Stephen DeStefano (born 1966)[1] is an American comics artist, animator and storyboard artist best known as the co-creator of 'Mazing Man and Hero Hotline with writer Bob Rozakis.

Stephen DeStefano
BornStephen DeStefano
1966 (age 57–58)
Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Area(s)Writer, Penciller, Inker
Notable works
'Mazing Man
Hero Hotline

Early life

edit

DeStefano was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York and attended the High School of Art and Design.[2]

Career

edit

DeStefano's first credit in the comics industry was as the creator of the character Captain Electron in Adventure Comics #479 (March 1981), and then the characters Zeep and Thumbelina in the "Dial H for Hero" story in Adventure Comics #483 (July 1981).[3] His first professionally published comics artwork was a one-page parody of the "I…Vampire" feature in House of Mystery #306 (July 1982).[4] DeStefano wrote and drew "The Mini (Mis)Adventures of Nick O. Tyme" in New Talent Showcase #6–12 (June–December 1984). He then teamed with writer Bob Rozakis to create 'Mazing Man, a character introduced in an eponymous series beginning in January 1986.[5] After the cancellation of that series, the Rozakis-DeStefano team created Hero Hotline in Action Comics Weekly #637 (January 1989).[6] After a four-issue run as a back-up feature, Hero Hotline received its own six-issue limited series.[7] In the 1990s, DeStefano was a frequent contributor to The Big Book Of series published by Paradox Press. His other comics work includes credits at Dark Horse Comics, Disney Comics, Fantagraphics Books, and Marvel Comics.[4][8] As an animator, DeStefano has worked on such series as The Ren & Stimpy Show and Futurama.[2][9] He inked the Cage limited series drawn by Genndy Tartakovsky in 2016–2017.[10] In 2020, DeStefano won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Emmy for Character Design on the Genndy Tartakovsky series Primal.[11]

Filmography

edit

Television

edit
Year Title Writer Storyboard artist Art director Animator Notes
1992–96 The Ren and Stimpy Show Yes Yes Yes background designer, layout artist, layout supervisor, and background assistant
1993 2 Stupid Dogs Yes background designer
1994 Beethoven Yes character designer
1995 The Baby Huey Show Yes ep: "Operation Immunization"
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat Yes also assistant director
1996 Earthworm Jim Yes
1998 Superman: The Animated Series Yes Yes background key designer
The New Batman Adventures Yes
1999–2001 What a Cartoon! Yes Yes three episodes; models ("King Crab: Space Crustacean") and prop designer ("Foe Paws")
1999 Courage the Cowardly Dog Yes ep: "The Demon in the Mattress"
1999–2001 The Woody Woodpecker Show Yes
2001 Imp, Inc. Yes animation layout
2002 Poochini's Yard Yes ep: "Diva Dog"
Welcome to Eltingville Yes TV short
Private Eye Princess Yes
2003 Xiaolin Showdown Yes
2004–10 The Venture Bros. Yes Yes Yes character designer
2006 Minoriteam Yes illustrator; ep: "Tribe and Prejudice"
The X's Yes ep: "Homebody"
Plastic Man in: Puddle Trouble Yes Yes model designer; TV short
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Story Yes ep: "Anger Mismanagement"
2006–07 Drawn Together Yes
2007–09 Random! Cartoons Yes two episodes
2007 The Modifyers Yes character designer
2010–11 Sym-Bionic Titan Yes Yes
2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Yes Yes ep: "Four-Star Spectacular!"
2012 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Yes character designer; ep: "Catch a Falling Star"
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome Yes Yes ep: "Festro Gets Glasses"
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Yes two episodes
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Yes
Dreamworks Dragons Yes two episodes
New Teen Titans Yes ep: "Apprentice: Part Three"
The Looney Tunes Show Yes
2012–13 Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated Yes storyboard revisionist
2013 POV Yes ep: "Listening Is an Act of Love: A StoryCorps"
2013–18 Mickey Mouse Yes character and prop designer
2017 Samurai Jack Yes Yes storyboard layout, storyboard clean-up, and layout keys
2018–19 Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Yes character designer
2019 Primal Yes
2020–23 Looney Tunes Cartoons Yes
2022 The Cuphead Show! Yes
2023–present Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Yes

As voice actor

edit
Year Title Role(s)
1994 The Ren and Stimpy Show Chalky Cheesefist
1995 The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat Additional voices
2002 Private Eye Princess Hildegard the Maid
2008 The Venture Bros. Dr. Paul Entmann

Film

edit
Year Title Storyboard artist Animator Notes
1995 Runaway Brain Yes Visual development artist
2006 Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Yes TV movie
2007 Futurama: Bender's Big Score Yes Direct-to-video
2008 Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs Yes
2012 Big Top Scooby-Doo! Yes
2015 Hotel Transylvania 2 Yes character designer
2018 Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation Yes
2022 Hotel Transylvania: Transformania Yes
2024 Fixed Yes

Bibliography

edit
Apple Comics
  • 101 Other Uses for a Condom #1 (1991)
Dark Horse Comics
DC Comics
Paradox Press
  • The Big Book of Bad (1998)
  • The Big Book of Little Criminals (1996)
  • The Big Book of Scandal (1997)
  • The Big Book of Urban Legends (1994)
  • The Big Book of Vice (1999)
Disney Comics
Fantagraphics Books
  • Critters #32, 38, 50 (1989–1990)
  • Itchy Planet #3 (one page) (1988)
Harvey Pekar
Marvel Comics
NBM Publishing
  • Classics Desecrated (1995)
Oni Press
  • Jingle Belle #1–2 (1999)
  • Oni Double Feature #13 (1999)
  • Oni Press Summer Vacation Supercolor Fun Special #1 (2000)
  • Paul Dini's Jingle Belle Winter Wingding #1 (2002)
  • Paul Dini's Jingle Belle's All-Star Holiday Hullabaloo #1 (2000)
Palliard Press
Renegade Press
  • Renegade Romance #1–2 (1987–1988)
United Plankton Pictures, Inc.

References

edit
  1. ^ Bails, Jerry (2006). "DeStefano, Stephen". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999. Archived from the original on May 11, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The 'Mazing Stephen DeStefano!". Channel Frederator. February 28, 2007. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019.
  3. ^ "Adventure Comics #483 (July 1981)". Grand Comics Database.
  4. ^ a b Stephen DeStefano at the Grand Comics Database
  5. ^ Markstein, Don (2010). "'Mazing Man". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Martin, Brian (August 2017). "Where the Action is...Weekly". Back Issue! (98). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 75.
  7. ^ Markstein, Don (2010). "Hero Hotline". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Stephen DeStefano". Lambiek Comiclopedia. April 1, 2011. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019.
  9. ^ "Our Artists: Stephen DeStefano". Fantagraphics Books. n.d. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Genndy Tartakovsky Brings His Cartoon Style To Cage #1[Preview]". ComicsAlliance. September 6, 2016. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016.
  11. ^ "Television Academy, Emmys, Stephen DeStefano, Awards and Nominations". Television Academy.
edit