Writers Get Animated

Episode 200! In our final episode we discuss what we've learned from watching all these cartoons and what makes art "inspiring." How does art make us feel the need to create? How have the animated shows and movies we've experienced over the past six years (and beyond) helped our art?  Thank you so much for being with us on this journey! 

Every year, we binge all of the new shows of the year to bring you some recommendations in the hopes that you will find some new favorites! The list keeps getting longer and longer as more and more animated shows hit the airwaves. What a wonderful time to be a fan of animation! Chris and Mackenzie's Recommendations Young Ages: City of Ghosts (Netflix) Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix) Ridley Jones (Netflix) Spidey and His Amazing Friends (Disney) Alma's Way (PBS Kids) Oggy Oggy (Netflix) All Ages: Kid Cosmic (Netflix) Wolfboy and the Everything Factory (Apple TV+) The Snoopy Show (Apple TV+) Kamp Coral (Paramount+) Elliott from Earth (CN) Rugrats (2021) (Paramount+, Nickelodeon) The Bad Batch (Disney+) Monsters at Work (Disney+) Dug Days (Disney+) Chip ‘n' Dale: Park Life (Disney+) Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs (HBO Max) Jellystone (HBO Max) Centaurworld (Netflix) I

Those rambunctious chipmunks Chip and Dale are back in a new show, so we're seeing how they have evolved over the years! What makes duos so satisfying? Why are Chip and Dale always fighting? Are we Chip or Dale? Links Watch Food for Feudin' on Disney Plus Watch Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers on Disney Plus Watch Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life on Disney Plus Remembering ‘Rescue Rangers' Frank Angones on Twitter Explains the Rescue Rangers' Cameo on DuckTales (2017) Here's How Disney's 'DuckTales' Just Gave 'Rescue Rangers' a New Origin Story 

It's the Emmy's again, and we're watching (streaming) all the nominees to see what stories are being told! Spoilers, there's a lot of coronavirus in these shows. From South Park to Simpsons to Robot Chicken to Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, this year has some striking entries! Links Watch South Park on HBO Max Watch Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on HBO Max Watch Bob's Burgers on Fox Watch Big Mouth on Netflix Watch The Simpsons on Fox Watch Love, Death & Robots on Netflix Watch Once Upon a Snowman on Disney Plus Watch Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from its Nap" on Disney Plus Watch Robot Chicken on HBO Max  

First there was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, then The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, now Sony brings Vivo! What can we learn from this musical, buddy comedy, finding a new family adventure movie? How do the music and visuals interact to create something meaningful? Links Watch Vivo on Netflix Lin-Manuel Miranda's Music from Vivo Deep Dive on Twitter

We have the power (to discuss the character development and world-building He-Man)! In this week's episode, we look at where He-Man and the Masters of the Universe started and then look at what has changed in Masters of the Universe: Revelation! How do you reboot a show without rebooting a show? How can you give depth to a world that was built to sell toys? Previously on Writers Get Animated 004 - A Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special Links Watch The Cosmic Comet on YouTube Watch the Diamond Ray of Disappearance on YouTube Watch Masters of the Universe: Revelation on Netflix Watch The Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe on Netflix Kevin Smith unpacks Masters of the Universe: Revelation's world-shattering premiere

Chris and Mackenzie jump into Space Jam: A New Legacy to see how the game is different this time! How do you get a famous NBA player and the Looney Tunes characters to the basketball game and make the game matter? How is the story constructed? What did we learn from this Looney sequel? Links Watch Space Jam: A New Legacy Behind the Scenes of Space Jam: A New Legacy Why Hollywood Can't Stop Transforming Workaholic Dads Into Cats, Dogs, and Snowmen

All rise for a rocking, moving civics lesson from Chris Nee, Barack and Michelle Obama, and a whole host of artists and musicians: “We the People” on Netflix! How do narrative and image and music collide to teach lessons? What are the different ways to inspire an audience toward action? Links Watch “We the People” on Netflix 'We The People' Creator On Making A Kids' Show About American Democracy ‘We the People' Updates the Sound of Schoolhouse Rock With Rap and R&B She Never Saw Herself in Children's TV Shows. So She Created Her Own

