Allan Charles Neuwirth (born 1956) is an American screenwriter, producer, author, designer, and cartoonist known for his work in film, television, print, and as co-creator of the syndicated comic strip Chelsea Boys.
His mother, Bella Neuwirth (née Gajzt), born in Lublin but raised from infancy in Antwerp, Belgium, was a Holocaust survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps.
[5] As a freelancer, he drew editorial cartoons, illustrated magazine articles and animatics for TV commercials, designed posters for New York City's Phoenix Theatre's 1981-1982 season.
[5][8] After leaving Diamond & Diaferia, Neuwirth served as Art Director for all five seasons of the Lifetime Television Network series about parenting, Mother's Day, hosted by Joan Lunden.
[10] Partnering with comedy writer Gary Cooper, Neuwirth continued to write material for Philbin's shows at supper clubs and hotel casinos.
In 1995, Neuwirth and Cooper were hired by veteran children's television producer Nina Elias-Bamberger to co-develop Big Bag[13] a puppet/animated TV series co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and Sesame Workshop.
[8] The pair continued to write episodic television shows including The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss[16] (their script Mystery of Winna-Bango Falls was nominated for a 1998 Writers Guild Award),[17] Courage the Cowardly Dog,[18] Gadget & the Gadgetinis,[19] Dragon Tales[20] and season two of Fix and Foxi,[21] a European cartoon series based on Rolf Kauka’s popular comic books, during which they served as head writers.
[29] Additional writing credits include scripts for Donkey Hodie (2021),[30] Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt (2020),[31] Tumble Leaf (2015),[32] Tickety Toc (2014),[33] Jelly Jamm (2011),[34] Cyberchase (2010),[35] Jungle Junction (2009),[36] Martha Speaks (2009),[37] Speed Racer: The Next Generation (2009),[38] Between the Lions (2009),[39] WordWorld (2007),[40] and scripts and songs for Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (2006).
[57] In 2020, he co-created, produced, scripted and co-wrote the songs for Flower of the Dawn, the pilot episode of new musical anthology series Fairy Tale Forest, featuring the voices of Mel Brooks, Jane Lynch, Matt Lucas, Whoopi Goldberg, and Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday.
[67] Following the attack in New York City of September 11, 2001, Neuwirth took a hiatus from television work and began writing non-fiction books and articles about the entertainment industry.
Neuwirth's next book, an oral history titled They'll Never Put That On The Air (2006),[69] focused on the role of TV comedy in breaking down television's restrictive taboos of the 1950s and 1960s.
[73] Several picture books adapted from original scripts Neuwirth wrote for TV series have been published, including Martha Speaks: A Pup's Tale (2010).
Neuwirth has guest lectured at schools and universities, and appeared on talk radio, TV and other venues to discuss creating animation, television comedy, and comics.