Bruce Timm was born Bruce Walter Timm on February 5, 1961, in Oklahoma, and is an American artist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He began his career in animation in 1981 at Filmation, working as a layout artist on series such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, before moving to other studios including Don Bluth Productions and DiC. In 1989, he joined Warner Bros. Animation, where he worked on Tiny Toon Adventures.

Timm is most recognized for his foundational role in building the DC Animated Universe, beginning with the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, which he co-created and produced with Eric Radomski. His distinctive minimalist and angular visual style for this series, heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s comic books and art deco architecture, became a signature that would extend to subsequent productions. He went on to co-create and produce Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. Alongside writer Paul Dini, Timm co-created the character Harley Quinn, who first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series and later became a major figure in DC Comics.

While Timm is primarily known for American animation, his work has intersected with Japanese anime and manga-influenced productions. He served as a producer on Batman: Gotham Knight in 2008, a direct-to-DVD anthology film that collaborated with several Japanese animation studios, including Studio 4°C, Production I.G, and Madhouse, representing a departure from his typical "Timmverse" style. His creation Harley Quinn is credited as an original character in the 2017 Japanese animated comedy film DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon, which features the Justice League crossing over with the Japanese gag anime series Eagle Talon. Timm also has writing credits on the 2024 film Suicide Squad ISEKAI, an anime-style project that reimagines the DC antihero team in a fantasy world.

Beyond animation, Timm has worked extensively in comic books, fulfilling an early ambition to become a comic artist. He and Paul Dini won the Eisner Award for Best Single Story in 1994 for The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, which told the origin of Harley Quinn. He has also produced art for Marvel Comics titles such as Avengers and Conan, as well as DC Comics projects. His influence on the industry has been recognized with a Winsor McCay Award in 2009 and an Inkpot Award in 2013. Timm continues to work on DC animation projects, serving as an executive producer on the 2024 series Batman: Caped Crusader.