Travel with us to Italy for Pixar's latest story: Luca! How does the story of Luca fit with our expectations for Pixar movies? How is Luca different? How can a story's intentions change through the collaboration process? Links Watch Luca on Disney Plus Luca: How Studio Ghibli Inspired the Pixar Movie How Pixar created Luca's adorable, transforming sea monsters

We're investigating the gorgeously crafted show "City of Ghosts" on Netflix! How do the stories of real neighborhoods and real people get enhanced with art and story? How can a show about ghosts be so inviting and earnest in its approach? How can you make a show that is for everyone? Links Watch City of Ghosts on Netflix! Watch the short Welcome to My Life Read on Wired: Netflix's City of Ghosts Maps a Better Way to See LA—and Everywhere Else Interview from NPR: City of Ghosts creator Elizabeth Ito  Read on Vulture: How City of Ghosts Crafted an Inclusive Ode to Los Angeles's Overlooked Past  

We're jumping on the Infinity Train to figure out what makes an anthology show so compelling? How do mysteries deepen and shift? How do you hold onto an audience when main characters shift? What connects these stories together? Also, how can we get more Infinity Train?! Links Watch Infinity Train on HBO Max Infinity Train's Owen Dennis Talks About the End of the Cartoon  

A new animated Star Wars show is on our televisions, and we're here to enjoy it alongside all of you! How does this story fit into the larger Star Wars universe? Where do we think and hope the story will go? What are the familiar Star Wars elements that are already present in this new show?   Links Watch The Bad Batch on Disney Plus Brad Rau's Road to Star Wars Interview with Producers Brad Rau and Jennifer Corbett  

How can the robot apocalypse bring family together? We find out in this episode as we upload ourselves into The Mitchells vs. The Machines on Netflix! How does this movie both defy and meet our expectations? Links Watch The Mitchells vs. The Machines on Netflix The Mitchells vs. The Machines: How Michael Rianda Made a 'Dirtbag Miyazaki' Movie The Mitchells vs. The Machines Director Mike Rianda Wants to Make You Laugh (and Call Your Mom) The Mitchells vs the Machines Team Explain How They Made One of the Best Animated Movies of 2021 Every Pop-Culture Easter Egg in The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Oscars are here again, and we're taking a trip through the varied ways these filmmakers have told their stories in this year's nominees for Best Animated Short Films! From the story of a bunny creating her home to a young woman dealing with the chaos of the world, we look at how animation can make meaningful and thought-provoking art time and time again. Links Watch the Oscar-Nominated Short Films

We’re saying goodbye to one of our favorite shows: DuckTales! The series finale certainly solved some mysteries and rewrote some history! How does the series finale complete the story that was being told? What themes and tools told the story? Previously on Writers Get Animated  176 - Healthy Rejections: DuckTales and Steven Universe 164 - Quack Pack v. Quack Pack 141 - The Breakdown: Nothing Can Stop Della Duck! 121 - The Lost Loves of Scrooge McDuck and BoJack Horseman 090 - DuckTales! Woo-oo!  Links Watch DuckTales on Disney Plus Watch DuckTales on DisneyNOW DuckTales: Inside the Finale’s Big Webby Twist (Den of Geek)

Tom and Jerry are back in new animated shorts and a new animated/live action hybrid movie! What endures about these two characters? How do animated/live action hybrid movies work story-wise? What can we learn from a decades-long rivalry between a cat and a mouse? Previously on Writers Get Animated 085 - Pure "Imagination" - Tom & Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory  Links Watch Tom & Jerry Special Shorts on HBO Max Watch Tom & Jerry on HBO Max

A new era of Disney animated films is here with "Raya and the Last Dragon!" How does "Raya" represent a change in storytelling for Disney? What makes this story so unique? How does watching at home change the experience of a new Disney film? Links Watch Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney Plus Interview: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Producer and Screenwriter on Creating a New Kind of Disney Hero

We’re back with another breakdown! In the breakdown, we go beat by beat to see how a show works! This time, we’re looking at one of our favorites: Hilda! How does time travel work in the world of Hilda? How to do you establish theme and danger?  Links Watch Hilda on Netflix Previously on Writers Get Animated 131 - Hilda and Adaptation

