James A. Fino

James Andrew Fino (born 1965/1966) is an American television and film producer and media executive. He is best known as a founding partner of Starburns Industries, an animation studio based in Burbank, California.

Fino is also best known for serving as an executive producer on the first two seasons of the animated sitcom Rick and Morty, and as a producer for the Academy Award-nominated stop-motion film Anomalisa.

Early life and education

Fino attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in advertising. He later became an instructor at the university's UTLA program in Burbank, teaching courses on new media and emerging entertainment.

Career

Early career and Fox (1989–2004)

Fino began his career in advertising as a junior art director for JCPenney, before transitioning into television production. In 1994, he worked as a writer's assistant on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement.

In 1996, he joined the production team of the animated series King of the Hill at 20th Century Fox, eventually serving as the show's animation production manager until 2000. During this period, he also worked as an executive producer for the online animated series, Gary the Rat. From 2003 to 2005, he served as a production coordinator for the live-action series, 8 Simple Rules.

Starburns Industries (2010–present)

In 2010, Fino co-founded Starburns Industries alongside Dan Harmon, Dino Stamatopoulos, Joe Russo II, and Duke Johnson. Fino has continued to expand the studio's reach into new media and publishing.

In 2018, he helped launch SBI Press, a comic book and graphic novel imprint. More recently, he served as a producer on the Better Call Saul animated spin-off, Slippin' Jimmy (2022). Along with Eric M. Esquivel, he co-wrote the horror anthology comic series, ¡Fantasmagoria!.

Recent projects

In late 2022, he joined the international production company, Final Frontier, as an executive producer to manage their North American expansion.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

External links