Editing Dexter's Laboratory (section)

== Production ==
[[File:Genndy Tartakovsky.jpg|thumb|''Dexter's Laboratory'' creator [[Genndy Tartakovsky]] at the [[Annecy International Animation Film Festival]] in 2012]]

=== Background ===
Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of ''Dexter's Laboratory'', was born in [[Moscow]], where his father, a [[dentist]], served in the [[government of the Soviet Union]].{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}} Although relatively wealthy and well-connected, his family feared racial persecution due to their [[Jewish culture|Jewish heritage]] and moved from Russia to [[Chicago]] when Tartakovsky was seven.<ref name="Aushenker" /> Along with his older brother, Alex, Tartakovsky learned English by watching cartoons<ref name="Aushenker" /> and taught himself how to draw as a child by copying [[comic book]]s.<ref name="Woulfe" />{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}}<ref name="Davenport">{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Misha |date=November 24, 2002 |title='Dexter' Creator Draws on His Youth |url=http://www.suntimes.com:80/output/television/sho-sunday-nowplay24.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021201044019/http://www.suntimes.com/output/television/sho-sunday-nowplay24.html |archive-date=December 1, 2002 |access-date=July 24, 2019 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |department=Television |publisher=[[Wrapports]]}}</ref>

Tartakovsky initially went to [[Columbia College Chicago]] to study advertising and took an animation class as an elective.<ref name="Davenport" /> After he transferred to the [[California Institute of the Arts]] in 1990 to study animation full-time, Tartakovsky wrote, directed, animated, and produced two student [[short film]]s, one of which was a precursor to ''Dexter's Laboratory''<nowiki/>'s [[television pilot]], "Changes".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=People Staff |date=March 3, 1997 |title=In Toon with Tots |url=https://people.com/archive/in-toon-with-tots-vol-47-no-8/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128075237/https://people.com/archive/in-toon-with-tots-vol-47-no-8/ |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=November 27, 2018 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |volume=47 |issue=8 |issn=0093-7673}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Animator Profile: Genndy Tartakovsky |url=http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ap/gtartakovsky.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619095331/http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ap/gtartakovsky.html |archive-date=June 19, 2009 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |website=[[CartoonNetwork.com]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=136}} A two-and-a-half-minute [[Traditional animation#Animation|pencil test]],{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=136}}{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} this short film was included in a university screening for the producers of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', who were impressed and hired Tartakovsky to move to Spain to work on ''Batman'' at a studio in [[Madrid]].{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=136}}{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}}

After ''Batman'', Tartakovsky moved back to California to work for [[Hanna-Barbera]] on the production team of ''[[2 Stupid Dogs]]''.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=138}}<ref name="Jubera">{{Cite news |last=Jubera |first=Drew |date=August 12, 2001 |title=Watching TV: Is 'Samurai' One for the Ages? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-is-samurai-one-for/161511715/ |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |department=Arts |location=[[Burbank, California]] |page=L12 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}} His co-workers on that series, Craig McCracken, [[Rob Renzetti]], and Paul Rudish, had been classmates of his at Cal Arts{{sfn|Simensky|2011|pp= 286–287}} and went on to collaborate with him on ''Dexter's Laboratory''.<ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite news |title=Dexter's Laboratory Credits |url=https://www.nytimes.com/tv/show/154958/Dexter-s-Laboratory/credits |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206114629/https://www.nytimes.com/tv/show/154958/Dexter-s-Laboratory/credits |archive-date=February 6, 2015 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Seibert |first=Fred |author-link=Fred Seibert |date=November 3, 2004 |title=Original Premiere >My Life As a Teenage Robot |url=http://frederatorstudios.blogspot.com/2004/11/original-premiere-my-life-as-teenage.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071239/http://frederatorstudios.blogspot.com/2004/11/original-premiere-my-life-as-teenage.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |website=Frederator Blogs |publisher=[[Frederator Studios]] |orig-year=June 23, 2003}}</ref> Tartakovsky's last job before developing ''Dexter's Laboratory'' into a television series was to serve as a [[exposure sheet|sheet timer]] on ''[[The Critic]]''. During his time on that series, Tartakovsky received a phone call from [[Larry Huber]], who had been a producer on ''2 Stupid Dogs''. Huber had shown Tartakovsky's unfinished student film to a then-nascent Cartoon Network and wanted Tartakovsky to develop the concept into a seven-minute [[storyboard]].{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=138}}

