Bruno Bianchi (, ; 6 September 1955 – 2 December 2011) was a French

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literar ...

and

animation director An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated or television film, or an animated segment for a live-action film or television show. Alternatively, the animation direct ...

. Bianchi worked extensively as an artist, director and producer on animated television productions; including '' Heathcliff'', ''

Iznogoud ''Iznogoud'' (; from "is no good" pronounced with a French accent) is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer René Goscinny and comics artist Jean Tabary. The comic series chronicles the life and ...

'' and most notably, ''

Inspector Gadget ''Inspector Gadget'' is a media franchise that began in 1983 with the DIC Entertainment animated television series '' Inspector Gadget''. Since the original series, there have been many spin-offs based on the show, including additional animated ...

'', which he also co-created.

Career

Bianchi started his career at DiC Audiovisuel (later

DiC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions, sometimes stylized as DİC) was a French American film and television production company that ...

) 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 ''

'', a series he co-created with

Andy Heyward Andrew B. Heyward (born February 19, 1949) is an American media executive and animator who is currently CEO of Kartoon Studios, formerly known as Genius Brands International. He previously worked at defunct animation studio and production com ...

and DiC's founder

Jean Chalopin Jean Chalopin (born 31 May 1950) is a French businessman, banker and former television producer. In 1971, he founded the production company DIC Entertainment, which specialized in children-oriented television and film productions. Through the ...

. 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

Saban Entertainment BVS Entertainment, Inc., previously known as Saban Productions, Saban Entertainment and Saban International, is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. Founded on April 24, 1980, as a music production company by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, it ...

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 ''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors'' (French: ''Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière'') is an animated show which was first broadcast on TF1 on September 9, 1985, on the block ''Salut les p'tits loups!'', and eventually on September 16 in the ...

'', '' M.A.S.K.'', ''

Rainbow Brite ''Rainbow Brite'' is an American media franchise by Hallmark Cards, introduced in 1984. The animated ''Rainbow Brite'' television series first aired in 1984, the same year Hallmark licensed Rainbow Brite to Mattel for a range of dolls and othe ...

'', ''Diplodos'' (which he co-created and co-wrote with Jean Chalopin), ''

'', ''

Princess Sissi ''Princess Sissi'' (, , also known as Saban's Sissi the Princess) is a children's animated series. It debuted on October 29, 1997 on France 3 and within the same time in Italy on Rai 1, and later premiered in Canada on Radio-Canada on Septembe ...

'' and ''

Gadget & the Gadgetinis ''Gadget & the Gadgetinis'' is an animated television series and the sequel of the 1983 series ''Inspector Gadget''. The series was a co-production between Fox Kids Europe, DIC Entertainment Corporation, French animation studio SIP Animation, ...

'' (a spinoff of ''Inspector Gadget''). In 2008, following the closure of SIP Animation, Bianchi founded his own studio, Ginkgo Animation. One of Ginkgo's projects had been ''George and Me'' (French title ''Georges et Moi''), an adaptation of a 2006

Soleil Productions Soleil Productions is a French publisher of both original and imported comic books. History Soleil was founded in 1989 in Toulouse by Mourad Boudjellal. Soleil quickly became known as a publisher of cartoons and parodies such as Rahan, Blek l ...

comic series that had first been picked up by SIP Animation as early as December 2007, and had been planned to start production at SIP at the beginning of 2009. However, by April 2011 this venture of Ginkgo's was considered unsuccessful due to changing priorities in the French animation industry, according to one of the authors of the original comics. Bianchi died on 2 December 2011 at the age of 56. He was buried in

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

in Paris on 6 December 2011.

Filmography

Director

* 1983: ''

'' * 1984: '' Heathcliff'' * 1985: ''

'' * 1985: ''

'' * 1985: '' Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling'' * 1985: '' M.A.S.K.'' * 1986: '' Popples'' * 1988: '' Diplodos'' * 1992: '' Around the World in Eighty Dreams'' * 1995: '' Space Strikers'' * 1995: ''

'' * 1996: '' The Why Why? Family'' * 1997: ''

'' * 1997: '' Walter Melon'' * 1998: '' Jim Button'' * 2000: '' Wunschpunsch'' * 2002: ''

'' * 2004: '' The Tofus''

Producer

* 1995: ''

'' * 1996: '' The Why Why? Family'' * 1997: ''

'' * 1998: '' Jim Button'' * 2001: '' Wunschpunsch'' * 2002: ''

'' * 2003: ''

What's with Andy? ''What's with Andy?'' ( French: ''Sacré Andy!'') is an animated children's television series loosely based on the semi-autobiographical ''Just!'' book series by Australian author Andy Griffiths. The series is produced by CinéGroupe and aired o ...

'' (season 2 only) * 2004: '' The Tofus'' * 2004: ''

W.I.T.C.H. ''W.I.T.C.H.'' (stylised as ''W.i.t.c.h.'') is an Italian fantasy Disney comics series created by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, and Barbara Canepa. The series features a group of five teenage girls who become the guardians of the classi ...

'' * 2005: '' A.T.O.M. (Alpha Teens on Machines)'' * 2008: ''

Combo Niños ''Combo Niños'' is a French animated television series created by SIP Animation in collaboration with Jetix Europe and TF1, aimed towards the 6–10 years old audience. The series is about the adventures of 4 juvenile capoeira practitioners wit ...

References

External links

*
Lambiek Comiclopedia article.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bianchi, Bruno 1955 births 2011 deaths French people of Italian descent French animators French animated film directors French comics artists French film directors French male screenwriters French television producers Artists from Chartres Artists from Paris Writers from Paris Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Deaths from cancer in France