Darrell Van Citters

Darrell Van Citters
Darrell Van Citters
Born	October 29, 1956 (age 67); Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Directing Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi & Looney Tunes

Darrell Van Citters (born October 29, 1956) is an American director, animator, and author, whose credits include directing the animated television series Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and directing popular Looney Tunes cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety, and Foghorn Leghorn.^[1] He partnered with Ashley Postelwaite in 1992 to form Renegade Animation. He studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts.^[2]

Early career

Darrell Van Citters began his career in animation training at the prestigious

Filmation Studios

.

Walt Disney Animation Studios years

After graduating, he went straight into the animation business and started at the

Soccermania

in 1987.

Warner Bros. Animation years

Van Citters moved to

Box Office Bunny was produced and released with the Warner Bros. feature film, The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter

.

While with Warner Bros., when Mel Blanc died in July 1989, Van Citters drew the famous "Speechless" drawing, which showed a spotlight on a microphone, as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, and Foghorn Leghorn somberly bowed their heads in a moment of silence.^[3]

Renegade Animation years

In July 1992, Van Citters left Warner Bros. to strike out on his own, forming

Carl's Jr., and the Bugs Bunny/Michael Jordan "Hare Jordan/Aerospace Jordan" commercials (although, technically, the first Hare Jordan spot was produced while he was still with Warner Bros.).^[4]

Craving creative freedom and control, Darrell steered Renegade to be one of the pioneers in internet animation and won an

HBO Max.^[5]