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Tom Ruegger is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and lyricist. Ruegger is known for his association with Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation. He also created Animaniacs, Qiz Comet, Histeria!, The Toontails and Animated Night.

Early life and career[]

Ruegger was raised in Metuchen, New Jersey. During his childhood, he made drawings of The Flintstones when it aired. He graduated from Metuchen High School in 1972.

In 1976, he made his first cartoon, called The Premiere of Platypus Duck, while he was a student at Dartmouth College. Shortly after graduation from Dartmouth that year, he moved to Los Angeles to become an animator. Ruegger began his career at Filmation, writing for Gilligan's Planet. He soon after joined Hanna-Barbera, writing and producing various animated series, most notably Snorks, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Pound Puppies, and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. He also wrote one episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

In 1989, he began working alongside Jean MacCurdy and Steven Spielberg at Warner Bros. Animation to create and produce several animated series, including Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Cartoon Insanity, Histeria, Batman: The Animated Series, The Plucky Duck Show, Freakazoid, Taz-Mania and Road Rovers.

In 1998, Ruegger began working for Walt Disney Television Animation, where he created The Toontails and Magic Rejects for the Disney Channel, which both later become a huge success for the network while the former become Disney Channel's longest-running animated series. In 2004, while working on The Toontails Movie at the time, Ruegger started Tom Ruegger Production, a full-service animation studio. After The Toontails Movie was completed, Ruegger wanted to end the series "so it wouldn't jump the shark". However, Disney Channel desired more episodes. As a result, Ruegger resigned as the series' showrunner, appointing writer Jared Bush to succeed him. In 2006, Ruegger began developing, story-editing and serving as executive producer on the 40-episode animated series Animalia, based on the picture book by Graeme Base. Along with Nicholas Hollander, he developed and story-edited another animated series entitled Sushi Pack.

In 2011, Ruegger later return to Disney Television Animation, where he executive produced 40 half-hours of The 7D, a comedy based on the seven Dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 2016, after The 7D ended, Ruegger returned to The Toontails following the completion of the second film as an executive producer, having greater creative input and attending crew meetings.

Ruegger has received fourteen Emmy Awards for his work in animation.

Personal life[]

Ruegger married voice actress Adrienne Alexander in 1983; they have three sons together, Nathan, Luke and Cody. The couple divorced in 2004. In 2006, he married marathon runner Annie Malley, and they reside near Los Angeles, California. Nathan and Luke have become voice actors. Nathan voiced the baby version of Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures, Skippy Squirrel on Animaniacs and Froggo on Histeria, where Luke provided the voice for the Flame and Bumpo Basset on Animaniacs and Big Fat Baby on Histeria. Cody performed the voice of Little Blue Bird on Animaniacs and Loud Kiddington on Histeria. Ruegger's sons also are the primary inspiration behind the main characters in Animaniacs, Yakko, Wakko and Dot.

As of 2017, Cody is serving as an attorney in New York City, while Nathan and Luke have careers in film and television in Los Angeles.

Ruegger himself also made occasional cameos on his shows in caricature form, most notably as the recurring character of director Cooper DeVille in Tiny Toon Adventures.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role
1976 The Premiere of Platypus Duck Director
1985 Pound Puppies Writer
1988 The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound Writer, Lyricist
1992 Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation Writer, Producer, Lyricist
1993 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Executive Producer
1998 To My Guest Story, Producer, Lyricist
1999 Magicland Story, Special Thanks
Wakko's Wish Writer, Producer, Director, Lyricist
2002 Box-Office Toon Writer, Producer, Director
Darktown: Rise of the Witches Executive Producer
2005 The Toontails Movie Writer, Producer, Director, Lyricist
Metro Cone Special Thanks
2006 Destiny 3000 Executive Producer
2007 Mystica II Special Thanks
Zack Movie
2008 Metro Cone 2 Executive Producer
2009 Magic Tree House Special Thanks
2010 Mystica III Executive Producer
2011 Metro Cone 3: The Mystery to New York
The Voyages of Young Doctor Dolittle Writer, Executive Producer
2012 Tales Story, Special Thanks
2016 The Toontails Movie: Getting Real in Fabulous 3D! Writer, Story, Executive Producer
2017 The Toontails: Star Wars Writer, Executive Producer
Qiz Comet Writer, Executive Producer
2018 The Toontails + Animaniacs: Zany to the Mayhem Writer, Producer, Lyricist
2021 Qiz Comet 2 Writer, Executive Producer
2022 The Toontails: The Great Toon Caper Writer, Executive Producer, Lyricist
Return to Darktown Executive Producer
2025 Animaniacs Executive Producer

