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Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo
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Gregg Vanzo is an American animator. He has worked on several shows, including The Simpsons and Futurama. He is also the founder of Rough Draft Studios.

Key Information

Career in television

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Gregg Vanzo began his career as an animator on Bill Kroyer's Technological Threat, Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories and key animator for the short Box Office Bunny before beginning work on The Simpsons in storyboards, directing, and layout artistry. From there, Vanzo became the overseas supervisor on The Critic. Vanzo went on to serve as animation executive producer for Futurama.

Rough Draft Studios

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Main article: Rough Draft Studios

In 1991, with his wife Nikki,[1] Gregg Vanzo founded Rough Draft Studios in Glendale, California. The studio has produced animation for such shows as The Simpsons, Futurama, Disenchantment, Drawn Together, The Ren & Stimpy Show, SpongeBob SquarePants, Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill, The Maxx, The Critic and many more.

Later, Rough Draft Studios opened a sister studio in Seoul, South Korea.

Directing credits

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The Simpsons episodes

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Futurama episodes

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supervising director for season 1

References

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Gregg Vanzo

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''Gregg Vanzo'' is an American animation director, producer, and animator known for his influential work on prominent animated television series, particularly as supervising director and animation executive producer on Futurama. Vanzo has held supervising director roles on several notable projects, including The Maxx, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Sit Down, Shut Up, while also directing numerous episodes of The Ren & Stimpy Show. His contributions extend to The Simpsons, where he directed episodes and served as sequence director on The Simpsons Movie, alongside animation oversight on series such as Disenchantment, Drawn Together, and various others. He has been a key animation executive producer on Futurama across its multiple seasons, direct-to-video films, and revivals, helping shape its distinctive style and enduring popularity. Vanzo's efforts on the series earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, along with additional nominations recognizing his production work. His career reflects extensive experience in animation supervision and production across major American animated programs.

Early life

Early years and entry into animation

Gregg Vanzo was born in Webster, New York. He studied illustration at Syracuse University and animation at the California Institute of the Arts. Vanzo began his professional work in animation in the mid-to-late 1980s. Early credits include an uncredited director role on My Little Pony: The Movie (1986). He subsequently worked as a character layout artist on the Fox animated series The Simpsons starting in 1989. This was among his significant early contributions to prime-time television animation production. Details on other influences or pre-1986 activities are not widely documented in available industry sources.

Career

Early animation work

Gregg Vanzo began his career in animation working in the animation department on the animated series The Simpsons starting in 1989. He contributed to 80 episodes from 1989 to 1993 in roles including main title animator, overseas animation director, and character layout artist. This position provided him with foundational experience in the production pipeline of prime-time animated television during the show's early seasons. Vanzo's work on The Simpsons helped him develop a detailed understanding of storyboarding, layout, and animation processes. This early role on The Simpsons served as a stepping stone, leading to greater responsibilities in the animation industry.

Involvement with The Simpsons

Gregg Vanzo contributed significantly to the early seasons of The Simpsons, working on 80 episodes from 1989 to 1993 in multiple animation roles. He served as a main title animator, overseas animation director, and character layout artist during this period, helping establish the show's distinctive visual style in its formative years. In 1990, Vanzo co-directed the season one episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home" with Kent Butterworth, marking his only directing credit on the series. He later returned to the franchise as a sequence director on The Simpsons Movie (2007), overseeing animation sequences for the feature film.

Supervising director on Futurama

Greg Vanzo served as supervising director on Futurama during the show's original run on Fox from 1999 to 2000, overseeing animation production for approximately 14 episodes (primarily season 1). In this role, he managed the animation teams at Rough Draft Studios Korea, ensuring consistency in character animation, timing, and visual style across episodes. He collaborated with executive producers and directors to implement the show's distinctive aesthetic, which combined exaggerated character designs with detailed background art and fluid movement sequences. His supervision focused on quality control, including approval of layouts, exposure sheets, and final animation checks to maintain the high production standards set for the series. Vanzo's tenure helped establish Futurama's signature look, influencing subsequent seasons and revivals. He occasionally directed individual episodes during this time, as detailed in the following section on directing credits.

Directing credits on Futurama

Gregg Vanzo received directing credits on three episodes of Futurama, all as co-director during the show's original run on Fox. He co-directed the series premiere "Space Pilot 3000" with Rich Moore. He also co-directed the season one episode "A Fishful of Dollars" with Ron Hughart. His third directing credit was on the season three episode "The Problem with Popplers," co-directed with Chris Sauvé. These remain his only listed directing credits for individual episodes of the series.

Later career and other projects

In the years following his key contributions to Futurama, Gregg Vanzo shifted toward executive production and supervisory roles in animation. He served as animation executive producer on the Netflix series Disenchantment from 2018 to 2023, spanning 36 episodes. Vanzo also held multiple positions on the Clash of Clans-inspired animated web series Clash-A-Rama! between 2014 and 2018, including supervising director on 18 episodes, art director on 20 episodes, and character designer on 34 episodes. Vanzo continued his association with Futurama as animation executive producer during its revival on Hulu beginning in 2023, with credits extending to 136 episodes of the series through 2025. His other later projects include serving as executive producer on the 2014 TV special How Murray Saved Christmas and as both character designer and executive producer on the 2013 TV short Coffin Dodgers.

Recognition

Industry impact and legacy

Gregg Vanzo's tenure as supervising director on Futurama helped maintain the series' distinctive visual aesthetic and high production standards across its original run from 1999 to 2003 and beyond. Through his leadership at Rough Draft Studios, which he founded in 1991, the show's animation achieved a fluid, detailed style that supported its blend of science fiction humor and character-driven storytelling, contributing to its enduring reputation in adult-oriented television animation. His oversight ensured consistency in character designs, background art, and overall animation quality during a period when adult animation was gaining prominence, with Rough Draft's involvement becoming synonymous with polished execution in the genre. Vanzo's work on the series was recognized with two Emmy Awards, reflecting the broader industry appreciation for the technical and artistic achievements he helped deliver. Vanzo's legacy extends through the establishment of Rough Draft Studios as a key player in outsourced and collaborative animation production, influencing subsequent projects in television and film by demonstrating the viability of high-quality international animation pipelines for American series.

Awards and nominations

Gregg Vanzo has earned recognition through nominations and shared awards for his contributions to animated television series, particularly in supervising and executive production roles. He received an individual nomination from the Annie Awards in 1995 for his work as supervising director on The Maxx. Vanzo shared in Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program as animation executive producer on Futurama. The series' production team, including Vanzo, won the award in 2011 (for the episode "The Late Philip J. Fry") and 2014 (for the episode "Meanwhile"). He was also part of the Futurama nominations in the same category in 2004 and 2012.
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