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."Chelsea Boys"
Early life Neuwirth was born in Washington Heights, New York City, and raised in Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. 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."USC Shoah Foundation Institute" His father, David Neuwirth, was a Jew from Cologne, Germany who fled the Nazi regime, escaping to the United States with most of his siblings.toonguy121 "David O. Neuwirth, Death Record, Memorial page" Mooseroots.com He has a younger sister. Neuwirth earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Communications Design in 1986 from Pratt Institute.
Career
Early career Neuwirth began his career as a staff artist in an ad agency, Carluth Studios, where he prepared print ads for United Artists feature films.Laura, "Allan Neuwirth-Artist Interviews" Animation Insider, July 22, 2014 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.Rich, Frank, "Stage: Maggie & Pierre Trudeau""The New York Times" September 28, 1981, "Blue Collar Drama: Weekends Like Other People" "The New York Times" March 12, 1982Gussow, Mel,"Play: Lithgow is Kaufman at Large" "The New York Times" December 29, 1981
Television and film In 1979 through 1983, Neuwirth worked at The Studios of Diamond & Diaferia, an animation film production company. As a staff designer and director he created show openings, logos and motion graphics for television series including ABC News Nightline, This Week with David Brinkley, 20/20, ABC News Closeup, The Today Show and the ESPN network.Zahed, Ramin, "Writing Terrific Toons with Allan Neuwirth" Animation Magazine, November 27, 2012, "Imira Acquires Classic Claymated Toon ‘Koki’" November 26, 2012 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."Mother's Day 1983-1989 Full Cast & Crew"
In 1984, Neuwirth wrote jokes for television host Regis Philbin's nightclub act. Partnering with comedy writer Gary Cooper, Neuwirth continued to write material for Philbin's shows at supper clubs and hotel casinos. During this period, he also launched an independent production company, Neuwirth Design. For the next several years, Neuwirth produced TV commercials, created animated scoreboard graphics for the New York Yankees' 1986 and 1987 seasons, animated the special effects sequences for Troma Entertainment’s feature film, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990),"Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D 1990 Full Cast & Crew, Special Effects listing" designed opening titles for TV movies including King's Ransom,"King's Ransom 1993 Animation Department listing" and continued to partner with Cooper writing film scripts.
In 1995, Neuwirth and Cooper were hired by veteran children's television producer Nina Elias-Bamberger to co-develop Big Bag"Big Bag 1996-1998," Creators a puppet/animated TV series co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and Sesame Workshop."Big Bag 1996-1998 Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credits listing" The show aired on Cartoon Network from 1996 to 1998. Neuwirth and Cooper stayed on to associate produce, story edit and write many of the series’ animated shorts. Their claymation Koki cartoons for Big Bag were featured in the Sixth International Children's Television Festival at The Museum of TV & Radio (1997),"The Paley Center for Media, Museum of Television and Radio:The Sixth International Children's Festival, Package 3: Teamwork" and won Prix Jeunesse and New York Film Festival awards.
The pair continued to write episodic television shows including The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss"The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss 1996-1998, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" (their script Mystery of Winna-Bango Falls was nominated for a 1998 Writers Guild Award),1990s section, Children's Script, 1998 listing" Courage the Cowardly Dog,"Courage the Cowardly Dog 1999-2002, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing, Series Art Department listing" Gadget & the Gadgetinis,"Gadget and the Gadgetinis 2001-present, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" Dragon Tales"Dragon Tales-It Happened One Nightmare/Staying Within the Lines, 1999, Other Crew, Executive Script Consultant" and season two of Fix and Foxi,"Fixi and Foxi, 2002, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" a European cartoon series based on Rolf Kauka’s popular comic books, during which they served as head writers. In the summer of 2001, Neuwirth relocated to Sydney, Australia for several months to continue as supervising producer of the show, overseeing post-production."Fixi and Foxi, 2002, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing, Supervising Producer credit listing"
In 2002, Neuwirth embarked on a solo writing and producing career. His credits include scripts for Paramount+’s reboot of Rugrats (2021), head writing Season 6 of Nickelodeon’s Bubble Guppies (2021), developing, executive producing and story editing The Bug Diaries (2019) on Amazon Prime, developing, head writing and producing two seasons of Space Racers (2014), an award-winning animated TV series created with the participation of NASA and airing on PBS Kids, Universal Kids, Netflix and Amazon Prime, scripting and story editing The Octonauts (2010),"The Octonauts 2010-present, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing, Series Other Crew-Story Editor listing 21 episodes" and writing episodes of Arthur (2008),"Arthur 1996-Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" including "Is That Kosher?", in which he created the character "Bubbe" for guest star Joan Rivers."Joan Rivers Awards, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, Arthur"
Additional writing credits include scripts for Weather Hunters (2025), Donkey Hodie (2021), Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt (2020), Tumble Leaf (2015), Tickety Toc (2014),"Tickety Toc, Full Cast & Cre, Series Writing Credit listing" Jelly Jamm (2011),"Jelly Jamm Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" Cyberchase (2010), Jungle Junction (2009),"Jungle Junction, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credits listing, 4 episodes" Martha Speaks (2009),"Martha Speaks 2008, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit" Speed Racer: The Next Generation (2009),"Speed Racer: The Next Generation, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credits listing, 7 episodes" Between the Lions (2009),"Between the Lions, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing" WordWorld (2007),"Word World, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credit listing, 6 episodes" and scripts and songs for Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (2006)."Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies, Full Cast & Crew, Series Writing Credits listing, 6 episodes
In 2004, he began directing a feature-length musical documentary, What's the Name of the Dame?,"What's The Name of the Dame? Director listing" which was completed seven years later. The film, which examined the fusion of two modern cultural phenomena, ABBA songs and the art of drag, made its debut at the Atlanta Film Festival in March 2011.Newswire, "Figjam Celebrates What's The Name Of The Dame's Successful Film Festival Run With An EP Of Julian Marsh Remixes Of ABBA Classics Performed By The Lovely Drag Queens" Pres Release January 17, 2012 It was subsequently selected by numerous festivals across the US, including New York's Newfest,Weintraub, Jake "New York’s Newfest 2011 LGBT Film Festival Announces Lineup (Video)" The Wrap, June 27, 2011 and Canada.
