Animation
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is currently a director with The Simpsons. During his 22 consecutive years with the show, he has directed 70 episodes and has won three Primetime Emmy Awards. At the age of 13, Kirkland began making Super 8 films and working for his father, noted photographer, Douglas Kirkland. Kirkland studied animation at Cal Arts, where he received a BFA degree. Kirkland got his break in the animation industry when hired by Hanna-Barbera Productions as a designer/storyboard/layout artist/crew supervisor. Later in advertising, he worked as a producer/director supervising animation, effects, miniatures and live-action. As an independent filmmaker, Kirkland has made award-winning short films, which have been shown internationally and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With nearly 35 years in the television industry, Kirkland cherishes working with his longtime colleagues and living in Burbank with his wife Letty.
Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz has been working in television animation for over 15 years. He grew up outside of Philadelphia, and moved to Los Angeles at age 19 to attend film school at UCLA. As an undergraduate, he completed his first animated film at the UCLA Animation Workshop, and is now a professor in that program teaching storyboarding and production. Sheetz started his professional career as an animation timer on the third season of The Simpsons. From there, he became an assistant director on The Critic, and then a director during the show’s second season. Over the past 12 years, he has directed episodes of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, The Critic and Drawn Together. He has also worked as producer and director on Disney’s Recess and What’s New Scooby-Doo? He was the director of Treehouse of Horror XVlll, The Simpsons' Halloween show for 2007.
