Rodney Alan Greenblat

Rodney Alan Greenblat
Born (1960-08-23) August 23, 1960 (age 66)
Daly City, California
Education
Known for
Notable workArt and character design for the PaRappa the Rapper franchise
MovementNeo-Surrealist
Websitewhimsyload.com

Rodney Alan Greenblat (born August 23, 1960) is an American artist, graphic designer and children's book author born in Daly City, California. He is a former director of the Center for Advanced Whimsy, is responsible for the character design of several video games, including the PaRappa the Rapper series, and was an active figure in the East Village art scene of the 1980s.

Work

Greenblat's work was shown in East Village museums in the 1980s, including the Gracie Mansion Gallery, and was at the time considered part of a neo-surrealist movement. Within the same decade, he did the artwork for American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants' first album.

He has been recognized for his work on the 1996 and 1999 video games PaRappa the Rapper and Um Jammer Lammy, and for the Thunder Bunny series of books.

In 2009, he designed characters for the Japanese transportation smart card SUGOCA, sold by JR Kyushu.

In 2017, he opened The Rodney Shop, a retail outlet and gallery in Catskill, New York. The location closed in 2020.

Computer and video games

Solo exhibition history

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2005

2006

2007

2008

2010

2012

2013

2015

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Buckley, John (1985). "Rodney Alan Greenblat" (PDF). Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. ↑ Greenblat, Musho Rodney Alan. "About Rodney". Whimsy Load. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  3. ↑ "50 for the future". Newsweek. Vol. 125, no. 9. February 27, 1995. p. 42.
  4. ↑ Zimmerman, Eric (June 1999). "Lamb rock: interview with Rodney A. Greenblat". The International Design Magazine. Vol. 46, no. 4. p. 98. ProQuest 214757949.
  5. ↑ "Rodney Alan Greenblat". Artnet. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Gracie Mansion". People. Vol. 24, no. 26. 1985. p. 112.
  7. ↑ "Multiples & Objects & Books". The Print Collector's Newsletter. 17 (2): 62. 1986. ISSN 0032-8537. JSTOR 24552971.
  8. ↑ Kirwin, Liza; Brown, Robert F.; Pacini, Marina; Karlstrom, Paul J.; Gustafson, Judith A. (1991). "Regional Reports". Archives of American Art Journal. 31 (3): 34–41. doi:10.1086/aaa.31.2.1557718. ISSN 0003-9853. JSTOR 1557611.
  9. ↑ Westfall, Stephen (1985). "Surrealist Modes among Contemporary New York Painters". Art Journal. 45 (4): 315–318. doi:10.2307/776805. JSTOR 776805.
  10. ↑ Flansburgh, John (May 3, 2012). "John Flansburgh: Observer Media" (Interview). Interviewed by Debbie Millman. Design Matters. Retrieved September 2, 2013.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ Beg, Tom (February 6, 2012). "The Supplement: Rodney Alan Greenblat". University for the Creative Arts.
  12. ↑ "SUGOCA". RodneyFun.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  13. ↑ "ＪＲ九州ＩＣカードの名称とデザインが決定！！" (PDF). JR Kyushu. October 29, 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  14. ↑ "SUGOCA". RodneyFun.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ Waldron, Diana (August 22, 2018). "The Rodney Shop". Visit Vortex. High Falls, New York.
  16. ↑ "The Rodney Shop". Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Greenblat, Rodney Alan". Wave-I. Seoul, Republic of Korea. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Galleries & museums". Chronogram. Kingston, New York: Jason Stern. September 2013. p. 69.
  19. ↑ "Museums & galleries". Chronogram. Kingston, New York: Jason Stern. December 2010. p. 38.