# Chris Houghton
**Chris Houghton** (full name Christopher Colin Houghton) is an American animator, illustrator, writer, director, and voice actor, known as the co-creator and executive producer of the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) animated series *Big City Greens* (2018– ), on which he also voices the lead character, [Cricket Green](https://www.edgepedia.org/cricket-green).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) He works on the series with his older brother, Shane Houghton.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Education | College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan; majored in illustration[2](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/4F/F1/4FF124B5-6F50-5A55-33D9-D529590FEE08/BCG_The_Movie_Chris_and_Shane_Houghton_EP_Bio_2024.pdf) |
| Signature work | Co-creator, executive producer, and voice of Cricket Green on *Big City Greens* (2018– )[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) |
| Comics | Co-created, wrote, and illustrated *Reed Gunther* (Image Comics); later comics work for *The Simpsons*, *Adventure Time*, and *Peanuts*[3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/) |
| Earlier TV credits | Storyboard artist on *Gravity Falls* and *Wander Over Yonder*; storyboard director on *Harvey Beaks*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) |
| Studio deal | Multiyear overall production deal with Disney Branded Television, announced February 2024[4](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/chris-houghton-and-shane-houghton-creators-and-executive-producers-of-disney-channels-big-city-greens-enter-into-overall-with-disney-branded-television/) |
## Early life and education
Houghton was born in 1988 in St. Johns, Michigan, a small rural town north of Lansing that is also known as the mint capital of the world.[3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/) He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where he majored in illustration, while his brother Shane attended the Florida State University Film School.[2](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/4F/F1/4FF124B5-6F50-5A55-33D9-D529590FEE08/BCG_The_Movie_Chris_and_Shane_Houghton_EP_Bio_2024.pdf)
## Comics
Before television, the brothers created, wrote, and illustrated the comic book series *Reed Gunther*, about a bear-riding cowboy, published by [Image Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/image-comics); the first volume appeared in November 2011.[3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/) After moving to Los Angeles, they wrote and illustrated comics for *The Simpsons*, *Adventure Time*, and *Peanuts*, among others.[3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/)
## Animation career before Big City Greens
Houghton entered television animation as a storyboard artist. He worked on Disney's *Gravity Falls* (2012–2014) as a storyboard artist, revisionist, and character designer, and on *Wander Over Yonder* (2013–2014) as a storyboard artist and revisionist.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) At Nickelodeon he was a storyboard revisionist on *Fanboy & Chum Chum* and, reuniting with Shane, worked on *Harvey Beaks* (2015–2017) as a writer and storyboard director.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) • [3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/) He was also a character designer for *Clarence* and *Adventure Time*, and storyboarded the *Mickey Mouse* short "Clogged" (2014).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) • [5](https://www.thetvdb.com/people/7894298-chris-houghton)
## Big City Greens
*Big City Greens* debuted on Disney Channel on June 18, 2018, with Chris and Shane Houghton as creators and executive producers.[6](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-chris-and-shane-houghton-talk-disneys-big-city-greens/) The series follows 10-year-old Cricket Green, a mischievous and optimistic country boy who moves to the big city with his family, and was heavily influenced by the brothers' childhood in St. Johns, Michigan; Cricket is based on and voiced by Chris, and many characters are inspired by real family members and childhood townsfolk.[3](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/) Cricket's catchphrase, "Bingo! Bango!", came from a phrase Houghton used to annoy a board partner while working on *Harvey Beaks*.[6](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-chris-and-shane-houghton-talk-disneys-big-city-greens/)
**Production role.** Houghton has described his job as wearing many hats: he oversees design, story, the writers' room, post-production, music, sound effects, and actors, while also voicing Cricket. Each episode takes about 10 months, beginning in the writers' room with roughly one story pitched per week, moving to a three-and-a-half-page story summary, then to a storyboard team for about five weeks, and finally to the episode's director, who cuts the storyboard to 10 minutes and 30 seconds.[7](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce41cae501c54000115d2bb/t/6325d3f5bf3447529ec163a7/1663423480352/20_Mar_Alumni%2BMag_FINAL.pdf) He served as supervising director on 35 episodes from 2018 to 2020.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7165904/fullcredits/)
**Expansion.