After high school, Bob Anderson enrolled at the
Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art to pursue an education in animation. Before Bob graduated from The Joe Kubert School, he began his professional career. Hired by Broadcast Arts in New York City, he started work on a variety of commercials.
In 1990, Anderson moved to Los Angeles to work as an
assistant director for The Simpsons. In the fifth season, after fourteen episodes as an assistant to
Jim Reardon and one episode for
Mark Kirkland, he made his directorial debut with the episode "
Bart's Inner Child" in 1993.