=== Development ===
{{Quote box |align=right |width=24em |style=max-width:40%
|quote="It actually started with Dee Dee. I wanted to animate a girl dancing. So, I drew this skinny, big-headed girl dancing. When I had finished her, I thought, what would be the opposite of her? So, I drew a block. That's Dexter. Then I thought if she's into arts, he's into science."
|author=Tartakovsky
|source=''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''<ref name="Davenport" />
}}

Unhappy with his position on ''The Critic'', Tartakovsky accepted Huber's proposal,{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=138}} and the resulting project, "Changes", was produced as part of Cartoon Network's animation showcase series, ''[[What a Cartoon!|World Premiere Toons]]'', debuting on February 26, 1995.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}{{sfn|Manley|2008|p=138}}<ref name="Moore">{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Scott |date=February 26, 1995 |title=Creative World Premiere Toons' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1995/02/26/creative-world-premiere-toons/d5f8f962-ea0b-4840-a9dc-e12b163886ae/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723135706/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1995/02/26/creative-world-premiere-toons/d5f8f962-ea0b-4840-a9dc-e12b163886ae/ |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Viewers worldwide voted through phone lines, websites, focus groups, and consumer promotions for their favorite short cartoons; ''Dexter's Laboratory'' was the first of 16 to earn that vote of approval.<ref name="Turner1995" /> [[Mike Lazzo]], then-head of programming for Cartoon Network, said in 1996 that it was his favorite of the 48 shorts that had been produced by that point, commenting that he and colleagues "loved the humor in the brother-versus-sister relationship".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mifflin |first=Lawrie |date=April 24, 1996 |title=TV Notes; A Cartoon Winner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/24/arts/tv-notes-a-cartoon-winner.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103131538/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/24/arts/tv-notes-a-cartoon-winner.html |archive-date=November 3, 2018 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=18}}</ref>

Even after "Changes" premiered, Tartakovsky had no expectations that it would lead to an entire series.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} In 2018, he noted that his generation was the first in which people could become [[showrunner]]s at a young age, saying, "Everybody before us were in their forties, at least, and so [our generation's experience] was a very different way to do something where we had no clue what we were doing and we were just trying to make each other laugh."<ref name="Sokol">{{Cite web |last=Sokol |first=Tony |author-link=Tony Sokol |date=June 29, 2018 |title=Hotel Transylvania Director Genndy Tartakovsky Tells Tales Outside the Lab |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/hotel-transylvania-3-summer-vacation/274603/hotel-transylvania-director-genndy-tartakovsky-tells-tales-outside-the-lab |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130030428/https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/hotel-transylvania-3-summer-vacation/274603/hotel-transylvania-director-genndy-tartakovsky-tells-tales-outside-the-lab |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 29, 2018 |website=[[Den of Geek]]}}</ref> When ''Dexter's Laboratory'' received a series [[greenlight]], Tartakovsky became, at age twenty-seven, one of the youngest [[animation director]]s of that era.{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}} Speaking with the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' in 2002, Tartakovsky remarked about the network, "With Cartoon Network, they were looking for more undiscovered talent, people that may have had a hard time getting in.[...]It became a great opportunity to do something. And as I got into it, I realized that they were also offering the creative freedom. They were letting the creators make the shows."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Littlejohn |first=Janice Rhoshalle |date=December 2, 2002 |title=Niche Networks Break the Mold |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-02-et-littlejohn2-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001005316/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-02-et-littlejohn2-story.html |archive-date=October 1, 2021 |access-date=2021-09-30 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