TV[]

Year Title Role
1978 Jana of the Jungle Animator
1978–1979 Godzilla
1979 The New Fred and Barney Show
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo
Casper and the Angels
Super Friends
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle Writer
1980 The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour
1980–1981 Sport Billy
1981 Hero High
The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!
Blackstar
1982 Flash Gordon
Gilligan's Planet
Shirt Tales
The Gary Coleman Show
1983 The Dukes
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
1983–1984 The New Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Show/The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries Developer, Writer, Story Editor, Co-Producer
1984 Challenge of the GoBots Story, Story Editor
Snorks Story
1985 The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo Developer, Story, Story Editor, Executive & Associate Producer
1985–1988 Yogi's Treasure Hunt Writer, Story Editor
1986–1987 Pound Puppies
1988 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Developer, Writer, Producer, Storyboard Artist, Title Card Designer, Lyricist, Story
1990–1992; 1994; 1995 Tiny Toon Adventures Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1991–1995 Taz-Mania Executive Producer, Developer
1991–2002 Tales in the Darktown Writer, Executive Producer
1992–1995 Batman: The Animated Series Writer, Executive Producer, Story, Story Editor
1992 The Plucky Duck Show Story, Writer, Producer
1993–1998 Animaniacs Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist, Voice Actor
1994–1998 Life n' Toons: The Series Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1995–1997 Freakazoid! Writer, Developer, Senior Producer
1995–1998 Pinky and the Brain Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1996–1997 Road Rovers Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Composer
1996–1999 Rocky and Bonnie: Master Detectives Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Senior Producer, Story Editor, Lyricist
1997–2001 WB Princess
1998–2000 Histeria! Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Character Designer, Lyricist
1999–2005 Qiz Comet Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, Character Designer
1998–1999 Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain Writer, Senior Producer
1999–2002 Hello, My Guest! Writer, Developer, Producer, Lyricist
2000–present The Toontails Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Executive Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
2000 Batman Beyond Story
2002–2005 Magic Rejects Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Executive Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
2002–present Animated Night Creator, Writer, Producer, Lyricist
2003–2007 Happy Dog & Smart Cat Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Executive Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
2004 Duck Dodgers Writer, Story (Episode: Of Course You Know, This Means War and Peace)
2004–2009 Two-Tone Town Writer, Developer, Executive Producer
2005 Loonatics Unleashed Creative Consultant
2005–2011 Animaniacs Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Executive Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
2006–2012 Amiya's Wicked Tales Writer, Developer, Executive Producer
2007–2014 Toon Festival Director, Producer, Writer, Voice Actor
2007 Sushi Pack Writer, Creator, Executive Producer
2007–2008 Animalia Developer, Story Editor, Executive Producer, Writer
2008–2015 Hello, Serenity! Executive Producer
2009–2014 The Angel Princess Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Executive Producer
2010; 2014; 2018 Nostalgia Critic Special Guest Star, Writer, Lyricist
2013 Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures Writer, Developer
2013–2018 Life in Toontown Executive Producer, Writer, Voice Actor
2014–2016 The 7D Executive Producer, Writer, Composer, Story
2018–2023 Qiz Comet Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
2019–2023 The Really Odd Adventures with Lana & Sarah
2020–2023 RandomToons: Tooning In! Director
2022–present Toon Toon: Toontails' Academy Years Creator, Writer, Story, Producer, Lyricist, Voice Actor
Licker's Nightly Talk Show
2023–present The Wacky World of Disney Developer, Writer, Story, Executive Producer
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