This week, we’re heading to the desert to have a date with destiny! And the rings of power! And Kid Cosmic, the latest hero from Craig McCracken! How do the expectations of a specific creator, a specific streaming service, and of the super hero genre collide and affect a show for families? Links Watch Kid Cosmic on Netflix Craig McCracken Talks About Creating Netflix Series “Kid Cosmic”    

In a year of catching up on streaming, we look back on one of Mackenzie’s favorite shows: Gargoyles! Looking at the fabled third season, we investigate how this animated show from the 90’s is prescient about our current era. What would make someone join The Quarrymen? What does justice look like? Previously on Writers Get Animated 040 - Thine Doodles Moveable: Shakespeare in Gargoyles and The Simpsons Links SyFy Wire: An Oral History of Gargoyles  Polygon: Gargoyles was nearly the center of a vast Disney Cinematic Universe

It's a new year and a new season! We're unpacking the themes and ideas in Pixar's latest film, Soul! What makes life so special? What is the "spark?" How does Pixar (and Pete Docter) continue create rich, tangible worlds based on ideas? Links Watch Pixar's Soul on Disney+ It’s Like a Magic Trick: Pete Docter and Dana Murray on Pixar's Soul Pete Docter, Kemp Powers & Dana Murray Interview: Soul  

There's a new Star Wars Holiday Special, and it's LEGO! Does the new LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special pass as authentic Star Wars and as a true holiday specials? What Star Wars expectations do we have? What holiday special tropes pay off in this adventure? Previously on Writers Get Animated 152 - Klaus: A Very Early, Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special 128 - A Very Special Hanukkah Special 102 - A Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special III: Revenge of Claus 052 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas Turns 50! 004 - A Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special   Links Watch the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+

The Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister are back! Is this a reboot, a sequel, or a continuation? We investigate audience expectations, including our own, to see how much difference 22 years can make when a show returns! Previously on Writers Get Animated 045 - Bologna in Our Slacks: Animaniacs! Links Watch Animaniacs on Hulu  

Who knew that one of the best movies to compliment 2020 would be a Laika film from 2012? This week we discuss the strangely timely message of ParaNorman! How can the passage time help a story's message?   Links Watch ParaNorman on Netflix Chris Butler and Sam Fell interview: on writing and directing ParaNorman

Have you ever experienced a crushing rejection? It's rough. But, as we learn from "DuckTales" and "Steven Universe," there are healthy ways to deal with rejection. We unpack representations of relationships, love interests, and rejections. Chris even expresses his hatred of the term "friend zone."

Once a year, we binge for you! It's the best new animated shows of 2020! 2020 has given us so many new shows, we can barely keep up! We cover new shows for young audiences, shows for the whole family, and shows for "adults." Will you find a new favorite?Previously on Writers Get Animated169 - Happy Birthday, Bugs Bunny!168 - Current Trends in Adult Animation163 - Never Fear, The Rocketeer’s Here!162 - Magical Adventures in The Owl House, Hoot!159 - Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts156 - Harley Quinn!

We’re breaking tradition and are discussing a Disney live action remake that is actually live action: Mulan! How does this version of Mulan compare to the original animated film? What is improved? Who is the audience for this new version?   Previously on Writers Get Animated 027 - Is The Jungle Book (2016) an Animated Movie? 144 - Circle of Remakes: The Lion King (2019)  

It's the Emmys! We look at what we can learn from each of this year's nominees. It's an eclectic bunch! Big Mouth, Bob’s Burgers, BoJack Horseman, Rick And Morty, The Simpsons, Forky Asks A Question, Robot Chicken, and Steven Universe Future! Previously on Writers Get Animated 148 - 2019 Best Short Form Animated Program Emmy Nominees! 147 - 2019 Best Animated Program Emmy Nominees    

Today we’re breaking down one of the best scenes in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: the reveal of Olivia... You know... How does this great film set, reset, and subvert our expectations? How do you switch tone as necessary? How do character details and specificity influence a scene? Previously on Writers Get Animated 129 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Links ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’: Making Doc Ock Olivia the Subversive Secret Weapon