In 2012, Neuwirth and Margarethe Baillou of M.Y.R.A. Entertainment teamed up to begin producing together. Their first project, the independent feature film Drawing Home, was released theatrically in 2017. He and Baillou also collaborated in 2016 as executive producers on Change in the Air (2018), and on director Luca Guadagnino's acclaimed indie film Call Me by Your Name, which premiered to raves at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by Sony Pictures Classics for release in 2017, winning an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, both for Best Adapted Screenplay. Neuwirth served as associate producer.
Other projects currently filming and/or in development include the political documentary feature State of Dispute, dramatic limited TV series The Yank and Shadow Cast, and a feature film, Boy From Berlin, inspired by the young gay Jewish WWII hero Gad Beck's memoir An Underground Life.
Throughout his involvement in feature films, Neuwirth continued to work in animated television as an artist and writer. He drew storyboards for commercials and TV series, including Cartoon Network's Courage the Cowardly Dog. In 2011, he wrote the Hallmark Channel’s stop-motion Christmas special, Jingle All the Way,"Jingle All The Way, Writer"Hale, Mike "Kicking Off an Animated Holiday Season""The New York Times," November 23, 2011 In 2012, he wrote the screenplay for the sequel, Jingle & Bell’s Christmas Star,"Jingle & Bell's Christmas, Screenplay" and the animated short film Polariffic (2014),"Polariffic, Writer-Allan Neuwirth" also for the Hallmark Channel. Polariffic was nominated for Best Animated Special Production at the 42nd Annual Annie Awards,Polariffic and selected by the 2015 Annecy Film Festival.Oregon Film, "Bent Image Lab’s "Polariffic" Accepted at Annecy Int’l Animated Film Fest""The Confluence" April 2001 Neuwirth was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program," for a 2014 episode of Cyberchase."Media Advisory. "PBS and PBS KIDS receive 49 Daytime Emmy Nominations" In 2025, he completed Flower of the Dawn, a 39-minute independent animated short feature that he co-created, produced, scripted and co-wrote the songs for, featuring the voices of Mel Brooks, Jane Lynch, Matt Lucas, Lilla Crawford, Griffin Puatu, and Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday. The film was selected by the 2025 Soho International Film Festival to make its world premiere.
Chelsea Boys In 1998, Neuwirth teamed with artist/writer Glen Hanson to create the internationally syndicated comic strip Chelsea Boys.Chelsea Boys Two book collections were published: Chelsea Boys (2003),Hanson, Glen, and Neuwirth, Allan,"Chelsea Boys," Alyson Books, September 2003 nominated for Best Humor Book by the 2004 Lambda Literary Awards,16th Lambda Literary Awards and Chelsea Boys Steppin’ Out (2007).Hanson, Glen, and Neuwirth Allan, "Chelsea Boys, Steppin' Out," Bruno Gemunder Publisher, September 2006Cronin, Brian "A Month of Good LGBT Comics – Chelsea Boys Steppin’ Out! Comic Book Resources, November 14, 2008" Chelsea Boys was optioned for television several times, notably in 2001 by Hollywood film company Film Roman, producers of The Simpsons.Godfrey, Leigh "Film Roman To Develop Series Based On Chelsea Boys Strip" Animated World Network, October 10, 2001 Hanson and Neuwirth signed a deal in 2005 with MTV's new Logo Network to develop a TV show based on the comic strip,Baisley, Sarah "New Logo Net Lands Gay Toon Chelsea Boys" Animated World Network, Monday, July 26, 2004 but after several months of development the network declined to move forward, citing budget concerns. As of 2015, the strip has not been animated. Chelsea Boys has appeared in anthologies, including What's Wrong: Explicit Graphic Interpretations Against Censorship (2002).Fisher, Robin, "What's Wrong?: Explicit Graphic Interpretations Against Censorship" Arsenal Pulp Press, May 2003
Hanson and Neuwirth also collaborated on projects for DC Comics. They co-scripted the RealWorlds graphic novel Wonder Woman vs. The Red Menace (2000).Tucker, Ken "Realworlds: Wonder Woman, Entertainment Weekly, May 19, 2000"
Books and journalism