Chris Houghton
Christopher Houghton | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Houghton at Comikaze Expo in 2011 | |
| Born | Christopher Colin Houghton[1] May 23, 1988 St. Johns, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Animator, illustrator, writer, director, musician, voice actor |
| Education | College for Creative Studies |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Notable works | Big City Greens |
| Spouse | Kassandra Heller |
Christopher Colin Houghton (born May 23, 1988) is an American animator, illustrator, writer, director, musician, and voice actor. He is the co-creator and executive producer of the Disney Channel animated series Big City Greens, on which he voices the main character Cricket Green.
Early life
Houghton was born in St. Johns, Michigan.[2] His parents are Noel and Rick Houghton.[3][4] He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where he majored in illustration.[5][6]
Career
Houghton began his career as a storyboard artist on the Nickelodeon series Fanboy & Chum Chum[7] and worked as an artist for Bongo Comics, Mad, and Boom! Studios.[8] He often collaborates with his brother, writer Shane Houghton[9][7], with whom he co-created the Reed Gunther comic book series.[10]
Houghton served as a storyboard artist on Disney XD's Gravity Falls and Wander Over Yonder[11][12] before later working as a storyboard director on Nickelodeon's Harvey Beaks.[13]
In March 2016, Disney XD announced that it had picked up an animated series by the Houghton brothers, originally titled Country Club and later renamed Big City Greens.[14][15] Houghton voices the main character, Cricket Green. After initially only providing the voice for early production, his performance impressed Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger during an advanced screening.[16]
In February 2024, the Houghton brothers signed a multiyear overall production deal with Disney Branded Television.[17]
Personal life
Houghton is married to animator and artist Kassandra Heller.[18]
In 2009, Houghton was the recipient of the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship from the National Cartoonists Society.[19]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation | Cricket Green (voice) | Writer, executive producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | Fanboy & Chum Chum | Storyboard artist | |
| 2012–2016 | Gravity Falls | ||
| 2013–2014 | Wander Over Yonder | ||
| 2014 | Mickey Mouse | Episode: "Clogged"[20] | |
| 2015–2017 | Harvey Beaks | Storyboard director | |
| 2018–present | Big City Greens | Cricket Green (voice) | Co-creator, writer, executive producer |
| 2022–2023 | The Owl House | Bill (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2022–present | Chibiverse | Cricket Green (voice) | 6 episodes |
Bibliography
- Houghton, Shane; (November 22, 2011). Reed Gunther, Vol. 1: The Bear-Riding Cowboy. Image Comics. ISBN 9781607064626.
- North, Ryan; Paroline, Shelli (illustrator); Lamb, Braden (illustrator); Houghton, Chris (illustrator); Brown, Jeffrey (illustrator) (February 8, 2012). Adventure Time #1. BOOM! Studios. ISBN 978-1637156513.
- Houghton, Shane; (August 7, 2012). Reed Gunther, Vol. 2: Monsters and Mustaches!. Image Comics. ISBN 9781607065562.
- Pope, Paul; Renier, Aaron; Houghton, Chris (illustrator) (October 1, 2013). Adventure Time: Sugary Shorts, Vol. 1. BOOM! Studios. ISBN 9781608863617.
References
- ^ "National Cartoonists Society". nationalcartoonists.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ^ Mike (2015-05-04). "Chris Houghton". Animation Insider. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ Greco, Rachel (June 18, 2018). "New Disney cartoon inspired by brothers' St. Johns roots". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ Toby, Mekeisha Madden (December 27, 2017). "Country boy moves downtown in coming 'Big City Greens'". The Detroit News. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ Bentley, Rick (September 20, 2023). "'Big City Greens' reaches major television milestone". kget.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023.
- ^ kingfeaturesadmin (2009-05-11). "King Features Cartoonists Dan Piraro and Vic Lee Among Nominees for National Cartoonists Society 2009 Reuben Awards – King Features Syndicate". Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ^ a b Goellner, Caleb (2012-01-09). "Chris Houghton Applies Animation Expertise to Awesome Sketches [Art]". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "9 Questions with Chris Houghton". Scratch9. 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ "NCS member Chris Houghton sells Animated Series to Disney XD". nationalcartoonists.com. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ "Interview - Reed Gunther creators, Chris and Shane Houghton". 2011-08-25. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton, Creators and Executive Producers of Disney Channel's 'Big City Greens,' Enter Into Overall With Disney Branded Television". Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ "Looks like the cat's outta the bag! Or in this..." 2025-04-23. Archived from the original on 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ "Disney takes the unknown country road with Big City Greens". Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2016-03-04). "Disney XD Announces 'Billy Dilly' and 'Country Club'". Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ Melrose, Kevin (2017-07-21). "EXCLUSIVE: First Look At Disney XD's Big City Greens Opening Credits". CBR. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "what's your opinion on Bob Iger now that he's..." 2025-01-23. Archived from the original on 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2024-02-10). "'Big City Greens' Creators Chris Houghton, Shane Houghton Sign Multi-Year Deal With Disney Branded TV". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ Stories, Local (2016-12-02). "Meet Los Feliz Animator, BG Painter, Designer, and Illustrator: Kassandra Heller". Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ David (2010-02-26). "David-Wasting-Paper: Chris Houghton - Cartoonist Survey #84". David-Wasting-Paper. Archived from the original on 2011-11-06. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
- ^ "National Cartoonists Society". nationalcartoonists.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2025-07-25.