Susan Carol Shadburne (December 16, 1942 – April 24, 2018)[2] was an American screenwriter, director, producer, and filmmaker, best known for her collaborations with her husband, claymation animator Will Vinton.

Shadburne was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1960.

[7][8] Shadburne researched Mark Twain extensively while writing the screenplay, adapting it from his autobiography and integrating direct quotes from him into the dialogue.

[7] The following year, she wrote, produced, and directed the supernatural thriller film Shadow Play (1986) starring Dee Wallace and Cloris Leachman.

[3] Shadburne died on April 24, 2018, in Vancouver, Washington, aged 75, after a decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis.