Arlene Klasky

**Arlene Klasky** (born May 26, 1949) is an American animator, graphic designer, producer and co-founder of Klasky-Csupo with Gábor Csupó. In 1999, she was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Animation” by *Animation Magazine*. She is most known for co-creating the animated series *Rugrats* with her husband Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain.

## History

Klasky and her partner, Gabor Csupo, formed Klasky Csupo, Inc. in 1982. Combining their respective talents in graphic design and character animation proved to be a long-lasting successful formula. Today, she continues to work on new project development for television and features. She oversees the studio’s projects in broadstrokes on a daily basis along with Csupo. Klasky was the creative force behind the box-office hits *The Rugrats Movie* and *Rugrats in Paris: The Movie*.

Klasky played a major role as co-creator and executive producer on the three-time Emmy Award-winning *Rugrats* and designed several of the series’ major characters. Her vision has inspired other distinctive productions, including *Rugrats*, *Aaahh!!! Real Monsters*, *Santo Bugito*, *Rocket Power* and *The Wild Thornberrys*.

Klasky’s diverse career shares common origins with the special effects/film graphics industry. After studying animation at the California Institute of the Arts, Klasky gained her first professional experience as a designer of signage and logos for architectural projects. She entered the music industry as a designer for major record labels such as A & M Records.

After stints as a magazine and advertising art director, Klasky made the transition into film, joining the legendary Robert Abel and Associates doing special effects and graphics for film. She quickly progressed to freelance title design for New World Pictures and then for Marks & Marks and California Film, another company she co-founded, designed on-air promos, station Ids and graphic titles.

## Personal life

She was once married to her business partner Gábor Csupó, since before they started their animation company. They have two sons together from their marriage. They continue to remain business partners. Tommy Pickles' appearance from *Rugrats* is based on her younger son Brandon. Her older son's name is Jarrett.

## Klasky Csupo

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She formed Klasky Csupo with Gabor in their two-bedroom apartment in Hollywood in 1982. It later was moved to Seward Street in Hollywood. They designed the titles for *21 Jump Street*, *Anything But Love*, and *In Living Color*. They also produced music videos for Beastie Boys and Luther Vandross. In 1990 they started *Rugrats* with the unaired pilot "Tommy Pickles and The Great White Thing" and the series started in August 1991. *Aaahh!!! Real Monsters* premiered on Halloween in 1994, their second cartoon show to be aired on Nickelodeon. In 2003 she made the spin-off *All Grown Up!*; in America it aired from 2003-2009 on The N, 2003-2006 on Nickelodeon, and 2004–present on Nicktoons TV.

## External links

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* Nick Animation Podcast, Episode 4: Arlene Klasky (Hector Navarro, moderator). Published June 3, 2016; listened June 4, 2016.

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