Phil Vischer Biography

Phillip Robert Vischer (born June 16, 1966) is an American voice actor, puppeteer, writer, animator and songwriter known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki. He provides the voice of Bob the Tomato in the series.

Background and career

Phil Vischer was born June 16, 1966 in Muscatine, Iowa and grew-up in Chicago, Illinois.

He attended St. Paul Bible College and got involved with the puppet ministry where he met Mike Nawrocki. Vischer originally wanted to go to film school after Bible college but never made it. He ended up working for Amoco and Montgomery Ward as a truckdriver afterwards.

Vischer founded GRAFx Studios 1989 after buying an animation software, the company that dedicated in animating commercials and logos. That same year he animated and directed Mr. Cuke's Screen Test featuring Larry the Cucumber. In early 1993 he teamed up with Mike Nawrocki and started Big Idea Productions (now Big Idea Entertainment).

From 1993 to 2002, Vischer led the company as lead director and writer. In 2003 (after the release of Jonah) Big Idea went bankrupt, and Vischer sold the company to Classic Media and left the company.

In 2005 he started Jellyfish Labs a new creative workshop where he produces faith-based projects. In 2007 Vischer expanded the company by launching JellyTelly. Starting in 2010, Vischer produced What's In The Bible, a direct-to-DVD video series using puppetry and animation to present biblical material using a news-broadcast format and puppet characters.

Vischer still works on VeggieTales as a scriptwriter and voice actor, as well as serving as Big Idea's president under a contract by Classic Media.

He currently lives in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife Lisa and two daughters, Sydney and Shelby, and his son, Jeremy.

Vischer has hosted a weekly podcast discussing life in a post-Christian America since 2012. The podcast, co-hosted by Christianity Today editor Skye Jethani and actress Christian Taylor, ranks in the top 100 podcasts regularly.

"Veggies" voiced by Phil Vischer

As the founder of VeggieTales, Vischer has voiced 100's of characters. These are the most notable.

• Bob the Tomato
• Archibald Asparagus
• Pa Grape
• Mr. Lunt
• Jimmy Gourd
• Mr. Nezzer
• Philippe Pea
• Scallion #1
• Tom Grape
• Grandpa George
• Phil Winkelstein
• Apollo Gourd
• Goliath

Puppets played by Vischer

• Buck Denver
• Captain Pete
• Helen Rosenfiddle
• Sunday School Lady
• Additional characters

Published works

Books by Vischer include the following:

• Junior's Colors (1997) ISBN 0-8499-1487-6
• How Many Veggies? (1997) ISBN 0-8499-1488-4
• Pa Grape's Shapes (1997) ISBN 0-8499-1507-4
• Bob & Larry's ABC's (1997) ISBN 0-8499-5986-1
• Archibald's Opposites (1998) ISBN 0-8499-1533-3
• Time for Tom (1998) ISBN 0-8499-1534-1
• The Story of Flibber-o-Loo (1997)
• Rack, Shack and Benny (1997)
• Dave and the Giant Pickle (1997)
• Larry-Boy and the Fib from Outer Space! (1997)
• A Snoodle's Tale (2004) ISBN 0-310-70751-X
• Sidney & Norman: A Tale of Two Pigs (2006) ISBN 1-4003-0834-8
• Me, Myself, & Bob (2006) ISBN 0-7852-2207-3
• 47 Beavers On the Big Blue Sea (2007) ISBN 1-4003-0836-4
• Pirate in Training (2012) (co-writing with Karen Poth)