Philip Roman (born December 21, 1930) is an American animator. He is the director of the Peanuts and Garfield animated specials and is the founder of the animation studios Film Roman and Phil Roman Entertainment.
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Early life
Philip Roman was born on December 21, 1930, in Fresno, California. His parents were Mexican migrant farm workers. He spoke only Spanish until kindergarten. After graduating from San Joaquin Memorial High School, he moved to Hollywood, California and earned a scholarship to the Hollywood Art Center School.
Career
Roman begin his career in 1955 as an assistant animator for the Disney animated classic Sleeping Beauty. Early in his career, Roman was an animator for Chuck Jones's independent studios, Sib Tower 12 Productions and later Chuck Jones Productions. He was a lead animator for How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and later provided an audio commentary with June Foray on the DVD release of the film. In the 1970s, Roman directed several of the Peanuts animated specials produced at Bill Melendez' studio.
In 1984, Roman founded his own animation studio, Film Roman, which produced the animation for the Garfield television specials. He directed all the twelve Garfield specials broadcast from 1982 to 1991. He also appeared in the documentary special Happy Birthday, Garfield, which went behind the scenes of both the comic strip and the animated versions of Garfield. In 1992, Roman became animation executive producer for The Simpsons, which his company started working on beginning with season four, taking over from Klasky Csupo, who animated the first three seasons. In the same year, he directed Tom and Jerry: The Movie, his studio's first theatrical feature.
In 1999, Roman sold his studio and later formed Phil Roman Entertainment. The company produced the animated special Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Roman has served as the production supervisor and executive producer in the Mexican-American animated film El Americano: The Movie, which was released in 2016. Following Film Roman's purchase by Waterman Entertainment in 2015, Roman returned to the company and founded as chairman emeritus until Steve Waterman terminated the company in 2018.
In 2016, Roman was honored with the Inkpot Award.
Filmography
Television series
Garfield and Friends (1988–1994) – executive producer
Bobby's World (1990–1998) – executive producer
Zazoo U (1990–1991) – executive producer
The Simpsons (1992–1999) — animation executive producer
Mother Goose and Grimm (1991–1993) – executive producer
Mighty Max (1993–1994) – executive producer
The Critic (1994–1995) — animation executive producer
The Mask: The Animated Series (1995–1997) – executive producer
Klutter (1995–1996) (as part of Eek! Stravaganza) – executive producer
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997) – executive producer
Richie Rich (1996) – executive producer
Bruno the Kid (1996–1997) – executive producer
King of the Hill (1997–1999) – animation executive producer
Howdi Gaudi (2002) – executive producer
Television specials
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) — animator
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968) – graphic blandishment
It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (1969) – graphic blandishment
Horton Hears a Who! (1970) – animator
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (1971) – animator
You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972) – graphic blandishment
The Cricket in Times Square (1973) - animator
There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown (1973) – graphic blandishment
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) – director
It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974) – director
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974) – director
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) – director
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975) – director
Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1976) - animation director
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (1976) – director
It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977) – director
What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! (1978) – director
Films
Sleeping Beauty (1959) – assistant animator (uncredited)
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) – animator (uncredited)
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970) – animator (credited as Philip Roman)
Snoopy Come Home (1972) – graphic blandishment
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977) – co-director
The Lord of the Rings (1978) – animator
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (1980) – co-director
Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) – producer/director
La leyenda de la Nahuala (2007) – art adivsor
El Americano: The Movie (2016) – producer/co-screenwriter
