Regarded as "one of the most successful creators of episodic comedy cartoons",[2] his style was "at the forefront of a second wave of innovative, creator-driven television animation" in the 1990s, along with that of other animators such asGenndy Tartakovsky,[3] and has been credited as "a staple of American modern animated television".[4]
In 1993, McCracken was hired byHanna-Barbera Cartoons as an art director on theTurner Broadcasting System series2 Stupid Dogs, alongside Tartakovsky. As his first job in the animation industry, he was "never really happy with how that [show] worked".[10] While McCracken was at Hanna-Barbera, studio presidentFred Seibert began a new project: an animation incubator consisting of 48 new cartoons running approximately seven minutes each. DubbedWhat a Cartoon!, it motivated McCracken to further develop hisWhoopass Girls! creation.[11] He recalled that the network could not market a show with the word "ass" in it, so two of his friends came up withThe Powerpuff Girls as a replacement for the original title.[12] His new pilot, "The Powerpuff Girls in: Meat Fuzzy Lumkins", premiered on February 20, 1995, onCartoon Network'sWorld Premiere Toons-In,[13] and a second short, "Crime 101", followed on January 28, 1996. The first short to be picked up by the network was Tartakovsky'sDexter's Laboratory, which McCracken would contribute to in early seasons. McCracken'sPowerpuff Girls was the fourth cartoon to be greenlit a full series, which premiered on November 18, 1998, with the final episode airing on March 25, 2005. The show has wonEmmy[14] andAnnie awards.[15] In 2002, McCracken directedThe Powerpuff Girls Movie, a prequel to his series. The film received generally positive reviews but was a box office failure.[16][17]
McCracken leftThe Powerpuff Girls after four seasons, focusing on his next project,Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.[7] It premiered with the 90-minute television special "House of Bloo's" on August 13, 2004, on Cartoon Network. He developed the series with wifeLauren Faust and Mike Moon. The show ran for six seasons, all directed by McCracken, and concluded on May 3, 2009. It also won Emmy[18] and Annie awards.[19]
In April 2008, he became executive producer of a new Cartoon Network showcase project calledThe Cartoonstitute.[20] After 17 years of employment, he resigned from Cartoon Network in 2009, after it shifted focus to live-action and reality shows.[21] He createdWander Over Yonder forDisney Television Animation andDisney Channel in August 2013.[22] AfterWander Over Yonder was cancelled, McCracken pitched a new show to Disney, based on his 2009 comic stripThe Kid from Planet Earth.[23][24] Disney ultimately passed on the project,[25] and he eventually left the company in 2017.[26] He then pitched his idea toNetflix and it was greenlight under the name ofKid Cosmic. The show premiered on February 2, 2021, and ended on February 3, 2022.[27][28] It is the first of McCracken's original works to have a serialized format and his return to thesuperhero genre sinceThe Powerpuff Girls.[2][29] He pitched 10 projects to Netflix in August 2021,[30] but eventually left by April 2022 due to mass layoffs atNetflix Animation.[31][32]
On July 18, 2022, it was announced that McCracken began developing reboots ofThe Powerpuff Girls andFoster's Home for Imaginary Friends atHanna-Barbera Studios Europe.Foster's Home will take form in a pre-school show focused on new characters.[33] In 2023, McCracken received theWinsor McCay Award at the Annie Awards ceremony for his "unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation".[34]The Hollywood Reporter also named him one of the most powerful people in kids entertainment, in pair with Lauren Faust.[35]
Since his early years of career, McCracken has chosen to design characters in a simplistic way (as opposed to the realism ofWarner Bros. orDisney feature films) because it is more practical for television production, as money and time limits what the animators can do.[36] In addition to this, he claimed that the crew at Hanna-Barbera wanted their shows "to be different than what was onNick and Disney".[36] Some of his main inspirations were comic book artists such asCharles M. Schulz,Bill Watterson andHergé.[37] All of his series have had diverse influences in terms of design, comedy and storytelling. To mention some:1960sBatman,Underdog andRocky and Bullwinkle inThe Powerpuff Girls,[38]The Muppet Show andSpongeBob SquarePants inFoster's Home for Imaginary Friends (which also has a visual style inspired by 60s psychedelia),[39][40]Yellow Submarine andLooney Tunes inWander Over Yonder,[41] andDennis the Menace andThe Adventures of Tintin inKid Cosmic.[42]
During his time at CalArts, he discovered the cartoons ofUnited Productions of America (UPA), which also heavily influenced the visual style of his creations.[37] His shows often present the underdog as the main focus.[37] For example,Kid Cosmic is about a group of "punk rock" characters who "may not have the skill or the talent, but they have the determination and conviction" to create a superhero team.[42]Foster's also revolves around a group of misfit creatures that have been abandoned by their original owners.[39][3] Although the Powerpuff Girls are not typical underdogs, the fact that they are little girls might make people underestimate them as superheroes.[37] He also liked to present "the contrast of cute characters being strong and tough".[43] Although the Powerpuff Girls have been widely regarded as feminist icons, McCracken has claimed that the real background for their creation was finding "a fun idea" or "a cool concept".[43]
^Nicktoons (September 9, 2016).Episode 18: Lauren Faust.Nick Animation Podcast.Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2016 – viaYouTube.My daughter's only three months old, so I'm still on my leave, so I'm... just... usually... all day, taking care of the baby. I kinda love it.
^"Primetime Emmy Noms – List 1".Variety. July 22, 1999. Section: Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less.).Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. RetrievedMay 27, 2011.
^Variety Staff (July 12, 2001)."Emmy 2001 Nomination List".Variety. p. Section: Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour).Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. RetrievedMay 27, 2011.
