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Earthworm Jim Creator Doug TenNapel Joins HBU

Graphic Novelist Doug TenNapel Joins Faculty

| On Jul 11, 2013

Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel joins HBU faculty

Houston, TX — Noted animator, game designer, and graphic novelist Doug TenNapel is the newest addition to Houston Baptist University’s Cinema & New Media Arts program. For nearly twenty years, TenNapel has been a creative force in popular media, beginning with his video game concept Earthworm Jim, which spawned an animated TV series and toy line in the early 1990s.

After designing a number of successful video games, including a collaboration with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Interactive for the critically-acclaimed game The Neverhood, TenNapel pivoted into television work, creating animated series like Project G.e.e.K.e.R. and Catscratch. He also served as a consulting producer on Ben Affleck’s puzzle series Push, Nevada.

In 1999, TenNapel released his first graphic novel, Gear, which later became a television series for Nickelodeon. Since then, he’s released a number of highly-praised graphic novels, including Creature Tech, Ghostopolis, Bad Island, and most recently Cardboard, which Fox Animation is now developing into a feature film with Tobey Maguire. Creature Tech won an Eisner Award — the comic book industry’s highest honor.

Exploring the emerging power of crowd-funding, TenNapel’s forthcoming game Armikrog attracted nearly one million dollars from more than 18,000 supporters on Kickstarter.com, a website that enables artists and entrepreneurs to seek fan-based financing.

TenNapel is known for his distinct, expressive illustrations and eclectic characters. As a talented artist and storyteller, he’s been able to leverage his abilities across multiple mediums throughout a very successful career. This versatility and experience make him a perfect addition to HBU’s Cinema & New Media Arts program.

“We are so excited to have Doug joining us,” explains program director Joshua Sikora. “He brings exactly the kind of expertise our students need to be able to successfully navigate the many opportunities film and new media offer.”

According to university president Robert B. Sloan, Jr., the newly developed Cinema & New Media Arts program aims to provide an opportunity for students to engage with both emerging technologies as well as the timeless art of storytelling. “Writers and filmmakers make up a powerful force in today’s culture,” says Sloan. “The entire University family will benefit enormously from Mr. TenNapel’s reputation, experience and creativity.” Provost John Mark Reynolds echoes this sentiment. “The combination of Doug TenNapel with innovative filmmaker Josh Sikora puts HBU on track for exciting filmmaking with our students,” Reynolds remarks.

In addition to teaching writing, animation, and video game design, TenNapel will be directly accessible to HBU’s Cinema & New Media Arts students, mentoring them in their own work. “At HBU, we want to give students the opportunity to learn from and apprentice with the best we can find,” Sikora explains. “Doug is the first of many talented artists we hope to collaborate with.”

TenNapel joins the HBU faculty in January 2014.


<style=”font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;”>Houston Baptist University is an independent, private Christian liberal arts institution with a diverse student body. The University is dedicated to the development of the intellect, the moral character and the spiritual lives of its students. It has access to all the cultural advantages of one of the largest metropolitan centers in the country. For more information about the University, please visit www.hbu.edu.

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