Kevin Hopps
Biography
Biography
Television writer Kevin Hopps is best known for scripting a number of popular children's cartoons from the 1980s and '90s. With a B.A. in journalism, Hopps began his television career penning episodes of the live-action family sitcom "One Day at a Time." After scripting a string of live-action programs, Hopps broke into writing for cartoons by contributing to a series of "Smurfs" episodes. This series centered on a village of wee blue creatures called "Smurfs," who used that word profusely as they set about their escapades. Hopps worked on the show for four years and ultimately earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for his efforts. Next he scripted episodes for Disney's "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers," which followed the rascally rodents through their mystery-solving misadventures. This led to work on more Disney cartoon series, like the family-focused "Adventures of the Gummi Bears," which was full of colorful bouncing bears, and the comedic superhero show "Darkwing Duck," which followed the goofy crusader and his similarly quirky cohorts on various crime-fighting exploits. Hopps's work on these popular kids' programs garnered notice, and in 1996 he was hired to write for Warner Brothers' allusion-heavy animated series "Animaniacs." This cartoon proved popular with both kids and adults, as it paired zany humor with references to classic Hollywood cinema and its tropes. Hopps earned two more Daytime Emmy nominations for his work on "Animaniacs." Since the series wrapped in 1998, Hopps has continued to contribute to cartoons, scripting various adventures.