Adam Reed | |
---|---|
Born | Adam Brooks Reed January 8, 1970 |
Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Occupation(s) | Voice actor, animator, screenwriter, producer, director |
Years active | 1994–present |
Notable work | Sealab 2021 , Frisky Dingo , 12 Oz. Mouse , Archer |
Website | floydcountyproductions |
Adam Brooks Reed (born January 8, 1970) [1] is an American voice actor, animator, screenwriter, television producer and television director. Reed created, writes, and voice acts the FX/FXX adult animated comedy series Archer , which premiered in September 2009. He also voice acted, wrote, directed and produced the television series Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo , with his co-creator and creative partner Matt Thompson.
Reed graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 with a degree in English. [2] He was hired as an intern at Turner Broadcasting thanks to his sister's connections, where his first job consisted of reviewing episodes of The Flintstones to be distributed on VHS as part of a promotion with Little Debbie, developing both an encyclopedic knowledge and appreciation for the series in the process. [3] Reed would eventually meet his future creative partner Matt Thompson, who was working in the on-air department as an associate producer at the time. The two soon collaborated on various Cartoon Network On-Air projects where they were credited together as "Butterbean." [4] In 1994, Thompson pitched High Noon Toons as a mid-day programming block for the network. High Noon Toons was hosted by cowboy hand puppets Haas (Thompson) and Lil' Jo (Reed), both referencing characters on Bonanza . This culminated in a primetime special series, Hoot'Nanny, where Reed and Thompson traveled to various European cities to shoot footage for the special as Haas and Li'l Jo. The two were frequently drunk during filming. Once in 1995, the duo were reprimanded for lighting one of the prop sets on fire. [5]
In 1995, Reed was told to write the live action segments for Carrot Top's A.M. Mayhem , a two-hour morning block of cartoons hosted by Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson. Reed described the experience as "a nightmare," placing most of the blame on Thompson's manager, who he described as "an unfunny person approving your jokes." [6] It was during this time where he and Matt Thompson came up with the idea for what would eventually become Sealab 2021 , but the network wanted Reed to continue writing for A.M. Mayhem. In response, Reed resigned from Turner. Thompson resigned shortly after. [7] Prior to leaving, both stole the source footage material for Sealab 2020 from the network.
Reed and Thompson moved to New York, where they would spend a year working production in the "sordid underbelly" of daytime talk shows. [8] Soon they were working for Showtime, and "making more money than we ever thought possible," according to Reed. During this period, the duo produced two amateur pilots for Sealab in their spare time using the stolen footage, which they would later send unsolicited to Cartoon Network's then vice president of development, Mike Lazzo. Due to their boss at Showtime having an unforeseen accident, Reed and Thompson suddenly find themselves unemployed. In response, Reed booked a getaway trip to Europe. As he was about to leave for the airport, Lazzo called Reed wanting to greenlight Sealab. [9]
Reed and Thompson formed 70/30 Productions when they created Sealab 2021 , one of the first original series for Adult Swim. The company's name came from the plan that Reed would do 70% of the writing and 30% of the producing, with Thompson doing the reverse. [10]
The pair became known for their work on a number of other Adult Swim projects, including Frisky Dingo , which aired for several years after Sealab 2021 was cancelled. [11]
In 2009, Reed and Thompson closed 70/30 Productions and formed Floyd County Productions to produce Reed's new project, the FX/FXX series Archer . The company not only develops exclusive programming but also creates content for other media, including the television shows Atlanta , Legion , Fargo , Goliath and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia . In 2020, After numerous years of hard work, Reed decided to officially retire and sold the remainder of the company to Thompson.
After the cancellation of Frisky Dingo in 2008, Reed took a vacation to Spain to brainstorm ideas for a new project. His experience traversing the Vía de la Plata, and people-watching in Plaza Mayor in nearby Salamanca, enabled him to conceptualize his vision of Archer. [12] [13] Reed recalled in an interview:
So I sat on the Plaza Mayor for three days – drinking either coffee or beer or gin, depending on the time of day – surrounded by these Spanish women who seemed both unaware and completely aware of their beauty. Occasionally they would glance over – and catch me gaping at them – and just smile at me like, "I know, right?" And for three days, I couldn't even splutter "Buenos dias" to any of them – not once. And thus was Sterling Archer born – he would've absolutely sauntered over to a table full of those women and sat down and ordered an entire case of cava or whatever. [12]
Nevertheless, he believed developing a sitcom with the theme of global espionage was inevitable given his proclivity for adventure-driven comedy. Archer was originally pitched under the working title Duchess. [14]
Archer draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including the James Bond franchise, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006), and The Pink Panther franchise. [15] The show's hallmarks include reference-heavy humor, rapid-fire dialogue, and meta-comedy. Archer is produced using limited animation and takes its visual style from mid-century comic art. The cast members record their lines individually, and the show regularly employs guest actors and actresses for supporting characters. There have been 145 episodes broadcast in the show's history.
Archer has received positive reviews from critics and won awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, four Critics Choice Awards, and three Clio Awards. The series has also received 15 Annie Award nominations, among others, for outstanding achievement in animation, writing, direction, and voice acting.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994–95 | High Noon Toons | Lil' Jo | Also writer and producer |
2000–05 | Sealab 2021 | Dr. Virjay, Mardock, Various | Also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
2005–07; 2018 | 12 oz. Mouse | Shark | Actor; 22 episodes |
2006–08 | Frisky Dingo | Killface, Xander Crews / Awesome X, Ronnie, Wendell T. Stamps, Nearl Crews | Also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
2008 | The Xtacles | — | Also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
2007 | That Crook'D 'Sipp | Beauregard Beauxregard VIII | Pilot; actor |
2008–09 | Robot Chicken | King Randor, Tony Stark / Iron Man, NASCAR President, Jerry Lawler | Actor; 3 episodes |
2009–23 | Archer | Ray Gillette, Bilbo, Captain Reynaud | Also creator, director (season 1–6), writer (season 1–10) and executive producer |
2012 | Unsupervised | — | Executive producer |
2014 | Chozen | Executive producer |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | NewNowNext Awards | Best Show You're Not Watching [16] | Archer | Won |
2011 | Annie Awards | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production [17] | Archer | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Comedy Series [18] | Archer | Nominated | |
2012 | Annie Awards | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production [19] | Archer | Nominated |
Comedy Awards | Best Animated Comedy Series [20] | Archer | Won | |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series [21] | Archer | Won | |
2013 | Annie Awards | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production [22] | Archer | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series [23] | Archer | Won | |
2014 | Annie Awards | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production [24] | Archer | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series [25] | Archer | Won | |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program [26] | For "Archer Vice: The Rules Of Extraction" | Nominated | |
2015 | Annie Awards | Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production [27] | Archer | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series [28] | Archer | Won | |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program [29] | "Pocket Listing" | Nominated | |
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Multiplatform Storytelling [30] | Mark Paterson & Tim Farrell for "Archer Scavenger Hunt" | Won | ||
2016 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program [31] | "The Figgis Agency" | Won |
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Multiplatform Storytelling [32] | Mark Paterson, Tim Farrell, & Bryan Fordney for "Archer Scavenger Hunt 2" | Won | ||
2017 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Animated Program [33] | "Archer Dreamland: No Good Deed" | Nominated |
2018 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production [34] | Adam Reed | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series [35] | Archer | Nominated | |
Webby Awards | Best Use of Augmented Reality [36] | Archer, P.I. App | Nominated | |
Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television [37] | Archer | Nominated |
Sealab 2021 is an American adult animated television series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before the official inception of the Adult Swim block on September 2, 2001, with the final episode airing on April 24, 2005. Sealab 2021 is one of the only four original Williams Street series that premiered in 2000 before Adult Swim officially launched, with the others being Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Gennady Borisovich "Genndy" Tartakovsky is a Soviet-born American animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the creator of various animated television series on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, including Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, Primal, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios as the network's first show animated primarily with Adobe Flash, which was done both by Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank and in Ireland by Boulder Media. Set in a world in which imaginary friends coexist with humans, the series centers on Mac, an eight-year-old boy who is pressured by his mother to abandon his imaginary friend Bloo. After the duo discover an orphanage dedicated to housing abandoned imaginary friends, Bloo moves into the home and is kept from adoption as long as Mac visits him every day. The episodes revolve around Mac and Bloo as they interact with other imaginary friends and house staff and live out their day-to-day adventures, often getting caught up in various predicaments.
Craig McCracken is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Disney Channel and Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder, and Netflix's Kid Cosmic.
Loren Hal Bouchard is an American animator, writer, producer, director, and composer. He is the creator of several animated TV shows such as Bob's Burgers, Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil, and Central Park. He is also the co-creator of Home Movies with Brendon Small as well as the executive producer of The Great North.
Christopher Mason Savino is an American writer, comic book artist and former animator. He is well-known as the creator of the animated series The Loud House. Savino has also worked on The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko's Modern Life, Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Mickey Mouse and Johnny Test.
Paul Rudish is an American animator, storyboard artist, writer, and voice actor, originally known for his art, writing, and design work at Cartoon Network Studios on series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. He went on to co-create the series Sym-Bionic Titan and, in 2013, created, developed, wrote, storyboarded, executive produced, and directed a revival of Mickey Mouse short cartoons.
70/30 Productions was an animation production house located in Atlanta, Georgia. They are the creators of Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo, and the latter's spin-off series The Xtacles for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
Matt Thompson is an American television producer, television writer, television director, animator, and voice actor.
Archer is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX that aired from September 17, 2009, to December 17, 2023. The show follows the exploits of bumbling, volatile secret agent Sterling Archer and his dysfunctional colleagues. The show's primary setting is an anachronistic parody of Cold War-era espionage thrillers, with some individual seasons switching to milieus such as the Latin American drug trade, 1940s film noir, the interwar South Pacific, and retro-futuristic space opera.
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James Garland Quintel is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, writer, producer, and voice actor. He is best known as the creator of the Cartoon Network series Regular Show (2010–2017), in which he voiced Mordecai and High Five Ghost, and the HBO Max series Close Enough (2020–2022), in which he voiced Josh.
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