Michael Cusack (animator)

{{Infobox person

| name = Michael Cusack

| image = Michael Cusack by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption = Cusack in March 2024

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|10|25}}

| birth_place = Dapto, New South Wales, Australia

| occupation = {{hlist|Animator|writer|producer|director|musician|voice actor}}

| years_active = 2012–present

}}

Michael R. Cusack is an Australian animator, writer, producer, director, musician, and voice actor. He is known as the co-creator of the Adult Swim animated series Smiling Friends (2022–present), in which he voiced the characters Pim, Allan, and various others. He is also the creator of the Adult Swim animated series YOLO (2020–present) and the Hulu animated sitcom Koala Man (2023).

Early life

Cusack was born and raised in Dapto, New South Wales, and later moved to Melbourne.{{cite news |last1=Mathiesen |first1=Craig |title='Why not Wollongong?' Disney backs irreverent Aussie superhero spoof|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/why-not-wollongong-disney-backs-irreverent-aussie-superhero-spoof-20230103-p5ca19.html|access-date=9 January 2023 |work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=9 January 2023}}

Career

Cusack became interested in animation in his 20s and taught himself Adobe Flash using online tutorials. He uploaded his content to his YouTube channel and Newgrounds account. He created and portrayed Lucas the Magnificent, a parody of New Atheist "neckbeards", in live-action YouTube videos and on Twitter, beginning in 2014; he later stated that the character led to him meeting and befriending American animator Zach Hadel, as Lucas the Magnificent stated that he wanted Hadel to animate the intro of Lucas' potential Let's Play show.{{Cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zpb-pvrhM | title=The Smiling Friends Troll: How This Atheist Gamer Got an Adult Swim Cameo | website=YouTube | date=19 January 2022 }} They began to collaborate online, then later in person when Cusack traveled to meet Hadel in Burbank, California.{{cite news |last1=Zahed |first1=Ramin |title=Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel Discuss Making 'Smiling Friends,' Their New Adult Swim Show |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/animated-people/michael-cusack-and-zach-hadel-discuss-making-smiling-friends-their-new-adult-swim-show/ |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Animation Magazine |date=4 January 2022}}

Cusack wrote, directed, animated, produced, and starred in the Rick and Morty special episode Bushworld Adventures, a parody of the series that aired on Adult Swim in 2018 as part of the network's April Fools' Day tradition.{{cite news |last1=Whalen |first1=Andrew |title='Rick And Morty' April Fools' Day Episode, 'Bushworld Adventures,' Premieres Instead of Season 4 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/rick-and-morty-april-fools-day-episode-bushworld-adventures-premieres-season-4-868398 |access-date=26 January 2022 |work=Newsweek |date=2 April 2018}} The success of Bushworld Adventures led him to create YOLO and Smiling Friends for the network, the latter alongside Hadel.{{Cite web|title=Adult Swim's 'Smiling Friends' Turns Frowns Upside Down|url=https://www.awn.com/news/adult-swims-smiling-friends-turns-frowns-upside-down|access-date=2022-01-13|website=Animation World Network|language=en}} He also voiced Knifey in the video game High on Life,{{Cite tweet |user=MichaelRCusack |number=1536169174824759296 |title=Yayy I voiced that knife :) @SquanchGames #HighOnLife}} Nugget in the television film The Paloni Show Halloween Special, and Mammon in the online series Helluva Boss.

Personal life

Cusack continues to reside in Melbourne although he regularly divides his time between Melbourne and Los Angeles, California, U.S.{{cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/why-not-wollongong-disney-backs-irreverent-aussie-superhero-spoof-20230103-p5ca19.html | title=Michael Cusack's animated series Koala Man is now streaming on Disney+ }}

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable"|Notes

2018

| Bushworld Adventures

| Various

| Writer, director, producer, animator, compositor

2018

| Fresh Blood: Koala Man

| Koala Man, Damo, Darren, various

2020–present

| YOLO

| Lucas the Magnificent, various

| Creator, director, writer, executive producer, animator, storyboard artist

2022–present

| Smiling Friends

| Pim, Allan, various

| Co-creator, director, writer, storyboard artist, storyboard revisionist, art director, character design supervisor, designer, animator

2023–present

| Koala Man

| Koala Man, Liam, Damo, Darren, various

| Creator, co-developer, writer, executive producer

2024

| Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy

| Servo

| Mini-series

2025

|Big City Greens

|TBA

|{{Cite web |last=Zahed |first=Ramin |date=2025-05-02 |title=‘Big City Greens’ Creators Chris & Shane Houghton Offer a Sneak Peek at the Disney Hit's 100th Episode |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/05/big-city-greens-creators-chris-shane-houghton-offer-a-sneak-peek-at-the-disney-hits-100th-episode/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Animation Magazine |language=en-US}}