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{{short description|American animator}}
'''Bruce W. Smith''' is an [[African-American]] [[character animator]], [[film director]], and [[television producer]], best known as the creator of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s ''[[The Proud Family]]''.
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bruce W. Smith
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[California Institute of the Arts]] (attended)
| occupation = Animator, character designer
| employer = [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] (1996–present)
| years_active = 1984–present
| relatives = Elliot Johnson
| spouse =
| notable_works =''[[Bebe's Kids]]''<br>''[[The Proud Family]]''<br>''[[Hair Love]]''
| birth_name = Bruce Wayne Smith
| awards =
}}
'''Bruce Wayne Smith''' is an American film and television producer, animator, character designer and film director. He is best known as the creator of Disney Channel's ''[[The Proud Family]]'' (2001–2005) and [[Disney+]]'s ''[[The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]]'' (2022–present). Employed by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] since 1996, Smith has served as the supervising animator for [[Kerchak]] and Baboons & Baby Baboon in ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'', [[List of The Emperor's New Groove characters|Pacha]] in ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'', Pearl Gesner in ''[[Home on the Range (2004 film)|Home on the Range]]'', Dr. Facilier in ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'' and [[Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Piglet]], [[Kanga (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Kanga]] and [[Roo]] in ''[[Winnie the Pooh (2011 film)|Winnie the Pooh]]''. He directed the 1992 animated film ''[[Bebe's Kids]]'', which was met with critical and commercial failure.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bet.com/article/y7ee07/bebes-kids-30th-anniversary-oral-history-robin-harris | title=Bebe's Kids Turns 30: Faizon Love, Myra J, and Marques Houston Share Oral History Behind This Classic | website=[[BET]] }}</ref>
 
==Early life==
One of the few Black animators working in the industry, Smith got his start as an assistant animator for [[Bill Melendez]]'s [[1984]] ''[[Garfield]]'' [[television special]] ''Garfield in the Rough''. He went on to animate for Baer Animation on ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'', and in [[1992]] directed his first feature, ''[[Bébé's Kids]]''. Other notable work for Smith during the mid-[[1990s]] included supervising the animation for ''[[The Pagemaster]]'', serving as director and character designer for ''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]'', designing the characters for ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'' and ''[[C-Bear and Jamal]]'', and co-directing the animated segments of ''[[Space Jam]]''.
Smith grew up in Los Angeles, California. At age 10, he made his first animated film based on designs of ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]''.<ref name="caribe2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.animaecaribe.com/about/index.php?topic=news&id=0901|title=Disney's The Proud Family Producer, Bruce Smith to present at Animae Caribe 2003|website=Animae Caribe|date=2003|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040202014351/http://www.animaecaribe.com/about/index.php?topic=news&id=0901|archive-date=February 2, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> Smith attended the Character Animation program at [[California Institute of the Arts]].<ref> https://calarts.edu/news/calartians-shine-animation-and-kids-entertainment-power-lists</ref><ref name="blackengineer">{{cite web|url=https://www.blackengineer.com/article/cartoonist-bruce-smith-on-the-art-and-technology-of-animation/|title=Cartoonist Bruce Smith on the art and technology of animation|website=The Black Engineer|publisher=USBE Information Technology|date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419171958/https://www.blackengineer.com/article/cartoonist-bruce-smith-on-the-art-and-technology-of-animation/|archive-date=April 19, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="laugh2020" /> He later stated that while at CalArts he became aware of the lack of Black characters in [[animated films]], which motivated him to create his own animated series.<ref name="caribe2003" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animaecaribe.com:80/animae-caribe-2003/|title=Proud Family Creator to Talk About Animation|website=Animae Caribe 2003|date=2003|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106213307/http://www.animaecaribe.com:80/animae-caribe-2003/|archive-date=November 6, 2016|url-status=live}} The article is one of the selected images on this page.</ref>
 
==Early career==
Joining [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] in the late-1990s, Smith served as a supervising animator on three of its films: ''[[Tarzan (1999 movie)|Tarzan]]'', ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'', and ''[[Home on the Range]]''. In [[2000]], he piloted his series ''[[The Proud Family]]'' to [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]], who passed on it. [[The Disney Channel]] eventually picked the series up, which now airs on that channel, [[Toon Disney]] and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s [[ABC Kids]] programming block.
