| Gábor Csupó | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 September 1952 Budapest, Hungary |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse | Arlene Klasky (1979-1995) |
| Website | |
| http://www.klaskycsupo.com/ | |
Gábor Csupó (Hungarian: Csupó Gábor, pronounced [tʃupoː ɡaːbor]; born 29 September 1952) is a Hungarian-born[1] animator, writer, film director and music producer. He is co-founder of the animation studio Klasky Csupo, which has produced shows like Rugrats, Duckman, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.
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Csupó was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1952.[2]
After four years at the Pannónia animation studios, Csupó emigrated to the West in 1975.[2] While working in Sweden he met Arlene Klasky, an American-born animator.[1] The two subsequently started their own company, Klasky Csupo, which produced many popular animated television shows.
Klasky Csupo animated the short cartoons about the Simpson family which appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1989) and continued this role on the half-hour adaptation of the characters, entitled The Simpsons, for its first three seasons (1989-1992).[3] Csupó was credited as "animation executive producer" and "supervising animation director".[4] Klasky Csupo animator and colorist Gyorgyi Peluce conceived the idea of the Simpsons characters having yellow skin, and Marge Simpson having blue hair, opting for something which "didn't look like anything that had come before."[5][6][7] Csupó liked the idea, although many of the show's producers at production company Gracie Films disapproved.[5][8] He noted "everybody kept saying, 'You can't have people with yellow skin', and I said, 'Why not?'"[8] Csupo successfully persuaded the producers and the show's creator Matt Groening to approve of the colors.[5] Groening liked the idea, feeling that attempts to recreate human skintone on cartoons always appeared "freakish".[7] Groening said of Csupó and Klasky, "What I love about them is their stuff looks like no one else."[8] The character design of The Simpsons character Dr. Nick Riviera is based somewhat on Csupó. The show's animators mistakenly believed the character's voice actor, Hank Azaria, was impersonating Csupó,[9] but Azaria said the voice was actually a "bad" imitation of Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy.[10]
In 1992, Gracie Films switched domestic production of The Simpsons to Film Roman.[3] Csupó was "asked [by Gracie Films] if they could bring in their own producer [to oversee the animation production]," but declined, stating "they wanted to tell me how to run my business."[3] Sharon Bernstein of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Gracie executives had been unhappy with the producer Csupo had assigned to The Simpsons and said the company also hoped to obtain better wages and working conditions for animators at Film Roman."[3] Of the 110 people he employed to animate The Simpsons, Csupó made 75 redundant.[3] Klasky Csupo went on to produce other shows, including Rugrats, Duckman, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.[11]
His record label, Tone Casualties, founded in 1994,[1] released several industrial, noise, ambient and experimental music releases, including discs by Holger Czukay, Drew Neumann, Paul Schütze, Kuroi Mori, Borut Kržišnik, Wahorn, Controlled Bleeding and his own works.
He also directed two live action films outside of Klasky Csupo: Bridge to Terabithia for Walt Disney Pictures, and The Secret of Moonacre for Warner Bros. and Lionsgate.
He now has five children (two of which are from his business partner and ex-wife, Arlene Klasky,[12] and three of which are from his second wife, Bret Cain).
Csupó is a big fan of Frank Zappa and credits Zappa with helping him learn the English language. His collection of Zappa albums were the only items he took with him when he fled his native Hungary in the 1970s.[1]
In early 2006, Csupó bought a house in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.[13]