** The series passed its 100th episode in its fourth season, and in June 2024 Disney released *[Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-city-greens-the-movie-spacecation)*, a musical television film created and executive produced by the brothers, with Chris voicing Cricket and serving as voice director.[9](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/B1/92/B192877F-63B6-7911-ADB5-25C2A38DEBD8/BCG_the_Movie_Fact_Sheet_2024.pdf) • [10](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/chris-houghton/credits/3000618166/) In February 2024, Disney Branded Television announced a multiyear overall deal under which the Houghtons produce animated projects with [Disney Television Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-television-animation), can develop live-action projects, and have development opportunities in adult animation with 20th Television Animation.[4](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/chris-houghton-and-shane-houghton-creators-and-executive-producers-of-disney-channels-big-city-greens-enter-into-overall-with-disney-branded-television/) The series was greenlit for a fifth season, on which Anna O'Brian was elevated to executive producer.[11](https://www.dgepress.com/storage/uploads/74/AF/74AF1096-D1FA-A787-6B20-8CEE0737C50A/press-release-9-1351217.pdf) • [12](https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-big-city-greens-season-5-producers/)
## Other voice work and recognition
Outside his own series, Houghton voiced Bill in two episodes of *The Owl House* (2022–2023) and has voiced Cricket across Disney shorts and spin-offs including *Chibiverse*, *Random Rings*, and *Broken Karaoke*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) IMDb lists five award nominations for him.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/) *Big City Greens* received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program for the special *Big City Greens: Green Christmas*, with Chris and Shane Houghton and Robert Renzetti credited as executive producers, and the series was later nominated at the Children's & Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children's or Young Teen Animated Series.[13](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/daytime-47th-nominations-2020-07-10-1400.pdf) • [14](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Childrens-Family-Emmys-2026-Monday-Desktop.pdf)
## Personal life
He and Shane have a third brother, Peter, who does not work on the show.[6](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-chris-and-shane-houghton-talk-disneys-big-city-greens/)
## References
1. [Chris Houghton (IV), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4714260/)
2. [Chris and Shane Houghton biography, Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation EP bio (2024), Disney Branded Television Press](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/4F/F1/4FF124B5-6F50-5A55-33D9-D529590FEE08/BCG_The_Movie_Chris_and_Shane_Houghton_EP_Bio_2024.pdf)
3. [Chris and Shane Houghton, Disney Branded Television Press bio](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/bios/chris-and-shane-houghton-1/)
4. [Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton Enter Into Overall With Disney Branded Television, February 10, 2024](https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/chris-houghton-and-shane-houghton-creators-and-executive-producers-of-disney-channels-big-city-greens-enter-into-overall-with-disney-branded-television/)
5. [Chris Houghton, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/people/7894298-chris-houghton)
6. [Interview: Chris and Shane Houghton talk Disney's Big City Greens, Animation Scoop, June 11, 2018](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-chris-and-shane-houghton-talk-disneys-big-city-greens/)
7. [The Next Episode alumni magazine: Chris Houghton breaks down how each episode gets made](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce41cae501c54000115d2bb/t/6325d3f5bf3447529ec163a7/1663423480352/20_Mar_Alumni%2BMag_FINAL.pdf)
8. [Big City Greens (2018– ) full cast and crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7165904/fullcredits/)
9. [Disney Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation fact sheet, Disney Branded Television](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/B1/92/B192877F-63B6-7911-ADB5-25C2A38DEBD8/BCG_the_Movie_Fact_Sheet_2024.pdf)
10. [Chris Houghton list of movies and TV shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/chris-houghton/credits/3000618166/)
11. [Disney Branded Television announces new animation titles, press release](https://www.dgepress.com/storage/uploads/74/AF/74AF1096-D1FA-A787-6B20-8CEE0737C50A/press-release-9-1351217.pdf)
12. [Interview: Big City Greens producers reveal how they got Stephen King to guest star, ComicsBeat](https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-big-city-greens-season-5-producers/)
13. [47th Daytime Emmy nominations (2020)](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/daytime-47th-nominations-2020-07-10-1400.pdf)
14. [4th Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards nominations](https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Childrens-Family-Emmys-2026-Monday-Desktop.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of the United States and Canada › Television directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license