2002 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
Events
January
February
- February 14: Family Guy concludes its third season on Fox with the episode "Family Guy Viewer Mail #1", which was seen by over 4 million viewers that night. This was meant to be the final episode to air on Fox as the network originally planned to cancel the show, but they ended up deciding to revive the show in 2005 after discovering the show's DVD sales & high ratings on Adult Swim.
- February 19: ', the direct-to-video sequel to Balto, was released after being delayed for two years.
- Late February: Cartoon Network releases a tribute to animator Chuck Jones during commercial breaks, as Jones died on February 22.
March
April
- April 1: Noggin was divided into two different blocks: a 12-hour extension of the channel's preschool block, and The N was launched, targeted at pre-teens and teenagers.
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Awards
Films released
Television series debuts
Television series endings
Television season premieres
Television season finales
Births
February
- February 4: Graham Verchere, Canadian actor (voice of Pipsqueak and Chipcutter in ').
March
April
- April 8: Skai Jackson, American actress (voice of Madison in ', Little Fish in Bubble Guppies, Glory Grant in Marvel Rising, Summer in ', Zuri Ross in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Halloween Night at the Museum", continued voice of Isa in Dora the Explorer).
- April 17: Justin Felbinger, American voice actor (voice of Miles Callisto in seasons 2-3 of Miles from Tomorrowland, Sprig Plantar in Amphibia, Jack B. Nimble in Goldie & Bear, Mtoto in The Lion Guard, Nate Cosay in Infinity Train, Danny Petrosky in ', Zac in Shimmer and Shine, young Surly in ', Alex in Spirit Riding Free, Justin in the American Dad! episode "The Bitchin' Race", Ralphie in The Casagrandes episode "Arr in the Family", Dungeon Doug in the Summer Camp Island episode "Dungeon Doug").
- April 26: Kristen Li, American actress (voice of Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls and the Teen Titans Go! episode "TTG v PPG", Tanis the Mummy in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode "Monster Party", Li in the Where's Waldo? episode "Little Trouble in Big China", additional voices in Monsters University).
- April 29: Grace Kaufman, American actress and daughter of David Kaufman (voice of Deema in seasons 3 and 4 of Bubble Guppies, Chelsea Keezheekoni in Clarence, Melody Mouse in Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures).
May
June
July
August
September
October
December
Deaths
January
- January 7: Avery Schreiber, American actor and comedian (voice of Tubbs in Pound Puppies, Benny the Ball in Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats, Beanie the Brain-Dead Bison in Animaniacs), dies at age 66.
- January 12: Ernest Pintoff, American animator and film director (The Violinist, The Critic), dies at age 70.
- January 16: Ron Taylor, American actor, singer and writer (voice of Bleeding Gums Murphy in The Simpsons, Mugsy and Bruno in Rover Dangerfield, Orderly in the ' episode "Dreams in Darkness", Ibalo in the Aaahh!!! Real Monsters episode "The Switching Hour"), dies from a heart attack at age 49.
- January 17: Queenie Leonard, English actress (voice of Bird in Tree in Alice in Wonderland, Princess in One Hundred and One Dalmatians), dies at age 96.
- January 20: Joe Mazzuca, American television producer (Filmation, Marvel Productions, Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 66.
- January 21: Peggy Lee, American singer and voice actress (voice of Darling, Si and Am and Peg in Lady and the Tramp), dies at age 81.
- January 28: Astrid Lindgren, Swedish children's book author and writer (creator of Pippi Longstocking), dies at age 94.
February
- February 13: Waylon Jennings, American singer, songwriter and musician (voice of Judge Thatcher in Tom Sawyer, the Balladeer in The Angry Beavers episode "The Legend of Kid Friendly", himself in the Family Guy episodes "Chitty Chitty Death Bang" and "To Love and Die in Dixie"), dies from complications of diabetes at age 64.
- February 22: Chuck Jones, American animator, director and painter (Warner Bros. Cartoons, MGM Animation/Visual Arts, directed the animated scenes in Stay Tuned and Mrs. Doubtfire, creator of Timber Wolf), dies from heart failure at age 89.
- February 26: Lawrence Tierney, American actor (voice of Rick in The Oz Kids, Don Brodka in The Simpsons episode "Marge Be Not Proud"), dies from pneumonia at age 82.
March
- March 12: Vitaly Peskov, Russian caricaturist, illustrator, animator and film director, dies at age 57.
- March 17: Rosetta LeNoire, American voice actress (voice of Big Bertha in Fritz the Cat), dies at age 90.
- March 27: Dudley Moore, English actor, comedian, musician and composer (voice of George - The Second Border Guard in The Hat, A. Square in Flatland, Spin in Really Wild Animals, Oscar in Oscar's Orchestra, Carl Denham and the title character in The Mighty Kong), dies at age 66.
- March 31: Marvin Goldhar, Canadian actor (voice of Cedric Sneer in The Racoons), dies at age 68.