In August 1995, Turner ordered six half-hour episodes of ''Dexter's Laboratory'', which included two cartoons of one spin-off segment titled ''Dial M for Monkey''.<ref name="Turner1995" /> In addition to Tartakovsky, McCracken, Renzetti, and Rudish,{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} directors and writers on ''Dexter's Laboratory'' included [[Seth MacFarlane]],<ref name="seth">{{Cite web |last=Bartlett |first=James |date=March 12, 2007 |title=Seth MacFarlane&nbsp;– He's the "Family Guy" |url=https://greatreporter.com/2007/03/12/seth-macfarlane-he-s-family-guy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522134407/https://greatreporter.com/2007/03/12/seth-macfarlane-he-s-family-guy/ |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |website=GreatReporter.com}}</ref> [[Butch Hartman]],<ref name="butch">{{Cite web |last=Basile |first=Nancy |year=2007 |title=Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons! An Interview with Butch Hartman |url=http://animatedtv.about.com/od/spongebobsquarepants/a/nicktoonsbook.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312065254/http://animatedtv.about.com/od/spongebobsquarepants/a/nicktoonsbook.htm |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |website=[[About.com]]}}</ref> [[John McIntyre (cartoonist)|John McIntyre]],<ref>{{Citation |title=Dexter's Laboratory |asin=B00004L8LF |asin-tld=ca |mode=cs1}}</ref> [[Robert Alvarez]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drosu |first=Alexandra |date=January 17, 2018 |title=Striking Gold |url=https://keyframemagazine.org/2018/01/17/striking-gold/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003210046/https://keyframemagazine.org/2018/01/17/striking-gold/ |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=KeyframeMagazine.org}}</ref> and [[Chris Savino]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roffman |first=Marisa |date=July 11, 2010 |title=Comic-Con 2010: Sunday's Schedule Released |url=https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2010/07/11/comic-con-2010-sundays-schedule-released/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713205801/https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2010/07/11/comic-con-2010-sundays-schedule-released/ |archive-date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |website=GiveMeMyRemote.com}}</ref> McCracken served as an [[art director]] on the series. Perlmutter described McCracken's role on ''Dexter's Laboratory'' as that of Tartakovsky's "effective second-in-command".{{sfn|Perlmutter|2014|p=269}}

=== Style and influences ===
[[File:Craig McCracken 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Craig McCracken]], Tartakovsky's classmate at CalArts, helped him develop ''Dexter's Laboratory'' while McCracken worked on his own series, ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''.]]
Tartakovsky's former classmates McCracken and Rudish helped him design "Changes". This pilot was revised to create a second cut, as Tartakovsky felt utterly dissatisfied with the score, the sound effects, and the entire second half, which he chose to redo entirely.<ref name="Maher">{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=John |date=February 8, 2017 |title=The Secret Hustle of the First 'Dexter's Laboratory' Short |url=https://dotandline.net/the-secret-hustle-of-the-first-dexters-laboratory-short/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215234314/https://dotandline.net/the-secret-hustle-of-the-first-dexters-laboratory-short/ |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |access-date=December 15, 2023 |website=[[The Dot and Line]]}}</ref> After seeing the revision, producer [[Fred Seibert]] felt convinced that the concept for ''Dexter's Laboratory'' could be successful.<ref name="Maher" /> Soon afterward, Tartakovsky helped McCracken create his own short film for ''World Premiere Toons'', which would eventually become the basis for ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} After finishing McCracken's project, the group proceeded to work on a second short film for ''Dexter's Laboratory'', titled "The Big Sister".{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}{{sfn|Simensky|2011|pp= 286–287}} At the time, Tartakovsky was still not anticipating a series greenlight for ''Dexter's Laboratory''. He went on to reminisce that, in those days, he was simply having fun working on short films with his friends.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} Tartakovsky and McCracken, who had been roommates shortly after college,<ref name="Sokol" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fritz |first=Steve |date=January 15, 2009 |title=Animated Shorts: Craig McCracken Talks Powerpuff Girls |url=https://www.newsarama.com/1954-animated-shorts-craig-mccracken-talks-powerpuff-girls.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130030416/https://www.newsarama.com/1954-animated-shorts-craig-mccracken-talks-powerpuff-girls.html |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=November 29, 2018 |website=[[Newsarama]]}}</ref> went on to become regular collaborators on each other's series.{{sfn|Perlmutter|2014|p=269}} Animation historian David Perlmutter noted a [[symbiosis]] between the two men, which he felt led to stylistic similarities between ''Dexter's Laboratory'' and ''The Powerpuff Girls''.{{sfn|Perlmutter|2014|p=269}}

