GLENDALE, CA - Animation production designer Michael Giaimo, a veteran of Disney and Warner Bros. Classic Animation and a former faculty member of Cal Arts, has joined Renegade Animation (www.renegadeanimation.com). He will serve as production designer on "Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi," the animated television series Renegade is currently producing for Cartoon Network.
Giaimo began his career in 1978 with Disney and his first credit came as an in-betweener on "The Fox and the Hound." In 1986, he left Disney to work as a freelancer for a number of studios, including Hanna-Barbera in series development. During that period, he also taught character design at Cal Arts. Giaimo joined Warner Bros. Classic Animation in 1989 where he did production design on the first contemporary Bugs Bunny cartoon, "Box Office Bunny" as well as on numerous animated television commercials. In 1992, he returned to Disney to work on "Pocahontas" and left the studio again in 2000 to pursue a career as a fine artist.
Giaimo worked with Renegade founder, director Darrell Van Citters during his first stint at Disney and at Warner Bros. Classic Animation. At Disney, they collaborated on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
"Mike has always been my production designer of choice for animation," says Van Citters. "I am absolutely thrilled that Mike was able to join us and utilize his production experience and design sensibility to maximum effect on this show."