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Owen Dennis

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Owen Dennis
Dennis in 2025
Born
Iowa
Alma materMinneapolis College of Art and Design
Occupations
  • Animator
  • director
  • writer
  • producer
  • voice actor
Years active2012–present

Owen Dennis is an American director, animator, writer, producer, and voice actor. A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, he worked as a writer and storyboard artist on Cartoon Network's Regular Show, and is the creator of the Cartoon Network series Infinity Train and an upcoming animated series based on the video game Among Us.

Early life and education

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Dennis was born in Iowa[1] and grew up in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.[2] According to Dennis, he planned to leave Minnesota to pursue a career in animation at age 12, when he finished in only third place in a local county fair’s computer computer generated imagery (CGI) art contest, despite the judges not awarding a first or second prize.[2] Dennis attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and graduated in 2009.[3]

Career

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After graduating, Dennis took a job as an English teacher in China.[3][4] He spent three years teaching in China[5] before returning to the United States, moving to Los Angeles to work as an storyboard artist on Cartoon Network's Regular Show. He was a storyboard artist and writer on 33 of the show's episodes[3] as well as 2015's Regular Show: The Movie.[6]

Dennis pitched the idea for his original show Infinity Train to Cartoon Network in 2012.[7] The pilot for the series was released in November 2016; the first season was released on August 2019 on Cartoon Network. Dennis described it as a "kids’ mystery-horror-comedy-science-fiction show" that deals with difficult themes, including divorce.[4] According to Dennis, the inspiration for the series came from a plane trip back from China in 2010.[4] In 2020, Dennis was an instructor at the Storyboard Artist Training Program at Cartoon Network Studios.[8] Dennis had written a script for an Infinity Train movie and additional seasons, as well as a video game, but the show was cancelled due to the merger between AT&T and WarnerMedia.[9] The fourth and final season of Infinity Train was released in 2021;[10] the series had been at risk of cancellation before that.[11]

After Infinity Train and other animated shows were removed from streaming platforms in 2022, Dennis criticized Warner Bros. Discovery for removing the show[12][13] and noted the series can now only be seen through piracy.[14] Dennis said the decision was made against the advice of Cartoon Network,[12] and that neither he or anyone else involved in the production of Infinity Train had been told it would be removed.[15]

In June 2023, Variety reported that Dennis would be executive producer and creator of an animated adaptation of the video game Among Us at CBS Studios.[16] Dennis said that he was interested in the challenge of animating emotion in faceless, featureless characters.[17] Later that year, Variety listed Dennis as one of ten animators to watch in 2023.[18] In October 2024, Dennis said production of the show has been completed.[17] Dennis supported a petition by workers in The Animation Guild to put "guardrails" on the use of generative AI in animation.[19]

Filmography

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Year Title Creator Executive Producer Writer Voice actor Other Role Notes
2013–2017 Regular Show No No Yes No Yes Storyboard artist[16]
2015 Regular Show: The Movie No No Yes No No [6]
2019–2021 Infinity Train Yes Yes Yes Yes No One-One / One, Toad / Terrance Creator[16]
2020 Close Enough No No Yes No Yes Storyboard artist[20]
Upcoming Among Us Yes Yes — No No Creator[16]

References

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  1. ^ Owen Dennis Public Lecture, VAC. Minneapolis College of Art and Design. March 6, 2025. Event occurs at 24:40. Retrieved May 6, 2025 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b Justin, Neal (January 2, 2020). "Can you spot the Minnesota references in Cartoon Network's 'Infinity Train'?". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Animator Owen Dennis Shares Insights on Show Development in Artist Talk". Minneapolis College of Art and Design. March 28, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Brown, Tracy (August 8, 2019). "'Infinity Train' tackles issues many kids shows avoid. The creator is proud of that". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  5. ^ Owen Dennis Public Lecture, VAC. Minneapolis College of Art and Design. March 6, 2025. Event occurs at 27:48. Retrieved May 6, 2025 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ a b "Regular Show: The Movie". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "SDCC 2019: Owen Dennis and Madeline Queripel share the origin of Infinity Train". Syfy. July 22, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  8. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (February 4, 2020). "CN names storyboard program finalists". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  9. ^ Lunning, Just (April 20, 2021). "'Infinity Train' Season 5? Creator planned a movie, a video game, and more". Inverse. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  10. ^ Shaunette, Morgan (April 20, 2021). "Infinity Train Creator Breaks Down Plans for Future Seasons, Movie". CBR. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  11. ^ Elderkin, Beth (August 26, 2020). "Infinity Train's Creator Says the Show's Future Is in Jeopardy". Gizmodo. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Lang, Jamie (August 23, 2022). "'Infinity Train' Creator Calls Out 'Unprofessional, Rude . . . Slimy' Tactics At Warner Bros. Discovery". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Carter, Justin (August 21, 2022). "Infinity Train's Owen Dennis Calls Discovery "Slimy" for Show Removals". Gizmodo. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  14. ^ Cannito, Nicholas (August 19, 2022). "Infinity Train Creator Says Piracy Is Now the Only Way to Watch It". CBR. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  15. ^ Ryan, Danielle (August 21, 2022). "Infinity Train Creator Says Animation Teams Were Given No Warning Before HBO Max Purge". SlashFilm. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d Otterson, Joe (June 27, 2023). "'Among Us' Animated Series in the Works at CBS Studios From 'Infinity Train' Creator Owen Dennis (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Whittock, Jesse (October 14, 2024). "'Among Us' Showrunner Owen Dennis On Adapting Mobile Game For CBS Studios — MIA Market". Deadline. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  18. ^ Plunkett, Andrew Barker, Murtada Elfadl, Paula Hendrickson, Stuart Miller, Rafael Motamayor, Paul (July 13, 2023). "10 Animators to Watch: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' 'Chicken Run 2' Artists Among 2023 Honorees". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Matt Braly, Owen Dennis Speak Up for TAG as Animation Workers Deliver Petition to Warner". Animation Magazine. November 18, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  20. ^ Magazine, Animation (June 27, 2023). "'Infinity Train' Creator Tapped for 'Among Us' Animated Series". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
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