Tartakovsky drew inspiration from his experiences as an immigrant growing up in Chicago. He explained that, like Dexter, he had a "very thick accent" as a child—and even though he lived in a diverse neighborhood, children would tease him for this.<ref name="Woulfe" /> Speaking with ''[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]'' in 2001, Tartakovsky explained, "When I moved to America, I wanted to fit in and be American...We never tried to be too heavy-handed with ''Dexter's'', but if you look at the underlying themes of the show, it's about a little kid trying to fit in."<ref name="Aushenker">{{Cite news |last=Aushenker |first=Michael |date=August 2, 2001 |title=The Way of the Samurai |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/4663/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224131911/https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/4663/ |archive-date=February 24, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |work=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]}}</ref> Tartakovsky noted that when he was a child, he was less confident than the character, telling ''[[The New York Times]]'', "The one thing about Dexter, if he doesn't fit in, he'll start his own club. He's not afraid to be an outsider."<ref name="Adams" /> In developing ''Dexter's Laboratory'', he continued the tradition of making "violent cartoons", explaining that "many people like them because they project themselves in the drawings and they laugh," while following the principles of older Hanna-Barbera cartoons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaina |first=Patricia |date=March 4, 2000 |title=Entrevista al Creador de "El Laboratorio de Dexter" |trans-title=Interview with the Creator of "Dexter's Laboratory" |url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/2000/00-03/00-03-04/pag29.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215124411/https://www.pagina12.com.ar/2000/00-03/00-03-04/pag29.htm |archive-date=February 15, 2024 |access-date=February 15, 2024 |website=[[Página 12]] |language=es |trans-work=Page/12}}</ref>

[[Linda Simensky]], who served as senior vice-president of Original Animation for [[Cartoon Network]] during the production of ''Dexter's Laboratory'', wrote in 2011 that Dexter was designed "to be more of an icon in some ways"; she continued, "his body was short and squat and his design was simple, with a black outline and relatively little detail... Since Tartakovsky knew he was developing ''Dexter'' for television, he purposely limited the design to a degree, designing the nose and mouth, for instance, in a Hanna-Barbera style to animate easily."{{sfn|Simensky|2011|pp= 286–287}}

This simplistic style was influenced by [[United Productions of America|UPA]] shorts, as well as by the ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon ''[[The Dover Boys at Pimento University]]''.{{sfn|Simensky|2011|p=287}} Simensky noted though, that in contrast to those cartoons, ''Dexter's Laboratory'' is "staged cinematically, rather than flat and close to the screen, to leave space and depth for the action and gags in the lab".{{sfn|Simensky|2011|pp= 286–287}} Tartakovsky was influenced by [[Warner Bros.]] cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, and Japanese [[anime]].{{sfn|Simensky|2011|pp= 286–287}} [[Sam Raimi]]'s films ''[[Evil Dead II]]'' and ''[[Army of Darkness]]'' heavily influenced the series' visual style. Referring to a scene from ''Army of Darkness'' featuring the construction of a robotic hand, McCracken explained, "He [Tartakovsky] applied that sequence to the show all the time, especially when Dexter was building stuff."<ref name="Motamayor">{{Cite web |last=Motamayor |first=Rafael |date=May 3, 2021 |title=How Dexter's Laboratory Changed American Cartoons Forever |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-dexters-laboratory-changed-american-cartoons |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903130915/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-dexters-laboratory-changed-american-cartoons |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |access-date=September 3, 2021 |website=[[Syfy Wire]]}}</ref>

=== Character conception ===
[[File:Christine Cavanaugh.jpg|thumb|right|[[Christine Cavanaugh]] provided the voice of Dexter for the first two seasons and part of the third season.]]
''Dexter's Laboratory'' has its origins in a drawing of a tall, thin girl dancing next to a short and blocky boy that Tartakovsky made while at CalArts.<ref name="Davenport" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wilkinson |first=Alec |author-link=Alec Wilkinson |date=May 27, 2002 |title=Moody Toons |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/05/27/moody-toons |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109112138/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/05/27/moody-toons |archive-date=November 9, 2018 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |page=76 |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref name="Woulfe" /> These two characters would eventually develop into Dee Dee and Dexter respectively, although they went unnamed until Tartakovsky started expanding the concept for Cartoon Network.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} To further contrast the two characters, Tartakovsky determined that Dee Dee would be artistic, while Dexter would be focused on science.<ref name="Woulfe" /><ref name="Davenport" /> In an interview, Tartakovsky said, "Dee Dee came first. She was really the star of the show to me. She was so much fun. Later on, I started on Dexter and he took over."<ref name="Woulfe" />