In 1984, he was the key assistant animator on a TV short of ''[[Garfield in the Rough]]''.<ref name="anderson" /> In 1986, he served as an animator for ''[[Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7983a8bf|title=Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night|website=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026111952/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7983a8bf|archive-date=October 26, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=200 |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=200 |isbn=1569762228}}</ref> and joined the Walt Disney Studios as an animator for ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2022/02/24/proud-family-creator-executive-producer-bruce-smith-visits-disneyland/|title="The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" Creator/Executive Producer Bruce Smith Visits The Disneyland Resort|website=The Laughing Place|date=February 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224231912/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2022/02/24/proud-family-creator-executive-producer-bruce-smith-visits-disneyland/|archive-date=February 24, 2022|access-date=April 19, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=311 |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=311 |isbn=1569762228}}</ref> as well as other [[Roger Rabbit short films|''Roger Rabbit'' shorts]] produced by the studio.<ref name="laugh2020">{{cite web|last=Reif|first=Alex|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/05/29/10-things-we-learned-from-proud-family-creator-bruce-w-smith-during-wdfm-happily-ever-after-hours/|title=10 Things We Learned from "Proud Family" Creator Bruce W. Smith During WDFM Happily Ever After Hours|website=The Laughing Place|date=May 29, 2020|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611220439/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/05/29/10-things-we-learned-from-proud-family-creator-bruce-w-smith-during-wdfm-happily-ever-after-hours/|archive-date=June 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="anderson" /> In a 2022 retrospective interview, Smith said that the "big old tree Afro" with lips (when [[Eddie Valiant]] enters Toontown) is a caricature of himself that he drew while working on the film.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Carla|url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/02/the-proud-family-louder-and-prouder-creator-executive-producer-bruce-smith-visits-disneyland-resort/|title=The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Creator-Executive Producer Bruce Smith Visits Disneyland Resort|website=Disney Parks Blog|publisher=[[Walt Disney Company]]|date=February 23, 2022|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410134556/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/02/the-proud-family-louder-and-prouder-creator-executive-producer-bruce-smith-visits-disneyland-resort/|archive-date=April 10, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
He was an animator for the ''Back to Neverland'' short,<ref>{{cite web|last=Korkis|first=Jim|url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/a-forgotten-disney-short-back-to-neverland/|title=A Forgotten Disney Short: "Back To Neverland" (1989)|website=Cartoon Research|date=August 25, 2018|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024234041/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/a-forgotten-disney-short-back-to-neverland/|archive-date=October 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Michael & Mickey''.<ref name="blackengineer" /> He was credited on the 1990s [[Don Bluth]] films ''[[Rock-A-Doodle]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/88494/rock-a-doodle#credits|title=Rock-a-Doodle Credits|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123093754/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/88494/rock-a-doodle#credits|website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|archive-date=November 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Rover Dangerfield]]''—for which he served as a storyboard artist, character designer, character animator, and sequence director.<ref name="anderson" /> In 1997, Smith served as a scenic artist for the film ''[[The Peacemaker (1997 film)|The Peacemaker]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f6ce837|title=The Peacemaker (1997)|website=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105143029/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f6ce837|archive-date=January 5, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was an animator for ''The Indescribable Nth'' and ''[[Garfield in the Rough]]''.<ref name="caribe2003" /> He also worked as a character designer for the [[Fox Kids]] musical comedy ''[[C-Bear and Jamal]]''.<ref name="caribe2003" />
 
