Mark Kirkland


Mark Kirkland 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 working for his father, noted photographer and filmmaker Douglas Kirkland, creating “making of” films for major production companies. This exposure to Hollywood sparked Kirkland's desire to seek a career in the entertainment industry. Kirkland developed an interest in drawing at an early 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, A. Kendall O'Connor, Ollie Johnston and Moe Gollub. In 1976, he won the Student Academy Award for animation along with fellow student, Richard Jefferies, for their graphically animated film made to the song "Fame" by David Bowie. After finishing up his degree, he applied to Disney, but he was not accepted and instead began working for Hanna-Barbera. He began working on The Simpsons from season two onwards and has directed 82 episodes, more than any other director. In season 18, he became the show's supervising director.
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 work on The Simpsons.
An active member of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kirkland served as the Animation Peer Group Governor from 2012–2013.
As an independent filmmaker, Kirkland has written, directed, and produced award-winning short films which have been shown at film festivals around 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 still photographer whose images have been published in the US and People magazines. He created photo essays on the behind-the-scenes making of The Simpsons, and A Visit with Ollie about legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston.

''The Simpsons'' episodes

;Season 2
;Season 3
;Season 4
;Season 5
;Season 6
;Season 7
;Season 8
;Season 9
;Season 10
;Season 11
;Season 12
;Season 13
;Season 14
;Season 15
;Season 16
;Season 17
;Season 18
;Season 19
;Season 20
;Season 21
;Season 22
;Season 23
;Season 24
;Season 25
;Season 26
;Season 27
;Season 28
;Season 29
;Season 30
;Season 31