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Aaron Paul Springer (born September 5, 1973 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is, in the words of his former employer John Kricfalusi, a magical munchkin from another land.
He also happens to be a cartoonist, animator, writer, storyboard artist and director, widely considered one of the finest and most inventive gagmen working in the animation business today.
A graduate of the prestigious California Institute of the Arts, Springer got his start working as an animator at John K's studio Spumco, and was involved in the company's early forays in Flash animation. Springer's big break arguably came when he was picked up by Nickelodeon to write and storyboard for Spongebob Squarepants, a job that he held onto for 7 seasons and two theatrical movies, helping to write many fan favourites in the process. This has lead to a series of high-profile writing and directing gigs on shows such as Samurai Jack, Gravity Falls, Wander over Yonder and The New '10s run of Mickey Mouse shorts.
Yet despite his impressive track record, Springer has endured many instances of being Screwed by the Network when attempting to develop his own projects. In 2006, Springer created a pilot for [adult swim] entitled Korgoth of Barbaria, which was critically acclaimed and attaining a loyal following. However, CartoonNetwork pulled the plug on the series due to its' hefty production costs. Other shorts he has produced for the network like Periwinkle Around the World and Baloobaloob's Fun Park have also failed to translate to series.
In 2016, Springer's dream of running his own show was finally fulfilled when Billy Dilley's Super Duper Subterranean Summer was greenlit by Disney XD. Sadly, it was released to very little fanfare and so it was quietly pulled off the air after just one season.
Tropes applicable to Springer and his works include:
- Descended Creator: Billy Dilley was Springer's first voice acting role, playing the titular character.
- Frazetta Man: Springer is a huge fan of Frank Frazetta, and acknowledged that his work greatly influenced the world of Korgoth.
