John Semper Jr.

**John Semper Jr.** is an American screen writer, producer and story editor with numerous credits in animated television series. He has worked for Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, and Hanna-Barbera Productions during a career which has involved the development of projects for Jim Henson, George Lucas, Stan Lee, Rob Minkoff and others. From 1994 to 1998, Semper was the producer, writer, and story editor for Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

## Biography

### Early life

John Semper was born August 14.

He graduated from Roxbury Latin School in 1970. He attended Harvard University where he majored in Visual and Environmental Studies, and earned a Bachelor's Degree in 1975.

During his time as a student, Semper worked on a summer apprenticeship in New York with award-winning documentarians Albert and David Maysles on their famous documentary Gimme Shelter.

Semper taught filmmaking and film history at the New England School of Art and Design before moving to Los Angeles.

Semper was also a student of Walter Lantz, the creator of Woody the Woodpecker.

### Pre-Marvel career

Early in his career, Semper directed a short film that combined live action and animation for Walter Lantz Productions and Universal Studios. The film, Walter, Woody and the World of Animation, was about animation icon Walter Lantz. The film played for one year in a special segment on the Universal studios Studio Tour. Lantz donated a copy of the film to the Smithsonian Institution.

Semper has a long list of series he worked on during his time at Hanna-Barbera. Series include The Smurfs, The Biskitts, The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, Pink Panther and Sons, Snorks, The Fantastic World of Hanna-Barbera, and The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. He also worked on the 1985 revival of The Jetsons and the animated version of The Little Rascals.

He helped to write the animated series Kissyfur, Super Friends: Legendary Super Powers Show, and Shirt Tales. While at Ruby-Spears Productions he worked on Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Semper did an edited apprenticeship on the 1983 film D.C. Cab.

In 1986 Semper worked on the animated series My Little Pony and MoonDreamers.

While with Disney, Semper worked on the series Duck Tales. He also worked on the American/Japanese cartoon Bionic Six.

Semper worked on the series Fraggle Rock working with Muppet creator Jim Henson.

He worked on the animated series Kid 'n Play, featuring the hip hop duo of the same name. In a departure from animation, he helped to write the 1992 film Class Act which again featured Kid 'n Play. The movie is about a man trying to get into Harvard, Semper's school.

He also worked on the live action series Catwalk.

He worked on the PBS series The Puzzle Place, which used puppets rather than live actors or animation. This was the series he was working on when he began on Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

### Marvel

In 1994 Semper began working on Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He worked on every episode except for five. When The Incredible Hulk was renewed for a second season Semper worked on the episodes Mind Over Anti-Matter and Fashion Warriors.

*For more information on Semper's work on Spider-Man click here.*
### Post-Marvel career

While finishing up Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Semper began working on the series Extreme Ghostbusters and Rescue Heroes.

He went to work for Stan Lee Media on the online series The Accuser.

He worked on The Hercules Interactive Storybook for Disney Interactive Studios. He also worked with software companies Broderbund and LucasArts.

He worked with acclaimed Japanese animation filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki in developing the English translations for the 1986 Castle in the sky and the 1989 Kiki's Delivery Service, each released in the United States in 1998 and 1997.

He also wrote for the series Clifford the Big Red Dog.

In 2004 Semper worked on the DC Animated Universe series Static Shock as the head writer of the shows final two seasons. He wanted to do a story arc on Static Shock like he did on Spider-Man but the networks didn't allow them anymore (although this has recentally been changed with shows such as Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice and other newer shows that do season long arcs).

Currently, Semper works on the online series The Crypt of Creeporia and is planning a cartoon called War of the Rocket Men which will reunite the main cast of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. As of 2018 it appears that all plans for War of the Rocket Men have been cancelled.

Starting in 2016 John Semper Jr. began working for DC Comics writing a new Cyborg comic book series. This series is part of DC Rebirth in which the DC universe has been rebooted once again. Semper's work on the Cyborg comic ended in November 2017. Kevin Grevioux took over as writer for the series.

