Mike Young (producer)

Mike Young
Mike Young
Born	Michael Emlyn Young; 16 October 1945 (age 79); Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales
Nationality	British (Welsh)
Occupation(s)	Animation Producer, Animation Writer and founder of Mike Young Productions
Years active	1980–present
Known for	SuperTed
Spouse	Liz Young

Michael Emlyn Young (born 16 October 1945) is a Welsh Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning producer. He is the founder of two animation companies in both the UK and the US. His company in 2015 changed its name from Mike Young Productions to Splash Entertainment, which also is a majority owner of Popular AVOD network Kabillion.

Biography

Young was born in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Gwent. In the flat above a fish and chip shop owned by the family of actor Victor Spinetti, who would later go on to provide the voice of Mike's character, Texas Pete. He trained as a television producer, and while working as an advertising copywriter he met his wife Liz Young. After the pair married in the 1970s, Young's stepson Richard Finn (later head of post-production at MYP), was having trouble falling asleep. Young invented stories about a teddy bear and Finn told his school friends the stories, which resulted in the SuperTed books, co-produced with Young.^[1]

In 1981, Young, along with his wife, animator Dave Edwards and producer Robin Lyons, founded Siriol Productions. They approached the newly formed Welsh TV channel S4C and secured a commission to produce an animated series of SuperTed. Due to the success of the initial series, it was re-dubbed in English. A special edition was made for the Welsh Office which instructed children on the "dos" and "don'ts" of road safety.^[2] The series sold well in the UK, and was followed by the more ambitious Fantastic Max (with Hanna-Barbera) and Little Dracula (with Steven Hahn Productions).^[3]

Young found it difficult to sell his series to Hollywood executives without a local presence there so in 1989 the family moved to Los Angeles, selling their rights to SuperTed and shares owned in Siriol Animation to finance the move and to set up Mike Young Productions, now called Splash Entertainment. The company's first production was P. J. Sparkles, after which it was involved in many other animated series, including The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats (co-produced with the Dave Edwards Studio), The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (the 2002 series), Pet Alien, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (which won seven Emmys and a BAFTA Award), Growing Up Creepie, a Bratz TV series and five full-length Bratz DVD movies, I Got a Rocket (which won a Emmy Award), Dive Olly Dive, Chloe's Closet, Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot, Strawberry Shortcake, and Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch.^[3]

Young's company has also created a series of caricatures at Cardiff City Stadium.^[4]

Personal life

Young is married to partner, president and the other co-founder of Mike Young Productions, Liz Young. A football fanatic, he is a lifelong supporter of Cardiff City F.C., and runs a junior soccer league in California.^[5] Young was awarded the Chancellor's Medal at the 2007 graduation ceremony of the University of Glamorgan.^[6]

Filmography

Mike Young has worked on the following series:

In partnership with Siriol Animation

SuperTed (1983–1985, TV)
Wil Cwac Cwac (1984, TV)
A Winter Story (1986, TV)
The Easter Egg (1987, TV)
Turkey Love (1988, TV)
Fantastic Max (1988–1990, TV) (with Hanna-Barbera)
The Further Adventures of Super Ted (1989, TV) (with Hanna-Barbera)
The Little Engine That Could (1991, Film) (with S4C, Cinar and Universal Studios)
The Princess and the Goblin (1994, Film) (with S4C, Pannonia Film Studio, NHK, Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, Hemdale Picture Corporation, and J&M Entertainment)
Gerald of Wales

He left UK to work in partnership with other companies

Little Dracula (with Fox Kids)
Potsworth & Co. (AKA: Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone) (with Hanna-Barbera, BBC and Sleepy Kids Company Ltd)
Salty's Lighthouse (with TLC and Sunbow Entertainment)
The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats (with The Dave Edwards Studio)
Once Upon a Forest (Film, 1993)
The Swan Princess (Film, 1994) (with Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, Rich Animation Studios, and Nest Entertainment)

Mike Young Productions/Splash Entertainment

References

^ Drawn to new path: independent animation studio takes reverse approach to selling its shows Los Angeles Business Journal - January 27, 2003
^ Diamond, Frazer. "SuperTed (1982-1986)". Toonhound. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Mike Young". IMDb. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
^ "Cardiff City Stadium news – When Young Met Young - June 15, 2009". Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Phillips, Terry SuperTed stadium? South Wales Echo - 19 July 2006
^ "Honorary Awards 2007". University of Glamorgan. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2016.