Gene Barretta

Gene Barretta (b. September 9, 1960) grew up in Yardley, PA where he spent countless hours drawing, animating, making movies, and building puppets with his brother, Bill. He currently resides outside Philadelphia, PA with his son, Benjamin.
Before he began his career as an author and illustrator of children's books, he graduated from New York University with a BFA in Film Studies and worked for many years in film and television on both coasts. He has written and illustrated several picture books for such clients as Henry Holt & Co., Little Brown & Co, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic, HarperCollins, The Jim Henson Company, and Between the Lions, among others. One book released in 2018, The Bat Can Bat, features a number of caricatures of Muppet and Henson professionals.
His book awards/honors include a nomination for the 2021 NAACP Image Award for The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver, the 2013 Cook Prize Honor Title from Bank Street College of Education for Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives, and the 2007 Carolyn W. Field Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association for Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
==Muppet/Henson work==
For The Jim Henson Company, Barretta served as character designer for Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del and Tinseltown. He sketched the original designs for Augie, Del, Louzia and her monkeys, Samson, Bobby, and many others. He also served as a storyboard artist on Muppets from Space.
His brother Bill has named several characters after his brother as an inside joke; these include Eugene the Hunting Dog, Eugene (a tuba player), a pair of dentures named Eugene in The Muppets Mayhem episode "Fortunate Son," and Gene (the Behemoth).
On-screen and under the frame, he has performed a tumbling waiter in a skit with Joan Rivers and Miss Piggy for a QVC visit by Miss Piggy (Feb 28, 2014); and has performed a few uncredited background Muppets for Muppet Treasure Island and the right hand for Louie during an appearance on Fox & Friends.The Barretta Brothers Episode 12 55:05 mark
==Sesame Street films==
As an animator, Barretta wrote, scored, and animated five short films for Sesame Street that premiered during the 28th and 29th seasons.
Picture	Title / First Appearance 	Credits
 	"Budgie #10 - Song"Episode 3526 	
*Gene Barretta: Writer, Designer, Animator, Composer & Music
*Dave Beaver: Drums
*Tom Crawley: Colorist
*Arlene Sherman: Producer
 	"Empty/Full: Tenors"Episode 3556 	
*Gene Barretta: Writer, Animator, Voice #2
*Claudia D’Addano: Voice #1
*Tom Crawley: Colorist
*Arlene Sherman: Producer
 	"Animal Sign: Picnic"Episode 3558 	
*Gene Barretta: Writer, Designer, Animator, Music
*Lyndsey Thomas: Voice
*Tom Crawley: Colorist
*Arlene Sherman: Producer
 	"Washington: None - Some - All"Episode 3726	
*Gene Barretta: Writer, Designer, Animator
*Steve Cioffi: Voice
*Suzanne Twining: Colorist
*Arlene Sherman: Producer
 	"C in Space"Episode 3729 	
*Gene Barretta: Writer, Designer, Animator, Composer & Music
*Eric Miller: Lead Guitar
*Suzanne Twining: Colorist
*Arlene Sherman: Producer
==Non-Henson Illustrator & Author Credits==
*Starring Steven Spielberg: The Making of a Young Filmmaker - author (illustrated by Craig Orback)
*The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver - author (illustrated by Frank Morrison)
*The Bat Can Bat: A Book of True Homonyms - author/illustrator
*Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born - author (illustrated by Frank Morrison)
*Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare - author/illustrator
*Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door - illustrator (written by Denette Fretz)
*Pirates on the Farm - illustrator (written by Denette Fretz)
*Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives - author/illustrator
*The Bass Plays the Bass and other Homographs - author/illustrator
*Sheetzucacapoopoo: Max Goes to the Dogs - illustrator (written by Joy Behar)
*Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo Da Vinci - author/illustrator
*Jack the Tripper - author/illustrator
*Deer Dear: A Book of Homophones - author/illustrator
*Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog - illustrator (written by Joy Behar)
*Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin - author/illustrator
*The Between the Lions Book for Parents - illustrator (written by Linda K. Rath Louise Kennedy)
*Between the Lions: Knock, Knock Who's There - illustrator (written by Christopher Cerf)
*Between the Lions: Leona’s Mix & Match - illustrator (written by Christopher Cerf)
*Between the Lions: Snow Day - illustrator (written by Lorraine Winter)
*Booktivity: Detective Kit - illustrator (Golden Books)
*Booktivity: Face Painting - illustrator (Golden Books)
*Bugs - illustrator (Golden Books)
*Dinosaurs - illustrator (Golden Books)
*The Doodletop Book - illustrator (written by Yvette Lodge)
*The Eye of the Ruby - illustrator (Piggy Toes Press - unreleased)
*Journey, Easter Journey - illustrator (written by Dandi Daley MacKall)
*Merry Creature Christmas - illustrator (written by Dandi Daley MacKall)
*Off to Plymouth Rock - illustrator (written by Dandi Daley MacKall)
*On Christmas Morning - illustrator (written by Patricia A. Pingry)
*On Top of Spaghetti - illustrator (Piggy Toes Press)
==Sources==
==Links==
*Gene Barretta's Official Home Page
*YouTube
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Category:Animators
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