Ross O'Donovan

Ross Kenry O'Donovan (born 17 June 1987), also known as RubberNinja and RubberRoss, is an Australian animator, voice actor, and Internet personality. He is known for his solo work as a Twitch streamer, as well as his YouTube and Newgrounds cartoons and animations. He co-hosted the internet show Steam Train, a spin-off of YouTube Let's Play series Game Grumps.[6]

Ross O'Donovan
O'Donovan in 2020
Personal information
Born
Ross Kenry O'Donovan

(1987-06-17) 17 June 1987
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupations
  • Animator
  • cartoonist
  • voice actor
  • Internet personality
Spouse
Holly Conrad
​
​
(m. 2012; div. 2018)​
PartnerGiwi (2019–present)
YouTube information
Also known asRubberNinja
Channels
Years active2004–present
Genres
Subscribers1.6 million (combined)
  • 1.07 million (RubberRoss)[1]
  • 588 thousand (RubberNinja)[2][3]
Total views114.7 million (combined)
  • 90.9 million (RubberRoss)[4]
  • 23.8 million (RubberNinja)[5][3]
Associated acts
100,000 subscribers2013
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: 25 October 2022

Early life

O'Donovan was born on 17 June 1987 in Perth, Western Australia to Irish Catholic parents. His sister Rebecca is a journalist in Australia, and is married to Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh.

O'Donovan attended Corpus Christi College.[7] After graduating from college, he studied and instructed animation at the Film and Television Institute of Western Australia in Fremantle.[8]

Career

O'Donovan began his career by posting animated shorts to Newgrounds under the name "RubberNinja". He would later establish a YouTube channel and begin uploading content there. His best known work was the series Gamer Tonight, which was produced for the ABC2 video game-based program Good Game.[9] The series featured a fictitious talk show whose host, voiced by frequent-collaborator Arin Hanson, would interview various types of gamers.[10]

He also created the show Gameoverse, which featured Hanson in every speaking role. Gameoverse has since been put on hiatus, though O'Donovan has confirmed the series will return.[11]

In August 2014, O'Donovan uploaded a video expressing his concerns with animation videos on YouTube. Discussing the changes made to YouTube's algorithms, he stated that the website was now accommodating live-action videos over animated videos due to the algorithm's emphasis on retention time and upload frequencies which would impede animation channels.[12] In spite of this, O'Donovan has continued releasing animations periodically.

Game Grumps
O'Donovan (right) with fellow Game Grump members Suzy Berhow (left), Arin Hanson (bottom center), and Barry Kramer (top center) in 2015

In 2013, after Jon Jafari's departure from the YouTube Let's Play series Game Grumps, co-host Arin Hanson launched a second show on the Game Grumps platform. Originally conceptualized by O'Donovan,[13] the show Steam Train had O'Donovan joined by Ninja Sex Party vocalist Dan Avidan, where both would play PC games (the title referencing online retailer Steam).[14][15] Later episodes of the series would see O'Donovan paired with other members of the Game Grumps channel and other content creators.

In June 2015, O'Donovan launched a 5-episode miniseries on the Game Grumps channel called Guild Grumps. O'Donovan mentored 4 members of the Game Grumps crew in a 5-day race to advance from Level 90 to Level 100 in the Warlords of Draenor expansion of World of Warcraft.[16]

After Game Grumps

In 2020, O'Donovan left Game Grumps on good terms, to prioritize making his own content.[17][18] He has returned on multiple occasions as a guest and made a brief cameo in a video commemorating the series' 10th anniversary.[19] His new YouTube channel, RubberRoss, reached over 1 million subscribers in 2022.[17]

In August 2020, O'Donovan was the target of a controversial advertising campaign by Burger King and the ad agency Ogilvy. The companies used a feature on Twitch that allows viewers to donate small amounts of money in order to broadcast unsolicited advertisements. Clips from these streams were later used in a video advertisement.[20] O'Donovan made a series of tweets criticizing the campaign, calling the practice "scummy as hell".[21] The tweets, as well as additional statements from O'Donovan, were used in articles by BBC, Kotaku, and PC Gamer while reporting on the issue.[22][23][24] Since September 2021, O'Donovan's YouTube videos have primarily consisted of him and other artists collaborating within the online GarticPhone game.[25]

Personal life

On 29 September 2012, O'Donovan married Holly Conrad, a cosplayer, propmaker, and special effects artist who was featured in Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope and Heroes of Cosplay.[26][27] On 19 September 2018, Conrad and O'Donovan announced on their respective Twitter pages that they would be splitting up amicably, citing Conrad's decision to move to Seattle.[28][29]

On 9 April 2021, O’Donovan announced on Twitter that his mother had died due to lung cancer.[30]

Philanthropy

During production of the series Guild Grumps, each participant had $1,000 to donate to a charity of their choice if they reached the goal. If they did not, their donation would be split between those who won. In the end, O'Donovan was the sole winner and, combined with the participants' distributed funds, donated $5,000 to cancer research.

