Gene Barretta grew up in Yardley, PA where he spent countless hours drawing, animating, making movies and building puppets with his brother, Bill.
Before he began his career as an illustrator, he graduated from New York University with a BFA in Film Studies and worked for many years in film and television on both coasts. He has illustrated several books, both trade and mass-market, for such clients as Henry Holt & Co., Dutton, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic, Piggy Toes Press, TommyNelson Inc., The Jim Henson Company and Between the Lions, among others.
As an animator, he has completed several films for Sesame Street's Season 28 [1] and 29.
Gene Barretta served as character designer for the Jim Henson Company's Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del and Tinseltown. He sketched the original designs for Augie, Del, Louzia and her monkeys, Samson, Bobby, and many others.
Gene Barretta is currently co-writing, designing and developing a Christmas movie entitled Elbo Elf: P.M.O.C. with his brother Bill for the Henson Company. The film, based on the classic book by Ralph Romano, will mix CGI effects with puppets and live action elements. He also served as a storyboard artist on Muppets from Space. On October 16, 2007, Gene attended the 2007 Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference in State College, PA. There he was awarded the 2007 Carolyn W. Field Award for his book "Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin."
Gene Barretta currently resides outside Philadelphia, PA with his wife, Leslie and son, Benjamin.
Bill Barretta has named several characters afer his brother as an inside joke; these include Eugene the Hunting Dog, Eugene (a tuba player), and Gene (a monster).
Sesame Street Films
Image | Title | EKA | Credits |
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"C in Space" | Episode 3729 |
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"Budgie #10 - Song" | Episode 3693 |
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"Washington: None - Some - All" | Episode 3726 |
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"Animal Sign: Picnic" | Episode 3699 |
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"Empty/Full: Tenors" | Episode 3688 |
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Non-Henson Illustrator & Author Credits
- Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives
- Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
- Deer Dear: A Book of Homophones
- Jack the Tripper
- Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo Da Vinci
- Zoola Palooza: A Book of Homographs
- Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog
- Sheetzucacapoopoo: Max Goes to the Dogs
- The Between the Lions Book for Parents
- Between the Lions: Knock, Knock Who's There (written by Christopher Cerf)
- Between the Lions: Leona’s Mix & Match (written by Christopher Cerf)
- Between the Lions: Snow Day
- Booktivity: Detective Kit (Golden Books)
- Booktivity: Face Painting (Golden Books)
- Bugs (Golden Books)
- Cat & Mice
- Apartment Hunting
- Dinosaurs (Golden Books)
- The Doodletop Book
- The Eye of the Ruby
- Fractionally Funny
- Journey, Easter Journey
- Merry Creature Christmas
- Off to Plymouth Rock
- On Christmas Morning
- On Top of Spaghetti
- The Selfish Raccoon
- Turtle and Rabbit
- Up on Top
- Ways of Measuring: Then & Now
- Why Quincy Couldn't Quack
Sources
- ↑ The Free Lance-Star: "Artist was drawn to Charlottesville".