Also in the early 1990s, Smith was selected by produced [[Reginald Hudlin]] (''[[House Party (film)|House Party]]'', ''[[Boomerang (1992 film)|Boomerang]]'') to direct the [[Paramount Pictures]] animated film ''[[Bebe's Kids]]''. Upon its release in 1992, the film was a [[box office bomb]] and saw mixed to negative reviews from critics.<ref name="adalian1999" /> In years that followed, he was credited as a character designer for [[Ted Turner]]'s ''A Cool Like That Christmas'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/463841/a-cool-like-that-christmas/#credits|title=A Cook Like That Christmas Credits|website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420013948/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/463841/a-cool-like-that-christmas/#credits|archive-date=April 20, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Pagemaster]]'',<ref name="shreve2016" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7d4309a5|title=A Goofy Movie|website=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209103744/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7d4309a5|archive-date=February 9, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7dd8896f|title=The Pagemaster (1994)|website=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010225844/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7dd8896f|archive-date=October 10, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as the television series ''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]''.<ref name="shreve2016" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Bierbaum|first=Tom|url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/reviews/happily-ever-after-fairy-tales-for-every-child-1200440974/|title=Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 23, 1995|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420002441/https://variety.com/1995/tv/reviews/happily-ever-after-fairy-tales-for-every-child-1200440974/|archive-date=April 20, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sullivan |first=Leo |date=Fall 1997 |title=Diversity Programming and Distribution: Leo Sullivan, Animation Pioneer |url=https://asifacentral.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/1997-fall-asifa-cent-newsletter-lab-agreements-diversity-programming-asifa-intl-attorneys-isea.pdf |magazine=France by Frame |___location= |publisher=[[International Animated Film Association|ASIFA]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511171330/https://asifacentral.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/1997-fall-asifa-cent-newsletter-lab-agreements-diversity-programming-asifa-intl-attorneys-isea.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |url-status=live |page=3}}</ref>
 
Smith also served as co-director on the [[Warner Bros.]] [[live-action animated film]] ''[[Space Jam]]''<ref>{{cite web|last=Perlburg|first=Steve|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/space-jam-pro-union-labor-rights|title=The Hidden Pro-Union Politics of 'Space Jam'|website=Mel Magazine|date=February 20, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325073738/https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/space-jam-pro-union-labor-rights|archive-date=March 25, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=xviii |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=xviii |isbn=1569762228}}</ref> before returning to Disney as supervising animator on such films as ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'' (Kerchak and Baboons)<ref name="adalian1999" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=276 |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=276 |isbn=1569762228}}</ref> and ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'' (Pacha).<ref name="animators">{{cite web | url=http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=1199 | title=The Emperor's New Groove – Animating The Characters | publisher=Cinema Review | access-date=February 14, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208114355/http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=1199 | archive-date=February 8, 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=72 |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press |page=72 |isbn=1569762228}}</ref>
 
==Career==
While working in animation on the feature film side, Smith furthered his interest in television animation by creating ''[[The Proud Family]]'' for [[Disney Channel]] in 2001. Initially pitched to [[Nickelodeon]] in 1998, a pilot was created for the network and remains partial [[lost media]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nickalive.net/2020/05/animator-bruce-w-smith-reveals-how.html?m=1 | title=Animator Bruce W. Smith Reveals How 'The Proud Family' Almost Ended up at Nickelodeon }}</ref> He co-founded Jambalaya Studios, which worked in conjunction with [[Willard Carroll]]'s [[Hyperion Pictures]] to produce the series, for which he worked on over 50 episodes as well as ''[[The Proud Family Movie]]'' (2005).