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Mark Kirkland (born ) is an American animation director. He has directed 84 episodes of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' since 1990, more than any other director.


Career

At the age of 13, Kirkland began making super 8 films and working for his father, noted photographer and filmmaker
Douglas Kirkland Douglas Morley Kirkland (August 16, 1934 – October 2, 2022) was a Canadian-born American photographer. He was noted for his photographs of celebrities, especially the ones he took of Marilyn Monroe several months before her death. Early life ...
, creating “
making of https://www Googlefinans.co= In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...
” films for major production companies. This exposure to Hollywood sparked Kirkland's desire to seek a career in the entertainment industry. Kirkland developed an interest in drawing at an early age. At the age of 17, he began studying in the Experimental Animation Program at the
California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...
for four years, earning a BFA degree in 1978. There, he was mentored by people such as
Jules Engel Jules Engel (; March 11, 1909 – September 6, 2003) was an American filmmaker, painter, sculptor, graphic artist, set designer, animator, film director, and teacher of Hungarian origin. He was the founding director of the experimental anima ...
(serving as his
teaching assistant A teaching assistant (TA) or education assistant (EA) is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include ''graduate teaching assistants'' (GTAs), who are graduate students; ''undergraduate teach ...
), A. Kendall O'Connor,
Ollie Johnston Oliver Martin Johnston Jr. (October 31, 1912 – April 14, 2008) was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last surviving at the time of his death from natural causes. He was recognized by The Wal ...
and Moe Gollub. In 1976, he won the
Student Academy Award The Student Academy Awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in an annual competition for college and university filmmakers. Description The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first pres ...
for animation along with fellow student,
Richard Jefferies John Richard Jefferies (6 November 1848 – 14 August 1887) was an English nature writer, noted for his depiction of English rural life in essays, books of natural history, and novels. His childhood on a small Wiltshire farm had a great influ ...
, for their graphically animated film made to the song " Fame" by
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
. After finishing up his degree, he applied to
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, but he was not accepted and instead began working for
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
. He began working on ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' from season two onwards and has directed 82 episodes, more than any other director. In
season 18 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...
, he became the show's supervising director,although he would relinquish this position to Mike B. Anderson as of season 20. In 2021, Kirkland left ''The Simpsons'' to become supervising director on ''
HouseBroken ''HouseBroken'' is an American animated sitcom created by Jennifer Crittenden, Clea DuVall, and Gabrielle Allan that aired on Fox from May 31, 2021 to August 6, 2023. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on ...
''. Kirkland has won three
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s, two
Environmental Media Awards The Environmental Media Awards have been awarded by the Environmental Media Association since 1991 to the best television episode or film with an environmental message. The Environmental Media Association (EMA) is a non-profit organization cre ...
and a Pioneer in Television Animation Award from the
Burbank International Film Festival The Burbank International Film Festival (BIFF) is an annual film festival held since 2009 in Burbank, California, United States. It was founded by Val Tonione, and awards are distributed to filmmakers that have focused on social and environmental ...
for his work on ''The Simpsons''. An active member of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kirkland served as the Animation Peer Group Governor from 2012 to 2013. As an independent filmmaker, Kirkland has written, directed, and produced award-winning
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
s which have been shown at film festivals around the world and screened at the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in New York. During a 5-year period, Kirkland participated in 25 festivals screening his films: "A Letter from Home," "The Moving Picture Co. 1914," "The Audition," and "Bud's Odyssey." Kirkland is an accomplished still photographer whose images have been published in the US and ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazines. He created
photo essay A photographic essay or photo-essay for short is a form of visual storytelling, a way to present a narrative through a series of images. A photo essay delivers a story using a series of photographs and brings the viewer along a narrative journey. ...
s on the behind-the-scenes making of ''The Simpsons'', and ''A Visit with Ollie'' about legendary Disney animator
Ollie Johnston Oliver Martin Johnston Jr. (October 31, 1912 – April 14, 2008) was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last surviving at the time of his death from natural causes. He was recognized by The Wal ...
.


''HouseBroken'' episodes

;Season 1 *" Who's a Good Girl?" (2021 - episode #1)


''The Simpsons'' episodes

;Season 2 * "
Dancin' Homer "Dancin' Homer" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 8, 1990. In the episode, Homer becomes the new mascot of the Sprin ...
" * " Bart Gets Hit by a Car" * "
Principal Charming "Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge asks Homer to find a hu ...
" * "
The War of the Simpsons "The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 2, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a dinner pa ...
" ;Season 3 * " Homer Defined" * "
Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" () is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 5, 1991. In the episode, Mr. Burns sells the powe ...
" * " Homer Alone" * " Colonel Homer" ;Season 4 * "
Kamp Krusty "Kamp Krusty" is the fourth season premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 60th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 24, 1992. In the episode, the children of Sprin ...
" * " Lisa the Beauty Queen" * "
Lisa's First Word "Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the The Simpsons season 4, fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was first broadcast on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. ...
" * " Last Exit to Springfield" ;Season 5 * "
Homer's Barbershop Quartet "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 1993. It features the Be Sharps, a ...
" * "
Marge on the Lam "Marge on the Lam" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 4, 1993. After Marge invites her neighbor Ruth Pow ...
" * "
Homer and Apu "Homer and Apu" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 1994. In the episode, Homer participates in a ...
" * "
Burns' Heir "Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death ...
" ;Season 6 * " Lisa's Rival" * "
Sideshow Bob Roberts "Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns in his fourth major appearan ...
" * "
Fear of Flying Fear of flying is the fear of being on an aircraft, such as an airplane or helicopter, while it is in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromerhanophobia (although aero ...
" * " Homer vs. Patty and Selma" * "
The Springfield Connection "The Springfield Connection" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 7, 1995. In the episode, Marge deals with corruptio ...
" ;Season 7 * "
Lisa the Vegetarian "Lisa the Vegetarian" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 15, 1995. In the episode, Lisa decides to stop eating mea ...
" * "
Team Homer "Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, A ...
" * "
A Fish Called Selma "A Fish Called Selma" is the nineteenth episode of the The Simpsons season 7, seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on Ma ...
" * "
Summer of 4 Ft. 2 "Summer of 4 Ft. 2" is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the The Simpsons season 7, seventh season of the American animated television series, ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United S ...
" ;Season 8 * "
The Homer They Fall "The Homer They Fall" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 1996. After Homer realizes he has a bizarre ...
" * "
Mountain of Madness "Mountain of Madness" (originally titled "The Most Excellent Snowy Mountain Adventure") is the twelfth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the Unit ...
" * " The Old Man and the Lisa" ;Season 9 * " Treehouse of Horror VIII" (as "Mad Dog Kirkland") * " Bart Carny" * " Girly Edition" ;Season 10 * " The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" * "
D'oh-in' in the Wind "D'oh-in' in the Wind", also known as "(Annoyed Grunt)-in' in the Wind", is the sixth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on November 15, 1998. In th ...
" (with
Matthew Nastuk Matthew Nastuk is an American animation director on ''The Simpsons''. He started directing during the tenth season, and has since directed over two dozen episodes and continues to direct today. ''The Simpsons'' episodes He has directed the followi ...
)According to the Season 10 DVD commentary, Kirkland was going through a divorce and hired Nastuk to direct most of the episode. * " Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers' * "
The Old Man and the 'C' Student ''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...
" ;Season 11 * "
Brother's Little Helper "Brother's Little Helper" is the second episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 1999. In the episode, Bart floods the schoo ...
" * "
Little Big Mom "Little Big Mom" is the tenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000, the first episode of the 2000s. In the epis ...
" * "
Pygmoelian "Pygmoelian" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000. In the episode, after getting his face ce ...
" * " Behind the Laughter" ;Season 12 * "
The Computer Wore Menace Shoes “The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" is the sixth episode of the The Simpsons season 12, twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States o ...
" * "
Simpson Safari "Simpson Safari" is the seventeenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on April 1, 2001. When the Simpsons run out of food thanks to a bag boy str ...
" ;Season 13 * "
The Parent Rap "The Parent Rap" is the second episode and official premiere of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 11, 2001. In the episode, ...
" * "
