"Samurai Jack" (2001) TV series 2001-2004

Creator:

Genndy Tartakovsky
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

10 August 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In the future evil takes many forms, and our only hope is one man from the past.

Plot:

A samurai sent through time fights to return home and save the world.

Plot Keywords:

Samurai | Fight | Combat | Alien | Sword

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Phil LaMarr	...	Samurai Jack / ... (48 episodes, 2001-2004)
Mako	...	Aku / ... (23 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Directed by
Genndy Tartakovsky		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Randy Myers		(23 episodes, 2001-2004)
Robert Alvarez		(17 episodes, 2001-2004)
Rob Renzetti		(9 episodes, 2001-2002)
Chris Savino		(2 episodes, 2002-2003)

Series Writing credits
Genndy Tartakovsky		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Bryan Andrews		(16 episodes, 2001-2004)
Brian Larsen		(12 episodes, 2002-2003)
Chris Reccardi		(10 episodes, 2001-2003)
Paul Rudish		(9 episodes, 2001-2004)
Charlie Bean		(7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Aaron Springer		(7 episodes, 2002-2003)
Chris Mitchell		(6 episodes, 2001-2002)
Erik Wiese		(6 episodes, 2002-2004)
Mark Andrews		(5 episodes, 2001-2004)
Carey Yost		(3 episodes, 2001)
Don Shank		(3 episodes, 2003)
Michael Manley		(2 episodes, 2001)
Jim Smith		(2 episodes, 2003-2004)

Series Produced by
Brian A. Miller	....	supervising producer / supervising producer: Cartoon Network Studios (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Diana Ritchey	....	associate producer / line producer (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Genndy Tartakovsky	....	executive producer / producer (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Linda Simensky	....	executive producer: Cartoon Network (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
James L. Venable		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Casting by
Collette Sunderman		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Art Direction by
Dan Krall		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Scott Wills		(52 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Production Management
Michael Lazzo	....	executive in charge of production: Cartoon Network Studios (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Jennifer Pelphrey	....	director of production (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Linda Simensky	....	executive in charge of production: Cartoon Network Studios (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Todd Garfield	....	production manager (26 episodes, 2002-2004)

Series Art Department
Shayne Poindexter	....	property designer (26 episodes, 2001-2004)
Roger Webb	....	color stylist (20 episodes, 2001-2004)
Chris Battle	....	property designer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Bryan Andrews	....	storyboard artist (16 episodes, 2001-2004)
Chris Reccardi	....	storyboard artist (13 episodes, 2001)
Paul Rudish	....	storyboard artist / property designer (12 episodes, 2001-2004)
Brian Larsen	....	storyboard artist (12 episodes, 2002-2003)
Genndy Tartakovsky	....	storyboard artist (11 episodes, 2001-2004)
Erik Wiese	....	storyboard artist / additional storyboard (8 episodes, 2002-2004)
Charlie Bean	....	storyboard artist (7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Aaron Springer	....	storyboard artist (7 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jairo Lizarrzu	....	property designer / prop designer (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Chris Mitchell	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 2001-2002)
Michael Manley	....	storyboard artist / additional storyboards (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Andy Bialk	....	property designer (5 episodes, 2001)
Jim Smith	....	property designer / storyboard artist / ... (5 episodes, 2002-2004)
Frederick J. Gardner III	....	property designer (3 episodes, 2001)
Carey Yost	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 2001)
Don Shank	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 2003)
Dan Krall	....	property designer (2 episodes, 2001-2004)
Justin Thompson	....	background designer (2 episodes, 2003-2004)

Series Sound Department
Timothy J. Borquez	....	supervising rerecording mixer / supervising re-recording mixer (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Eric Freeman	....	sound re-recording mixer (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
James Garifi	....	track reader (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Jim Hearn	....	dialogue editor (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Morten Folmer Nielsen	....	adr editor / adr recordist (26 episodes, 2002-2004)
Robert Serda	....	recording engineer / sound recording engineer (4 episodes, 2001-2004)
Bob Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer (3 episodes, 2001)
Kerry Iverson	....	dialogue editor (3 episodes, 2003)
Roy Braverman	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Darrick Bachman	....	digital adjustment coordinator (1 episode, 2003)

Series Animation Department
Sandy Benenati	....	animation checker (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Robert Lacko	....	clean-up artist (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Jeff Albrecht	....	clean-up artist (40 episodes, 2001-2004)
Lynne Naylor	....	character designer (29 episodes, 2001-2004)
Robert Alvarez	....	sheet timer (27 episodes, 2001-2004)
Andy Suriano	....	character designer (27 episodes, 2001-2004)
Pat Agnasin	....	layout keys (27 episodes, 2001-2003)
Todd Frederiksen	....	layout keys (27 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jennifer C. Baker	....	background artist (20 episodes, 2001-2003)
Nelda Ridley	....	ink and paint coordinator (19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Leticia Lacy	....	color stylist (18 episodes, 2001-2004)
Hueng-soon Park	....	animation director (17 episodes, 2001-2004)
James T. Walker	....	sheet timer (17 episodes, 2002-2004)
Karen Greslie	....	color stylist (16 episodes, 2001-2003)
Ellen Suh	....	background artist (15 episodes, 2001-2003)
Yu Mun Jeong	....	animation director (12 episodes, 2001-2003)
Shakeh Haghnazarian	....	character designer (12 episodes, 2002-2003)
Seong Chan Lee	....	animation director (11 episodes, 2001-2003)
Randy Myers	....	sheet timer (11 episodes, 2001-2003)
Bong Koh Jae	....	animation director (10 episodes, 2001-2004)
Craig Kellman	....	character designer (9 episodes, 2001-2004)
Barbara Krueger	....	clean-up artist (9 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jim Smith	....	character designer (9 episodes, 2002)
Paul Rudish	....	character designer (7 episodes, 2001-2004)
Chris Mitchell	....	character designer (7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Dexter Smith	....	character designer / clean-up artist (7 episodes, 2001)
Bill Wray	....	background artist / layout keys / ... (6 episodes, 2001-2004)
Nadia Vurbenova	....	background artist (6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Roger Webb	....	color stylist (6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Sae Hyon Park	....	animation director (6 episodes, 2003)
Yeol Jung Chang	....	animation director (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Rob Renzetti	....	sheet timer (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Dan Krall	....	layout keys (4 episodes, 2003-2004)
Christopher Brock	....	background artist (3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Richard Daskas	....	background artist (3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Scott Wills	....	background artist (3 episodes, 2003)
Paul Stec	....	layout keys (2 episodes, 2001)
Justin Thompson	....	layout artist / layout keys (2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Ted Blackman	....	layout keys (2 episodes, 2003)
Kwang-bae Park	....	animation director (2 episodes, 2004)

