Vanessa Coffey Explained

Vanessa Coffey
Occupation:Film producer
Years Active:1979–present
Awards:2 Daytime Emmy Awards * 1 CableACE Award

Vanessa Coffey is an American film producer best known for her work on Rugrats, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Doug and Rocko's Modern Life. Coffey has won two Daytime Emmy Awards and a CableACE Award.[1]

Career

Marvel Animation

Coffey's film career began at Marvel Animation working on television shows including Transformers, G.I. Joe, Muppet Babies and Defenders of the Earth. Coffey later moved to Murakami-Wolf-Swenson where she worked on the development of the television show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[2]

Nickelodeon and Nicktoons

Coffey says that after leaving Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, she did not want to do animation anymore[3] because everything was either modeled after pre-existing comic strips or a vessel for selling related products. Coffey decided that she wanted to bring back original animation and called Debbie Beece at Nickelodeon. Coffey was told that Nickelodeon could not afford animation at the time, but she could produce a special for them. She produced Nick's Thanksgiving Fest in 1988 as an independent contractor. It was only the second time that the studio had done animation. After the success of the special, Nickelodeon contracted with Coffey to develop Nicktoons[4] with original, creator-driven ideas.

Coffey developed three ideas to fill the 90-minute time slot allocated to Nicktoons – Rugrats, The Ren & Stimpy Show and Doug. All three shows were successful and are credited with beginning Nickelodeon's "golden age of cartoons". Coffey calls the variety of the three shows "a balanced meal" for kids. Between the pilots and series' production, Coffey was hired as Nickelodeon's Vice President of Animation.

Of being able to create original programming for Nicktoons, Coffey says, "I was in the right place at the right time."[5] Arlene Klasky, co-creator of Rugrats, and Jim Jinkins, creator of Doug, credit Coffey for enabling them to get their shows off the ground and into the homes of millions around the world.

Awards and nominations

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YearWork(s)CategoryResult
Primetime Emmy Awards1995Rugrats for episode "Passover"Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
1994The Ren & Stimpy Show for episode "Ren's Retirement"Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
1993The Ren & Stimpy Show for episode "Son of Stimpy"Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
1992The Ren & Stimpy ShowOutstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
CableACE Awards1995Rocko's Modern LifeAnimated Programming Special or Series
1994RugratsAnimated Programming Special or Series
1994DougAnimated Programming Special or Series
1994The Ren & Stimpy ShowAnimated Programming Special or Series
1993The Ren & Stimpy ShowAnimated Programming Special or Series
Daytime Emmy Awards1995RugratsOutstanding Animated Children's Program
1994RugratsOutstanding Animated Children's Program
1993DougOutstanding Animated Children's Program
RugratsOutstanding Animated Children's Program
1992RugratsOutstanding Animated Children's Program
DougOutstanding Animated Children's Program

Filmography

YearWorkRoleNotes
1987–1988Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesProduction managerTV series
1989Nick's Thanksgiving FestProducerTV special
1990Big House BluesExecutive producerFilm short
1991–1994DougExecutive producerTV series
1991–1995RugratsExecutive producerTV series
1991–1996The Ren & Stimpy ShowExecutive producerTV series
1993–1995Rocko's Modern LifeExecutive producerTV series
1999Executive producerTV series
2024Ren & StimpyExecutive producerTV series

References

  1. Web site: Vanessa Coffey. IMDb. 14 June 2018.
  2. News: One Woman Is Responsible For Starting Nickelodeon's Golden Age of Cartoons. Duca. Lauren. December 18, 2014. HuffPost. 29 May 2018.
  3. News: The Oral History of 'Nicktoons', Part I: How The Storied Animation Block Came To Be. June 14, 2016. Decider. 29 May 2018.
  4. News: Nickelodeon Animation Studio: Pop-Culture Powerhouse Got an Unlikely Start. Owen. Rob. May 5, 2016. Variety. 29 May 2018.
  5. News: Cal State Fullerton Exhibit Celebrates 25 Years of NickToons. April 18, 2016. Animation Magazine. 13 June 2018.