Radford Sechrist
| Radford Sechrist | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 9,1990[1] |
| 🏫 Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (BS) |
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| 📆 Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Maggie Kang |
Radford Sechrist is an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and educator. He is best known as the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed animated series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020–2021) for DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix.
Early life and education
Sechrist attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.[2] During college, he began drawing comics for fun, initially unaware that animation could be a viable career path. After graduation, he decided to pursue animation professionally, enrolling in art classes to develop his skills.[3]
Career
Early career and feature animation
Sechrist began his professional animation career at DreamWorks Animation in 2006 as a story trainee on Bee Movie.[4] He subsequently worked as a story artist and additional storyboard artist on numerous animated feature films, including:
- Megamind (2010) – Story Artist[5]
- Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) – Story Artist[5]
- Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) – Additional Story Artist[6]
- Turbo (2013) – Additional Story Artist[7]
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) – Story Artist[5]
- Penguins of Madagascar (2014) – Story Artist[5]
In 2021, he served as Head of Story for the Sony Pictures Animation film Wish Dragon.[8]
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
Sechrist created the animated series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, which premiered on Netflix in January 2020. The series originated from his webcomic Kipo, which he self-published online in 2015.[9] He developed the pitch as "The Walking Dead, but everything that's trying to kill you is adorable," aiming to blend post-apocalyptic stakes with vibrant, optimistic storytelling.[10]
As showrunner and executive producer, Sechrist oversaw all three seasons of the series, which concluded in October 2021. The show received widespread critical praise for its innovative animation style, diverse cast, complex worldbuilding, and themes of empathy and community.[11] It was particularly noted for its positive LGBTQ+ representation, featuring an openly gay main character, Benson, which earned the series a GLAAD Media Award nomination in 2021.[12] The series was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Series.[13]
Teaching and entrepreneurship
Parallel to his production work, Sechrist has maintained a career as an educator. He has taught storyboarding and animation at several institutions, including the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Academy of Art University, and the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art.[14]
In 2021, he co-founded Project City with animators Ethan Becker, Chase Conley, and Coran Kizer Stone. Described as an "animation incubator," the venture focuses on developing independent animated projects and providing educational resources for artists.[15] He also operates the Rad How-To School, an online platform offering instructional content on drawing and storyboarding.[16]
Personal life
Sechrist is married to animation director and story artist Maggie Kang.[17]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Megamind | Story Artist | |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Story Artist | |
| 2012 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Additional Story Artist | |
| 2013 | Turbo | Additional Story Artist | |
| 2014 | Mr. Peabody & Sherman | Additional Story Artist | |
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | Story Artist | |
| 2014 | Penguins of Madagascar | Story Artist | |
| 2017 | The Lego Ninjago Movie | Additional Storyboard Artist | |
| 2021 | Wish Dragon | Head of Story |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Ultimate Spider-Man | Storyboard Artist | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll | Storyboard Artist | Television special |
| 2020–2021 | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer | 30 episodes |
Bibliography
- Flight, Volume Three (2006) – Graphic novel anthology contributor
- Flight Explorer, Volume One (2008) – Contributor; story: "Wooden Rivers 'Rain Slickers'"
- Kipo (2015) – Webcomic (self-published online)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's Animated Series | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Nominated |
| 2021 | GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Kids & Family Programming | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Nominated |
| 2021 | Annie Awards | Best TV/Media – Children | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Nominated[18] |
References
- ↑ "@bill3031 (Jan 9, 2020). Birthday greeting from Bill Wolkoff. Instagram". instagram. Retrieved Jan 9, 2020.
- ↑ Zahed, Ramin (January 15, 2020). "It's the End of the World and She's Just Fine!: 'Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ Zahed, Ramin (June 11, 2020). "How Radford Sechrist's 'Kipo' Journey Began in an Online Webcomic". Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Radford Sechrist". Savannah College of Art and Design. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Radford Sechrist". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Turbo (2013) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation Team for Animated Feature 'Wish Dragon'" (Press release). Sony Pictures Animation. June 11, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2025.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Hale, Mike (January 14, 2020). "Review: In 'Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts,' a Dazzling Animated Adventure". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ Trumbore, Dave (June 9, 2020). "'Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts' Season 2 Interview: Creators Talk New Threats & the "Mega" World". Collider. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ Saraiya, Sonia (June 9, 2020). "Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts is still one of TV's most imaginative adventure stories". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees". GLAAD. January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Learn Storyboarding and Figure Invention for Animation with Rad Sechrist". Concept Art Empire. June 21, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ James, Tito W. (November 29, 2021). "'Kipo' Creator Radford Sechrist Announces New Animated Venture 'Project City'". Comicon.com. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Rad How-To School". Rad How-To School. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Maggie Kang". IMDb. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑ "48th Annie Awards Nominees". ASIFA-Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
External links
This article "Radford Sechrist" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Radford Sechrist. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
