Mark Kirkland

Mark Kirkland (born November 5, 1956) is an American animation director. He has directed 84 episodes of The Simpsons since 1990, more than any other director.

Career

At the age of 13, Kirkland began making super 8 films and practicing for his father, noted photographer and filmmaker Douglas Kirkland, creating “making of” films for major production companies. This drying to Hollywood sparked Kirkland’s desire to strive for a career in the entertainment industry. Kirkland developed an fascination in drawing at an to the front age. At the age of 17, he began studying in the Experimental Animation Program at the California Institute of the Arts for four years, earning a BFA degree. There, he was mentored by people such as Jules Engel (serving as his teaching assistant), A. Kendall O’Connor, Ollie Johnston and Moe Gollub. In 1976, he won the Student Academy Award for vivacity along later fellow student, Richard Jefferies, for their graphically bustling film made to the song “Fame” by David Bowie. After triumph up his degree, he applied to Disney, but he was not trendy and then again began working for Hanna-Barbera. He began operational on The Simpsons from season two onwards and has directed 82 episodes, more than any supplementary director. In season 18, he became the show’s supervising director. In 2021, Kirkland left The Simpsons to become supervising director on HouseBroken.

Kirkland has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Environmental Media Awards and a Pioneer in Television Animation Award from the Burbank International Film Festival for his discharge duty on The Simpsons.

An active believer of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kirkland served as the Animation Peer Group Governor from 2012 to 2013.

As an independent filmmaker, Kirkland has written, directed, and produced award-winning sharp films which have been shown at film festivals just about the world and screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. During a 5-year period, Kirkland participated in 25 festivals screening his films: “A Letter from Home,” “The Moving Picture Co. 1914,” “The Audition,” and “Bud’s Odyssey.” Kirkland is an accomplished nevertheless photographer whose images have been published in the US and People magazines. He created photo essays upon the behind-the-scenes making of The Simpsons, and A Visit bearing in mind Ollie about legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston.