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Creator & Creative Director
Yummico
Traci Paige Johnson is co-founder of yummico (www.yummico.com), the new interactive children’s media company that is a trusted destination for delicious media. yummico produces entertaining media for preschoolers across multiple platforms, with a focus on digital games, interactive shows, apps and eBooks, as well as traditional narrative animation, print books and other consumer products. Featuring lovable characters, irresistible stories and a homegrown aesthetic, yummico creates content that kids adore and parents trust. In her role as co-founder, Traci oversees the company’s creative vision and curriculum.
Traci Paige Johnson is a pioneer in the world of children’s media. From freelance animator to Co-Creator ofBlue’s Cluesto Co-Creator and Creative Director of PBS’sSuper Why, she has carved a distinctive niche in kids TV and left an indelible mark.
Traci started her career in 1991 as a freelance producer and animator – working for the likes of PBS, NBC, HBO and Nickelodeon. Then, a mere four years out ofNorthwesternUniversity, she became part of the visionary creative team that would create Nickelodeon’s hit pre-school show,Blue’s Clues.
As Co-Creator, Head Designer, and Co-Executive Producer ofBlue’s Clues, Traci brought the series its signature “storybook animation” look. This revolutionary style, an immediate standout from traditional cel animation, was simple, though far from simplistic, and introduced kids to characters and designs freshly cut from handmade textures.
Traci also played an integral role in developingBlue’s Clues’feel and format. Overseeing all of the storyboarding, and directing many of the episodes, she facilitated the integration of animation with live action, pushed for the use of “real kid” voice talent, and nurtured the show’s overriding philosophy that everyday life can be extraordinary.
Still, Traci’s most cherished contribution to the show may be the creation ofBlueherself: after designing and animating the show’s lovable star, Traci served as her voice as well.
Traci’s other activities include teaching pre-school art and authoring her own column, “The Improv Mom,” in the organic parenting magazine KIWI.
Speaking at: Case Study Palooza!: A choose-your-own adventure session