Ian Jones-Quartey

Ian Jones-Quartey (born June 18, 1984) is an American animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is the creator of the animated series OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, based on his Cartoon Network pilot Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which ran on the network from 2017 to 2019.[3] He is also known for his webcomic RPG World and his work on Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Bravest Warriors.

Ian Jones-Quartey
Jones-Quartey in 2013
Born (1984-06-18) June 18, 1984[1][2]
Hatfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materSchool of Visual Arts
Occupation(s)Animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer, voice actor
Years active2004–present
Known forOK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Spouse
​
(m. 2019)​
RelativesTheodosia Okoh (grandmother)

Early life

Jones-Quartey was born in Hatfield, Pennsylvania on June 18, 1984,[1][2] and was raised in Columbia, Maryland.[4] He and his family moved to Oakland Mills, Columbia, Maryland, around 1993.[5] His father was a pharmaceutical engineer, and his mother worked as a librarian for the chemical company W. R. Grace.[2] Jones-Quartey attended Long Reach High School in Columbia[6] and the School of Visual Arts in New York City.[7][5]

Career

Jones-Quartey created the webcomic RPG World,[8] which won Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards in 2001 and 2002.[9][10] He co-created the web animation series and comedy hip-hop duo nockFORCE, rapping under the stage name "effnocka" along with audio specialist Jim Gisriel.[11]

His first job in television animation was on The Venture Bros..[5] He went on to be a storyboard supervisor and revisionist for Adventure Time[5][12] and a storyboard artist for Secret Mountain Fort Awesome.[13] He supplies the voice of Wallow in Bravest Warriors[14] and was the supervising director and co-developer of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe.[8][15]

In 2013, Jones-Quartey's short Lakewood Plaza Turbo aired on Cartoon Network as a television pilot.[5][16] He had pitched the series two years prior when he had been a storyboard supervisor on Adventure Time.[8] The short was retooled as a mobile game entitled OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which was released on Cartoon Network's Anything app in February 2016. Lakewood Plaza Turbo ran as a network series beginning March 2017, and OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes premiered on Cartoon Network on August 1.[5][8]

In 2018, he appeared in the first season of a podcast entitled Drawn: The Story of Animation, from Cartoon Network and HowStuffWorks, which provided listeners with a behind-the-scenes perspective on animation from voice actors, historians, and creators of animated series.[17][18]

In June 2019, he was a panelist at the Annecy Animation Festival, alongside Rebecca Sugar, at a panel entitled "The Making of Steven Universe".[19] In July 2019, he appeared as a panelist at the RTX Animation Festival at the Fairmont Austin.[20]

Between October 2020 and April 2021, the anti-racism PSAs "Don't Deny It, Defy It", "Tell the Whole Story", "See Color" and "Be an Ally", that he worked on with Rebecca Sugar, featuring characters from Steven Universe, were released on the Cartoon Network YouTube channel.[21][22]

On September 2, 2019, the film Steven Universe: The Movie was released. Jones-Quartey was one of the co-executive producers of the film, which was executive produced by Rebecca Sugar.[23]

Personal life

Jones-Quartey is a grandson of Theodosia Okoh, the designer of the flag of Ghana; he based the Steven Universe character Nanefua Pizza on her.[24] By 2017, he was living in Los Angeles.[5]

He married Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar on December 4, 2019, having been together for twelve years.[25]

Influences

Jones-Quartey cites Akira Toriyama's series Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump as inspiration for vehicle designs of his own. He stated, "We're all big Toriyama fans on [Steven Universe], which kind of shows a bit."[26]

Filmography

Animation

TV shows
  • Steven Universe (Mr. Queasy, Cat Fingers, Actor, Snowflake Obsidian)
  • Bravest Warriors (Wallow, Blue Willy, Spizz Drones, Crew Member, W.A.T.E.R, Computer, Emotion Sucker, Robot Sentinel)[27]
  • OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (Radicles, Darrell, Skateboard Dog, Crinkly Wrinkly, Pird, Corn Shepard, Radicles Mimic, Frat Boi 2, Heart, Boris, Gregg, Baby Darrell, Cookie Man, Pterodactyl, Truck, Moon, Announcer, Old Man Jenkins, Corny Song Singer, Point Trooper, Drone (2), Pen, Evil Radicles, Pickle, Url, Gauntlet, Point Trooper 1, Janner, Nerd 2, Carl, Trad, Small Teen, additional voices)
  • Welcome to My Life (Bully)
  • Mighty Magiswords (Radicles)
  • Steven Universe Future (Snowflake Obsidian)
  • The Fungies (Insane Jolt)

