Michael Dante DiMartino | |
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Born | Shelburne, Vermont, U.S. | July 18, 1974
Alma mater | Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) |
Occupation(s) | Animator, producer, writer, director |
Years active | 1993–present |
Known for | Co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra |
Title | Co-Chief Creative Officer, Avatar Studios |
Spouse | Shoshana Stolove |
Children | 2 |
Michael Dante DiMartino (born July 18, 1974) is an American animator, producer, writer, and director. He is best known, together with Bryan Konietzko, as the co-creator of the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra , both on Nickelodeon.
Before Avatar, DiMartino worked for twelve years at Film Roman, helping to direct King of the Hill , Family Guy and Mission Hill , in addition to his own animated short, Atomic Love, which was screened at a number of high-profile film festivals. The dedication to his father's memory can be seen in the penultimate episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. In a 2010 interview the president of Nickelodeon, Cyma Zarghami, confirmed that DiMartino and Konietzko were developing a new series for the network, called The Legend of Korra. [1] The series premiered on April 14, 2012, running 12 episodes for the first book "Air" and 14 for the second book "Spirits", which premiered on September 13, 2013, to 2.60 million viewers in the U.S., then the third book "Change" and the fourth and final book "Balance" of 13 episodes each.
On October 4, 2016, DiMartino released a new original novel, Rebel Genius. [2] The story features a 12-year-old protagonist, Giacomo, who discovers he has a magical 'Genius,' the living embodiment of an artist's creative spirit, in a world where artistic expression is outlawed.
In September 2018, it was announced that Konietzko and DiMartino would serve as executive producers and showrunners for Netflix's live-action adaptation series of Avatar: The Last Airbender. [3] On August 12, 2020, Konietzko and DiMartino revealed on social media that they had both departed the show due to creative differences with the Netflix team. [4]
In February 2021, ViacomCBS announced the formation of Avatar Studios, a division of Nickelodeon centered on developing newer animated series and movies set in the same universe as Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, with both DiMartino and Konietzko helming the studio as co-chief creative officers reporting to Nickelodeon Animation Studio president, Ramsey Ann Naito. [5] The first project of the studio is an animated film that is currently set to release on January 20, 2026. [6] [7]
DiMartino was born in Shelburne, Vermont. [8] He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996, where he majored in animation. [9] He met Bryan Konietzko, with whom he created Avatar, while in college.
Year | Title | Creator / Showrunner | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Story Editor | Actor | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999–2002 | Family Guy | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | — | 6 episodes |
2000–2003 | King of the Hill | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | — | 3 episodes |
2002 | Mission Hill | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | — | Episode "Unemployment: Part 2" |
2005–2008 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | — | |
2010 | The Last Airbender | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | — | |
2012–2014 | The Legend of Korra | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Various Voices | |
2021 | Adventures in Wonder Park | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | — | Episode "Pilot" |
Avatar: The Last Airbender(abbreviated as ATLA), also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
PrinceZuko, also known as the Blue Spirit, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Eric Coleman and designed by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character is voiced by Dante Basco in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bruce Davison in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender and Dallas Liu in the 2024 Netflix live-action remake series.
Katara is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series and Eva Marie Saint in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. She is Chief Hakoda and Kya's daughter and Sokka's younger sister. In the 2010 live action film adaptation, she was played by Nicola Peltz, while in the live-action television series adaptation, she is portrayed by Kiawentiio.
General Iroh, credited as Uncle is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character was voiced by Mako in the first two seasons and, due to Mako's death, by Greg Baldwin in the third season and the sequel series The Legend of Korra.
Avatar Aang, or simply Aang, is the titular protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang was the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, and the youngest ever airbending master.
Toph Beifong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, voiced by Michaela Jill Murphy in the original series and Kate Higgins as an adult and Philece Sampler as an elder in the sequel series. She will be portrayed by Miya Cech in Season 2 of the live-action television series adaptation.
Bryan Konietzko is an American animator, writer, producer and director. He is best known, together with Michael Dante DiMartino, as the co-creator and executive producer of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
Book One: Water is the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. The first season aired on Nickelodeon from February 21 to December 2, 2005, and consisted of 20 episodes. The series stars Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Mako Iwamatsu and Jason Isaacs as the main character voices.
Book Two: Earth is the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. The series starred Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Jessie Flower, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Mako Iwamatsu, and Grey DeLisle as the main character voices.
Book Three: Fire is the third and final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series stars Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Michaela Jill Murphy, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, Greg Baldwin, Grey DeLisle, and Mark Hamill as the main character voices.
The Legend of Korra, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or more rarely simply as Korra, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. As a stand-alone sequel to their previous series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which ran for three seasons from February 21, 2005, to July 19, 2008, Legend of Korra ran for 52 episodes ("chapters"), separated into four seasons ("books"), from April 14, 2012, to December 19, 2014. It has been continued as a comic book series.
Avatar Korra, commonly simply known as Korra, is the title lead character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, in which she is depicted as the current incarnation of Raava's Avatar—the spiritual embodiment of balance and change—responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the world. She is the immediate reincarnation of Avatar Aang. The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and was voiced by Janet Varney, and by Cora Baker as a child.
Sokka is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Jack DeSena in the original series and by Chris Hardwick in the sequel series. He is a warrior of the Water Tribe and the son of Chief Hakoda and Kya. In the live-action film adaptation, he is portrayed by Jackson Rathbone, while in the live-action television series adaptation, he is portrayed by Ian Ousley.
Tenzin is a major character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by J. K. Simmons. Tenzin's father, Aang, was the Avatar who preceded Korra and kept world peace by preventing the Fire Nation from taking over the world during the Hundred Year War, which occurred about seventy years before the beginning of The Legend of Korra. Tenzin's mother, Katara, greatly assisted Aang in his efforts to save the Earth Kingdom from destruction. Tenzin is the youngest of the three children of Aang and Katara.
Bolin is a major fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by P. J. Byrne. Bolin is able to manipulate the classical element of earth, which is known as earthbending. It is revealed in the third season that he is also able to create and control lava, which is a very rare sub-ability called lavabending.
Book Three: Change is the third season of the animated television series The Legend of Korra, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and consists of thirteen episodes ("chapters"), all animated by Studio Mir. The season began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on June 27, 2014. After leaked episodes and following declining ratings, the series stopped airing on Nickelodeon after episode 8 on July 25, 2014. Episodes 9 to 13 of Book Three were subsequently made available on the Internet weekly through Nickelodeon's website and on digital download platforms.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American multimedia franchise created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The franchise began with the Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series is set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world in which some people can telekinetically manipulate one of the four classical elements: air, water, earth, or fire. Only the titular "Avatar" can bend all four elements and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world.
"Endgame" is the twelfth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra, a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to The Legend of Aang. Production occurred under the code 1123 and the episode was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu and written by the Avatar franchise creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. "Endgame" originally aired on Nickelodeon on June 23, 2012, and was animated by Studio Mir.
Avatar Studios is an American production company and a division of Nickelodeon Animation Studio formed in February 2021 to oversee the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise. Franchise co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko serve as co-chief creative officers.