Genndy Tartakovsky is a Russian-American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for creating the animated television series Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Dexter's Laboratory, as well as directing the films Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2. Tartakovsky was born in Moscow, Russia, to Jewish parents Boris and Miriam Tartakovsky. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1979, at the age of seven. He later attended the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied character animation. Tartakovsky's first professional job was working on the animated television series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. He later worked on other animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men: Evolution, and Samurai Jack. In 2001, Tartakovsky debuted his first original television series, Samurai Jack. The show ran for four seasons and received critical acclaim. In 2003, Tartakovsky directed his first feature film, Star Wars: Clone Wars. The film was a commercial success and led to a successful television series of the same name. In 2006, Tartakovsky directed his second feature film, Hotel Transylvania. The film was a box office success and spawned a successful franchise. In 2015, Tartakovsky returned to television with the series Star Wars Rebels. The show is set between the events of the films Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Tartakovsky has won multiple awards for his work in animation, including three Emmy Awards and a Annie Award.