Line #28 Creator/CraigMcCracken


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6	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Craig_McCracken_1346.png]]
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8	Craig Douglas [=McCracken=] (born March 31, 1971) is an American animator, writer, director and producer, who is best-known as the creator the Creator/CartoonNetwork animated series ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' and ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''.
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10	Born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Craig and his family moved to Whitter, California, after his father died when he was seven. He went to the California Institute of Arts, where he formed a strong friendship with Creator/GenndyTartakovsky and Creator/RobRenzetti. During his second year, Craig created a short cartoon called "Whoopass Stew", and the idea eventually became ''The Powerpuff Girls''. After graduating, he got his start in the animation industry on ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs''.
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12	There was also a short-lived project on Cartoon Network he and Rob Renzetti created called ''WesternAnimation/{{Cartoonstitute}}'', which was supposed to be a successor to the ''WesternAnimation/WhatACartoonShow'' on TV, but it got put quietly on CN's video service instead. He left Cartoon Network in 2009, and spent the next few years as a freelancer, creating sketches for what would eventually become his next show ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' in 2013. It ran for two seasons before it's cancelation, making it [=McCracken=]'s first show to be canceled rather than voluntarily ended.
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14	Craig then moved over to Netflix to create ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic'', which premiered on in 2021; being his first series distributed for a streaming service, and the first to fully utilize a [[StoryArc serialized story format]]. In 2022, it was announced that Craig has returned to Cartoon Network to spearhead the revivals of both ''Powerpuff Girls'' and ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends''.
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16	He is married to fellow animator Creator/LaurenFaust. The two met when she joined the writing staff of ''Powerpuff Girls'' in season three and have since collaborated on all of his subsequent shows. They presently have one daughter together.
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18	[=McCracken=] took inspiration for his work from Creator/JimHenson, Creator/DrSeuss, and Creator/CharlesMSchulz.
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20	[[http://cmcc.deviantart.com/ He also has a Deviantart page]], a [[https://twitter.com/CrackMcCraigen Twitter]], and a [[http://crackmccraigen.tumblr.com/ Tumblr]].
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23	!!Notable works include:
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25	[[index]]
26	* ''No Neck Joe'' - his 1st year student film
27	* ''Whoopass Stew'' - his 2nd year student film, starring the prototype versions of ''The Powerpuff Girls''
28	* ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs'' - Art director
29	* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' - Art director, writer, storyboard artist and director
30	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' [[note]]''Only'' the original version. He was not at all involved in the 2016 reboot or the anime. However, he will be producing the planned second reboot.[[/note]]
31	* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''
32	* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder''. His first series to be produced for a company outside of Cartoon Network, and to date, his only series to be canceled rather than willingly ended.
33	* ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic'', produced by Netflix.
34	* ''Untitled The Circus Ship film adaption'': Developer.
35	[[/index]]
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39	!!Craig [=McCracken=]'s works provide examples of:
40	%% Remember, creators don't get trivia pages. Trivia items on this page should stay here.
41	* TheSixties: He missed the decade by a couple of years, but a lot of his works take great influence from its psychedelic aesthetic.
42	* ArtEvolution: While his personal drawing style hasn't changed much over the years, his preferred animation techniques have. ''[[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Foster's...]]'' saw him move from traditional hand-drawn animation to [[UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash 2D computer animation]], which allowed for more fluid character animation on a TV budget and better complimented his draftsmanship (by his own admission, he's a better designer than he is an animator). Starting from ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'', he began using the more reliable (and animator-friendly) UsefulNotes/ToonBoom.
43	* {{Animesque}}: ''The Powerpuff Girls'' was basically this mixed with heavy [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPA_(animation_studio) UPA]]/Hanna-Barbera influence.
44	* AuthorAppeal: ''Franchise/StarWars'' and Japanese animation are frequently referenced in his work.
45	* AuthorAvatar: Mac from ''[[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Foster's]]'' is [[WriteWhoYouKnow unintentionally]] a bit based on himself as a kid. He eventually rolled with it. Played straight with Kid Cosmic.
46	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Went to Cal Arts at the same time as Creator/GenndyTartakovsky and Creator/RobRenzetti, and the three have collaborated with one or the other on several projects over the years.
47	* KidHero: ''The Powerpuff Girls'' and ''Kid Cosmic'' feature heroic kids as the main characters. And while Wander from ''Wander over Yonder'' is Really700YearsOld, he has a rather childish personality.
48	* MonochromeCasting: Never had a non-white main character in any of his works until ''Kid Cosmic'', which features a more racially diverse main cast.
49	* NoNeckChump: His first student film, ''No Neck Joe'', was nothing but what he considered to be "the lamest, stupidest jokes you could make about not having a neck."
50	* NoHuggingNoKissing: While he and his wife Lauren Faust have been HappilyMarried since 2004, they don't do any romantic gestures in public. The only wedding photo of them that is shared publicly has them fist bumping instead of kissing or hugging.
51	* TheNoseless: Rather common in his cartoons (WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls, [[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Bloo, Wilt,]] [[WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder Wander]]...) [[WesternAnimation/KidCosmic Kid and Rosa]] were initially intended to be this, but looked unappealing and so noses were later added to their designs.
52	* RuleThirtyFourCreatorReactions: From a frequent questions journal on his [=DeviantArt=] account.
53	-->"Yes I have seen the porn. [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain Let's just leave it at that]]."
54	* SignatureStyle: ThickLineAnimation, influence from 1960s cartoons and Jim Henson, flat but luscious backdrops, highly unique and imaginative creature designs, and...
55	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: ....heavily towards the idealistic end.
56	* ThickLineAnimation: His SignatureStyle. All of his work except ''Foster's'' (which uses lineless animation) is done in this style.
57	* UncreditedRole: He did a few passes on [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Discord's design]] while his wife Lauren Faust was recovering from a cold during production.
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Context Creator / CraigMcCracken