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Craig Gerber is an American executive producer and creator of children's television programming, best known for Disney Junior's Sofia the First, which ran from 2012 to 2018, Elena of Avalor, which ran from 2016 to 2020, and Firebuds, which began airing on September 21, 2022. Gerber has been praised for creating shows that deal with blended families, breaking gender stereotypes, difficulty fitting into society, and representation of Latin culture.^[1]

Early life

Gerber was raised in outer suburban New York. His mother and father divorced when he was eight years old. His father remarried and had another son, while his mother had a boyfriend who had a daughter of his own. Having a family that was not “together” made Gerber feel uneasy, but after he discovered that these types of families were more common than he thought, he was inspired to create Sofia the First.^[1] Gerber is of Jewish background.^[2]

Education and early career

Gerber graduated from University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. His career began when he entered a school screenwriting showcase, which led to a major Hollywood studio displaying his first screenplay. Gerber has won awards for directing his comedic short “Hang Time”. He also won Best Narrative Short at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival and Best Digital Short at the Sedona Film Festival in 2003. Before branching into children's television, Craig Gerber worked on Pixie Hollow Games and wrote screenplays for Rogue Pictures, Radar Pictures, and Intrepid Films.^{[citation needed]}

Filmmaking credits

Sofia the First - 2012–2018 - creator, writer, lyricist, composer: main title theme, executive producer, and voice actor
The Pirate Fairy - 2014 - story
Elena of Avalor - 2016–2020 - creator, director, writer, lyricist, and executive producer
Firebuds - 2022–present - creator, writer, lyricist, and executive producer

Creation of Sofia the First

Gerber was approached by Nancy Kanter, a writer at Disney Junior, who asked him for an idea for a children's show revolving around a princess during her childhood. He was determined to give a modern spin of the classic fairy-tale element of the pitch. In November 2012, Sofia the First was created.^[3] When Gerber was stuck in traffic in Los Angeles, he looked at his own childhood and was inspired to create a show with a family many children could identify with. Growing up in a Stepfamily, he wanted to emulate how normal this type of situation is. In the program, he provides the young princess with a stepsister, stepbrother, and stepdad.^[3] Gerber's then three-year-old son, Miles, was also an influence, constantly making believe, sometimes even as a princess, leading Gerber to write a character his son could relate to.^[1]

The character Gerber created, Princess Sofia, was designed to be a role model for both boys and girls. Gerber stated in an article, “In a world where many young girls want to dress up as princesses, Sofia could serve as a positive role model, displaying traits and learning lessons that young girls (or boys) will retain long after they trade in their gowns for other costumes.”^[1]

Gerber wanted to make Princess Sofia a positive character. In an interview, he explained, “Sofia is very adventurous, and bold, and courageous, and curious.^[4] She has a big heart, and she’s always ready to try new things, and she’s always ready to stand up for what she believes in or what she thinks is right. By the way, I think these are good qualities for both girls and boys to follow. And so there’s a feminist message. There’s also a message for both boys and girls, saying you can do anything you set your mind to if you keep trying and don’t give up because life is an adventure.”^[4]

He also wanted to demonstrate the character's flaws, showing that she could make mistakes when dealing with issues of sibling rivalry, sharing, or trying a new thing. This was an important message Gerber wanted to send young viewers. “Sofia’s biggest flaw is that she is too trusting. It will take her a long time to learn this lesson,” stated Gerber.^[5]

Along with creating the show, Gerber has also co-authored many of the program's storybooks. These books include Sofia the First: The Curse of Princess Ivy, Sofia the First: The Floating Palace, and Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast. He has also co-authored a book based on his new program Elena of Avalor called Elena and the Secret of Avalor.

Creation of Elena of Avalor

With a heavy focus on exploring Latin and Hispanic culture, magic, mythology, folklore, music, food, and customs, following his success with Sofia the First, Gerber went on to create Elena of Avalor in June 2016.^[6] He was aware that there had been many Disney princesses of color, but not one of Hispanic roots. Gerber was careful not to state what country she is exactly from, but rather incorporate the “influence” of the location. He stated, “What Disney really does well is create fairytale kingdoms,” he explained. “It makes it very inclusive—you don’t have to pick just one nationality. No one really asked if Arendelle was Norway or Sweden, it’s just inspired by a Scandinavian country. The idea for us was that we wanted Avalor to be more broadly accessible.”^{[citation needed]}

Creation of Firebuds

Firebuds is the first series to debut under Gerber's development deal with Disney Branded Television, which premiered on September 21, 2022.^[7] Firebuds is set in a fantastical world where people and anthropomorphic vehicles live in parallel, centering around a boy and this firetruck that aspire to become full-fledged firefighters at one point. With an emphasis on the spirit of community service and mindfulness of others, the characters in Firebuds aspire to follow their parent's "tire treads" to help others within this community.^[8]

Critical reception

Gerber has been noted for his representation of many different relatable situations children and individuals can go through. Marjorie Galas of Variety 411 praises his view on Princess Sofia's home life in Sofia the First, stating “A child of divorce himself, Gerber knew the blended family life and the adaptation to new surroundings and routines was relatable to a vast majority of the population, and the lessons that come from adaptation were bountiful.”^[9]