Robert Alvarez

Robert James Alvarez is an American retired animator, storyboard artist, television director, and writer. Alvarez studied at the Chouinard Art Institute, which later became the California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 1971. He began his career as an assistant animator for the 1968 film Yellow Submarine.

Throughout his five decades in the animation industry, Alvarez developed an extensive resume. He worked on hundreds of productions, mainly for television. He is best known for his work on multiple shows at Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network Studios, and has also worked at other animation studios, such as Disney Television Animation, Nickelodeon, Frederator Studios, and Warner Bros. Animation. His studio credits include, in chronological order, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DuckTales, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, Animaniacs, Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Ben 10, Regular Show, and Adventure Time. He has been awarded six Primetime Emmy Awards and a total of 25 Emmy nominations for his achievements.

Career Alvarez began his career as an assistant animator for the 1968 film Yellow Submarine starring The Beatles. Since then, he has worked on many animated television series, including Super Friends, The Smurfs, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Regular Show. He also created and wrote two animated pilots, Pizza Boy in "No Tip" and Tumbleweed Tex in "School Daze", for Hanna-Barbera's cartoon shorts showcase What a Cartoon! in 1996.

Accolades Alvarez has received 6 Primetime Emmy Awards, 9 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and 1 Daytime Emmy Award nomination. His first nomination came in 1994 in the category Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or Less) for directing The Town Santa Forgot. In 2000 and 2001, he received two more nominations for his work on The Powerpuff Girls, also receiving one in 2004 for The Powerpuff Girls special "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas". Alvarez won two Primetime Emmys for his work on the Genndy Tartakovsky series Star Wars: Clone Wars and a third for Samurai Jack. In 2006, he garnered one nomination for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and another for the My Life as a Teenage Robot special Escape from Cluster Prime. One more Foster's nomination followed in 2007 for the episode "Good Wilt Hunting" before he would win a Primetime Emmy for the show, which was for the special Destination: Imagination in 2009. In 2010, he was nominated for the animated short Uncle Grandpa in the category Outstanding Short-format Animated Program. Alvarez received a Primetime Emmy award for Regular Show in 2012, which he also was nominated for in 2011. His Daytime Emmy nomination was in 2007 for The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy in the category Outstanding Broadband Program — Children's.

Personal life Alvarez attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, from 1962 to 1966. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in animation from the Chouinard Art Institute (now the California Institute of the Arts), which he completed in 1971.

Alvarez retired in August 2023 "due to the changing animation industry and health issues."

Filmography Television Year Title Notes1968The Banana Splitsin-betweener 1969 Winky Dink and You background artist 1978 Challenge of the Superfriends animator Galaxy Goof-Ups Yogi's Space Race 1979 Casper and the Angels The New Shmoo The Super Globetrotters animator/layout artist Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo animator 1980 The Flintstone Comedy Show The World's Greatest SuperFriends 1980–1981 The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang 1981 Super Friends Trollkins 1981–1988 The Smurfs animator/animation director 1982 Pac-Man animator 1983 The Christmas Tree Train lead animator He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animator The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show The Smurfs Christmas Special 1984 Pole Position sheet timer Snorks animation director 1985 Galtar and the Golden Lance The Jetsons animator Kidd Video sheet timer Pound Puppies animation director Rainbow Brite sheet timer Robotman & Friends The Turkey Caper animator Yogi's Treasure Hunt animation director The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo animator 1985–1986 Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling sheet timer Paw Paws animator 1986 Ghostbusters G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero sequence director 1986–1987 She-Ra: Princess of Power animator 1986–1989 The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible 1987 The Little Clowns of Happytown sequence director Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light sheet timer 1987–1988 BraveStarr animator 1988 The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley animation director Denver, the Last Dinosaur sheet timer Dino-Riders animation director The Flintstone Kids' "Just Say No" Special Gumby Adventures The New Yogi Bear Show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 1989 Camp Candy animation timer/storyboard timer Dixie's Diner animation director The Further Adventures of SuperTed Vytor: The Starfire Champion sheet timer 1989–1990 DuckTales timing director The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 1990 Adventures of the Gummi Bears animation director Gravedale High Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures Tom & Jerry Kids 1990–1991 The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda Timeless Tales from Hallmark 1991 The Pirates of Dark Water 1992 The Addams Family 1992–1995 Capitol Critters 1993 The Addams Family Droopy, Master Detective 2 Stupid Dogs 1993–1994 Captain Planet and the Planeteers 1993–1995 SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron 1995 Dumb and Dumber 1995–1997 What a Cartoon! 1995–1996 The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat 1996 Animaniacs sheet timer/slugging Pinky and the Brain sheet timer 1996–2003 Dexter's Laboratory animation director 1996–1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest animation timer 1996–2000 The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries timing director 1997–2004 Johnny Bravo animation director 1998–1999 Cow and Chicken Histeria! sheet timing I Am Weasel animation director 1998–2004 The Powerpuff Girls 2000–2001 Cartoon Cartoon Fridays The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy 2001–2017 Samurai Jack animation director/sheet timer 2001 Ferret and Parrot sheet timer IMP, Inc. 2002–2006 My Life as a Teenage Robot 2002 Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones? 2002–2003 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law director 2002–2007 Codename: Kids Next Door timing director 2001–2003 Evil Con Carne animation director 2003–2005 Alex Adventure sheet timer Star Wars: Clone Wars sheet timer 2004–2009 Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends animation director 2005 Robotboy sheet timer 2006 Korgoth of Barbaria Ben 10 Legion of Super Heroes 2006–2008 My Gym Partner's a Monkey 2007 The Grim Adventures of the KND Random! Cartoons 2008 Underfist: Halloween Bash The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!! 2008–2009 Chowder animation director/sheet timer 2008–2010 The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack sheet timer 2009 Ben 10: Alien Force 2010–2011 The Mighty B! 2010–2013 Generator Rex supervising animation director 2009–2017 Regular Show animation director 2010–2011 Sym-Bionic Titan animation director/sheet timer 2011–2012 Secret Mountain Fort Awesome animation director 2012–2014 Ben 10: Omniverse sheet timer 2013–2017 Uncle Grandpa animation director 2013 OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes timing director (pilot only) Paranormal Roommates timing director 2013–2014 Over the Garden Wall 2014 AJ's Infinite Summer Back to Backspace Clarence The Team Unicorn Saturday Action Fun Hour! 2014–2015 Mixels 2015–2019 We Bare Bears animation director 2015 Long Live the Royals timing director Ridin' with Burgess Twelve Forever timing director (pilot only) 2016–2018 The Powerpuff Girls animation director 2016 Bottom's Butte Victor and Valentino animation director (pilot only) 2017 Craig of the Creek Summer Camp Island Tiggle Winks animation director 2018 Adventure Time sheet timer 2019 Infinity Train supervising animation director

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