{{short description|American television animation director|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{BLP sources|date=June 2018}} {{use American English|date=April 2025}} {{use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Wes Archer | birth_name = Wesley Meyer Archer | birth_date = <!-- Valid citation required if adding EXACT DATE OF BIRTH for BLP. (WP:BLPPRIVACY) -->{{birth based on age as of date|26|1987}} | birth_place = [[Houston]], Texas, U.S. | alma_mater = [[California Institute of the Arts]] | occupation = Animation director | known_for = {{ubl|''[[The Simpsons]]''|''[[King of the Hill]]''|''[[Rick and Morty]]''}} | years_active = 1985–present }}
'''Wesley Meyer Archer''' (born <!-- Valid citation required if adding EXACT DATE OF BIRTH for BLP. (WP:BLPPRIVACY) -->{{birth based on age as of date|26|1987|noage=yes}})<ref name="iv">{{cite web |title=Wes Archer Interview |url=https://thejournalix.com/wes-archer-interview/ |website=The Journalix |date=January 8, 2023 |quote=As we animated in 1987-88...I was 26 years old... |access-date=2025-04-18}}</ref> is an American [[animation director]]. He is best known for directing on series such as ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[King of the Hill]]'' and ''[[Rick and Morty]]'', and is a three-time [[Emmy Award]] winner.
==Early life and education== Wesley Meyer Archer was born in [[Houston]], Texas.<ref name="iv" /><ref name="tvg">{{cite web |title=Wesley Archer Biography |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/wesley-archer/bio/3000222011/ |website=[[TV Guide]] |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref> From a young age, he had regular run-ins with the law, including five arrests for such crimes as shoplifting, marijuana possession, and [[driving under the influence]]. After high school, he required permission from his probation officer to leave Texas to attend the [[California Institute of the Arts]].<ref name="iv" />
==Career== Archer began his career while still a student, animating a [[short film]] for [[HBO]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Driggs |first=Camille |date=2017-02-20 |title=Cartoon animator talks art careers at OPHS |url=https://oakparktalon.org/4405/uncategorized/cartoon-animator-talks-art-careers-at-ophs/ |work=Oak Park High School Talon |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref> In 1987, his work animating commercials for [[Klasky Csupo]] caught the eye of [[Gracie Films]], leading to his work on [[the Simpsons shorts|''The Simpsons'' shorts]] on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]''.<ref name="iv" />
Archer was one of the original three animators (along with [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] and [[Bill Kopp]]) on the ''Tracey Ullman'' shorts, and subsequently directed a number of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episodes (many of which had [[John Swartzwelder]] as an episode writer) before becoming supervising director at ''[[King of the Hill]].'' A few years later he left ''King of the Hill'' to direct for ''[[Futurama]]'', before eventually returning to ''King of the Hill''. Wes continued to supervise the direction of ''King of the Hill'' until the final season. He acted as a consulting director for the last season of ''King of the Hill'', as he joined ''[[The Goode Family]]'' as supervising director. When ''The Goode Family'' was not picked up for a second season he joined ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' for its first three seasons.
In 2015 he joined ''[[Rick and Morty]]'' and directed three episodes during season two. Afterwards he served as the supervising director on ''Rick and Morty'' from seasons three through seven. Archer's college animation film, "Jac Mac and Rad Boy, Go!" has long been a cult classic after receiving repeated airplay on [[USA Network]]'s ''[[Night Flight (TV series)|Night Flight]]'' in the 1980s. He studied at the Film Graphics/Experimental Animation Program at [[CalArts]]. In 1999, he was the creator of an attempted weekend animated cartoon strip ''Victor'', for [[Film Roman]]'s Max Degree TV block, but never got off the ground due to lack of international backers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schlosser |first=Joe |date=July 19, 1999 |title=Film Roman on syndie march |pages=48 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-07-19-OCR-Page-0048.pdf |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pursell |first=Chris |date=1999-07-19 |title=Film Roman to ride teen wave |url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/film-roman-to-ride-teen-wave-1117743070/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=December 13, 1999 |title=No Max deal |pages=118 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/99-OCR/BC-1999-12-13-OCR-Page-0118.pdf |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> He is currently the supervising director on the revival of ''[[King of the Hill]]''.
Archer has been nominated for seven [[Emmy Awards]] for Outstanding Animated Program, winning three: 1999, 2018, and 2020.<ref name="tvg"/>
==Filmography== *''[[One Crazy Summer]]'' (1986) (animator) *''[[The Simpsons]]'' (1990–1996) (director, sheet director, storyboard, [[storyboard artist]]) *''[[King of the Hill]]'' (1997–2009, 2025-present) (supervising director, executive animation consultant, consulting director) *''[[Eloise: The Animated Series]]'' (2006) (creative director) *''[[The Goode Family]]'' (2009) (supervising director) *''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' (2011–2013) (director) *''[[Allen Gregory]]'' (2011) (director) *''[[Murder Police]]'' (2013) (supervising director) *''[[Rick and Morty]]'' (2015–2022) (director, supervising director) *''[[Disenchantment (TV series)|Disenchantment]]'' (2018) (director)
===''The Simpsons'' episodes=== ;Season 1 *"[[Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons)|Homer's Odyssey]]" *"[[Moaning Lisa (The Simpsons)|Moaning Lisa]]" *"[[The Call of the Simpsons]]" *"[[The Crepes of Wrath]]"
;Season 2 *"[[Treehouse of Horror (The Simpsons episode)|Treehouse of Horror]]" *"[[Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish]]" *"[[Bart the Daredevil]]" *"[[One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish]]" *"[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]" *"[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]"
;Season 3 *"[[Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]]" *"[[The Otto Show]]"
;Season 4 *"[[New Kid on the Block]]" *"[[I Love Lisa]]"
;Season 5 *"[[Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud]]" *"[[$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)]]" *"[[Homer Loves Flanders]]" *"[[Lady Bouvier's Lover]]"
;Season 6 *"[[Itchy & Scratchy Land]]" *"[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]" *"[[Bart vs. Australia]]"
;Season 7 *"[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part 2)]]" *"[[Bart Sells His Soul]]" *"[[Two Bad Neighbors]]" *"[[The Day the Violence Died]]" *"[[Homerpalooza]]"
===''Futurama'' episodes=== *"[[Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch]]" *"[[The Why of Fry]]"
===''King of the Hill'' episodes=== *"[[Pilot (King of the Hill)|Pilot]]" *"[[King of the Hill (season 2)|I Remember Mono]]" *"[[Death and Texas]]" *"[[To Kill a Ladybird]]" *"[[Queasy Rider (King of the Hill)|Queasy Rider]]" *"[[The Incredible Hank]]"
===''The Goode Family'' episodes=== *"Pilot"
===''Bob's Burgers'' episodes=== *"[[Hamburger Dinner Theater (Bob's Burgers)|Hamburger Dinner Theater]]" *"[[Spaghetti Western and Meatballs]]" *"[[Bob Day Afternoon]]" *"[[Beefsquatch]]" *"[[Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks]]" *"[[Nude Beach (Bob's Burgers)|Nude Beach]]" *"[[Two for Tina]]" *"[[The Unnatural (Bob's Burgers)|The Unnatural]]"
===''Allen Gregory'' episodes=== *"Full Blown Maids"
===''Rick and Morty'' episodes=== *"[[A Rickle in Time]]" *"Get Schwifty" *"[[The Wedding Squanchers]]"
===''Disenchantment'' episodes=== *"The Princess of Darkness" *"Dreamland Falls" *"Our Bodies, Our Elves"
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0033741}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Archer, Wes}} [[Category:American storyboard artists]] [[Category:American television directors]] [[Category:American animated film directors]] [[Category:California Institute of the Arts alumni]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]