Aaron Augenblick
Encyclopedia
Aaron Augenblick is a cartoon
animator
from the United States of America currently involved, among other things, in "Ugly Americans
", a series on Comedy Central.
Augenblick grew up in Wilmington, Delaware
, and studied at the School of Visual Arts
(SVA) in New York City
. While at college, Augenblick created two animated short films entitled "The Midnight Carnival" (screened at Slamdance Festival 2000) and "The Wire". These films received two ASIFA Awards
and the SVA Dusty Award for outstanding achievement in Animation. In 1996, "The Wire" was screened on the Cartoon Network
as part of A Night of Independent Cartoons.
He began his professional career working at MTV Animation
on such television shows as Daria
, Cartoon Sushi
and Downtown
. In 1999, Augenblick founded Augenblick Studios
, an animation production facility located in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to animation, Augenblick has written and illustrated the Xeric Award-winning "Tales of the Great Unspoken", and has "gracefully swung his giant animator's tool back and forth like a porch swing".
Augenblick Studios created the animated content for two seasons of Wonder Showzen
, a cult favorite for MTV
. Augenblick Studios garnered widespread notoriety for their spot-on parodies of classic cartoons, leading to Aaron being named as one of the rising stars of animation in 2005 by Animation Magazine
.
In 2006, Aaron Augenblick wrote and directed Golden Age
, a faux-documentary which examined the scandalous private lives of iconic cartoon characters from the past. The ten episodes series was originally created for Comedy Central’s broadband channel Motherload and was later released as a 22 minute short film. Golden Age was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival
and played in numerous festivals throughout the world.
Augenblick Studios created the first season of Superjail
in 2008, an animated series for Adult Swim
on the Cartoon Network
. Aaron Augenblick was the show's Executive Producer and Animation Director before passing the torch to Titmouse, Inc. for the second season.
Aaron Augenblick currently serves as the Supervising Producer and Animation Director for Comedy Central's horror-comedy series Ugly Americans
. In 2011, he opened a bar in Brooklyn called Cain's Tavern.
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
from the United States of America currently involved, among other things, in "Ugly Americans
Ugly Americans (TV series)
Ugly Americans is an American animated television series created by Devin Clark and developed by David M. Stern. The program focuses on the life of Mark Lilly, a social worker employed by the Department of Integration, in an alternate reality version of New York City inhabited by monsters and other...
", a series on Comedy Central.
Biography
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, and studied at the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
(SVA) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. While at college, Augenblick created two animated short films entitled "The Midnight Carnival" (screened at Slamdance Festival 2000) and "The Wire". These films received two ASIFA Awards
ASIFA-Hollywood
ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, USA, which is a branch member of the "Association Internationale du Film d'Animation" or "ASIFA"...
and the SVA Dusty Award for outstanding achievement in Animation. In 1996, "The Wire" was screened on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
as part of A Night of Independent Cartoons.
He began his professional career working at MTV Animation
MTV Animation
MTV Animation is the animation department of the television network MTV. It was created in the late 1980s were it made several of the animated shorts that aired as bumpers for the network. It is often grouped with its Nickelodeon Animation Studios but they are completely separate departments...
on such television shows as Daria
Daria
Daria is an American animated television series produced by Paramount Television, and created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn for MTV. The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her...
, Cartoon Sushi
Cartoon Sushi
Cartoon Sushi was an animation showcase program that aired on MTV from 1997 to 1998. It was produced by Nick Litwinko. As a collection of animation shorts, Cartoon Sushi was a spiritual successor to MTV's Liquid Television...
and Downtown
Downtown (TV series)
Downtown was an animated series on MTV on urban life, based on interviews with real people. The show follows a diverse and multiracial cast who live in New York City, and presents their everyday lives through quirky, humorous, and imaginative perspectives from the characters...
. In 1999, Augenblick founded Augenblick Studios
Augenblick Studios
Augenblick Studios is an independent animation studio located in New York City. Founded in 1999 by Aaron Augenblick, their team of artists has created a wide array of animated shorts for television, film, and the Internet. Clients include the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Spike Lee, PBS, MTV,...
, an animation production facility located in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to animation, Augenblick has written and illustrated the Xeric Award-winning "Tales of the Great Unspoken", and has "gracefully swung his giant animator's tool back and forth like a porch swing".
Augenblick Studios created the animated content for two seasons of Wonder Showzen
Wonder Showzen
Wonder Showzen is an American sketch comedy television series that aired between 2005 and 2006 on MTV2. It was created by John Lee and Vernon Chatman of PFFR. The show is rated TV-MA....
, a cult favorite for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Augenblick Studios garnered widespread notoriety for their spot-on parodies of classic cartoons, leading to Aaron being named as one of the rising stars of animation in 2005 by Animation Magazine
Animation Magazine
Animation Magazine is a monthly publication covering the animation industry, including different reviews about film and television animation, visual effects and video games....
.
In 2006, Aaron Augenblick wrote and directed Golden Age
Golden Age (internet series)
Golden Age is an adult animated documentary film which debuted as a web-series on Comedy Central's broadband channel Motherload in 2006. Ten segments trace the sordid careers of oddball cartoon characters from throughout the history of animation. Notable characters include Marching Gumdrop,...
, a faux-documentary which examined the scandalous private lives of iconic cartoon characters from the past. The ten episodes series was originally created for Comedy Central’s broadband channel Motherload and was later released as a 22 minute short film. Golden Age was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and played in numerous festivals throughout the world.
Augenblick Studios created the first season of Superjail
Superjail
Superjail! is an American animated television series produced by Augenblick Studios the first season and Titmouse, Inc. the second season. The series follows the events that take place in an unusual prison. The pilot episode aired on television on May 13, 2007, and its first season began on...
in 2008, an animated series for Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
. Aaron Augenblick was the show's Executive Producer and Animation Director before passing the torch to Titmouse, Inc. for the second season.
Aaron Augenblick currently serves as the Supervising Producer and Animation Director for Comedy Central's horror-comedy series Ugly Americans
Ugly Americans (TV series)
Ugly Americans is an American animated television series created by Devin Clark and developed by David M. Stern. The program focuses on the life of Mark Lilly, a social worker employed by the Department of Integration, in an alternate reality version of New York City inhabited by monsters and other...
. In 2011, he opened a bar in Brooklyn called Cain's Tavern.