May
- May 5: George Sidney, American film director and producer (Anchors Aweigh, co-founder of Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 85.
- May 7: Bob Onorato, American animator (Garfield and Friends, Pinky and the Brain), character designer (Adventures from the Book of Virtues) and storyboard artist (Hanna-Barbera, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper, Disney Television Animation, The New Woody Woodpecker Show, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law), dies at age 48.
- May 11: Bill Peet, American children's book illustrator, writer and animator (Walt Disney Animation Studios), dies at age 87.
- May 19: Earl Hammond, American actor (voice of Mumm-Ra in ThunderCats, Mon*Star in Silverhawks), dies at age 80.
- May 20: Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and science historian (voiced himself in The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Skeptic"), dies from metastatic cancer at age 60.
- May 24: Joseph Bau, Polish-Israeli artist, philosopher, comedian, poet and animator, dies at age 81.
June
July
- July 8: Ward Kimball, American animator (Walt Disney Company) and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, dies at age 88.
- July 9: Rod Steiger, American actor (voice of Captain Tenille in The Simpsons episode "Simpson Tide", himself in The Critic episode "L.A. Jay"), dies from pneumonia and kidney failure at age 77.
- July 24: Maurice Denham, English actor (voice of all animals in Animal Farm), dies at age 92.
- July 26:
- Buddy Baker, American composer (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!), The Puppetoon Movie), dies at age 84.
- Kenny Gardner, American singer and actor (voice of Dick in Mr. Bug Goes to Town), dies at age 89.
August
- August 5:
- Josh Ryan Evans, American actor (voice of Third Grader in the Hey Arnold! episode "Big Gino", Small Boy and Lottsatot #2 in the Rugrats episode "No Place Like Home"), dies from a congenital heart condition at age 20.
- Chick Hearn, American sportscaster (voice of The Announcer in Sport Goofy in Soccermania, Chick Mouse in the Garfield and Friends episode "Basket Brawl", Announcer in the Life with Louie episode "The Masked Chess Boy", himself in The Simpsons episode "Homer Defined", and the Duckman episode "Vuuck, as in Duck"), dies from a head injury from a fall at age 85.
September
October
- October 13: Keene Curtis, American actor (voice of Lord Balthazar in The Smurfs, the Pastmaster in '), dies at age 79.
- October 21: George Hall, Canadian actor (additional voices in Courage the Cowardly Dog), dies from a stroke at age 85.
- October 25: Richard Harris, Irish actor and singer (portrayed Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels, voice of Opaz in '), dies from hodgkin's disease at age 72.
- October 29: Glenn McQueen, Canadian animator (Pixar), dies from complications of melanoma cancer at age 41.
November
- November 3: Jonathan Harris, American actor (voice of Professor Jones in Freakazoid!, Manny in A Bug's Life, Geri the Cleaner in Toy Story 2, Count Blogg in Rainbow Brite, Grumblebee in Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, Sunflower in Happily Ever After, Athos in The Three Musketeers, Lance Lyons in Foofur, the Devil in The Mask, Stickley Rickets in Channel Umptee-3, Era in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, the title character in The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas, Phineas Sharp in the Darkwing Duck episode "In Like Blunt", Miles Warren in the Spider-Man episode "The Return of Hydro-Man", Ajed Al-Gebraic in the Aladdin episode "Destiny on Fire", Lord Gargan in the Mighty Ducks episode "The Final Face Off"), dies at age 87.
- November 7: Hilary Bader, American television writer (Warner Bros. Animation), dies at age 50.
- November 8: Irv Wyner, American background artist and animator (Warner Bros. Cartoons, Walt Disney Company, Walter Lantz, Chuck Jones), dies at age 98.
- November 17: Marvin Mirisch, American film producer and brother of Walter Mirisch (The Pink Panther), dies from a heart attack at age 84.
- November 18: James Coburn, American actor (voice of Henry J. Waternoose II in Monsters, Inc.), dies at age 74.
- November 20: Nina Elias-Bamberger, American television producer (Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, creator of Big Bag), dies from a respiratory infection caused by an ovarian tumor at age 48.
- November 26: Marco Biassoni, Italian comic artist, illustrator and animator, dies at age 71 or 72.
December
- December 2: Bill "Tex" Henson, American animator (Walt Disney Company, Famous Studios, Jay Ward), dies in a traffic accident at age 78.
- December 3: Mike Svayko, American animator (American Pop, Fire and Ice, '), storyboard artist (Disney Television Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studio), background artist ('), prop designer (The Chipmunk Adventure), technical director ('), sheet timer (Disney Television Animation, Klasky Csupo, ') and director (Beetle Bailey, The Little Clowns of Happytown, Dino-Riders, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, Disney Television Animation, ', Spider-Man, CatDog, ChalkZone), dies at age 48.
Specific date unknown
See also
References
External links