Bob Camp


Robert Frank Camp is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, comic book artist, storyboard artist, director, and producer. He is best known for founding Spümcø and his work for developing and serving as a showrunner for The Ren & Stimpy Show. He has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on The Ren & Stimpy Show.

Career

Camp started his animation career as a designer for animated series such as ThunderCats, Silverhawks, TigerSharks, and several other series produced by Rankin/Bass. He then worked as a designer on The Real Ghostbusters for DiC, and later as a storyboard artist on Tiny Toon Adventures for Warner Bros. Television.
Camp was a co-founder of and director for Spümcø, the animation studio that created The Ren & Stimpy Show. He played a major role in the studio's creative force until September 21, 1992, when he left to work for Games Productions, the animation studio Nickelodeon initially created to continue work on The Ren and Stimpy Show after Spümcø and creator John Kricfalusi had been fired. At Games, Camp was promoted to creative director of The Ren and Stimpy Show and supervised the series' production until its conclusion. After Ren & Stimpy ended in 1995, Camp and former Ren & Stimpy writer Jim Gomez began developing a new series for Nickelodeon titled Kid Komet and Galaxy Gal, which was never picked up for a full series.
In the 1980s, Camp worked at Marvel Comics as an illustrator on many comic titles including G.I. Joe, Crazy Magazine, Bizarre Adventures, Savage Tales, Conan the Barbarian, and The 'Nam. During this time, he also drew the cover art of Jam on Revenge, the 1984 debut album by the Electro-hip hop group Newcleus.
In the 2000s, Camp worked as a storyboard artist on animated feature films such as Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Ice Age: The Meltdown, and also as a director on Robotboy.
Camp previously taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Influences

He was intrigued by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Stanley Kubrick, Peter Sellers, Laurel and Hardy and Monty Phython, but also Bill Plympton, Terry Gilliam, Don Martin, Walt Disney and Tex Avery.

Filmography

Television

Film

Marvel Comics covers – selected bibliography

  • The 'Nam Issues #14, #17, #20, #22
  • Conan the Destroyer #1, #2