David C. Teague

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For the Australian rules footballer, see David Teague (footballer).

David C. Teague (born May 12, 1963 in California) is a writer, cartoonist, filmmaker and comedian. Also known as David Carthell Teague, Cherokee Urban Dave Teague, Cherokee Dave Teague and his Hebrew Name David Ben Eri.

He was one of two children born to one of the first legally-wed inter-racial couples in Los Angeles, California. His father. Willie James "Jacques" Teague, a decorated World War II Veteran was of African, French, Irish and Cherokee Indian descent. Jacques was an illustrator for North American Rockwell Corporation during the 1970's. David's mother, Mary Janet Woodworth, was of Polish-Jewish, English and Cherokee ancestry, and was a free-lance writer for the Compton Gazette in Compton, California during that same period.

Later, due to racial tensions in the small town of Compton, the couple moved to Hollywood, California, where David spent a good deal of time as a semi-professional child actor and film student at Barnsdall Jr. Arts Center. There he worked in passing and/or alongside some of his many talented friends, including: fellow animation director (Emmy Award winner) Bruce W. Smith, dancer, choreographer, comedian, bandleader and stunt-man Chester Whitmore, (multi-Oscar award winning) sound editor and musician Dino DiMuro, writer-director-producer Rick Sloane, writer-comic actor and photographer Brad Yuen (of the television series Married... with Children, film cartoonist-toy designer Chris Pederson, and, actor-director Radames Pera, child actor of the TV series Kung Fu and Little House on the Prairie.

David's many accomplishments include being the first person of African descent to serve as an elected official of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonist, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839 (now called the Animation Guild). There David served as sergeant of arms, and also as an elected officer of the executive board from 1991-1995. David has spent many years of his adult life as a professional night club comedian and animation artist. He has most recently been known as a director of animation for television, and has the privilege of being the writer, illustrator and publisher of the first sequel to the beatnik classic Suzuki Beane. David's other credits include his work as a layout artist on the multi-Emmy Award winning animated series "The Simpsons", and most recently as an animator, storyboard artist and a director of animation timing for the animated series Jumanji, Men in Black, The Extreme Ghostbusters, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Tuttenstein.

David, a serious Jewish and Kabalah student, sometimes moonlights as a Meditation and Martial Arts instructor. He is a former member of the Taoist Institute in Los Angeles, the Forshang Buddhist Center,Self-Realization Fellowship,took vows with the Tibetan Buddhists Dali Lama and was baptised by the Assembly of God, Four Square Church in Van Nuys, California and the Methodist Church. David attends many Jewish, Christian and Native American interfaith events.