Aaron Paul Springer (born September 5, 1973) is an American cartoonist, animator, writer, director, and voice actor. He is best known for his work on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, for which he contributed to as a writer, storyboard artist and storyboard director for eight seasons, as well as co-writing and storyboarding its 2004 film adaptation. He is also the creator of the Disney XD original series Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer, in which he voiced the main character, Billy Dilley.
Career[]
A graduated of the California Institute of the Arts, Springer began his career in animation working for Spümcø. He was best known for creating pilots at Cartoon Network Studios that were never picked up as full series, but have developed cult followings. His most recognizable pilot was Korgoth of Barbaria for Adult Swim in 2006, which was originally picked up for a full series, because of its critical and commercial success with garnering high ratings. Later events including a formal petition to revive the show, would indicate that it was dropped before production began, due to high production costs. Springer also created Periwinkle Around the World back in 2004 for Cartoon Network, that was divided into five separate two-minute shorts, produced and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. Refusing to pick it up as a full series, Cartoon Network instead was going to release five shorts from the pilot as mobile phone content, but ended up putting them in their Sunday Pants anthology series in 2005. Springer's last pilot for Cartoon Network was Baloobaloob's Fun Park in 2009, which was produced as part of The Cartoonstitute.
Springer gained notoriety through his efforts as a writer and storyboard artist on various movies and television series. His notable efforts include Samurai Jack (2002-2003), Dexter's Laboratory (2003), The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2005-2007), SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-2012). More recently, he has contributed to Gravity Falls (2012-2013), Wander Over Yonder (2014) and the Mickey Mouse (2013-2015) television series.
Springer created Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer for Disney XD, where he voices the main character, Billy Dilley. The show was first announced in 2014 as a potential pilot. In March 2016, it was confirmed that Disney XD has greenlit the show for a full series, and it officially premiered on June 3, 2017, the series ended after one season. In 2019, Peter Browngardt mentioned that Springer was a Warner Bros Animation developing a new adult animated project under the name Snail Rides of Zongdar, the project will get scrapped in 2021. In 2024, Springer returned to Paramount Animation to be a storyboard artist for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
Springer has collaborated with various animation veterans such as Lynne Naylor, Chris Reccardi, Alex Hirsch, Craig McCracken, Genndy Tartakovsky, Paul Rudish, Rumen Petkov, Dave Wasson, Rob Renzetti, Maxwell Atoms, C.H. Greenblatt, Dan Povenmire, Chris Savino, Stephen Hillenburg, and John Kricfalusi. Besides Billy Dilley, he has created numerous pilots for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim that, although never made into full series, have developed cult followings. Springer's cartoon are unique for their inclusion of extended gags, anthropomorphism and off-model poses. Springer has cited Richard Scarry, Sergio Aragonés, Frank Frazetta, Vaughn Bodē, Akira Toriyama, Hideshi Hino Sihgeru Mizuki and Hugo Pratt amongst his influences.
Filmography[]
TV series[]
- 4a - "Naughty Nautical Neighbors" - writer, storyboard artist
- 5a - "Pizza Delivery" - writer, storyboard artist
- 8a - "Sandy's Rocket" - writer, storyboard artist
- 10b - "F.U.N." - writer, storyboard artist
- 11b - "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost" - writer, storyboard artist
- 12a - "The Chaperone" - writer, storyboard artist
- 14a - "SB-129" - writer, storyboard director
- 14b - "Karate Choppers" - writer, storyboard director
- 18b - "Walking Small" - writer, storyboard director
- 19a - "Fools in April" - writer, storyboard director
- 22a - "Something Smells" - writer, storyboard director
- 24a - "Dying for Pie" - writer, storyboard director
- 26b - "Squidville" - writer, storyboard director
- 27a - "Prehibernation Week" - writer, director
- 29a - "Survival of the Idiots" - writer, director
- 30a - "No Free Rides" - writer, director
- 33a - "Shanghaied" - writer, director
- 33b - "Gary Takes a Bath" - writer, storyboard director
- 35b - "Band Geeks" - writer, director
- 37b - "I'm with Stupid" - writer, storyboard director
- 41a - "The Algae's Always Greener" - writer, storyboard director
- 43b - "The Bully" - writer, storyboard director
- 45b - "Doing Time" - writer, storyboard director
- 47a - "As Seen on TV" - writer, storyboard director
- 50b - "Krusty Krab Training Video" - writer, storyboard director
- 66 - "Have You Seen This Snail?" - writer, storyboard director
- 64a - "Skill Crane" - writer
- 64b - "Good Neighbors" - storyboard director
- 89a - "The Krusty Sponge" - writer, storyboard director
- 94a - "Blackened Sponge" - writer, storyboard director
- 95a - "The Inmates of Summer" - writer, storyboard director
- 97a - "20,000 Patties Under the Sea" - writer, storyboard director
- 99a - "The Two Faces of Squidward" - writer, storyboard director
- 100a - "Banned in Bikini Bottom" - writer, storyboard director
- 101a - "House Fancy" - writer, storyboard director
- 102a - "Penny Foolish" - writer, storyboard director
- 109a - "Boating Buddies" - writer, storyboard director
- 111 - "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One" - writer, storyboard director
- 112a - "Porous Pockets" - writer, storyboard director
- 112b - "Choir Boys" - writer, storyboard director
- 114a - "Dear Vikings" - writer, storyboard director
- 117b - "Professor Squidward" - writer, storyboard director
- 118a - "Pet or Pests" - writer, storyboard director
- 118b - "Komputer Overload" - writer, storyboard director
- 125a - "Pineapple Fever" - writer, storyboard director
- 126 - "The Clash of Triton" - writer, storyboard director
- 128a - "Growth Spout" - writer, storyboard director
- 130a - "Greasy Buffoons" - writer, storyboard director
- 134 - "SpongeBob's Last Stand" - writer, storyboard director
- 136a - "A Day Without Tears" - writer, storyboard director
- 139a - "Gramma's Secret Recipe" - writer, storyboard director
- 140a - "The Monster Who Came to Bikini Bottom" - writer, storyboard director
- 141a - "The Curse of the Hex" - writer, storyboard director
- 142a - "Trenchbillies" - writer, storyboard director
- 145b - "Enchanted Tiki Dreams" - writer, storyboard director
- 147a - "Hide and Then What Happens?" - writer, storyboard director
- 147b - "Shellback Shenanigans" - writer, storyboard director
- 150a - "Krusty Dogs" - writer, storyboard director
- 151a - "New Fish in Town" - writer, storyboard director
- 154a - "Drive Thru" - writer, storyboard director
- 154b - "The Hot Shot" - writer, storyboard director
- 157a - "Squidward's School for Grown-Ups" - writer, storyboard director
- 158a - "Sweet and Sour Squid" - writer, storyboard director
- 159 - "A SquarePants Family Vacation" - writer, storyboard director
- 164a - "Barnacle Face" - writer, storyboard director
- 165a - "House Sittin' for Sandy" - writer, storyboard director
- 167a - "The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom" - writer, storyboard director
- 172b - "Glove World R.I.P." - writer, storyboard director
- 173a - "Squiditis" - writer, storyboard director
- 174a - "Treats!" - writer, storyboard director
- 176a - "Super Evil Aquatic Villain Team Up is Go!" - writer, storyboard director
- 178 - "Hello Bikini Bottom!" - writer, storyboard director
Films[]
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) - writer, storyboard, voice of Laughing Bubble, conceptual character designer
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) - head of story