# Craig Kellman

Craig Kellman (born September 28, 1971) is an American animator, character designer and director. He is best known for his work on Madagascar (2005), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), Trolls (2016), The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack.

## Background

Kellman attended the California Institute of the Arts as a part of their character animation program. At 18, he started work in animation on Bobby's World. He would go on to produce and direct The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat at 23 and work on major animated series, such as Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and HBO's The Ricky Gervais Show.

## Awards and nominations

Kellman has received multiple awards and nominations for his works in animation. He has been nominated twice for an Emmy, winning one 2017 for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation" for episode "XCII" of Samurai Jack. Kellman also won an Annie Award for "Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production" for his work on the episode "XCVI", as well as one for " Outstanding Achievement in Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production" for Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas in 2016.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Credit(s) | Notes |
| 1990 | Adventures of the Gummi Bears | Layout artist | Uncredited |
| 1991 | Adventures in Dinosaur City | Character designer, designer | |
| 1991 | A Wish for Wings That Work | Animator | |
| 1992 | Bulimiator | Director | |
| 1993 | Bonkers | Character designer | 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Batman: Mask of the Phantasm | Character designer | |
| 1993–1994 | Animaniacs | Model designer | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | The Ren & Stimpy Show | Storyboard artist | 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Itsy Bitsy Spider | Storyboard artist | |
| 1990–1995 | Bobby's World | Model designer, models, storyboard artist | 24 episodes |
| 1992–1995 | Batman: The Animated Series | Character designer | 23 episodes |
| 1994–1995 | The Critic | Character designer | 22 episodes |
| 1995 | Pinky and the Brain | Models | 3 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat | Character designer, background artist, layout artist, storyboard artist, director, producer, writer, voice director | 12 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | What a Cartoon! | Layout artist, character designer, storyboard artist | 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Loose Tooth | Visual development artist | |
| 1997 | The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue | Character designer | Credited as "Craig D. Kellman" |
| 1998 | The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars | Character design | Credited as "Craig D. Kellman" |
| 1998–1999 | Toonsylvania | Layout artist, character layout | 8 episodes |
| 1999 | Mickey Mouse Works | Storyboard artist | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip | Models, production designer | |
| 2000 | Hairballs | Character layout artist, additional animator, director | |
| 2000–2001 | Cartoon Cartoon Fridays | Models | 5 episodes |
| 2001 | Imp, Inc. | Animation layout | |
| 2001 | Captain Sturdy: Back in Action | Layout artist, character layout, storyboard artist, art director, production designer | |
| 2001 | The Flintstones: On the Rocks | Character designer | |
| 1998–2002 | The Powerpuff Girls | Models, art director | 26 episodes |
| 2002 | The Powerpuff Girls Movie | Character designer, development | |
| 2002 | Oh Yeah Cartoons! | Character designer | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Dexter's Laboratory: Chicken Scratch | Layout | |
| 1996–2003 | Dexter's Laboratory | Layout artist | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | The Powerpuff Girls: 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas | Character designer | |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Additional visual development artist | |
| 2004 | The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | Conception character designer | |
| 2005 | Madagascar | Lead character designer | |
| 2005 | The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper | Character designer | |
| 2005 | HBO First Look | Self | "Madagascar: Welcome to the Jungle" episode |
| 2006 | How to Eat Fried Worms | Layout | Via Orphanage Animation Studios |
| 2004–2007 | Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends | Animation director, character designer, director, creative producer | 25 episodes |
| 2007 | El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera | Character designer | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Bee Movie | Additional character designer | |
| 2007 | The Modifyers | Additional character design | Credited as "Craig D. Kellman" |
| 2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Character designer | |
| 2008 | The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!! | Character designer | |
| 2009 | Monsters vs. Aliens | Character design | |
| 2009 | Joey to the World | Creator, director | |
| 2009 | The Haunted World of El Superbeasto | Storyboard artist | |
| 2009 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Storyboard director | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Merry Madagascar | Character design | |
| 2009 | The Powerpuff Girls: Who, What, Where, How, Why... Who Cares? | Self | Video documentary short |
| 2008–2010 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Character designer | 33 episodes |
| 2010 | The Ricky Gervais Show | Character designer, director | 13 episodes |
| 2011 | McBusters | Voice (judge) | Appeared in McBusters 3 |
| 2011 | The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol | Additional voices | |
| 2012 | Hotel Transylvania | Character designer, voice actor | Voice of "Guy in Crowd" and "Hydra" |
| 2012 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Character design | |
| 2013 | Madly Madagascar | Character designer | |
| 2013 | The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow | Additional voices | |
| 2013 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | Character designer, voice actor | Voice of "Flintly McCallahan" and "Idea Pants Guy" |
| 2013 | Super Manny | Voice | |
| 2014 | Mr. Peabody & Sherman | Character designer | |
| 2014 | Penguins of Madagascar | Character designer | |
| 2014 | Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas | Character designer | |
| 2014 | Steve's First Bath | Writer | |
| 2015 | Hotel Transylvania 2 | Character designer | |
| 2015 | The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge Out of Water | Art department | Designed and supervised Rap Battle Sequence |
| 2016 | Sausage Party | Lead character designer | |
| 2016 | The Angry Birds Movie | Additional artist | |
| 2016 | Ask the StoryBots | Additional character design, writer, developer | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Trolls | Character designer | |
| 2017 | Puppy!: A Hotel Transylvania Short | Character design | |
| 2001–2017 | Samurai Jack | Character designer, property designer | 17 episodes |
| 2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | Character designer, voice actor | Voice of "Mr. Hydraberg" |
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Character design for Spider-Ham | |
| 2018 | A Wizard's Tale | Character designer | |
| 2019 | The Addams Family | Character designer | |
| 2019 | Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham | Lead character designer | |
| 2020 | The Willoughbys | Character designer | |
| 2021 | Monster Pets: A Hotel Transylvania Short Film | Character design | |
| 2021 | The Addams Family 2 | Designer | |
| 2021 | The Loud House Movie | Additional character design | |
| 2022 | Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | Character designer | |
| 2022 | DC League of Super-Pets | Character designer | |
| 2022 | Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank | Character designer: Mass Animation | |
| 2022 | Strange World | Character designer | Uncredited |
| 2023 | Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken | Character design | |
| 2023 | Trolls Band Together | Character design | |