Bruno Bianchi (cartoonist)

Bruno Bianchi (Italian: [ˈbruːno ˈbjaŋki], French: [bʁyno bjɑ̃ki]; 6 September 1955 – 2 December 2011) was a French cartoonist, comics artist[1] and animation director. Bianchi worked extensively as an artist, director and producer on animated television productions; including Heathcliff, Iznogoud and most notably, Inspector Gadget, which he also co-created.[2][3]

Bruno Bianchi
Born(1955-09-06)6 September 1955
Died2 December 2011(2011-12-02) (aged 56)
Paris, France
Burial placePère Lachaise Cemetery
NationalityFrench
OccupationAnimator
Years active1977-2011

Career

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Bianchi started his career at DiC Audiovisuel (later DiC Entertainment) in 1977 at age 22 as a cel painter, then gradually assumed creative positions. His first director's credit was on the 1980 edutainment mini-series Archibald le Magichien (directly translated: Archibald the Magic Dog). In 1983, Bianchi scored his first major directing job on Inspector Gadget, a series he co-created with Andy Heyward and DiC's founder Jean Chalopin.[4] Bianchi served as main character designer and supervising director on the show, which became one of the most iconic series produced by DiC.

Subsequently, Bianchi worked as a director, producer and designer on numerous other DiC Entertainment, Saban Entertainment and SIP Animation television animation productions from the 1980s until the mid-2000s. His credits include Heathcliff (where he co-created the Cats and Company characters together with Jean Chalopin), Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, M.A.S.K., Rainbow Brite, Diplodos (which he co-created and co-wrote with Jean Chalopin), Iznogoud, Princess Sissi and Gadget & the Gadgetinis (a spinoff of Inspector Gadget).[3]

In 2008, following the closure of SIP Animation, Bianchi founded his own studio, Ginkgo Animation.[3] One of Ginkgo's projects had been George and Me (French title Georges et Moi),[5] an adaptation of a 2006 Soleil Productions comic series that had first been picked up by SIP Animation as early as December 2007,[6] and had been planned to start production at SIP at the beginning of 2009.[7] However, by April 2011 this venture of Ginkgo's was considered unsuccessful due to changing priorities in the French animation industry,[5] according to one of the authors of the original comics.[8]

Bianchi died on 2 December 2011 at the age of 56.[3] He was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris on 6 December 2011.[3][4]

Filmography

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Director

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Producer

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References

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  1. ^ "Bruno Bianchi".
  2. ^ Arrant, Chris (2 December 2011). "French Animator Bruno Bianchi ("Inspector Gadget") Passes Away". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e "French TV Animator Bruno Bianchi Passes Away". Animation Magazine. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Disparition de Bruno Bianchi, le créateur de l'Inspecteur Gadget". Le Monde. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Georges et moi, le projet de série télé par ginkgo-animation - Maroin Eluasti.マロワン・エリュアスティ". 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  6. ^ "des NEWS de l'anim - N°13". www.animation-france.fr. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  7. ^ "UpNext-What's developing in kids production". Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  8. ^ recherche, résultats de (17 August 2006). Georges et moi, Tome 1 : Bubble-gum et croquettes. Soleil Productions. ASIN 2849465437.
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