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Jimmy Neutron

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This article is about the character. For the franchise, see Jimmy Neutron (franchise). For other uses, see Jimmy Neutron (disambiguation).

Jimmy Neutron
Jimmy Neutron character
First appearanceRunaway Rocketboy! (1998)
Created byJohn A. Davis
Voiced byDebi Derryberry
Lara Jill Miller (Nickelodeon Party Blast)
In-universe information
Full nameJames Isaac Neutron
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
OccupationInventor
Student
FamilyHugh Neutron (father)
Judy Neutron (mother)
Significant otherCindy Vortex
HomeRetroville
NationalityAmerican

James Isaac Neutron, commonly known as Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, is the protagonist and title character from the 2001 animated film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and its Nickelodeon television series adaptation The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Created by showrunner John A. Davis, he has been voiced by Debi Derryberry since the test pilot premiered in 1998.

The character originated in the 1980s, created by Davis and series co-creator Keith Alcorn under the name of Johnny Quasar, and was developed in a 13-minute long short film pitched to SIGGRAPH sometime in 1997, and with production beginning in that year. However, since the name sounded similar to Jonny Quest, Davis brain-stormed various other monikers before coming up with the current name. Characterized by his distinctive gravity-defying hairstyle and ridiculously high IQ of 210, Neutron is an aerospace engineer, physicist, astronaut/astronomer, biochemist, computer programmer and architect. He is considered one of the most intelligent people in Retroville and possibly the show's universe. Throughout the series, he is often seen with his companion, a silver-gray robot dog named Goddard and a rocket ship nicknamed the Strato XL which he uses in the opening sequence, both of which he invented. Furthermore, Neutron has a perennial rivalry with Cindy Vortex, who calls him "Nerd-tron" throughout the show.

Role in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius

Jimmy Neutron is an intelligent 11-year-old boy who lives in Retroville with his parents, Judy and Hugh, and his robot dog, Goddard. Jimmy's friends are overweight Carl Wheezer and hyperactive Sheen Estevez, and he has a long-standing rivalry with his intelligent classmate, Cindy Vortex. Though Vortex teases him, she often acts as a voice of reason when his inventions become too immoral or dangerous.

Character

Conception and creation

An early drawing of the character by Paul Claerhout with the original name

In the 1980s, Keith Alcorn and John A. Davis created the character, originally named Johnny Quasar (inspired by a facetious nickname that his Summer co-workers had coined for him in his youth),[1] who builds a rocket ship and runs away from his parents.[2] He later stumbled across the idea while moving into a new house in the early 1990s. He re-worked it as a short film titled Johnny Quasar and presented it at SIGGRAPH, where he met Steve Oedekerk and worked on a television series of the short as well as the movie. In fall 1995, the idea was pitched to Nickelodeon, who expressed immediate interest. Albie Hecht, the then-president of Nick, was particularly impressed- coining him to be "half Bart Simpson and half Albert Einstein," he strongly praised Johnny's blended personality as an adventurous and intelligent character and one grounded in the reality of childhood, which, according to him, made him "the perfect Nick kid."[3] Following positive reception, Nickelodeon commissioned for a 13-minute pilot episode to be created.[2] After several years of going through the review process, the episode began production in late 1997, and was completed in 1998. The name "Johnny Quasar" was changed at the request of Nickelodeon, who did not want the character to be confused with similarly-named ones such as Jonny Quest and Captain Quazar, so Davis brainstormed other character names while walking his dog around the neighborhood block, eventually coming up with the final name, "Jimmy Neutron."[4][5]

Personality and abilities

As explained in the theme song to the series, he is described as "a kid with a knack for invention". Despite this quote, his inventions tend to go haywire throughout the series, often because of both his pride and his lack of common sense. In difficult situations, he experiences extreme brainstorms that he terms as "brain blasts".

Portrayal

Debi Derryberry provides the voice of Jimmy Neutron

Jimmy Neutron is portrayed by voice actor Debi Derryberry, in TV series and film. Neutron was Derryberry's largest acting role at the time, as previously she had provided minor roles in films and TV shows. This is the second Nickelodeon character she voiced after Weenie from Oswald.[6]

References

  1. ^ Hector Navarro (September 2, 2016). "Nick Animation Podcast: John Davis". youtube.com. Nicktooons. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  2. ^ a b DeMott, Rick (December 19, 2001). "The Rise of Jimmy Neutron". Awn.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Robertson, Barbara. "Neu Kid on the Block". Computer Graphics World. 25 (1). Archived from the original on May 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "DNA Productions 3D Character Animation". June 24, 1998. Archived from the original on June 24, 1998.
  5. ^ "John A. Davis - The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius - Nickelodeon Animation". www.nickanimation.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Debi Derryberry". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
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