<ref name="latimes2001">{{cite web|last=Mallory|first=Michael|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-15-ca-45974-story.html|title=A New Neighborhood for Animated Series|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 21, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017065753/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/15/entertainment/ca-45974|archive-date=October 17, 2012|access-date=April 19, 2022|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref><ref name="adalian1999">{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=October 5, 1999|title=Jambalaya cooks up multi-ethnic toons|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/jambalaya-cooks-up-multi-ethnic-toons-1117756300/|access-date=April 19, 2022|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110000846/https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/jambalaya-cooks-up-multi-ethnic-toons-1117756300/|archive-date=January 10, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200161369/|title=The Proud Family Movie|website=[[The Library of Congress]]|date=2005|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111231200/https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200161369/|archive-date=January 11, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
The name of the series, the first venture for Jambalaya Studio, came from something he told his co-founder, Tom Wilhite when he showed him the show's main characters drawn as though they were in a family portrait.<ref name="caribe2003" />
 
In 2004, he served as a supervising animator for Disney's ''[[Home on the Range (2004 film)|Home on the Range]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8a4a8494|title=Home on the Range (2004)|website=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127114000/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8a4a8494|archive-date=January 27, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |date=2005 |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTI1yeZd-tkC&pg=115 |___location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Chicago Review Press|page=115 |isbn=1569762228}}</ref> That same year, co-created and served as executive producer for the series ''[[Da Boom Crew]]'' for [[The WB]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Gates|first=Anita|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/movies/for-young-viewers-be-careful-what-video-games-you-wish-for.html|title=For Young Viewers; Be Careful What Video Games You Wish For|website=[[New York Times]]|date=October 31, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823092443/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/movies/for-young-viewers-be-careful-what-video-games-you-wish-for.html|archive-date=August 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Smith later described the series as mixing concepts of ''[[Star Wars]]'' with ''[[Boyz-N-The Hood]]'', and argued that the series tries to recreate the "black experience in animated form." Although 13 episodes were produced, only four of which aired; the series was a commercial failure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.celebratingchildren.com/article_as_daboomcrew.htm|last=Scott|first=Angela|title=Da Boom Crew Rockets into Space|website=Celebrating Children|date=October 26, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041217105750/http://www.celebratingchildren.com/article_as_daboomcrew.htm|archive-date=December 17, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
In 2009, Smith returned to the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Duncan Studio Production to supervise 2D animation on ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]''—for the character Dr. Facilier—as well as the 2011 film ''[[Winnie the Pooh (2011 film)|Winnie the Pooh]]''—for the characters [[Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Piglet]], [[Kanga (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Kanga]] and [[Roo]]. In addition, he served as the lead animator for the animated short ''[[Tangled Ever After]]''.<ref name="shreve2016">{{cite web|last=Kennell|first=Tiana|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/06/22/princess-and-frog-proud-family-artist-coming-shreveport/86048584/|title=Winnie the Pooh,' 'Princess and the Frog' artist in Shreveport today|website=Shreveport Times|date=June 22, 2016|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023120535/https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/06/22/princess-and-frog-proud-family-artist-coming-shreveport/86048584/|archive-date=October 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="laugh2020" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Laman|first=Douglas|url=https://collider.com/winnie-the-pooh-disney-last-hand-drawn-animated-movie/|title=How 'Winnie the Pooh' Provided a Gentle Send-Off to Hand-Drawn Animation at Disney|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|date=July 15, 2021|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723081345/https://collider.com/winnie-the-pooh-disney-last-hand-drawn-animated-movie/|archive-date=July 23, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waltdisney.org/education/talks/happily-ever-after-hours-animator-director-and-producer-bruce-w-smith|title=Happily Ever After Hours--Animator, Director, and Producer Bruce W. Smith|website=[[Walt Disney Family Museum]]|date=2020|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124052039/https://www.waltdisney.org/education/talks/happily-ever-after-hours-animator-director-and-producer-bruce-w-smith|archive-date=November 24, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Smith's character design ability led him into visual development for the studio's subsequent projects, namely ''[[Wreck-It Ralph]]'' and ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]''.<ref name="shreve2016" /><ref name="Deadline2020" />
 
