Biography
Who is Neil Cicierega?
Early life and upbringing
Neil Stephen Cicierega was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on August 23, 1986. He grew up in the town of Kingston, where he was one of four children born to Nancy and Jerry Cicierega. During his childhood, he began experimenting with a simple game development program called Klik & Play.
Starting in the fourth grade, his parents opted to homeschool him and his siblings. This allowed him to focus on creating amateur games and composing digital music to accompany them. He published his early musical work online on MP3.com under the name Trapezoid, later switching to the anagram Deporitaz when another group claimed the original name.
Potter Puppet Pals and digital comedy
Cicierega gained significant online attention for his surrealist Flash animations, which he referred to as Animutation. These works combined nonsensical imagery with pop culture references and novelty music. He later achieved broader success with Potter Puppet Pals, a comedy series parodying Harry Potter books and films.
The series began as Flash animations on Newgrounds in 2003 before transitioning into a live-action puppet series on YouTube starting in 2006. The puppets used in the show were handmade by his mother. One specific video, The Mysterious Ticking Noise, has accumulated over 210 million views as of January 2026.
Music career and mashup albums
Since 2003, Cicierega has managed the musical project Lemon Demon. Under this name, he has released several full-length albums and extended plays. His track The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, created with animator Shawn Vulliez, gained popularity on Newgrounds in 2005. He later released the album Spirit Phone in 2016.
He also produces mashup albums under his own name, including Mouth Sounds, Mouth Silence, Mouth Moods, and Mouth Dreams. These collections are known for incorporating Smash Mouth's song All Star in various ways. The albums were released as free downloads throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
Personal life and other projects
Neil Cicierega married illustrator and comic artist Ming Doyle on August 8, 2015. The couple lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, and they welcomed a daughter in 2018. His sister, Emmy Cicierega, is also a professional animator who has worked on shows like Gravity Falls and DuckTales.
Beyond music and animation, he has participated in other creative ventures. He co-founded the sketch comedy group Guaranteed* Video with friends Ryan Murphy and Kevin James. Also, he created the satirical blog Windows 95 Tips, Tricks, and Tweaks and the automated Twitter account Endless Jeopardy.
Birthday and age
Neil Cicierega was born on August 23, 1986, which makes Neil 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Neil shares the date with 31 other famous people.
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