The names Dexter and Dee Dee were both found in name books; "Dexter" caught Tartakovsky's attention for sounding scientific, while "Dee Dee" appealed to him because of its uniqueness and because he felt that it complemented that character's two [[pigtail]]s. Before settling on these options, Tartakovsky had considered titling the series ''Dartmouth and Daisy''. Explaining why he discarded this idea, Tartakovsky said that "Dartmouth doesn't exactly roll off the tongue" and that the name [[Daisy Duck|Daisy]] was already heavily associated with [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]. The title ''Dexter's Laboratory'' was not settled on until around midway through production of the series' pilot episode, "Changes".{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}

{{Quote box |align=right |width=24em |style=max-width:40%
|quote=I really don't like to answer those questions because it's a question that should forever exist. You kind of make your own mind up about it.
|author=Tartakovsky, on whether or not there is an [[Fictional universe|in-universe]] explanation for Dexter's accent.
|source=''[[Den of Geek]]''<ref name="Sokol" />
}}

The ages of Dexter and Dee Dee are meant to be nebulous. Although Tartakovsky suggested that Dexter is intended to be about six to eight years old and that Dee Dee is "a couple years older", he stressed that he would "never want" to specify Dexter's exact age.<ref name="Woulfe" /> Tartakovsky wrote Dexter as a hardworking, unspoiled "[[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] kid" who loves food and explained, "I'm not saying he's from Chicago, but there's a reason he's got his own [[burrito]] palace, just like I had growing up in Chicago."<ref name="Davenport" />

The sibling dynamic in ''Dexter's Laboratory'' was partially modeled on Tartakovsky's relationship with his older brother, Alex.<ref name="Woulfe" />{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}}<ref name="Davenport" /> Comparing himself to Dee Dee and Alex, who became a [[computer engineering|computer engineer]], to Dexter,<ref name="Woulfe" /><ref name="Davenport" /> Tartakovsky acknowledged that he was most likely a "pest" to his older brother while they were growing up.<ref name="Woulfe" /> Another time, he reminisced that as kids, he and his brother could each be a "pain in the ass" to the other.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}} To illustrate one of the parallels between his childhood and the series, Tartakovsky noted that Alex had kept him from playing with "intricate" [[toy soldier]]s in those days, much like Dexter attempts to keep Dee Dee away from his inventions.<ref name="Woulfe" /><ref name="Davenport" />

Tartakovsky determined that Dexter should have an accent because the character "considers himself a very serious scientist, and all well-known scientists have accents."<ref name="Adams">{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Thelma |author-link=Thelma Adams |date=August 19, 2001 |title=The Way We Live Now: Questions for Genndy Tartakovsky; The Big Draw |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/19/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-questions-for-genndy-tartakovsky-the-big-draw.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002205134/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/19/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-questions-for-genndy-tartakovsky-the-big-draw.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=May 31, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> During one interview, Tartakovsky suggested that viewers should decide for themselves whether or not the character's accent is an affectation, saying that "[n]obody knows" whether the character is "pretending to be a German scientist" or is speaking naturally.<ref name="Sokol" /> Although Tartakovsky noted in a separate interview that Dexter's accent is not meant to denote any specific nationality,<ref name="Woulfe" /> he revealed in a 2012 [[Reddit]] [[r/IAmA|AMA]] that it was partially inspired by "a funny French accent" done by his college roommate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tartakovsky |first=Genndy |author-link=Genndy Tartakovsky |date=October 2, 2012 |title=I Am Genndy Tartakovsky, the Director of Hotel Transylvania. AMA. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/10l1an/i_am_genndy_tartakovsky_the_director_of_hotel/c6gkoyt/?context=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313201031/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/10l1an/i_am_genndy_tartakovsky_the_director_of_hotel/c6gkoyt/?context=3 |archive-date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=December 5, 2018 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>{{efn|Tartakovsky's roommate at CalArts was ''Dexter's Laboratory'' collaborator Rob Renzetti,{{sfn|Perlmutter|2014|p=322}} whom he first met through his brother, Alex.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mallory |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Mallory |date=August 30, 2012 |title=Tartakovsky and the Road to Transylvania |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2012/08/tartakovsky-and-the-road-to-transylvania/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707061712/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2012/08/tartakovsky-and-the-road-to-transylvania/ |archive-date=July 7, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2018 |website=[[Animation Magazine]]}}</ref>}} When Candi Milo took over the role of Dexter in season 3, she had trouble replicating Cavanaugh's performance until she met Tartakovsky and realized Cavanaugh was imitating his Russian accent (albeit some exaggeration).<ref>{{Cite AV media |last1=Verité Entertainment |title=Candi Milo - Talking Voices (Part 1) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IyI_XgKmug |via=[[YouTube]] |date=September 30, 2019 |access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref>