In 2015, he served as part of the senior creative team for the direct-to-TV film ''[[Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chipandco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TINKER-BELL-AND-THE-LEGEND-OF-THE-NEVERBEAST-Press-Kit-FINAL-low-res-12-20-14-copy.pdf|title=Disney Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast|website=Chip & Company|date=December 20, 2014|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420004824/https://www.chipandco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TINKER-BELL-AND-THE-LEGEND-OF-THE-NEVERBEAST-Press-Kit-FINAL-low-res-12-20-14-copy.pdf|archive-date=April 20, 2022|url-status=live}} See page vi</ref> In 2018, he served as an animator for ''[[Teen Titans Go! To the Movies]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2160800/teen-titans-go-to-the-movies#credits|title=Teen Titans Go! To the Movies Credits|website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420004202/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2160800/teen-titans-go-to-the-movies#credits|archive-date=April 20, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, he directed the short film ''[[Hair Love]]'', which won the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].<ref name="laugh2020" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/animated-short-hair-love-gets-theatrical-run-angry-birds-movie-2|title=Animated Short 'Hair Love' Gets Theatrical Run with 'The Angry Birds Movie 2'|website=[[Animation World Network]]|date=August 5, 2019|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129053006/https://www.awn.com/news/animated-short-hair-love-gets-theatrical-run-angry-birds-movie-2|archive-date=November 29, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, he worked on the [[Traditional animation|traditionally]]-animated [[independent animation|indie]] [[steampunk]] short series ''Hullabaloo''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hullabaloo-movie.com/the-production-team/|title=The Production Team|website=Hullabaloo|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102023339/http://www.hullabaloo-movie.com/the-production-team/|archive-date=January 2, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="anderson">{{cite book |last=Anderson |first=Ross |date=2019 |title=Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat: The Making of Roger Rabbit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUOWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT208 |___location=[[Jackson, Mississippi]] |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |page=208 |isbn=978-1496822307}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Hullabaloo: Episode 1 'The Great Race' | date=November 24, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcd9ZRYlAoI |access-date=2023-11-25 |language=en}}</ref>
 
He returned to ''The Proud Family'' with the reboot ''[[The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]]'', which began airing on [[Disney+]] in February 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://tvline.com/2020/02/27/proud-family-revival-original-cast-new-episodes-disney-plus/|title= The Proud Family Revival Ordered at Disney+ With Original Cast — First Look|website=[[TVLine]]|first=Andy|last=Swift|date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321094642/https://tvline.com/2020/02/27/proud-family-revival-original-cast-new-episodes-disney-plus/|archive-date=March 21, 2022|access-date=April 19, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Revivalpremieredate">{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2022/01/14/proud-family-reboot-trailer-disney-plus-premiere-date/|title=''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' Sets February Premiere Date — Watch New Trailer for Disney+ Revival|work=[[TVLine]]|first=Andy|last=Swift|date=January 14, 2022|access-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115010955/https://tvline.com/2022/01/14/proud-family-reboot-trailer-disney-plus-premiere-date/|archive-date=January 15, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> This was spurred by the fact that on January 1, 2020, the original ''The Proud Family'' series began streaming on Disney+, and shortly thereafter, Disney executives approached Smith and [[Ralph Farquhar]] regarding a reviving of the series.<ref name="nytimes2022">{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=Leigh Ann|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/arts/television/proud-family-returns.html|title=A Groundbreaking Cartoon Family Returns, 'Louder and Prouder'|website=[[New York Times]]|date=February 23, 2022|access-date=February 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310041130/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/arts/television/proud-family-returns.html|archive-date=March 10, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On February 27, 2020, the show was formally ordered on the streaming service.