In 2022 John Semper co-wrote the DC Universe Animated Original Movie Green Lantern: Beware My Power with former Spider-Man: The Animated Series staff writer Ernie Altbacker.

## Credits

### Producer

* Night of the Lizard
* The Spider Slayer
* Return of the Spider Slayer
* Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
* The Menace of Mysterio
* The Sting of the Scorpion
* Kraven the Hunter
* The Alien Costume, Part I
* The Alien Costume, Part II
* The Alien Costume, Part III
* The Hobgoblin, Part I
* The Hobgoblin, Part II
* Day of the Chameleon
* The Insidious Six
* Battle of the Insidious Six
* Hydro-Man
* The Mutant Agenda
* Mutants' Revenge
* Morbius
* Enter the Punisher
* Duel of the Hunters
* Blade, the Vampire Hunter
* The Immortal Vampire
* Tablet of Time
* Ravages of Time
* Shriek of the Vulture
* Doctor Strange
* Make a Wish
* Attack of the Octobot
* Enter the Green Goblin
* Rocket Racer
* Framed
* The Man Without Fear
* The Ultimate Slayer
* Tombstone
* The Spot
* Venom Returns
* Carnage
* Goblin War!
* Turning Point

### Writer

* Night of the Lizard
* The Spider Slayer
* Return of the Spider Slayer
* Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
* The Menace of Mysterio
* The Sting of the Scorpion
* Kraven the Hunter
* The Alien Costume, Part I
* The Alien Costume, Part II
* The Alien Costume, Part III
* The Hobgoblin, Part I
* Day of the Chameleon
* The Insidious Six
* Battle of the Insidious Six
* Hydro-Man
* The Mutant Agenda
* Mutants' Revenge
* Morbius
* Enter the Punisher
* Duel of the Hunters
* Blade, the Vampire Hunter
* The Immortal Vampire
* Tablet of Time
* Ravages of Time
* Shriek of the Vulture
* Doctor Strange
* Make a Wish
* Attack of the Octobot
* Enter the Green Goblin
* Rocket Racer
* Framed
* The Man Without Fear
* The Ultimate Slayer
* Tombstone
* Venom Returns
* Carnage
* Goblin War!
* Turning Point

## Trivia

* John Semper Jr. wrote the script for every episode except The Hobgoblin, Part II, The Spot, The Return of Kraven, The Return of the Green Goblin, and Secret Wars, Chapter II: The Gauntlet of the Red Skull.
* The episodes from season two's Neogeic Nightmare story line were some of Semper's favorite episodes.
* The Hobgoblin, Part I was John Semper Jr.'s least favorite episode.

* The artist at Marvel Films Animation once animated John Semper Jr. into an episode. On the model sheet the character was called "Plain Clothed Detective." [citation needed]
* John Semper Jr. revealed on his Facebook page that he would play Doom to relieve his frustrations when certain members of the crew of Spider-Man: The Animated Series would stress him out. According to Semper he "Played this game to death."
* John Semper Jr. also wrote the script for the Spider-Man Cartoon Maker along with Stan Lee.
* When major changes need to be made to any script, John Semper would take his writing staff to the park across the street from the Marvel Films Animation studio and would discuss it with them.
* Stan Lee once gave John Semper a copy of the final Spider-Man newspaper strip which he wrote. When Stan Lee autographed the newspaper strip for Semper, Stan gave him the nickname "Jaunty" John Semper.
* John Semper used to record every story meeting that he had with the writing staff on cassette tapes. Once, when John Semper slid his tape recorder forward while having a conference with Avi, he grumbled, "Every time I talk to you, I feel like I'm at a deposition."

## References

1. ↑ Making Spider-Man: The Animated Series - A Writer/Producer's Memoir at *Facebook*
2. ↑ Making Spider-Man: The Animated Series - A Writer/Producer's Memoir at *Facebook*
3. ↑ Making Spider-Man: The Animated Series - A Writer/Producer's Memoir at *Facebook*

## External link

* cartoonspiderman.com
* johnsemper.com
* John Semper Jr. on facebook
* John Semper Jr. at the office of DC Comics
* Spider-Man: The Animated Series facebook page