Ben Jones (American cartoonist)

Last updated

Ben Q. Jones
Born
Benjamin Queair Jones

1977 (age 46–47)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Occupation(s)artist, animator, filmmaker, voice actor
Years active1999–present
Notable work The Problem Solverz
Stone Quackers
Saturday Morning All Star Hits!

Benjamin Queair Jones (born 1977) [1] is an American artist, animator, filmmaker, and voice actor. He was a co-founder and member of the art collective Paper Rad from 2001 to 2008, as well as his own studio Ben Jones Studio, Inc. in 2008. He has worked on various animated television programs and web series for Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD). Since 2017, Jones is the creative director of Bento Box Entertainment. [2] He lives and works in Los Angeles, California. [2]

Contents

Biography

Jones was born in 1977 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up in central Massachusetts. His family collected computers, a hobby initiated by his father, Frank, who was a software engineer. This influenced Jones a lot, so much that later he would draw inspiration for his future style of art and design.[ clarification needed ]

Jones attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and graduated in 1999 with a B.F.A. in Studio of Interrelated Media (SIM). [3] [4]

Career

While studying in Boston at Massachusetts College of Art and design, he began working in an art collaboration with classmate Christopher Forgues (C.F.) under the name "Paper Radio". [1] [5] Art in America magazine named Jones one of the, "most important cartoonists of their generation" for his work with Paper Radio. [6] In 2000, he founded the East Coast art collective Paper Rad, with the artists Jacob and Jessica Ciocci. [1] Paper Rad is best known for creating comics, zines, video art, net art, MIDI files, paintings, installations, and music with a distinct "lo-fi" aesthetic.

Ben Jones collaborated with PFFR and Williams Street on a 2007 pilot for Adult Swim titled Neon Knome. [7] It was passed by the network and went on to become rebranded as a Cartoon Network show called The Problem Solverz . [7] Jones is the main creator and the voice actor of Alfe and Roba in the Cartoon Network show, The Problem Solverz. [8]

In 2013, Jones became the creative director of the Fox Saturday night programming block ADHD, [9] where he released his series, Stone Quackers . The program aired as sneak peek on October 27, 2014, on FXX [10] and a spin-off, Gothball, was premiered as a web-series on May 1, 2015, on the ADHD YouTube channel. [11]

Jone's work in fine art painting includes psychedelic themed painting, described as brightly colored, often visually flat or with pattern. [3]

Filmography

ProjectShow runChannel(s)Credited roleNo. of episodesNotes
Pick a Winner2004DVD onlyDirector (credited as Paper Rad)5 episodes [12]
I Dream of Zinedine Zidane2005Short onlyDigital effect artistInexistent
Super Mario MovieDirector (credited as Paper Rad)
Wonder Showzen 2005–2006 MTV2 AnimatorUnavailable
Trash Talking2006DVD onlyCo-creator, Writer, Producer, Executive producer, Director, and Voice actor (credited as Paper Rad)
Yo Gabba Gabba! 2007 Nick Jr.
Nickelodeon 		Jingle animator1 episode
Neon Knome 2008 Adult Swim Creator, Animator, Writer, Executive producer, Director, Music composer, and Voice actor
The Problem Solverz 2011–2013 Cartoon Network Creator, Executive producer, Director, Music composer, and Voice actor26 episodes
Storyboard artist2 episodes
ADHD Shorts 2012–2016 Fox, FXX Storyboard director10 shorts
Voice actor4 shorts
Designer3 shorts
Writer2 shorts
Peanut Butter & Jelly2013Short onlyVoice actorInexistent
Axe Cop 2013–2015Fox, FXXCreative director22 episodes
Wander Over Yonder 2013 Disney XD Voice actor1 Episode
High School USA! 2013FoxCreative director12 episodes
Golan the Insatiable 2013–2015Fox, FXX
Lucas Bros. Moving Co. 2013–2015Creative director, and director17 episodes
Storyboard director2 episodes
Voice actor1 episode
Stone Quackers 2014–2015FXXCreator, Writer, Executive producer, Creative director, and Voice actor12 episodes
Storyboard director2 episodes
Major Lazer 2014–2015Creative director11 episodes
The Adventures of OG
Sherlock Kush 		2015–2016ADHD (Web only)Director20 episodes
Gothball 2015Creator, Writer, Director, and Voice actor10 episodes
Nerdland 2016Film onlySequence animator
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes 2017–2019Cartoon NetworkVoice actor14 episodes
Neo Yokio 2017 Netflix Creative director, and Voice actor6 episodes
Art Thiefs TBS Creator, and director1 episode [13]
Saturday Morning All Star Hits! 2021NetflixCo-creator, voice actor, writer, director of animation, Creative director8 episodes
Koala Man 2023 Hulu Executive producer8 episodes