=== Original run ===
[[File:SRM headshot.jpg|thumb|left|[[Steve Rucker (composer)|Steve Rucker]] composed music for the series with Thomas Chase and Gary Lionelli.]]
''Dexter's Laboratory'' premiered on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] on April 27, 1996, and the following day on Cartoon Network and [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beller |first=Miles |date=April 25, 1996 |title=TV Review; 'Dexter's Laboratory' |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[BPI Entertainment News Wire]]}}</ref> It became the first in a brand of Cartoon Network original cartoons, later including ''[[Cow and Chicken]]'', ''[[I Am Weasel]]'', ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'', ''The Powerpuff Girls'', ''[[Ed, Edd n Eddy]]'', and ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]'', collectively known as [[Cartoon Cartoons]]. A second season was ordered, which premiered on Cartoon Network on July 16, 1997.<ref name="zany" /> This season includes "Dexter and Computress Get Mandark!", an episode created by six-year-old [[Long Island]] resident Tyler Samuel Lee, who submitted his idea to Tartakovsky as an audiotape. Lee's recorded narration is used in the episode, and Tartakovsky (who often received letters and comments from other fans) said that Lee had "a great understanding of the show and genuinely captured the imaginative kid perspective we're always striving for."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Price |first=Michael H. |date=May 5, 1998 |title=Tyler Samuel Lee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/117329705/tyler-samuel-lee/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701015612/https://www.newspapers.com/article/117329705/tyler-samuel-lee/ |archive-date=July 1, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |location=[[Fort Worth, Texas]] |page=78 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Composers Thomas Chase, [[Steve Rucker (composer)|Steve Rucker]], and Gary Lionelli provided the musical score for the series.

''Dexter's Laboratory'' went on hiatus on June 15, 1998, after two seasons, with season 2 lasting 39 episodes.<ref name="Brooks">{{Cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Tim |author-link=Tim Brooks (historian) |title=[[The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present]] |last2=Marsh |first2=Earle |date=October 16, 2007 |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |edition=9th |location=[[New York City]] |pages=350–351}}</ref> The series finale was initially intended to be "Last But Not Beast", which differed from the format of other episodes, in that it was a single 25-minute episode, rather than a collection of shorter segments. By this point, Tartakovsky was exhausted. His focus on the series had cost him two relationships, and he went on to joke that the process of running ''Dexter's Laboratory'' was like "giving birth to ten children."<ref name="Jubera" /> After putting the series on hiatus, Tartakovsky became a supervising producer on colleague Craig McCracken's series, ''The Powerpuff Girls''; he directed episodes of that series and worked on ''[[The Powerpuff Girls Movie]].''{{sfn|Lenburg|2006}}{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007}}{{sfn|Perlmutter|2014|p=269}} After the movie, McCracken went on to create ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]'' for Cartoon Network. Both Hartman and MacFarlane left Cartoon Network altogether at this point; the former went on to create ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]'' and ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' for [[Nickelodeon]] while the latter went on to create ''[[Family Guy]]'' for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] respectively.<ref name="seth" /><ref name="butch" />