<ref name="tvline">{{Cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2020/02/27/proud-family-revival-original-cast-new-episodes-disney-plus/|title= The Proud Family Revival Ordered at Disney+ With Original Cast — First Look|website=[[TVLine]]|first=Andy|last=Swift|date=February 27, 2020|access-date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418064631/https://tvline.com/2020/02/27/proud-family-revival-original-cast-new-episodes-disney-plus/|archive-date=April 18, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="otterson2020">{{cite web|last=Otterson|first=Joe|title='Proud Family' Revival Ordered to Series at Disney Plus|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/proud-family-disney-plus-1203517101/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=February 27, 2020|access-date=February 28, 2020|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228011713/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/proud-family-disney-plus-1203517101/|archive-date=February 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Smith concurred with Farquhar, saying that the "show never really went away" and called it the "perfect time to bring back this show."<ref>{{cite web|last=Alexander|first=Jared|url=https://thegrio.com/2021/05/13/proud-family-reboot-billy-porter-zachary-quinto-couple/|title='Proud Family' reboot to star Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto as gay couple|date=May 13, 2021|website=[[The Grio]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513192216/https://thegrio.com/2021/05/13/proud-family-reboot-billy-porter-zachary-quinto-couple/|archive-date=May 13, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=May 17, 2021}}</ref> Smith also argued that the series is "blazing a path...[in] this animated sphere," saying it has parts of the [[Horror fiction|horror]], [[sci-fi]], and [[Western (genre)|Western]] genres. The show is rated TV-PG, making this [[Disney Television Animation]]'s first series to carry the rating.<ref name="radulovic2022">{{cite web|last=Radulovic|first=Petrana|url=https://www.polygon.com/disney-plus/22939385/proud-family-louder-and-prouder-creator-interview|title=The Proud Family creators: 'There's not just one view of Blackness or a Black family'|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=February 17, 2022|access-date=February 18, 2022|archive-date=February 19, 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220219022344/https://www.polygon.com/disney-plus/22939385/proud-family-louder-and-prouder-creator-interview|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
In December 2020, he and Farquhar signed an overall deal with Disney to further produce television properties.<ref name="Deadline2020">{{Cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=December 15, 2020|title=Bruce W. Smith & Ralph Farquhar Ink Overall Deal With Disney Branded Television|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/the-proud-family-eps-bruce-w-smith-ralph-farquhar-overall-deal-disney-branded-television-1234656471/|access-date=April 19, 2022|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323103707/https://deadline.com/2020/12/the-proud-family-eps-bruce-w-smith-ralph-farquhar-overall-deal-disney-branded-television-1234656471/|archive-date=March 23, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 18, 2022, Disney+ renewed ''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' for a second season.<ref name="S2Renewal">{{cite tweet|user=disneyplus|author=Disney+|number=1516038845950828556|title=Even louder 👏 Even prouder 👏 Season 2 of @TheProudFamily: #LouderAndProuder, is officially in production! #DisneyPlus|date=April 18, 2022|access-date=April 18, 2022|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418173603/https://twitter.com/disneyplus/status/1516038845950828556|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Credits
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Characters
|-
| 1984 || ''[[Garfield in the Rough]]'' (TV Short) || Key assistant animator ||
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night]]'' || Animator ||
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
| Animator: Additional Animation ||
|-
|rowspan="4"| 1989 || ''Back to Neverland'' (Short) || Key animator ||
|-
|''[[Roger Rabbit short films|Tummy Trouble]]'' (Short) || rowspan="4" | Animator ||
|-
|''[[Vytor: The Starfire Champion]]'' (TV Movie) ||
|-
| ''[[Happily Ever After (1989 film)|Happily Ever After]]'' ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1991 || ''Michael & Mickey'' ||
|-
|''[[Rover Dangerfield]]'' || Storyboard Artist / Character Designer / Character Animator / Sequence Director ||
|-
|''[[Rock-A-Doodle]]'' || Character Animator ||
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Bebe's Kids]]'' || Director / Principal Character Designer ||
|-
| 1993 || ''A Cool Like That Christmas'' (TV Movie) || Character Designer ||
|-