Video games

Comics

References
  1. @ianjq (18 June 2021). "Finally I can post it! 🎉🎂" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. Cavna, Michael; Cavna, Michael (2017-08-01). "A new Cartoon Network show finds inspiration in Columbia, Md., the animator's home town". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-01. ...Jones-Quartey — a 33-year-old writer-artist...
  3. Michaels, Andrew (6 September 2017). "Hometown inspires Columbia native's Cartoon Network show". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. Barnhardt, Laura (August 6, 1995). "Young students find television acting gives them a new look at themselves". The Baltimore Sun. Maryland. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  5. Michaels, Andrew (September 6, 2017). "Hometown inspires Columbia native's Cartoon Network show". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. "You're invited to help address school tragedies". Howard County Times (Howard County, Maryland). May 3, 2001.
  7. Cavna, Michael (August 1, 2017). "A new Cartoon Network show finds inspiration in Columbia, Md., the animator's home town". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  8. Zahed, Ramin (August 1, 2017). "Playing to Win: 'OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  9. "The 2001 Cartoonists' Choice Awards". Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards. Archived from the original on December 31, 2009.
  10. "The 2002 Cartoonists' Choice Awards". Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards. Archived from the original on 2009-12-08.
  11. "nockFORCE biography". Last.fm. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  12. Lloyd, Robert (June 9, 2021). "Emmy Watch 2021: A Good Year to Watch Toons" (Interview). Interviewed by Mercedes Milligan. Calabasas, California: Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  13. Milligan, Mercedes (March 9, 2017). "Cartoon Network Gets Connected with 'OK K.O.!' & Integrated Game". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  14. Milligan, Mercedes (April 3, 2017). "Nelvana Brings First 'Bravest Warriors' Broadcast Season on MIP Quest". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  15. Milligan, Mercedes (October 1, 2013). "Rebecca Sugar Welcomes You to 'Steven Universe'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  16. Milligan, Mercedes (June 30, 2016). "Cartoon Network Studios Presents First-Ever Animation Jam". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  17. Milligan, Mercedes (April 24, 2018). "Cartoon Network, HowStuffWorks Partner on 'Drawn' Animation Podcast". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  18. Milligan, Mercedes (July 27, 2018). "Stuff We Love: A Summer Bounty of Books, Discs & More". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  19. Milligan, Mercedes (June 6, 2019). "Cartoon Network Plans Panels, Picnic & Scholarship Announcement for Annecy". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  20. Milligan, Mercedes (April 5, 2019). "RTX Animation Fest Announces First Round of Guests". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  21. Milligan, Mercedes (February 16, 2021). "Third Crystal Gems Anti-Racism Short Calls on Kids to 'See Color'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021.
  22. Milligan, Mercedes (April 12, 2021). "CN Launches Final Crystal Gems Anti-Racism PSA: 'Be An Ally'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021.
  23. Zahed, Ramin (June 13, 2019). "'Steven Universe The Movie' Announces Full List of Musical Performers". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  24. Jones-Quartey, Ian (2015-04-17). "IAN JQ dot com". Tumblr.
  25. Jones-Quartey, Ian [@ianjq] (December 5, 2019). "Hey so @rebeccasugar and I have been a couple for 12 years... and yesterday we got married!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 13, 2019 – via Twitter.
  26. Ohanesian, Liz (November 17, 2014). "Manga Series Dragon Ball Celebrates 30th Anniversary". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017.
  27. Cartoon Hangover (September 12, 2012). "Meet Ian Jones-Quartey as Wallow from 'Bravest Warriors'!". Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved February 9, 2018 – via YouTube.
  28. "Ian Jones Quartey (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  29. Jones-Quartey, Ian. (2004) RPG World – The Comic That's in a Video Game, Volume 1: Unlikely Hero Out for Adventure. Publisher: Keenspot Entertainment. ISBN 0-9722350-4-3
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