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Jim Reardon

Jim Reardon is an animator, , , and best known for his extensive work in television animation on and his contributions to major feature films at and . Reardon began his career as a student at the , where he created the cult classic short film Bring Me the Head of in 1986, a satirical parody of the specials that gained renewed popularity online. Following graduation, he wrote for the animated series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures from 1987 to 1988 and contributed scripts to the first season of in 1990. In 1990, Reardon joined the production team of as a , eventually rising to supervising director and helming over 30 episodes during his 14-year tenure, including iconic segments like the "Steamed Hams" sequence from the 1996 episode "." His direction emphasized faithful adaptation of scripts while enhancing visual storytelling, contributing to the show's golden era of creativity. Transitioning to feature animation in 2004, Reardon joined Pixar Animation Studios as Head of Story, where he co-wrote the screenplay for (2008) alongside director , focusing on visual narrative and character development in a largely dialogue-free story. He later moved to Walt Disney Animation Studios, serving as Head of Story on (2012) and (2018), and as a writer and Head of Story for (2016), overseeing storyboarding, revisions, and team collaboration on these blockbuster films.

Early life and education

Early life

Jim Reardon grew up in the coastal town of , where the local environment of beaches and small-town life shaped his early years. He faced hardship early on when his father died while he was still young, prompting Reardon to take on odd jobs to help support his mother and two younger siblings; these included extra shifts at a local attraction to make ends meet. As an introverted teenager at Seaside High School, Reardon found solace in , spending much of his free time sketching impressive cartoons that hinted at his burgeoning interest in , influenced by his personal circumstances and the creative outlets available in his community. He graduated from Seaside High School in , receiving encouragement from teachers like art instructor Sandra Wentzel and business teacher Harvey Lerner, who recognized his talent and guided his next steps.

Education

Reardon attended the (CalArts), where he earned a (BFA) degree in in 1987. During his time as a student, Reardon created the animated short film Bring Me the Head of in 1986, a satirical parody of Charles M. Schulz's characters that reimagines as a fugitive in a violent, Western-style bounty hunt. The film has since gained recognition as a for its irreverent humor and bold animation style. Reardon's education at CalArts exposed him to techniques, including innovative character design and storytelling methods that emphasized personal voice over conventional narratives, shaping his distinctive directing approach. The program's mentors, drawn from industry veterans, encouraged students to push boundaries in , influencing Reardon's satirical and dynamic visual style evident in his later work.

Career

Early career

Following his graduation from the in 1987 with a degree, Jim Reardon entered the professional animation industry. His first major role came on the CBS animated series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (1987–1988), where he served as a writer under the supervision of . This position marked Reardon's initial foray into television animation, contributing to the show's revival of the classic character through dynamic visual sequences. Reardon continued building his experience in the late and early with contributions to ' Tiny Toon Adventures (1990–1992), a satirical series featuring young versions of classic characters. In this project, he worked as a writer and story editor, helping to craft episodic narratives that parodied tropes while maintaining fast-paced, humorous storytelling. These roles honed his foundational abilities in visual layout and script development for episodic formats. Through his early television work on these series, Reardon developed key skills in character design and episodic storytelling, emphasizing expressive animation and concise narrative structures suited to half-hour broadcasts. His involvement in both animation production and pre-production planning during this period laid the groundwork for more advanced directing responsibilities in subsequent projects.

The Simpsons

Jim Reardon joined the production team of The Simpsons in 1990 as a director and storyboard artist, marking the beginning of his extensive involvement with the series. His debut as a director came with the season 2 episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge," which aired on December 20, 1990, and explored themes of media censorship through Marge's campaign against cartoon violence. Over the next several years, Reardon directed more than 30 episodes, focusing heavily on seasons 2 through 8, where he helmed standalone stories and holiday specials that showcased the show's evolving ensemble dynamics. Notable examples include "Homer at the Bat" from season 3, featuring celebrity athletes in a softball league parodying sports culture; "Mr. Plow" from season 4, satirizing Homer's entrepreneurial failures; and "Homer the Great" from season 6, which lampooned secret societies and fraternal orders. From 1997 to 2004, corresponding to seasons 9 through 15, Reardon took on the role of supervising , guiding the overall direction and consistency across the series while continuing to direct select episodes. In this capacity, he ensured visual storytelling aligned with the writers' satirical intent, such as in season 10's "," where the family's chaotic trip to mocked cultural stereotypes and tourist mishaps. His supervision helped maintain the show's kinetic pacing during a period of expanding episode formats, including multi-segment stories like season 15's "Simple Simpson," his final directed episode. Reardon's contributions extended to innovative animation techniques tailored to ' satirical humor, often blending exaggerated visuals with subtle character-driven comedy. In directing "Mr. Plow," for example, he drew from classic horror films like The Wolf Man to craft Barney Gumble's drunken transformation into the Plow King, employing slow cross-dissolves and intentional "imperfect" frame registrations to heighten the absurdity and mimic low-budget effects for comedic irony. This approach exemplified his collaborative process with writers and animators, where he balanced serious narrative beats—such as Homer's business rivalry—with layered visual gags to underscore the show's critique of American consumerism and personal folly, refining the series' signature blend of and .