Music videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Jones</span> American animator and filmmaker (1912–2002)

Charles Martin Jones was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of shorts. He wrote, produced, and/or directed many classic animated cartoon shorts starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, and Porky Pig, among others.

<i>Wonder Showzen</i> American adult black comedy television series

Wonder Showzen is an American adult puppet black comedy television series that aired between 2005 and 2006 on MTV2. It was created by Vernon Chatman and John Lee of PFFR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper Rad</span> American art collective

Paper Rad was an art collective from approx. 2000 until 2008, based on the East Coast in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. Known for creating comics, zines, video art, net art, MIDI files, paintings, installations, and music with a distinct "lo-fi" aesthetic often associated with underground culture or 1990s "retro tech", juxtaposed images and featuring bright colors.

PictureBox was an art, music, photography, and comics publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York directed by Dan Nadel. PictureBox published its own books and packages books and concepts for museums and galleries. The company began in 2002 with The Ganzfeld 2 and gradually shifted to emphasize a diverse assortment of visual ideas and topics. PictureBox was best known for its books by artists from or related to the Providence art scene of the 2000s, music books, and projects for numerous artists involved with the New York gallery Canada. The cover art for Wilco's A Ghost Is Born, designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith and Nadel, won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 2005.


Jacob Ciocci is an American visual artist, performance artist, musician, and professor. Along with sister Jessica Ciocci and friend Ben Jones, he was one of the three founding members of Paper Rad, an artist collective active from 2000 until 2008. He performs and tours regularly with drummer David Wightman in the band "Extreme Animals". As of 2015, he is based in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animation Domination</span> Programming block of animated TV series

Animation Domination is an American animated programming block that has aired in two iterations on the Fox broadcast network, featuring a lineup solely made up of prime-time animation and adult animation carried as a majority of, or the whole of, the network's Sunday evening schedule. It originally ran from May 1, 2005, until September 21, 2014, before returning on September 29, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Forgues</span> American novelist

Christopher "Chris" Forgues,, is an artist and musician, best known for his graphic novel serial Powr Mastrs. He is based in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Problem Solverz is an American animated television series created by Ben Jones for Cartoon Network. It follows Alfe, Roba, and Horace; a group of detectives in their troubled town, Farboro.

John Pham is a cartoonist, animator, comic creator, and art director based in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Steven Universe</i> 2013–19 American animated TV series

Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe, who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral-based aliens named Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst, and Pearl —in the fictional town of Beach City. Steven, who is half-Gem, has adventures with his friends and helps the Gems protect the world from their own kind. The pilot was first shown in May 2013, and the series ran for five seasons, from November 2013 to January 2019. The TV film Steven Universe: The Movie was released in September 2019, and an epilogue limited series, Steven Universe Future, ran from December 2019 to March 2020.

<i>Axe Cop</i> (TV series) American adult animated series

Axe Cop is an American adult animated television series based on the webcomic of the same name that was created by Ethan Nicolle and Malachai Nicolle. It premiered on Fox on July 21, 2013, as a part of the channel's Animation Domination HD programming block. The first season consists of 12 11-minute episodes. The second, broadcast in April—June 2015 on FXX consists of 10 episodes.

Animation Domination High-Def was a late-night programming block broadcast by Fox. Originally premiering on July 21, 2013 as a spin-off of Animation Domination, the block originally focused on new, original adult animation series—similarly in style to Adult Swim. The ninety-minute block and its content were primarily produced by Friends Night, a television animation studio headed by Adult Swim alumni Nick Weidenfeld, Hend Baghdady, and creative director Ben Jones —including its programs, along with interstitials and other content featured during its programming.

