John A. Davis

Last updated
John A. Davis
Born
John Alexander Davis

(1961-10-26) October 26, 1961 (age 62)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Other namesJohn Davis
Alma mater Southern Methodist University [1]
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • animator
  • composer
  • voice actor
Years active1981–2016
Known for Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
SpouseKim Davis [2]

John Alexander Davis (born October 26, 1961) is an American film director, writer, animator, voice actor and composer known for his work both in stop-motion animation as well as computer animation, live action and live-action/CGI hybrids. Davis is best known for creating Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron franchise, which enjoyed popularity in the early to mid 2000s.

Contents

Early life

Davis began animating as a child using his parents' 8 mm camera to film action figures in stop motion. His interest in animation began when he watched a stop motion film called Icharus at a film festival. [3] He worked on the stop motion film The Bermuda Triangle in 1981 while still attending Southern Methodist University, where he graduated in 1984.[ citation needed ]

Career

Soon after his graduation Davis joined the animation company K&H Productions, working with 2-D animator Keith Alcorn. Soon, Davis made the transition from claymation to 2-D animation with Alcorn's help. K&H did production work for commercials, public-access television cable TV animation, and film festivals. K&H Productions declared bankruptcy in early 1987; that same year DNA Productions was founded. [3]

Davis came up with the idea for Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (originally named Johnny Quasar) sometime during the 1980s and wrote a script titled Runaway Rocketboy (later the name of the second pilot) which was later abandoned. While moving to a new house in the early 1990s he stumbled upon the script and re-worked it as a short film titled Johnny Quasar and presented it in SIGGRAPH where he met Steve Oedekerk and worked on a television series as well as the film.

In 2006, he directed the film The Ant Bully after being approached by Tom Hanks to direct the film. Production on the film made Davis resign from production of Jimmy Neutron in January 2003. He gave his position away as executive in charge of production to Steve Oedekerk. He also directed the film's video game.

Davis was set to direct an upcoming feature film based on Neopets with Warner Bros., together with producer Dylan Sellers and writer Rob Lieber. [4] It was originally set to release on April 20, 2009, but was changed to 2011 and later changed to winter of 2012, before finally being cancelled with no other projects announced.

Nominations

In 2000, Davis was up for an Emmy along with 8 others in the category Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming More Than One Hour) for Olive, the Other Reindeer , but lost to Discovery Channel's Walking with Dinosaurs .

In 2002, Davis was nominated for an Academy Award along with Steve Oedekerk in the category of Best Animated Feature for Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius .

Filmography

YearFilmJob
1981Bermuda TriangleDirector, Animator as John Davis
1984 Bloodsuckers from Outer Space Visual Effects
Uncredited
1989Scaredy Cat!Special Thanks as John A. D.
1990Macon County WarComposer
1992The Tale of Nippoless Nippleby [5] Actor
Voice of Nippoless Nippleby
Captain Weirdbeard and His Merry SwabsDirector, Producer, Writer
Frog Baseball Sound Recordist, Special Thanks as John Davis
1993Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 1990s [6] Composer
1995 The Adventures of Johnny Quasar (Jimmy Neutron prototype)Director, Writer, Animator
1997 Santa vs. The Snowman TV special
Director, Producer, Writer, Animation Supervisor, Technical Director
1998 Cartoon Sushi TV series
Additional Voices
1999 Olive, the Other Reindeer TV special
Animation Director, Animation Executive Producer, as John Davis
2001 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Director, Producer, Writer, Animation Director, Actor
Voice of Octapuke Kid, Guard and Bennie
The Making of 'Jimmy Neutron'Self
2002 Santa vs. the Snowman 3D Director, Producer, Writer, Animation Supervisor
2002–06 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius TV series
Creator, Producer, Story writer
2004 The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour TV film
Creator: The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Producer
Jimmy Neutron: Win, Lose and Kaboom TV film
Creator, Producer
2006 The Ant Bully Director, Producer, Screen-Writer, Actor (voice of Ant #19)
The Ant Bully Video game
Director
2010–13 Planet Sheen TV series
Creative consultant
Based on characters created by, as John A. Davis

Internet

YearTitleRole
2016Cartoons VS CancerHimself
2016 Nickelodeon Animation Podcast Himself

Astrophotography

Since about 2007, Davis has become a recognized astrophotographer, publishing high-resolution, generally wide-field images in astronomy magazines, [7] [8] [9] and in NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. [10] [11] [12]