Sweets and Sour Marge "Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 20, 2002. In the episode, Homer gathe ...
" * " Gump Roast" ;Season 14 * " Helter Shelter" * "
The Dad Who Knew Too Little "The Dad Who Knew Too Little" is the eighth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 12, 2003. In the episode, Homer disa ...
" * "
Three Gays of the Condo "Three Gays of the Condo" is the seventeenth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 2003. The episode was written by ...
" ;Season 15 * "
The Regina Monologues "The Regina Monologues" is the fourth episode of the The Simpsons season 15, fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on N ...
" * " Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" * "
My Big Fat Geek Wedding "My Big Fat Geek Wedding" is the seventeenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 18, 2004. The episode was written by Kev ...
" ;Season 16 * " All's Fair in Oven War" * "
Mommie Beerest "Mommie Beerest" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 30, 2005. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland a ...
" * " Don't Fear the Roofer" ;Season 17 * " Bonfire of the Manatees" * "
The Italian Bob "The Italian Bob" is the eighth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 11, 2005. The episode was written by John Frink a ...
" * "
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore" is the seventeenth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 2006. The episode was written ...
" ;Season 18 * " Moe'N'a Lisa" ;Season 19 * "
He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs "He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs", also known as "He Loves to Fly", is the nineteenth season premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was the first episode to air after the release of ''The Simpsons Movie'', having ...
" * "
That '90s Show ''That '90s Show'' is an American teen sitcom that serves as the sequel to ''That '70s Show.'' Set during the summer of 1995 and 1996, featuring characters and locales that debuted in its predecessor, it debuted on Netflix on January 19, 2023. ...
" ;Season 20 * "
The Burns and the Bees "The Burns and the Bees" is the eighth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 7, 2008. In the episode, during a poker game, ...
" * "
No Loan Again, Naturally "No Loan Again, Naturally" is the twelfth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 8, 2009. "No Loan Again, Naturally" was written by J ...
" ;Season 21 * " Bart Gets a 'Z' * " Postcards from the Wedge" ;Season 22 * " Elementary School Musical" * "
Homer the Father "Homer the Father" is the twelfth episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Joel H. Cohen. It originally aired on the Fox network i ...
" * "
Homer Scissorhands "Homer Scissorhands" is the twentieth episode of the The Simpsons season 22, twenty-second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Peter Gaffney and Steve Vikst ...
" ;Season 23 * "
Replaceable You "Replaceable You" is the fourth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2011. In the episode, Homer gets a new a ...
" * " Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson" * "
Beware My Cheating Bart "Beware My Cheating Bart" is the eighteenth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Ben Joseph. It originally aired on the Fox netw ...
" ;Season 24 * "
Penny-Wiseguys "Penny-Wiseguys" is the fifth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series, ''The Simpsons'' and the 513th episode overall. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Michael Price. It originally ...
" * " Homer Goes to Prep School" * " Dark Knight Court" ;Season 25 * " Four Regrettings and a Funeral" * " The Kid Is All Right" * " You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" ;Season 26 * "
Super Franchise Me "Super Franchise Me" is the third episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 555th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Bill Odenkirk ...
" * "
I Won't Be Home for Christmas "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" is a song by American rock music, rock band Blink-182. The song was originally recorded and released as a promotional single, radio promo in 1997. MCA Records reissued it internationally as a single (music), singl ...
" * " Peeping Mom" ;Season 27 * " Love Is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4" ;Season 28 * "
Fatzcarraldo "Fatzcarraldo" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 610th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Michael Pric ...
" ;Season 29 * " No Good Read Goes Unpunished" ;Season 30 * "
101 Mitigations "101 Mitigations" is the fifteenth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 654th episode overall. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland with a story by Rob LaZebnik and teleplay b ...
" ;Season 31 * "
Hail to the Teeth "Hail to the Teeth" is the 11th episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 673rd episode overall. Being the first episode to air in the 2020s, it aired in the United States on Fox on J ...
"


Interviews


Notes


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkland, Mark Living people Place of birth missing (living people) American television directors American animated film directors American photographers California Institute of the Arts alumni Primetime Emmy Award winners Year of birth missing (living people)