<i>Lucas Bros. Moving Co.</i> American adult animated television series

Lucas Bros. Moving Co. is an American adult animated television series created by The Lucas Brothers. It originally premiered on Fox on November 23, 2013 as part of Animation Domination High-Def, and was renewed for two additional seasons on FXX. The show was cancelled on June 4, 2015.

<i>Stone Quackers</i> American TV series or program

Stone Quackers is an American adult animated television series created by Ben Jones. The series premiered October 27, 2014 on FXX as part of their Animation Domination High-Def block.

<i>Major Lazer</i> (TV series) American adult animation series

Major Lazer is an American adult animated television series based on the electronic music group of the same name, created by DJ and record producer Diplo with Ferry Gouw and Kevin Kusatsu. It premiered on FXX on April 16, 2015, as part of their Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD) block. After Stone Quackers, Major Lazer is the second ADHD original series to be aired on the channel after FOX had stopped its broadcast of the block itself.

ADHD Shorts is an interstitial program that is part of the Animation Domination High-Def block.

<i>OK K.O.! Lets Be Heroes</i> American animated sitcom

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes is an American animated television series created by Ian Jones-Quartey for Cartoon Network. The show is based on Jones-Quartey's pilot Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which was released as part of Cartoon Network's 2013 Summer Shorts project. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The web series premiered on Cartoon Network's YouTube channel and on Cartoon Network Video on February 4, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Weidenfeld</span> American television producer

Nicholas Rabb Weidenfeld is an American television producer and executive who led program development for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and Fox's Animation Domination High-Def programming blocks. He won producing Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2013 for the series Childrens Hospital. Since 2016, he has been the president of programming for television channel Viceland.

<i>Hazbin Hotel</i> American adult animated musical television series

Hazbin Hotel is an American adult animated musical comedy television series created by Vivienne "VivziePop" Medrano. The series revolves around Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell, on her quest to find a way for sinners to be "rehabilitated" and allowed into Heaven, via her "Hazbin Hotel", as an alternative to Heaven's annual "Extermination" of souls due to Hell's overpopulation. The series is produced by SpindleHorse Toons in collaboration with A24, Amazon Studios, and the animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.

<i>Saturday Morning All Star Hits!</i> TV series

Saturday Morning All Star Hits! (S.M.A.S.H.!) is an American adult animated television series that first aired on December 10, 2021. Directed by Dave McCary and Ben Jones, the show stars Kyle Mooney. Produced by Universal Television, the show was made as a mix of live-action with animation in conjunction with Ben Jones Studio, Inc., and Bento Box Entertainment for the animated segments, and Broadway Video for the live-action segments, and is a parody of Saturday-morning cartoon programming blocks from the 1980s and early 1990s, with a mix of animated and live-action content. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nadel, Dan (April 4, 2011). "Artistic Modern Funnies: Ben Jones' Problem Solverz". Tcj.com (April 4, 2011).
  2. 1 2 Holloway, Daniel (April 18, 2017). "Ben Jones Named Bento Box Entertainment Creative Director". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Jump into the world of Ben Jones' post-internet, psychedelic paintings". It's Nice That. September 21, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Lines of Thought: An Interview with Ben Jones". MassArt. November 7, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ Chiaverina, John (September 16, 2015). "Paul's Pile Of Papers: Paul Bright On His Paper Rad Collection And Forthcoming Book". ARTnews. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ Nadel, Dan (April 28, 2016). "Punk and Hippie". Art in America. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Unleashing the Pizza-Loving Beast". Animation Magazine. March 25, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  8. ↑ "In Brief". The Fresno Bee. March 30, 2011.
  9. ↑ Animation Domination High-Def ('ADHD'). WonderCon Anaheim 2013. (March 30, 2013).
  10. ↑ Nadel, Dan (October 24, 2014). "Inhale Exhale". Comics Journal. Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ GOTHBALL TRAILER - Youtube
  12. ↑ Pick A Winner (2004) , retrieved April 18, 2019
  13. ↑ "Art Thiefs – Hamilton Phillips Casting". Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.