Benjamin Arthur (animator)

Benjamin Timothy Arthur (born April 26, 1982) is an American animator and illustrator. He is known for the Emmy-winning Netflix documentary Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (2024), and for science explainers produced with NPR correspondents, including A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight? (2010), Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can't See (2010), and the microbiome short The Invisible Universe of the Human Microbiome (2014). He first drew attention with the rotoscoped short Once Upon a Time in the Woods (2006)."52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). theemmys.tv. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.Krulwich, Robert (November 22, 2010). "A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight?". WBUR/NPR. Retrieved October 20, 2025."Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can't See". North Country Public Radio (NPR syndication). July 15, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2025."The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome". Vimeo (NPR video). August 16, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2025."Once Upon a Time in the Woods". YouTube. July 8, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

Benjamin Arthur
Born	Benjamin Timothy Arthur (1982-04-26) April 26, 1982 (age 43) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupations	Animator, illustrator
Years active	2006–present
Notable work	Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (2024)
Awards	Daytime Emmy Award (2025)
Website	arthuranimation.com

Career

Arthur’s commissioned animation for NPR and collaborating public-radio outlets helped popularize research topics for broad audiences, including human navigation and high-altitude insect migration.Krulwich, Robert (November 22, 2010). "A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight?". WBUR/NPR. Retrieved October 20, 2025."Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can't See". North Country Public Radio (NPR syndication). July 15, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2025. His animation accompanied NPR health correspondent Rob Stein’s microbiome series, later recognized by the National Academies’ Keck Futures Initiative Communication Awards."2014 Winners and Finalists". National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (archived). October 15, 2014. Archived from the original on January 19, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

In 2024–25, Arthur served as Animation/VFX Director on Netflix’s Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (Tremolo Productions/Spillt), whose main titles and graphic design received a Daytime Emmy Award."52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). theemmys.tv. NATAS. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

Selected works

• Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (2024) — Animation/VFX Director (main titles); Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design (2025)"52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). theemmys.tv. NATAS. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• A Mystery: Why Can’t We Walk Straight? (2010) — animation for NPR explainer by Robert KrulwichKrulwich, Robert (November 22, 2010). "A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight?". WBUR/NPR. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can’t See (2010) — animation for NPR explainer"Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can't See". North Country Public Radio (NPR syndication). July 15, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• The Invisible Universe of the Human Microbiome (2014) — animation for NPR/Rob Stein series"The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome". Vimeo (NPR video). August 16, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2025."An adorable way to learn about the microorganisms living inside you". Salon. November 4, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• The Influencing Machine (2011) — animated trailer for Brooke Gladstone & Josh Neufeld’s nonfiction bookNeufeld, Josh (May 19, 2011). "THE INFLUENCING MACHINE animated book trailer!". Josh Neufeld Comix and Stories. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• Once Upon a Time in the Woods (2006) — rotoscoped short film"Once Upon a Time in the Woods". YouTube. July 8, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2025.

Awards and honors

• 2011: Third place, Multimedia Innovation — WHNPA “Eyes of History” Digital Storytelling (with NPR team)"2011 Eyes of History: New Media Contest". White House News Photographers Association. 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• 2014: National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Communication Award — Film/Radio/TV category, to NPR/Rob Stein’s microbiome series featuring Arthur’s animation"2014 Winners and Finalists". National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (archived). October 15, 2014. Archived from the original on January 19, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
• 2025: Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design for Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (Animation/VFX Director)"52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). theemmys.tv. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.