Parker LeGrand Jacobs (born July 17, 1975) is an American artist, musician, author and actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba!, for which he has been nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as for his involvement with the Californian bands GOGO13, The Aquabats and The Sandfleas.
While living in St. George, Jacobs formed the ska band GOGO13 with his brother Tyler in 1993, where he assumed the role of co-lead singer and songwriter. Though GOGO13 became a notable local success, the original incarnation of the band lasted just under a year until Jacobs left Utah in 1994 to serve his mission for the LDS Church, spending two years in West Virginia. Upon his return, he moved back to California and became involved with his brother Christian's then-up-and-coming band The Aquabats, providing artwork for their logos, albums and merchandise, as well as contributing lyrics, various creative ideas and running their fan club. Most visibly, however, Jacobs played the role of "The Professor" in The Aquabats' music videos and stage shows, taking part in the band's onstage skits and occasionally supplying backing vocals. Additionally, under the stage name "Mel", Jacobs was the lead vocalist for The Sandfleas, The Aquabats' costumed surf-punk side project, and recorded an Extended play with them in 1999. Jacobs retired from The Aquabats in the early 2000s, though sporadically continues to design posters and merchandise for the band.
That same year, Jacobs helped contribute art design for an independently filmed pilot called Yo Gabba Gabba!, a children's television series being developed by his brother Christian and his creative partner Scott Schultz. In 2007, the series was picked up by Viacoms Nick Jr. Channel, prompting Jacobs to leave his job at Paul Frank to work full-time on the show. His various titles on Yo Gabba Gabba! have included character design, animation direction, set design, color styling, writing, composing, voiceovers, art direction and costume design, the latter two of which earned him three nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award. In the September 22, 2008 episode "Birthdays", Jacobs made an on-camera appearance in the "Cool Tricks" segment, showcasing his affinity for baking birthday cakes. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Episode S02E01: "Birthdays" (September 22, 2008)
Jacobs served as a "creative consultant" for both seasons of The Aquabats' live-action television series The Aquabats! Super Show!, contributing ideas and bits of writing to each episode between his work as art director on Yo Gabba Gabba!. In 2012, Jacobs, alongside Christian Jacobs and Jon Berrett, created The Goon Holler Guidebook, a children's book about a Bigfoot and a wizard. Jacobs has expressed plans to pitch Goon Holler as a television series, and published the first of four children's books based on the concept, Welcome to Goon Holler, in November 2014.
Jacobs lives in Huntington Beach, California, and has two daughters and four stepsons. Since 2008, Jacobs has posted a drawing every day on his website in a feature he calls "Daily Doodles".
1982 | Scamps | Jinx | Unsold TV pilot |
1983 | Trapper John, M.D. | 1st Boy | Episode: "Eternally Yours" |
Charles in Charge | Max Shrimner | Episode: "Friends & Lovers" | |
E/R | Alan Turner | Episode: "Both Sides Now" | |
1985 | The Jeffersons | Johnny | Episode: "Sayonara: Part 2" |
Simon & Simon | Little Boy | Episode: "The Third Eye" | |
1986 | A Fighting Choice | Harvey Taylor | Made for TV movie |
My Town | Tug Wheeler | Made for TV movie | |
Amazing Stories | John Willson | Episode: "Welcome to My Nightmare" | |
1986–1989 | The Cavanaughs | John Cavanaugh | Series regular |
1987 | Nick Avery | Episode: "Liars and Other Strangers" | |
1988 | My Sister Sam | Episode: "Grand Prize" | |
The Wrong Guys | Kid Glen | Feature film | |
1989–1991 | The Wonder Years | Purdle the Turtle | Recurring character |
1998 | The Aquabats! | The Professor | TV pilot |
1999 | The Aquabats! In Color! | Professor Monty Corndog | TV pilot |
2003 | Serious Awesomeness! | The Professor | |
2008 | Yo Gabba Gabba! | Himself | Episode: "Birthday" – segment: "Cool Tricks" |
The Up Beat: A Documentary on Utah Ska | Himself | Documentary film |
1999 | The Aquabats! In Color! | Graphics |
2007–present | Yo Gabba Gabba! | Art director, character design, animation, composing |
2012–2014 | The Aquabats! Super Show! | Creative consultant |
March 26, 2008 | Only in Dreams: A Bedtime Story | Author and illustrator |
October 1, 2012 | The Goon Holler Guidebook | Illustrator; co-authored with Christian Jacobs and Jon Berrett |
January 1, 2013 | Super Gabba Friends! | Illustrator; adapted by Tina Gallo |
November 18, 2014 | Welcome to Goon Holler | Illustrator; co-authored with Christian Jacobs |
June 2, 2015 | Goon Holler: Goon Fishin | Illustrator; co-authored with Christian Jacobs |
March 1, 2019 | Ranger Rick's Storybook: Favorite Nature Tales from Ranger Rick Magazine | Illustrator |
April 20, 2021 | Toobaloth of Goon Holler | Author and Illustrator |
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