January 2, 2023 via Instagram.
  29. Asarch, Steven (February 22, 2021). "'Fairly Odd Parents' creator accused of plagiarizing from Japanese Twitter artist for commissions". Insider. Insider Inc. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
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  32. Grantham-Philips, Wyatte; Urban, Sasha; Chapman, Wilson (February 23, 2022). "'The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder' Gets Paramount Plus Premiere Date (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  33. "About | Vision Possible". Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  34. Hartman, Butch (September 1, 2015). "Fun Facts About My Shows: Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, & TUFF Puppy!". Archived from the original on September 2, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2017 via YouTube.
  35. Frost, AJ (September 29, 2015). "Noog Network creates safe online place for kids". Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  36. Hartman, Julieann; Hartman, Butch (March 28, 2011). "Where is God". YouTube. thehart2heart. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  37. "- YouTube". Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  38. White, Stefanie (November 24, 2006). "Nickelodeon cartoon creator Butch Hartman visits McKinney". McKinney Courier-Gazette Star. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  39. Pompa, Amber (July 28, 2009). "Singing & sweeping". Herald-Banner. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  40. "About". Hartman House. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  41. White, Peter (February 24, 2021). "Nickelodeon's Dora The Explorer & The Fairly OddParents Get Live-Action Series Remakes On Paramount+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  42. Romano, Nick (February 23, 2022). "New 'Fairly OddParents' series shows live-action Timmy all grown up". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  43. Brown, Tracy (February 21, 2017). "'The Fairly Odd Phantom' brings four cartoons together for one giant Nickelodeon crossover". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  44. "Butch Hartman | GospelTruth.TV On Demand". GospelTruth.TV. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  45. Hartman, Butch (September 20, 2017). Butch Hartman: Sketchbook 1: Stuff I've drawn or am drawn to. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1975613396.
  46. Hartman, Butch; Gorfinkel, Jordan B. (October 24, 2017). 3 O'Clock Club Vol. 1: School's Out... of Control!. Oni Press. ISBN 978-1941302583.
  47. Hartman, Butch; Hartman, Julieann (October 9, 2018). Vision: Possible!. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1727377453.
  48. Terradez, Carlie (May 19, 2020). Hannah and the Beanstalk: A True Story of Faith. Harrison House Publishers. ISBN 978-1680315011.
  49. Mad Hustle: How to pitch & sell shows in Hollywood. July 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2020 via Amazon.
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