Series Editorial Department
Paul Douglas	....	supervising editor / on-line editor (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Alicia Parkinson	....	post-production coordinator (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Rick Taylor	....	colorist / telecine operator (40 episodes, 2001-2004)
Craig Price	....	online operator / on-line editor (15 episodes, 2001-2002)
Heather Adams	....	video post supervisor (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Erik Freid	....	assistant on-line editor (4 episodes, 2001)

Series Music Department
Paul Dinletir	....	composer: additional music (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
George Pajon Jr.	....	composer: theme music / composer: main title and end title theme (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Joe Privitelli	....	music editor (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Will i Am	....	composer: theme music (52 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Other crew
Rita Rodríguez	....	production coordinator (52 episodes, 2001-2004)
Amy Keating Rogers	....	outline editor (47 episodes, 2001-2004)
Todd Garfield	....	production assistant / production coordinator (26 episodes, 2001-2002)
Joanne Halcon	....	production accountant (26 episodes, 2001-2002)
Cecilia Rheins	....	production estimator (7 episodes, 2002-2004)
Darrick Bachman	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 2002-2004)
Robert Taleghany	....	production estimator (5 episodes, 2002)
Sharra Gage	....	talent coordinator (3 episodes, 2001-2002)
Helen Bricker	....	studio teacher (2 episodes, 2001-2002)

Production Companies

• Cartoon Network
• Hanna-Barbera Productions
• Rough Draft Studios

Distributors

• CNX (2003) (UK) (TV)
• Cartoon Network
• Hollydan Works (2008) (Yugoslavia) (DVD)
• Kids' WB (2002-2003) (USA) (TV)
• Toonami Jetstream (2006) (USA) (all media)
• YTV (2003) (Canada) (TV)

Other Companies

• 7ATE9 Entertainment  DVD production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

25 min (52 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-Y7 | Denmark:7 | Sweden:7 | Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | New Zealand:PG

Company:

Cartoon Network

Trivia:

In Episode VIII, one of the bounty hunters in the woods that is riding a robotic elephant is a character from "Dial M for Monkey" from "Dexter's Laboratory." "Dexter's Laboratory" is also created by Genndy Tartakovsky.

Quotes:

Aku:Oh, put that thing away, Samurai. We all know what's going to happen. You'll swing your sword, I'll fly away, and probably say something like, "I'll be back, Samurai!" And then I'll flutter over the horizon and we probably won't see each for... about a week. And then we'll do the same thing again.
Jack:Your word play will not trick me, villain!
[he attacks Aku]
Aku:I'll be back, Samurai - you'll see! Bwah-ha-ha-ha.
[flutters over the horizon then reappears]
Aku:See what I mean?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nostalgia Critic: Red Sonja (#2.20)" (2009)

A Godsend for American Animation

Samurai Jack has something sorely lacking in American animated entertainment - greatness. Not since the Batman series, or perhaps ever, has a American cartoon flaunted such daring visual bravado, intelligent cinematic storytelling, intense action, and a revolutionary spirit so confidently - it's a warmly welcomed shake-up to the monotonous humdrum continuum of TV animation in this country. Genndy Tartakovsky (creator of Dexter's Laboratory) has captured lightning in a bottle with his latest brainchild, and in doing so has demolished the mold for cartoons both present and future. Indeed, calling this show itself a cartoon seems somehow disrespectful and stereotypical. Here, the freedom allowed by the medium brings the story of Jack and his vendetta against a millenial nemesis named Aku in the far future feverishly to life. Every background, set piece, character, and detail are all strikingly imagined, almost shocking in their originality. The minimalist nature of the animation itself gives the program a unique and powerful vitality, and the abstract and sometimes surreal stylization is unlike anything ever seen in cartoons. Tartakovsky avoids the clunky and often lifeless quagmire of more detailed and lifelike approaches to action animation and instead opts for he intensity and impact of a comic book in motion, and the results are both awesome and beautiful.

More than anything else, Samurai Jack truly feels like a work of art, like something that is crafted rather than produced. It's a testament to the fact that animation in the U.S. can be cutting edge, revolutionary, and mature. Truth be told, I haven't been excited about a new television program in quite a while. Time will tell, but Samurai Jack seems destined for masterpiece status - not only here in America, but quite possibly worldwide.