Richard Pursel

Directing & Comedy Track
NETFLIX Warner Bros.

Richard is currently Executive Producer at Netflix, where he has been developing original animated projects since 2019 — including pitching The Real Americans at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. His career began on The Ren & Stimpy Show, where he earned his first Emmy nomination. He won an Emmy for his SpongeBob SquarePants episode ‘Cephalopod Lodge’ and collected additional nominations for Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel. As Head Writer he ran two seasons of Mighty Magiswords for Cartoon Network. He has written and developed legacy characters including Mickey Mouse for Disney, Bugs Bunny for Warner Bros., and Woody Woodpecker for Universal — a body of work spanning Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney, and Warner Bros. over three decades.

Key credentials:

  • Executive Producer — Netflix (2019–present) · Pitching original projects at Annecy
  • Emmy Award winner — SpongeBob SquarePants (‘Cephalopod Lodge’)
  • Emmy nominations — The Ren & Stimpy Show, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel
  • Writer/developer — Mickey Mouse (Disney), Bugs Bunny (Warner Bros.), SpongeBob, Mighty Magiswords

What you’ll work on with Richard:

  • Writing comedy that works at production speed — pitching, drafting, and pitching again
  • Understanding what makes an animated joke land in a room, on paper, and on screen
  • Building the instincts of a room writer, not just a solo storyteller

Mentored labs & courses

Directing & Comedy Track

Deadline: New
Doug Sweetland
Pixar, Psyop
Richard Pursel
NETFLIX, Warner Bros.
July 6 - 17, 2026
2 weeks
/ 12 participants
English
Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
Secret Link