Joe Brumm
Joe Brumm is an Australian animator, writer and director, the creator and writer of the preschool animated series BlueyBlueyBluey is an Australian preschool animated series created by Joe Brumm and produced by Brisbane’s Ludo Studio, which premiered on ABC Kids in 2018 and follows a Blue Heeler puppy and her family through everyday play; with BBC Studios handling international distribution and licensing and Disney holding overseas broadcast rights, it has grown into a franchise spanning books, toys, a stage show, an attraction and a film.Open the full entry; he worked in children’s animation in London for about ten years, co-founded Studio Joho in Brisbane in 2011, and is writing and directing the Bluey film scheduled for 2027.
Contents16 sections
Key facts
1998Graduates from Griffith University
In 1998 Brumm graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Animation (Honours).[1]
He recalled choosing the degree after touring animation studios.[2]
2000sAnimation Work in the UK
Brumm said he moved to the UK at about 21, first working with Tim Searle on shows such as I Am Not An Animal, then on two series of Charlie and Lola, before moving to Africa to work on Tinga Tinga Tales.[3]
He spent about ten years in London as a lead animator on children’s series, including the BAFTA-winning Charlie and Lola.[4]
2011Co-Founds Studio Joho
Brumm and Mark Paterson, whom he met while animating on Charlie and Lola in London, returned to Australia and started the production company Studio Joho in 2011.[5]
Studio Joho’s clients included College Humor, Viacom, the ABCABCABC (American Broadcasting Company) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It grew out of NBC’s Blue radio network, took its name after becoming independent in 1943, developed into a national television network after merging with United Paramount Theatres in 1953, was acquired by Capital Cities in 1985, and has been owned by The Walt Disney Company since 1996. With CBS and NBC it is one of the three traditional U.S. broadcast networks, and it is one of the five networks that rotate in the White House television pool.Open the full entry program Good Game and Halfbrick.[4]
He said his younger brother Dan handled all the studio’s sound and sometimes its music.[3]
Halfbrick’s game Dan the Man is based on the web series of the same name by Studio Joho.[6]
2015The Meek
The short The Meek, created by Brumm and the Studio Joho team, follows a miniature heroine learning to cut negative addictions out of her life.[3]
In 2015 the film won at the Austin Film Festival.[4]
2018Bluey Premieres
In October 2018 Bluey, which he created, premiered on ABC Kids.[1]
Brumm based Bluey on his own experiences as a father; he recalled having to form a studio from scratch, with about half of the staff coming from Griffith University.[2]
October 2021Griffith Outstanding Alumnus
In October 2021 Griffith University named Brumm its 2021 Outstanding Alumnus.[7]
2023Queensland Great
In 2023 the Queensland Government named Brumm a Queensland Great; the citation describes him as creator, writer and showrunner of Bluey who hired and trained young graduate animators.[8]
April 2024Writes The Sign
Brumm wrote the special The Sign, aired in April 2024.[9]
That month, at the recognition ceremony at Australia House in London, he paid tribute to “everyone who helped bring Bluey to life.”[10]
December 2024Turns to Directing the Film
Brumm writes and directs the Bluey film announced in December 2024. On pausing the series he wrote, “I always said I wouldn’t keep making the show if I thought I couldn’t make any new season as good as the last.”[11]
He said, “I’ve always thought ‘Bluey’ deserved a theatrical movie.”[12]
March 2025Calls for CGI Animators
In March 2025 Brumm used LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry to publicly invite the world’s best CGI animators to work on the film.[13]
September 2025Steps Away from the Series
By September 2025 Brumm had announced that he was stepping away from the TV series to make the film, and the series would continue without him.[14]
October 2025Writes a Game Story
In October 2025 BBCBBCThe BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is the United Kingdom’s public broadcaster. Its predecessor was the British Broadcasting Company, formed in 1922, and since 1927 it has been established under a Royal Charter. It provides television, radio, and online services in the UK, is funded mainly by the television licence fee, and broadcasts worldwide in multiple languages through BBC World Service.Open the full entry Studios announced the game Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen with Brumm and Halfbrick, featuring an all-new story written by Brumm, for release on the App Store on December 11.[15]
August 2026Film Teaser Premieres
In August 2026 the teaser for The Bluey Movie, which he writes, directs and executive produces, premiered at D23.[16]
As of October 2026: Stage Show Story
The touring puppet stage show Bluey’s Big Play uses a story by Brumm in which Bluey and Bingo try to get Dad off his bean bag.[17]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Ludo StudioLudo StudioLudo Studio is an independent screen production company in Brisbane, Australia, founded in 2012 with co-founders including Daley Pearson and Charlie Aspinwall; it produced the animated series Bluey as well as #7DaysLater, Content and Thou Shalt Not Steal, and holds the copyright in Bluey.Open the full entry: Official website: https://www.ludostudio.com.au/ (opens in a new window)[18]
Sources
- Animation alumni create must-see kids TV (opens in a new window)
- Griffith University's 2021 Outstanding Alumnus (opens in a new window)
- Interview with 'The Meek' director Joe Brumm (opens in a new window)
- About (opens in a new window)
- Annecy 2023 Recap: The Story Behind “Bluey” with Joe Brumm, Richard Jeffery, and Mark Paterson (opens in a new window)
- Dan the Man (opens in a new window)
- Our Outstanding Alumni recognised at 2021 Awards (opens in a new window)
- 2023 Queensland Greats recipients (opens in a new window)
- ‘Bluey: The Sign’ (Teaser) (opens in a new window)
- It's 'Bluey House' now, as London awards show for its cultural success (opens in a new window)
- BBC Studios, Disney to release ‘Bluey’ feature film in 2027 (opens in a new window)
- 'Bluey' animated movie from Disney to hit theaters in 2027 (opens in a new window)
- Bluey creator calls on world-class animators to be part of upcoming feature film (opens in a new window)
- ‘Bluey’ Movie Gets August 2027 Release Date (opens in a new window)
- Bluey's Quest For The Gold Pen Video Game Arrives December! (opens in a new window)
- Disney unveils first look at ‘The Bluey Movie’ ahead of 2027 release (opens in a new window)
- Bluey's Big Play - Bluey Official Website (opens in a new window)
- Ludo (opens in a new window)