Feature films at Pixar and Disney

After establishing himself in television animation, Jim Reardon transitioned to feature films by joining Animation Studios, where he contributed to narrative development in longer-form , marking a shift from episodic structures to expansive sci-fi and adventure narratives. Reardon's first major feature credit came with the 2008 film , for which he co-wrote the screenplay alongside director , adapting an original story by Stanton and into a dialogue-minimal sci-fi romance centered on environmental themes and companionship. His contributions included the key idea of WALL-E discovering a copy of the musical Hello, Dolly!, which integrated songs like "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" to convey the protagonist's emotions and advance the love story without relying on spoken words. As storyboard supervisor, Reardon also oversaw the visual team, ensuring the film's wordless opening sequences effectively built tension through action and arcs typical of sci-fi exploration genres. Following , Reardon moved to , taking on expanded leadership roles that emphasized character-driven adventures. For (2012), he served as head of , contributing to the with director and Phil Johnston, shaping the narrative around a villain's quest for heroism in a of worlds, focusing on themes of identity and redemption within an adventure framework. In this capacity, Reardon managed a of story artists to refine the —setup in the game console, confrontation across digital realms, and resolution through —while incorporating humor from tropes. Reardon's role evolved further as co-head of story and story writer for (2016), where he collaborated with directors and to craft a buddy-cop adventure narrative exploring prejudice and diversity in an anthropomorphic animal society. He guided the department in developing the film's intricate world-building and plot twists, such as the reveal, to maintain pacing and emotional depth in the adventure genre, drawing on his experience to balance ensemble dynamics with personal growth arcs. Returning to the Wreck-It Ralph franchise, Reardon acted as director of story and story writer for Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), overseeing narrative revisions to depict Ralph's journey into the online world as a metaphor for friendship and change in a sequel adventure. His leadership involved multiple reel overhauls and 154 storyboarded sequences, prioritizing a three-act progression that tested the protagonists' bond amid digital chaos, while avoiding repetition from the original by deepening character needs and thematic resonance. This work highlighted Reardon's expertise in evolving episodic TV sensibilities—honed on The Simpsons—into cohesive feature-length narratives that blend sci-fi elements with adventurous spectacle.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Jim Reardon earned his sole Academy Award nomination for co-writing the screenplay for the 2008 Pixar film , shared with director , in the Best Original Screenplay category at the held on February 22, 2009. The script, adapted from an original story by Stanton and , was one of five nominees and marked 's fifth such recognition for an animated feature. The nomination highlighted the screenplay's integration of pressing environmental themes, portraying a desolate overwhelmed by waste from excessive and corporate overreach, which serves as a on and the need for . Its innovative storytelling further contributed to the acclaim, employing sparse dialogue—limited to robotic beeps and sounds in much of the film—and Chaplinesque visual humor to convey a poignant romance between two robots, relying on detailed stage directions and non-verbal actions to build emotional depth. This unconventional approach made WALL-E the only studio-backed entry among the nominees, emphasizing its bold departure from typical narrative conventions. The recognition bolstered Reardon's standing in the animation industry, affirming the of animated and challenging perceptions that it is inherently inferior to live-action work, while showcasing his expertise in visual narrative techniques during his tenure as head of story at .

Television and animation awards

Reardon earned acclaim for his television directing on , contributing to multiple Primetime Emmy wins for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour). As supervising , he was part of the team that won in 2004 for the episode "," produced by FOX and in association with 20th Century Fox Television. His earlier work as also aligned with Emmy victories, including 1995 for "" and 1998 for "," where he helmed the episode's visual storytelling. Overall, Reardon shares credit for five such across his tenure on the series. Reardon shared the 2009 Nebula Award for Best Script with and for WALL-E. In addition to Emmy recognition, Reardon's direction of "Trash of the Titans" garnered the 1998 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production, presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood. This honor highlighted his skill in blending sharp animation timing with narrative pacing in episodic television. No other individual television directing awards, such as or Online Film & Television Association honors, were documented for his Simpsons contributions.

References

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