In 2009, Davis largely founded and continues to lead APSIG, the Astrophotography Special Interest Group, [13] associated with the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2264</span> Open cluster in the constellation Monoceros

NGC 2264 is the designation number of the New General Catalogue that identifies two astronomical objects as a single object: the Cone Nebula, and the Christmas Tree Cluster. Two other objects are within this designation but not officially included, the Snowflake Cluster, and the Fox Fur Nebula. All of the objects are located in the Monoceros constellation and are located about 720 parsecs or 2,300 light-years from Earth. Due to its relative proximity and large size, it is extremely well studied. NGC 2264 is sometimes referred to as the Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula. However, the designation of NGC 2264 in the New General Catalogue refers to both objects and not the cluster alone. In December 2023, NASA released Christmas holiday-related images by the James Webb Space Telescope, including the Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 604</span> H II region inside the Triangulum Galaxy

NGC 604 is an H II region inside the Triangulum Galaxy. It was discovered by William Herschel on September 11, 1784. It is among the largest H II regions in the Local Group of galaxies; at the galaxy's estimated distance of 2.7 million light-years, its longest diameter is roughly 1,520 light years (~460 parsecs), over 40 times the size of the visible portion of the Orion Nebula. It is over 6,300 times more luminous than the Orion Nebula, and if it were at the same distance it would outshine Venus. Its gas is ionized by a cluster of massive stars at its center with 200 stars of spectral type O and WR, a mass of 105 solar masses, and an age of 3.5 million years; however, unlike the Large Magellanic Cloud's Tarantula Nebula central cluster (R136), NGC 604's one is much less compact and more similar to a large stellar association.

<i>The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius</i> American animated series

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius is an American animated television series created by John A. Davis for Nickelodeon. Based on the 2001 film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, the series serves as a direct sequel to the film. It originally aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from July 20, 2002, to November 25, 2006. The show follows an 11-year-old genius from the fictitious town of Retroville, Texas, the eponymous character, as he goes on adventures with his best friends Carl Wheezer and Sheen Estevez. Throughout the show, various mishaps and conflicts occur on these adventures, as Jimmy's various inventions go awry. The series features voices of Debi Derryberry (Jimmy), Rob Paulsen (Carl), and Jeffrey Garcia (Sheen) for the three main characters.

<i>Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius</i> 2001 American computer-animated film

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies, O Entertainment and DNA Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by John A. Davis and written by Davis and producer Steve Oedekerk. Its voice cast includes Debi Derryberry, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Rob Paulsen, and Jeffrey Garcia. The film follows the title character, a schoolboy with super-genius intelligence, who must save all of the parents of his hometown from a race of egg-like aliens known as the Yolkians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astronomy Picture of the Day</span> NASA and MTU website

Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University (MTU). It reads: "Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer." The photograph does not necessarily correspond to a celestial event on the exact day that it is displayed, and images are sometimes repeated. These often relate to current events in astronomy and space exploration. The text has several hyperlinks to more pictures and websites for more information. The images are either visible spectrum photographs, images taken at non-visible wavelengths and displayed in false color, video footage, animations, artist's conceptions, or micrographs that relate to space or cosmology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Oedekerk</span> American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian (born 1961)

Steven Brent Oedekerk is an American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2440</span> Planetary nebula in the constellation Puppis

NGC 2440 is a planetary nebula, one of many in our galaxy. Its central star, HD 62166, is possibly the hottest known white dwarf, about 400,000°F(200,000°C). The nebula is situated in the constellation Puppis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNA Productions</span> American animation studio

DNA Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio and production company based in Irving, Texas. It was founded in 1987, by John A. Davis and Keith Alcorn. The studio originally worked on miscellaneous projects for other companies, including commercials and corporate videos, before branching out to television and film animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6302</span> Bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius

NGC 6302 is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius. The structure in the nebula is among the most complex ever observed in planetary nebulae. The spectrum of NGC 6302 shows that its central star is one of the hottest stars known, with a surface temperature in excess of 250,000 degrees Celsius, implying that the star from which it formed must have been very large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bipolar nebula</span> Type of nebula that has two lobes extending from a central star

A bipolar nebula is a type of nebula characterized by two lobes either side of a central star. About 10-20% of planetary nebulae are bipolar.