In 1999, Tartakovsky returned to direct ''Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip'', an hour-long television movie.<ref name="ego">{{Cite magazine |last=Bernardin |first=Marc |author-link=Marc Bernardin |date=November 24, 2000 |title=Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip Review |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2000/11/24/dexters-laboratory-ego-trip |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206161222/https://ew.com/article/2000/11/24/dexters-laboratory-ego-trip/ |archive-date=February 6, 2015 |access-date=January 22, 2013 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |issn=1049-0434}}</ref> It was his last ''Dexter's Laboratory'' production to be involved with and was intended to be its conclusion. ''Ego Trip'' was hand-animated, though character and setting designs were subtly revised. Its plot follows Dexter on a quest through time to discover his future triumphs.<ref name="ego" /> It premiered on December 10, 1999, at 7:00 PM with a repeat broadcast on January 1, 2000, at 12:00 AM.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeMott |first=Rick |date=December 1, 1999 |title=Cartoon Network to Air Dexter's Lab Special |url=https://www.awn.com/news/cartoon-network-air-dexters-lab-special |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203123045/https://www.awn.com/news/cartoon-network-air-dexters-lab-special |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=April 22, 2013 |website=[[Animation World Network]]}}</ref>

=== Revival ===
On February 21, 2001, Cartoon Network issued a press release stating that ''Dexter's Laboratory'' had been revived for a 13-episode third season.<ref name="digitalmedia">{{Cite news |date=February 21, 2001 |title=Cartoon Network Announces New Programming and Online Initiatives for 2001–2002 Television Season |url=http://oceania.digitalmedianet.com/article/Cartoon-Network-Announces-New-Programming-and-Online-Initiatives-For-2001-2002-Television-Season-720 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044324/http://oceania.digitalmedianet.com/article/Cartoon-Network-Announces-New-Programming-and-Online-Initiatives-For-2001-2002-Television-Season-720 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=November 16, 2013 |publisher=Digital Media Online |agency=[[Business Wire]]}}</ref> The series was given a new production team at [[Cartoon Network Studios]], and Chris Savino took over the role of creative director from Tartakovsky, who at the time was immersed in launching his next series, ''[[Samurai Jack]]''.<ref name="Aushenker" /><ref name="digitalmedia" /> During season four of ''Dexter's Laboratory'', Savino was promoted to producer giving him further control of the series, including the budget.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2007|p=157}} Revival episodes featured revised visual designs and sound effects, recast voice actors, and a transition from traditional cel animation, which was used until ''Ego Trip'', to digital ink and paint, which was used permanently beginning with season three's premiere.

Christine Cavanaugh voiced Dexter for early episodes of season three, but she retired from voice acting in 2001 for personal reasons. She was replaced by Candi Milo.<ref name="Brooks" /> Allison Moore, a college friend of Tartakovsky, was cast as Dee Dee. Moore's role was later recast with Kat Cressida.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=http://techjives.net/onvoxshow/?p=190 |title=Episode 013 – Guest: Kat Cressida (Voice of Dee Dee from Dexter's Lab Amongst Many Other Things!) – On Vox |date=February 28, 2011 |last=Elk |first=Amy |last2=Pope |first2=Chris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015153045/http://techjives.net/onvoxshow/?p=190 |archive-date=October 15, 2018 |website=TechJives.net}}</ref> In season three, Moore briefly returned to voice Dee Dee before Cressida again assumed her role for season four. Character redesigns were handled with the help of one of Dexter's original model designers, Chris Battle, known individually for acting as character designer for Nickelodeon's ''[[Aaahh!!! Real Monsters]]'' and Cartoon Network's ''The Powerpuff Girls''. [[Aaron Springer]] and [[Chris Reccardi]] are credited on the writing staff, as is ''Family Guy'' creator Seth MacFarlane.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Humphries |first=Chris |date=March 3, 2021 |title=10 Shows You Didn't Realize Were by Seth MacFarlane |url=https://whatculture.com/tv/10-shows-you-didn-t-realize-were-by-seth-macfarlane |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427042301/https://whatculture.com/tv/10-shows-you-didn-t-realize-were-by-seth-macfarlane |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |access-date=April 27, 2023 |website=[[WhatCulture]] |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, Tartakovsky said he was uninterested in attempting to reboot ''Dexter's Laboratory'' due to Cavanaugh's death in 2014, as well as the "overabundance" of recent reboots of cartoons.<ref name="CBR">{{Cite web |last=John-Day |first=Michael |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Dexter's Laboratory Creator Addresses the Chances of a Revival Series |url=https://www.cbr.com/dexter-laboratory-revival-chances/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427042258/https://www.cbr.com/dexter-laboratory-revival-chances/ |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |access-date=April 27, 2023 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref>