2019 in animation

• March 8: Following the release of the controversial 2019 documentary film Leaving Neverland, which details allegations against the late pop singer Michael Jackson of child sexual assault, The Simpsons producer James L. Brooks announces that the Simpsons episode "Stark Raving Dad", which guest starred Jackson, will be pulled from circulation.^[6] He explains to The Wall Street Journal: "This was a treasured episode. There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one, and this certainly doesn't allow them to remain. I'm against book-burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we're allowed to take out a chapter."^[6] Simpsons showrunner Al Jean says he believed Jackson had used the episode to groom boys for sexual abuse.^[7]
• March 9: The first season of Big City Greens concludes on Disney Channel.
• March 18: The first episode of 101 Dalmatian Street is broadcast.^[8] It is the second television show based on the 101 Dalmatians franchise, following 101 Dalmatians: The Series from 1997.
• March 20: The soundtrack of Schoolhouse Rock! is added to the National Recording Registry.^[9]

April

• April 1: Anime series adaptation of Ultraman premiered on Netflix.
• April 17: Anime-inspired music video for "
  Billie Eillish, was released on YouTube. It was directed and animated by Takashi Murakami
  .
• April 26: The second season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power premiered on Netflix.
• April 28: The Simpsons episode "D'oh Canada" premieres, where the family travels to Canada. The episode caused controversy among New Yorkers because of a satirical parody song mocking the city.^[10]

May

• May 13: The Arthur 22nd-season episode "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" premieres.^[11] The episode was banned in Alabama and Arkansas for its showcase of same-sex marriage in a children's program.^[12] Yet, it was praised by GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming.
• May 23: Music video for "Starlight Brigade", by TWRP featuring Dan Avidan, was released on YouTube.

June

• June 1 - Elena of Avalor ended its second season on Disney Junior.
• June 14: Particular Crowd's Spycies premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
• June 17: The first episode of Amphibia is broadcast to positive reviews.^[13]
• June 24: The final episode of the original The Amazing World of Gumball series, "The Inquisition", premieres to mixed reviews due to the series ending on an unresolved cliffhanger. However, a feature film based on the series was announced in 2021.

July

• July 1: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart premiered on Cartoon Network.
• July 12:
  • SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates its 20th anniversary with a television special titled SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout premiering on Nickelodeon to positive reviews.
• July 16: The final episode of The Powerpuff Girls reboot airs, as the series ended quickly after 3 seasons since it was poorly received by fans of the original 1998 series.^[14][15]
• July 18:
  • An arson attack at the Japanese studio Kyoto Animation results in 36 deaths and 33 injuries.^[16] The arson is one of the deadliest in Japanese history since the end of World War II;^[17] a majority of the victims are women.^[18] Among the victims are director Yasuhiro Takemoto, character designer Futoshi Nishiya, animator Yoshiji Kigami, and color designer Naomi Ishida.^{[19][20][21][22][23]} The late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expresses his condolences, as do other world leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres.^[24][25][26] An outpouring of support for the victims and their families results in more than $30 million in donations from domestic Japanese sources, with an estimated additional $2.3 million in donations from international donors.^[27][28]
  • The season 1 finale of Amphibia, titled "Reunion", premieres to critical acclaim.
• July 19:
  • Molly of Denali premieres on PBS Kids to high acclaim. It is the first children's animated series with an Alaska Native as the lead character.^[29]
  • The Lion King remake, produced by Fairview Entertainment, is released to theaters with mixed reviews from critics. It is currently the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

August

• August 2: The third season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is released on Netflix.
• August 9: Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, a revival movie based on Rocko's Modern Life, premiered on Netflix to critical acclaim.
• August 14: The Angry Birds Movie 2 is released. It is the highest-rated animated film based on a video game, with a 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• August 16: Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, a revival movie based on Invader Zim, premiered on Netflix to high critical acclaim, with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

September

• September 2: Steven Universe: The Movie, a sequel television musical film based on Steven Universe, premiered on Cartoon Network.
• September 21: The
  fanfiction" before quickly replacing it with Squidward as an infant for subsequent runs.^[30]
• September 27:
  • Dragons: Rescue Riders premiered on Netflix.
  • The 5th season of Bubble Guppies premiered on Nickelodeon almost 3 years after the finale of the show's original run.

• February 6: Trista H. Navarro, American production manager (The Simpsons, The Simpsons Movie), dies at age 43.
• February 7: Ted Stearn, American comic book artist, animator, storyboard artist (
  Animals.) and director (Daria, Beavis and Butt-Head), dies from AIDS at age 58.^[53]
• February 9:
  • Ron W. Miller, American businessman, film producer, football player and president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company from 1978 to 1984, dies at age 85.^[54]
  • The Moon Man), dies at age 87.^[55]
  • C. Raggio IV, American character designer (Cartoon Network Studios, The Mighty B!, Disney Television Animation) and storyboard artist (The Replacements, Illumination, The Angry Birds Movie 2), dies from blunt trauma at age 40.^[56]
• February 15:
  • Werner Hierl, German comics artist (Rolf Kauka), and animator (Bavaria Film), dies at age 88 or 89.^[57]
  • Dave Smith, American archivist (founder of the Walt Disney Archives) and author (Disney A to Z), dies at age 78.^[58][59]
• February 21: Antonia Rey, Cuban-born American actress (portrayed Assunta Bianchi in Happy!, voice of Abuela and Wizzles in Dora the Explorer, additional voices in Courage the Cowardly Dog), dies at age 92.^[60]
• February 23: Katherine Helmond, American actress (voice of Lizzie in the Cars franchise, Connie Stromwell in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "It's Never Too Late", Dugong in The Wild Thornberrys episode "Reef Grief"), dies at age 89.^[61][62][63]
• February 28: Aron Tager, American actor (voice of Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Country, King Allfire in Blazing Dragons, additional voices in The Busy World of Richard Scarry and The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police), dies at age 84.^[64]

March

• March 4:
  The Story on Page One", and the Johnny Bravo episode "Luke Perry's Guide to Love"), dies from a stroke at age 52.^[65][66]
• March 7: Rosto, Dutch animator and film director (The Monster of Nix, No Place Like Home, Lonely Bones, Splintertime), dies at age 50.^[67]
• March 16:
  • Tom Hatten, American cartoonist, TV presenter (host of The Popeye Show) and actor (voice of Farmer Fitzgibbons in The Secret of NIMH), dies at age 92.^[68]
  • Beast Wars), dies at age 79.^[69]
• March 28:
  Rankin/Bass), dies at age 95.^[70]
• March 31: Don Morgan, American animator (
  Bakshi Animation, Hanna-Barbera) and comics artist, dies at age 80.^[71]

• April 7: Seymour Cassel, American actor (voice of Chuck Sirianni in the Justice League Unlimited episode "I Am Legion", Man in Panda Suit in the Gary the Rat episode "Manratten"), dies at age 84.^[72]
• April 11: Monkey Punch, Japanese manga artist (creator of Lupin III), dies at age 81.^{[73][74][75][76]}
• April 12: Georgia Engel, American actress (voice of Love-a-Lot Bear in The Care Bears Movie, Bobbie in the Open Season franchise, Evelyn in Hercules, Willow Song in The Magic of Herself the Elf, Old Woman in the Hey Arnold! episode "Bag of Money", Rose in the Unsupervised episode "Youngbloods"), dies at age 70.^{[77][78][79][80]}
• April 23:
  Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), dies at age 88.^[81][82][83]
• April 28: Bruce Bickford, American animator (made the surreal clay-animated sequences in Frank Zappa's concert films The Dub Room Special, Baby Snakes and The Amazing Mr. Bickford), dies at age 72.^[84]
• April 30: Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (voice of Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Clone Wars), dies at age 74.^[85]

May

• May 2:
  Universal Cartoon Studios, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Dilbert, Cartoon Network Studios, DreamWorks Animation, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, The Ricky Gervais Show, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Tron: Uprising, The Mighty Ones), character designer (Wander Over Yonder, Samurai Jack), background artist (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Mickey Mouse), graphic designer, musician, writer (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Cartoon Network Studios, SpongeBob SquarePants, Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer), director (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!) and producer (Regular Show), dies from a heart attack at age 54.^[86]
• May 13: Hu Jinqing, Chinese animator and director (The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam, Calabash Brothers), dies at age 83.^[87]
• May 14: Tim Conway, American actor and comedian (voice of Barnacle Boy in SpongeBob SquarePants, himself in The Simpsons episode "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" and The New Scooby-Doo Movies episode "The Spirit Spooked Sports Show"), dies at age 85.^[88]
• May 22: Flaminia Jandolo, Italian voice actress (dub voice of Lady in Lady and the Tramp, Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty and Perdita in One Hundred and One Dalmatians), dies at age 89.^[89]
• May 30: Milan Blažeković, Croatian animator (The Elm-Chanted Forest, The Magician's Hat, Lapitch the Little Shoemaker), dies at age 78.^[90]

June

• June 6: Dr. John, American singer and songwriter (voice of The Sun in Whoopi's Littleburg, performed the theme songs of Whoopi's Littleburg and Curious George, and "Down in New Orleans" in The Princess and the Frog), dies from a heart attack at age 77.^[91]
• June 7: Nonnie Griffin, Canadian actress (voice of Funshine Bear in Care Bears, Harmony Bear in Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation, Shadu in Ewoks, Pepper Potts, Black Widow, and Enchantress in The Marvel Super Heroes), dies at age 85.^[92]
• June 18: Milton Quon, American animator (Walt Disney Animation Studios), artist and actor, dies at age 105.^[93][94]
• June 28: Kaj Pindal, Danish-Canadian comics artist and animator (What on Earth!, Peep and the Big Wide World), dies at age 91.^[95]
• June 30: Guillermo Mordillo, Argentine cartoonist and animator (Estudios Galas, produced animated shorts based on his cartoons), dies at age 86.^[96]

July

• July 1: Dennis Snee, American screenwriter (wrote The Simpsons episode "Special Edna"), dies at age 68.
• July 3: Arte Johnson, American comic actor (voice of Tyrone in Baggy Pants and the Nitwits, Farquad and Skull Ghost in Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, Devil Smurf in The Smurfs, Weerd in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Count Ray and Dr. Ludwig von Strangeduck in DuckTales, Newt in Animaniacs, Virman Vundabar in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Ties That Bind"), dies at age 90.^[97]
• July 7: Cameron Boyce, American actor (voice of Jake in seasons 2-3 of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Carlos in Descendants: Wicked World, Luke Ross in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Halloween Night at the Museum", Shocker in the Spider-Man episode "Osborn Academy"), dies at age 20.^{[98][99][100][101][102][103][104]}
• July 9:
  • Freddie Jones, English actor (voice of Dallben in The Black Cauldron), dies at age 91.^{[105][106][107][108]}
  • Rip Torn, American actor (voice of Zeus in the Hercules franchise, Lou De Luca in Bee Movie, M in the TripTank episode "#InsideRoy"), dies from complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 88.^{[109][110][111][112]}
• July 11: Pepita Pardell, Spanish animator, cartoonist, illustrator and painter (worked for Balet y Blay), dies at age 91.^[113]
• July 18:
  • Naomi Ishida, Japanese color designer (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, A Silent Voice) and member of Kyoto Animation, dies at age 49 in the Kyoto Animation arson attack.^[22]
  • Yoshiji Kigami, Japanese director (MUNTO), animator (Akira, A Silent Voice), and member of Kyoto Animation, dies at age 61 in the Kyoto Animation arson attack.^[23]
  • Clannad, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), and member of Kyoto Animation, dies at age 37 in the Kyoto Animation arson attack.^[23]
  • Yasuhiro Takemoto, Japanese director (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Hyouka) and member of Kyoto Animation, dies at age 47 in the Kyoto Animation arson attack.^[19][20][21]
• July 23:
  Gundam SEED, Goten in the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z, Orko and Mekaneck in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Spinner Cortez in Hot Wheels Battle Force 5), dies at age 47.^[114]
• July 26:
  Widget the World Watcher, Ferny Toro and Annie Winks in Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, young Donald Duck in the DuckTales episode "Last Christmas!", continued voice of Minnie Mouse and Pebbles Flintstone), dies at age 75.^[115]
• July 29: Daniele Fagarazzi, AKA Dani, Italian animator and comic artist (worked on Arrivano i Putti-Potti), dies at age 54.[116]

August

• August 4: Stu Rosen, American voice director and actor (Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, The Legend of Prince Valiant, Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series), dies at age 80.^[117]
• August 16: Richard Williams, Canadian-English animator and director (The Thief and the Cobbler, directed the animated scenes in What's New Pussycat?, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Casino Royale, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?, The Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Who Framed Roger Rabbit), dies at age 86.^[118]
• August 21: Richard Trueblood, American animator (
  A Family Circus Christmas, Filmation), storyboard artist (Maxie's World, Goof Troop, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bonkers), sheet timer (Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, Disney Television Animation, DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Animaniacs, DIC Entertainment, The Incredible Hulk, Adelaide Productions, All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series, Histeria!, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, The Wild Thornberrys, The New Woody Woodpecker Show, The Oblongs, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Clifford's Really Big Movie), producer (Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Space Cats, Bonkers, Fantastic Four) and director (Filmation, Garbage Pail Kids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Disney Television Animation, Biker Mice from Mars, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Dexter's Laboratory
  ), dies at age 78.
• August 22: Dwi Koendoro, Indonesian comics artist, animator (made an animated series based on his comics series Legenda Sawung Kampret) and film producer (head of Indonesian Animation Association), dies at age 78.[119]
• August 27: Pedro Bell, American illustrator, animator and comics artist (once made an animated short starring his character Larry Lazer), dies at age 69.^[120]
• August 30:
  • Valerie Harper, American actress (voice of various characters in The Simpsons, Townspeople in the Sorcerous Stabber Orphen episode "The Sword of Baltanders", Maryellen and Librarian in the As Told by Ginger episode "The Wedding Frame", IHOP Diner in the American Dad! episode "Cock of the Sleepwalk", additional voices in Generator Gawl), dies from lung cancer at age 80.^[121]
  • Gordon Bressack, American television producer and writer (Hanna-Barbera, Bionic Six, DuckTales, DIC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Darkwing Duck, Mighty Max, Fat Dog Mendoza, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, WordGirl, The Twisted Whiskers Show, Octonauts, creator of Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys), dies at age 68.^[122]
• August 31: Michael Lindsay, American voice actor (voice of Kisuke Urahara in Bleach, Bobby in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, episode "Whatever Happened to Billy Whatsisname?", Cop in Squirrel Boy, Shinichiro Tamaki in Code Geass), dies at age 56.^[64]

September

• September 4:
  • Dai Tielang, Singaporean-Chinese animator and film director (Black Cat Detective, A Deer of Nine Colors, Where is Mama), dies at age 88.^[123]
  • Ernie Elicanal, American animator and storyboard artist (Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf, The Rugrats Movie, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Tutenstein, The Simpsons Movie, The Simpsons), dies at an unknown age.
• September 7: Robert Axelrod, American actor (voice of Lord Zedd and Finster in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Microchip in Spider-Man, Wizardmon and Vademon in Digimon: Digital Monsters), dies at age 70.^[124]
• September 13:
  Enrique-cilable Differences"), dies from esophageal cancer at age 70.^[125]
• September 22: J. Michael Mendel, American television producer (The Simpsons, The Critic, The PJs, The Oblongs, Kid Notorious, Drawn Together, Lil' Bush, Sit Down, Shut Up, Good Vibes, Napoleon Dynamite, Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), dies at age 54.^[126]
• September 30: Marshall Efron, American actor (voice of Ratso in The Kwicky Koala Show, Sloppy Smurf in The Smurfs, Mooch in The Biskitts, Fat Cat in Kidd Video, Stanley in Fluppy Dogs, Hun-Gurrr in The Transformers, Deputroll Flake in Trollkins, Synonamess Botch in Twice Upon a Time, the Earl of Sandwich in the Time Squad episode "A Sandwich by Any Other Name"), dies at age 81.^[127]

October

• October 2: Alan Zaslove, American animator and animation producer (UPA, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney Animation Studios), dies at age 91.^[128]
• October 6:
  Here Comes The Grump, Gene the Genie in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Larry in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "Anger Management", Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, and Captain Kiddie in Tom and Jerry: The Movie), dies at age 88.^{[129][130][131][132][133]} His ashes were scattered at sea in Hawaii.^[131]
• October 11:
  • Robert Forster, American actor (voice of Major Forsberg in Todd McFarlane's Spawn, The President in Justice League Unlimited, Jack J. Kurtzman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Chapman and Police Officer in the Godzilla: The Series episode "Wedding Bells Blew", Lucky Jim in The Simpsons episode "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes", General Bryce in the Transformers: Prime episode "Grill"), dies from brain cancer at age 78.^[134]
  • Ram Mohan, Indian animator (You Said It, Fire Games), director (co-director of Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, Meena) and animation producer (Ram Mohan Biographics), dies at age 88.^[135]
• October 21: Bengt Feldreich, Swedish television presentator, journalist and voice actor (the narrator in From All of Us to All of You), dies at age 94.^[136]
• October 22: Craig Gardner, American background artist (Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, Mega Man, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Darkstalkers, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, RoboCop: Alpha Commando, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Ozzy & Drix, Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry), dies at an unknown age.
• October 26: Robert Evans, American film producer, studio executive and actor (co-creator, producer and voice of the title character in Kid Notorious, himself in The Simpsons episode "Kill the Alligator and Run"), dies at age 89.^[137]
• October 29:
  The Boondocks, S. Ward Smith in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Scofflaw in the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "The Prince and the Pauper", Wayne in the Kim Possible episode "Rewriting History", Jimmy in the Animals episode "Squirrels", Franco Aplenty in the BoJack Horseman episode "Surprise"), dies from a heart attack at age 77.^[138][139]

• November 5: Laurel Griggs, American child actress (voice of Stella, Crab Sprout 1 & 2 and Crab Kid in Bubble Guppies), dies from an asthma attack at age 13.^{[140][141][142]}

December

• December 6: Ron Leibman, American actor (voice of Ron Cadillac in Archer, Rabbi in the Rugrats episode "Chanukah", Geofredo in the Duckman episode "Papa Oom M.O.W. M.O.W."), dies from pneumonia at age 82.^[143]
• December 8:
  • Pepe Le Pew in The Looney Tunes Show, Odo in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story), dies from lung cancer at age 79.^[144]
  • Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer (Sesame Street), voice actor, comics artist and animator (Crazy Crayons), dies at age 85.^{[145][146][147]}
• December 12: Albert Jelenic, Croatian-born American voice actor and father of Michael Jelenic (voiced himself in the Teen Titans Go! episodes "The Self-Indulgent 200th Episode Spectacular", "The Power of Shrimps", and "Where Exactly on the Globe Is Carl Sanpedro"), dies at age 75.
• December 14: Lord Tim Hudson, English DJ and voice actor (voice of Dizzy in The Jungle Book, Hit Cat in The Aristocats), dies at age 79.^[148]
• December 25:
  • Patricia Alice Albrecht, American actress, writer and poet (voice of Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor in Jem), dies at age 66.^[149]
  • Lee Mendelson, American animation producer (Peanuts, Here Comes Garfield, Garfield on the Town, The Romance of Betty Boop, Garfield and Friends), dies from lung cancer at age 86.^[150]
• December 27:
  Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington"), dies at age 88.^[151]

• 2019 in anime
• List of animated television series of 2019

Notes

References