<i>The Ant Bully</i> (film) 2006 American computer-animated film

The Ant Bully is a 2006 American animated film written and directed by John A. Davis and based on the 1999 children's book of the same name by John Nickle. Starring the voices of Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Bruce Campbell and Lily Tomlin, it was produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone, Davis and Keith Alcorn's DNA Productions, and Legendary Pictures in their first animated film, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6334</span> Emission nebula in the constellation Scorpius

NGC 6334, colloquially known as the Cat's Paw Nebula, or Gum 64, is an emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation Scorpius. NGC 6334 was discovered by astronomer John Herschel in 1837, who observed it from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The nebula is located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, at a distance of approximately 5.5 kilolight-years from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 7008</span> Planetary nebula in the constellation Cygnus

NGC 7008, also known as the Fetus Nebula is a planetary nebula with a diameter of approximately 1 light-year located at a distance of 2800 light years in northern Cygnus. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1787, in Slough, England. NGC 7008 is included in the Astronomical League's Herschel 400 observing program.

<i>Planet Sheen</i> American animated television series

Planet Sheen is an American CGI-animated television series created by Keith Alcorn and Steve Oedekerk. It is the second sequel television series of the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and a spin-off sequel to The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. The series was picked up for 26 episodes by Nickelodeon for its first and only season. Jeffrey Garcia returns as the voice of Sheen, and Bob Joles and Rob Paulsen are the voices of Nesmith and Doppy. The series was originally animated by C.O.R.E. in Toronto, but animation production moved to Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver after C.O.R.E closed down. At that time, Chris Neuhahn took over as Supervising Producer. Planet Sheen premiered on Nickelodeon on October 2, 2010, in the United States. The series aired its final episode on February 15, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1313</span> Galaxy in the constellation Reticulum

NGC 1313 is a field galaxy and a irregular galaxy discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on 27 September 1826. It has a diameter of about 50,000 light-years, or about half the size of the Milky Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C/2009 R1 (McNaught)</span> Non-periodic comet discovered in 2009

C/2009 R1 (McNaught), one of more than fifty comets known as Comet McNaught, is a non-periodic comet discovered by British-Australian astronomer Robert H. McNaught on September 9, 2009, using the Uppsala Southern Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. The discovery was confirmed the same day at the Optical Ground Station telescope at Tenerife. After the discovery, earlier images of the comet were found from July 20, August 1, and August 18, 2009. It is believed C/2009 R1 will leave the Solar System permanently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Neutron</span> Animated titular character

James Isaac Neutron is the titular and main character from the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and its spin-off Nickelodeon animated television series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Created by showrunner John A. Davis, he has been voiced by Debi Derryberry since the test pilot premiered in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2685</span> Lenticular and polar-ring galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

NGC 2685 is a lenticular and polar ring Seyfert Type 2 galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It is about 50,000 light-years across and about 42 million light-years away from Earth. It is receding from Earth at 883 kilometers per second. It is an object of great scientific interest, because polar-ring galaxies are very rare galaxies. They are thought to form when two galaxies gravitationally interact with each other. "The bizarre configuration could be caused by the chance capture of material from another galaxy by a disk galaxy, with the captured debris strung out in a rotating ring. Still, observed properties of NGC 2685 suggest that the rotating ring structure is remarkably old and stable."

<i>Jimmy Neutron</i> (franchise)

Jimmy Neutron is a Nickelodeon computer-animated media franchise created by John A. Davis in the 1980s and commenced in 1998 with the pilot Runaway Rocketboy. The franchise focuses on the titular Jimmy Neutron, a young boy with a genius-level intellect.

References

  1. Chattaway, Peter (July 25, 2006). "An Animation Bug's Life". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  2. DNA Productions Info and Bios
  3. 1 2 Einhorn, Max (July 25, 2006). "An Interview with John A. Davis, Director of The Ant Bully". Maximum Movies. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  4. McClintock, Pamela (February 6, 2006). "WB taps NeoPets pic scribe". Variety . Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  5. The Tale of Nippoless Nippleby (1992) at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 1990s (1993) at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. photograph: "The Deep Sky in Orion" in Astronomy (magazine), May 2013, p. 72.
  8. photograph: "Dusty Cepheus" Sky and Telescope (magazine), August 2012, p. 78.
  9. photograph: "Clouds of Polaris" Sky and Telescope (magazine), July 2013, p. 73.
  10. Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (April 19, 2013). "NGC 1788 and the Witch's Whiskers". Astronomy Picture of the Day . NASA . Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  11. Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (January 19, 2013). "Barnard Stares at NGC 2170". Astronomy Picture of the Day . NASA . Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  12. Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (May 25, 2012). "Scorpius in Red and Blue". Astronomy Picture of the Day . NASA . Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  13. "APSIG". Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2013.