| 1994 || ''[[The Pagemaster]]'' || Supervising Animator ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1995 || ''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]'' (TV Series) || Director - ''12 Episodes'' / Character Designs - ''2 Episodes''/ Character Designer - ''12 Episodes'' ||
|-
|''[[A Goofy Movie]]'' || Character Designer ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1996 || ''[[C Bear and Jamal]]'' (TV Series) || Creative Consultant - ''3 Episodes'' / Character Designer ||
|-
|''[[Quack Pack]]'' (TV Series) || Animation Director / Supervising Animator - ''[[List of Quack Pack episodes|1 Episode]]'' ||
|-
|''[[Space Jam]]'' || Animation Director ||
|-
| 1997 || ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'' || Character Designer / Supervising Animator || Sawyer and Max
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Tarzan (1999 film)|Tarzan]]'' || Supervising Animator || [[Kerchak]], Baboons & Baby Baboon
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2000 || ''The Indescribable Nit'' (Short) || Animator ||
|-
|''[[John Henry (2000 film)|John Henry]]'' || Character Designer & Visual Development Artist ||
|-
|''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'' || Supervising Animator || [[List of The Emperor's New Groove characters|Pacha]]
|-
| 2001–2005 || ''[[The Proud Family]]'' (TV Series) || Director - ''[[List of The Proud Family Episodes|6 Episodes]]'' / Executive Producer / Writer / Creator - ''52 Episodes'' / Developer - ''2 Episodes'' ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2004 || ''[[Home on the Range (2004 film)|Home on the Range]]'' || Supervising Animator || Pearl Gesner
|-
|''[[One by One (2004 film)|One by One]]'' (Video short) || Visual Development Artist ||
|-
|''[[Da Boom Crew]]'' (TV Series) || Co-Creator / Executive Producer ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2005 || ''[[The Proud Family Movie]]'' || Director / Executive Producer ||
|-
|''The Picnic'' (TV Movie) || rowspan="2" | Director ||
|-
|''The Beach'' (TV Movie) ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2009 || ''The Princess and the Frog'' (Video Game) || Voice ||
|-
|''[[The Princess and the Frog]]''
| Supervising Animator / Party Guest, Jeremy (voice) || Dr. Facilier
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2011 || ''[[Winnie the Pooh (2011 film)|Winnie the Pooh]]'' || Supervising Animator || [[Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Piglet]], [[Kanga (Winnie-the-Pooh)|Kanga]] and [[Roo]]
|-
|''[[Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters]]'' (Video short) || Animator: Duncan Studio Production ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2012 || ''[[Tangled Ever After]]'' (Short) || Lead Animator ||
|-
|''[[Wreck-It Ralph]]'' || rowspan="2" | Additional Visual Development Artist ||
|-
| 2013 || ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2014 || ''[[The Pirate Fairy]]'' (Video) || rowspan="2" | Senior Creative Team ||
|-
|''[[Planes: Fire & Rescue]]'' ||
|-
| 2016 || ''[[Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (film)|Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life]]'' || Animator: animation sequences ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2018 || ''[[Teen Titans Go! To the Movies]]'' || Animator: additional animator ||
|-
| ''[[DC Super Hero Girls (TV series)#Theatrical short|The Late Batsby]]'' || Storyboard artist ||
|-
| 2019 || ''[[Hair Love]]'' || Director ||
|-
| 2022–present || ''[[The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]]'' || Director / Executive Producer / Writer / Creator ||
|-
| 2023 || ''Hullabaloo'' || Character Animator (Episode: "The Great Race")<ref name=":0" />||
|-
|}
 
===Internet===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 2016 || ''Cartoons vs. Cancer'' || Himself
|-
|}
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
==External links==
* {{imdbIMDb name|id=0807563|name=Bruce W. Smith}}
* {{Twitter|BruceAlmighteee}}
 
{{Bruce W. Smith}}
{{Winsor McCay Award 2020s}}
 
{{authority control}}
 
[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:American animators|Smith, Bruce W.]]}}
[[Category:African-American/Black film directors|Smith, Bruce W.artists]]
[[Category:African -American artists|Smith, Brucefilm W.directors]]
[[Category:African-American filmtelevision producers|Smith, Bruce W.directors]]
[[Category:American animated film directors|Smith, Bruce W.]]
[[Category:BlackAmerican animators|Smith,character Bruce W.designers]]
[[Category:DisneyAmerican people|Smith,film Bruce W.producers]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:American storyboard artists]]
[[Category:American television directors]]
[[Category:Animators from California]]
[[Category:Artists from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:California Institute of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Animated Short Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Filmation people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Showrunners of animated series]]
[[Category:Television producers from California]]
[[Category:Television writers from California]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_W._Smith"