As of 2015, O'Donovan and Game Grumps have raised over $70,000 by hosting charity livestreams on Twitch.[31]

Awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2023 The Streamer Awards Best Art Streamer Nominated [32]

Filmography

Web series
Year Title Role Notes
2009 There Will Be Brawl Excitebike Hooligan Episode: "Pandora's Box"
2012–2013 PeanutButterGamer's Hardcore Series Himself 7 episodes
2013–2021 Game Grumps Himself (voice) Co-host of Steam Train and Doodle Doods
2015 Did You Know Gaming? Episode: "Super Mario Maker"
JonTron's StarCade Ross Leader 2 episodes
2015–2016 Red vs. Blue Ross/Deuce (voice) 2 episodes
2020 Meta Runner Announcer Episode: "One Shot"
2021 Scott the Woz Himself Episode: Borderline Forever

Video games
Year Title Role
2017 Paradigm Double Denim Bridge Troll[33]
Pinstripe Mr. Dicky
2019 River City Girls Shinji[34]
Monster Prom Tate/Leonard
Shantae and the Seven Sirens Bolo[35]
2020 Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp Gerard/Al/Tubular Eddy, the Anti-Gambling Aardvark[36]
Unreleased Hex Heroes Himself[37]

Music videos
Year Title Artist Notes
2014 "Why I Cry" Ninja Sex Party
"Peppermint Creams"
2015 "Minecraft is for Everyone" Starbomb Lead animator
2016 "6969" Ninja Sex Party
2021 "The Mystic Crystal"

Notes

    References
    1. "RubberRoss's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
    2. "RubberNinja's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
    3. "About RubberNinja". YouTube.
    4. "RubberRoss's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
    5. "RubberNinja's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
    6. "Welcome to Steam Train!". YouTube. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
    7. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (12 August 2014). "@takingbackbeccy yeah I believe it was applecross. I didn't go there though, I was a Corpus Christi boy myself" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2016 – via Twitter.
    8. "FTI 2008 Annual Report" (PDF). 6 April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2014.
    9. "Newgrounds - Gamer Tonight". Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
    10. "Good Game - Gamer Tonight". ABC. 7 April 2008. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
    11. "Gameoverse Reboot Confirmed". Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
    12. Amidi, Amid (2 August 2014). "Is YouTube Making It Harder for Animators To Make Money?". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
    13. "A Personal Message From Ross". reddit. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
    14. Welcome to Steam Train!, archived from the original on 4 November 2015, retrieved 17 September 2022
    15. Amini, Tina (26 June 2013). "Fans Are Upset Over YouTube Duo 'Game Grumps' Break-Up". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
    16. "Guild Grumps Trailer". YouTube. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
    17. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (7 July 2022). "2 years ago I left Game Grumps to go do my own thing..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022 – via Twitter.
    18. Dan said I'm doing a good job :), archived from the original on 19 July 2022, retrieved 19 July 2022
    19. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (18 July 2022). "Today is the 10 year anniversary of Game Grumps. I was asked to make a cameo on their video today..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022 – via Twitter.
    20. Ogilvy - Title: The King of Stream Client: Burger King... | By Ogilvy | Title: The King of Stream Client: Burger King Team: DAVID Madrid Burger King turned Twitch's donation feature into a marketing campaign. Check out more..., archived from the original on 19 July 2022, retrieved 19 July 2022
    21. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (20 August 2020). "Hey @BurgerKing you guys took out our talk, so I put it back in for you. Also this marketing is scummy as hell, don't ever do it again" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2022 – via Twitter.
    22. Grayson, Nathan (20 August 2020). "Streamers Furious After Ad Company Uses Twitch Donations To Advertise Burger King". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
    23. Chalk, Andy (20 August 2020). "Burger King takes heat for using Twitch donation readouts to run advertisements". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
    24. Chalk, Will (22 August 2020). "Twitch: The streamers furious at Burger King". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
    25. "Watch Artists Fuse Their Favorite Pokemon for Phenomenal Results". GeekTyrant. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
    26. Cassandra. "Holly + Ross' Space and Time Wedding - When Geeks Wed". When Geeks Wed. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
    27. "Ross O'Donovan". IMDb. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    28. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (19 September 2018). "Sometimes life drags you in separate directions, today that is the case. @HollyConrad and I have decided to split. It wasn't an easy decision. She wanted to live in a state with trees, but I'm tethered to a state with smog. Still good friends and there's nothing but love! ✌️…" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2022 – via Twitter.
    29. Flowers, Shaunee (20 September 2018). "Game Grumps' Ross O'Donovan and wife Holly Conrad split up". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
    30. O’Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (8 April 2021). "This morning my mother passed peacefully surrounded by family. It gave me great pain not being able to be there due to Covid. Today I took one of her paintings and my Dad's song for her to make this. RIP Annette O'Donovan. I love you so much" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021 – via Twitter.
    31. "Guild Grumps: Episode 5". YouTube. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
    32. Polhamus, Blaine (20 February 2023). "All 2023 Streamer Awards nominees". Dot Esports. Gamurs.
    33. Janerka, Jacob [@JacobJanerka] (17 March 2017). "Super stoked to announce that @RubberNinja from @GameGrumps has a bit part in Paradigm voicing Double Denim Bridge Troll" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via Twitter.
    34. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (5 September 2019). "I did the voice of Shinji in @WayForward's new game #RiverCityGirls!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019 – via Twitter.
    35. O'Donovan, Ross [@RubberNinja] (6 June 2020). "I didn't get to post about this on release day, as it didn't feel like a good time to do so. But I gave voice to Bolo in Shantae and the Seven Sirens! I've done small voices for Wayforward before, but I was super honored they asked me to do him for the new game and it's cutscenes" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020 – via Twitter.
    36. "Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp". Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
    37. Long, Shawn (23 April 2014). "Hex Heroes Attains Kickstarter Goal". Nintendo Enthusiast. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
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