Aaron Waltke

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Aaron Waltke
Aaron Waltke Annie Awards 2018.png
Waltke at the 2018 Annie Awards
Born (1984-08-08) August 8, 1984 (age 37)
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
NationalityAmerican
Other namesAaron J. Waltke
OccupationTelevision producer and screenwriter
Notable work
Spouse(s)
Ellen Tremiti
​
(m. 2016)​

Aaron John Waltke (born August 8, 1984)[1] is an American screenwriter and Emmy-winning, Annie-nominated television producer and showrunner.[2] He is best known for his work on Guillermo del Toro's Trollhunters (2016–2018), Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020), Unikitty! (2018-2020), and Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–present).[3][4] In 2020, he was named by The College Magazine as one of its "20 under 40" List.[5]

Early life[]

Aaron Waltke was born and raised in Greenwood, Indiana, in the suburbs of Indianapolis.[6] He attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he majored in Psychology before changing his focus to Telecommunications, English and Theatre.[7] While there, he began directing live theatre, performing sketch comedy, and writing screenplays.[8] He eventually moved to Los Angeles where his work was shown at venues including The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, iO West, The Comedy Store, and the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival. [9]

Career[]

Film & Television[]

Waltke began his television career producing and directing documentaries for PBS affiliate WTIU. After moving to Los Angeles, he was hired by The National Lampoon as a writer and producer to create original content for their online comedy and college television networks.[10]

In 2012, he was hired to write a live-action feature film adaptation of The Brave Little Toaster.[11] He was later hired to adapt a live action feature film version of the popular comic strip Heathcliff for the same company.[12]

In 2014, he joined the writers room of Guillermo del Toro's award-winning Netflix series Trollhunters produced by DreamWorks Animation, for which he was twice-nominated and won an Emmy Award in the category of "Best Writing for an Animated Program," and was nominated for an Annie Award.[13] He later became co-executive producer and co-showrunner on the final installment of the franchise, Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, for which he co-wrote the pilot with del Toro, won a Kidscreen Award for "Best New Series" and was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Animated Series".[14][15][16]

In 2017, he also served as a head writer for a Cartoon Network spinoff of The LEGO Movie entitled Unikitty! produced by Warner Bros. Animation.[17] While there, he co-wrote an episode of Teen Titans Go! for the same creative team.[18]

In July 2019, it was announced Waltke had joined the forthcoming television series Star Trek: Prodigy as a writer and co-executive producer for the project, which marks the first CBS Studios and Nickelodeon co-production in the Star Trek franchise. He previously collaborated with the show's creators, The Hageman Brothers, on Trollhunters. [19]

In October 2020, Legion M announced that Waltke was attached to develop and executive produce an adult animated television series with Powerhouse Animation based on George Mann's Ghosts of Manhattan novels, an action sci-fi noir story set in an alternate history 1920s New York.[20]

Personal life[]

Waltke is married to fellow writer and published mystery author Ellen Tremiti. They reside in Los Angeles.[21]

Waltke engages in youth activism and outreach. He was the keynote speaker at the 2018 RESET Technology & Creativity Conference, a bi-national event between El Paso, Texas and Juárez, Mexico aimed at encouraging youth innovation, creativity, and opportunity across the Mexico-US border. [22]

Selected filmography[]

Aaron Waltke television work
Year Title Credit
2008-2010 National Lampoon's College Network Writer, Producer, Director
2012-2013 Game Program Attack! Writer (7 episodes)
2016-2018 Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Writer (24 episodes), Staff Writer (52 episodes)
2017 Teen Titans Go! Writer (1 episode)
2018-2020 Unikitty! Head Writer, Story Editor (56 episodes)
2020 Wizards: Tales of Arcadia Showrunner, Co-Executive Producer, Head Writer (10 episodes)
2021 Star Trek: Prodigy Co-Executive Producer, Writer (unknown episodes)

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media The 3rd Annual Streamy Awards Nominated [23]
2018 Kidscreen Awards Best Writing Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (for "Escape from the Darklands") Won [24]
2018 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Nominated [25]
2018 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Won [26][27]
2019 Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program Nominated [28]
2021 Outstanding Children's Animated Series Wizards: Tales of Arcadia Nominated [29]
Kidscreen Awards Best New Series Won [30]

References[]

  1. ^ "Twitter - Aaron Waltke". Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "IMDb page for Aaron Waltke". IMDb. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Holloway, Daniel (July 7, 2020). "'Wizards,' Final Chapter in Guillermo del Toro's 'Tales of Arcadia' Trilogy, Sets Premiere Date". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  4. ^ Bennett, Tara (August 5, 2020). "Tales of Arcadia: Guggenheim Talks Beautiful Symmetry of Wrapping Up Netflix Franchise with 'Wizards'". Syfy Wire. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "The College's 20 Under 40". The College. August 7, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Bradley, Dan (July 24, 2019). "A Sit Down with Aaron Waltke: From Cornfields to Trollhunters". The HDRoom. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Camacho, Hannah (February 11, 2018). "'Episode #37. Interview with Writer Aaron Waltke (Trollhunters, Unikitty!): Letting a Story Live and Breathe'". The Basic Brainheart Podcast. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  8. ^ Porter Tilley, Jenny (January 22, 2017). "2 IU grads help write the secret world of Netflix's 'Trollhunters'". The Herald-Times Online. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Bradley, Dan (July 24, 2019). "A Sit Down with Aaron Waltke: From Cornfields to Trollhunters". The HDRoom. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  10. ^ Pesola, Eric (October 28, 2020). "Meet Aaron Waltke — one of the creative minds behind Star Trek: Prodigy". The Trek Report. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Foreman, Liza. "Waterman Gives 'Brave Little Toaster' a New Lease of Life (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. ^ Haney, Kendall Michele. "Ep 9 - Serialized Storytelling with Aaron Waltke". The Typin' Toons Podcast. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  13. ^ Porter Tilley, Jenny (January 22, 2017). "2 IU grads help write the secret world of Netflix's 'Trollhunters'". The Herald-Times Online. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  14. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (November 23, 2020). "Who's up for a Kidscreen Award?". The Kidscreen Awards. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  15. ^ Davis, Victoria (August 7, 2020). "Guillermo del Toro's 'Wizards' Brings His 'Tales of Arcadia' Trilogy to a Close". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  16. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (2021-02-09). "Kidscreen Awards 2021 Winners". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  17. ^ Joe, Literary (August 7, 2020). "TALES OF ARCADIA Exclusive: Writers Waltke And Quandt On The Franchise And Hopes For An MCU POWER PACK Film". ComicbookMovie.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  18. ^ "IMDb page for Aaron Waltke". IMDb. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  19. ^ Lovett, Jaime (July 30, 2019). "Star Trek Animated Series Reveals Writing Team". Comicbook.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  20. ^ Carter, Michelle P. (October 13, 2020). "Legion M's New Animated Noir Project... Ghosts of Manhattan!". Official Legion M website. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  21. ^ "Wedding Announcements". The Daily Journal. December 9, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  22. ^ Staff, UC (October 20, 2018). "Binational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit Coming to UTEP". UTEP Communications. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "Interactive Digital Media Programs to be Honored". Emmys Official Website. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  24. ^ Whyte, Alexandra (February 13, 2018). "And the 2018 Kidscreen Awards go to…". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  25. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 4, 2017). "Annie Awards: Disney/Pixar's 'Coco' Tops Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  26. ^ "THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 45TH ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY® AWARDS" (PDF). Emmy Awards Official Site. March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  27. ^ Hipes, Patrick (April 27, 2018). "Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards: 'Bold And The Beautiful', 'Sesame Street' Top Winners". Deadline.
  28. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (March 20, 2019). "Daytime Emmy Nominees: 'Elena of Avalor,' 'Watership Down' Lead Animation". Animation Magazine.
  29. ^ "2021 Daytime Children's and Lifestyle Nominees" (PDF). Emmys Official Website. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  30. ^ Dickson, Jeremy. "Kidscreen Awards 2021 Winners". Kidscreen.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.

External links[]

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