In this episode, we look at what makes a satisfying ending! By looking at three different series finales (Wizards, Doc McStuffins, and Steven Universe:Future), we try to see how endings function and how you can stick the landing of your story. Previously on Writers Get Animated 165 - Ended, The Clone Wars Have 161- Nice While It Lasted: The End of BoJack Horseman 157 - The Return of the Writers from Harvey Girls Forever! 137 - Star Vs. The Forces of Evil: The Beginning of the End Links ‘Steven Universe’ creator Rebecca Sugar explains the series finale, ‘Future’—and her future  

With summer movies being postponed or canceled because of the "plague" of COVID-19, we decided to look at plagues as portrayed in animation! We look at the biblical plagues depicted in Dreamworks' "The Prince of Egypt" and a more metaphorical plague in this year's "We Bare Bears: The Movie."  Links Watch The Prince of Egypt on Hulu Watch We Bare Bears: The Movie 

What's up, Doc? We're celebrating the 80th birthday of everyone's favorite wise-cracking rabbit: Bugs Bunny! When taking a look at Bugs' first appearance in "A Wild Hare," we'll see what carries over to the brand new series "Looney Tunes Cartoons?" What are the core traits of Bugs Bunny? What has changed in Bugs since 1940?  Links Watch Looney Tunes Cartoons on HBO Max Previously on Writers Get Animated 080 - The Breakdown: Duck Amuck 015 - The Breakdown: What's Opera, Doc?  

In this episode, we break down what's been going on with animation specifically made for adults. After a brief overview, we take a look at "The Midnight Gospel" and "Lastman," two shows that look and feel like nothing else out there. How has the field of adult animation changed? What are the trends? What are the projects that set themselves apart from the pack?  Previously on Writers Get Animated 161 - Nice While It Lasted: The End of BoJack Horseman 156 - Harley Quinn 151 - Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Stories Without Words 140 - Tuca and Bertie 031 - Boop, Bakshi, And Beyond: Adult Animation in the 70’s And 80’s    

Scooby, Shaggy, and the gang are back in action and, this time, they're bringing some friends! The Scooby Doo-niverse is becoming the Hanna-Barbera-verse! What happens when you expand the world of Scooby Doo to include Blue Falcon and Dick Dastardly? Is anything lost? How big can this universe get?  Previously on Writers Get Animated 009 - A Tale of Two Scoobies  

What makes a family a family? And what makes a family film a family film? We get into The Willoughbys - the newest animated film from Netflix!    Links ‘The Willoughbys’ Director Kris Pearn is Blending 2D and Stop-Motion Animation Styles for a New Take on an Old Story Terry Crews Explains Why Netflix’s ‘The Willoughbys’ Is Perfect Pandemic Viewing

Star Wars: The Clone Wars has returned with a force! We take a look at how the finale of Star Wars: Clone Wars fits into the larger questions explored in the Star Wars universe. What is different about this particular ending and story? What's next for the animated Star Wars canon? Previously on Writers Get Animated 23 - All About Ahsoka 136 - Star Wars: Resistance Recap 123 - Star Wars: Resistance 113 - Star Wars: Rebels Remembrances 87 - Who Rule Cartoons? (Girls.) 72 - Rebels Retrospective 53 - Saw Gerrera: A Star Wars Episode 03 - Episode III: The Animated Menace   Links Watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Disney Plus Clone Wars Declassified: 5 Highlights from “Victory and Death”

In celebration of the episode "Quack Pack" latest season of DuckTales, we revisit Disney's Quack Pack from 1996! In what ways are they similar? How has storytelling changed in Disney TV animation since then?  Previously on Writers Get Animated 141 - The Breakdown: Nothing Can Stop Della Duck 090 - DuckTales! Woo-oo!   Links Watch Quack Pack on Disney Plus Watch the latest season of DuckTales on DisneyNOW Watch past seasons of DuckTales on Disney Plus

Buckle up your jetpacks because we're taking to the skies with The Rocketeer! What changes when a comic book movie from the early 1990's becomes a Disney Junior series? How do you make an action-packed series for young audiences? Links 5 Ways Disney Junior’s New The Rocketeer Series Was Inspired by the 1991 Film Collider: Disney Junior's New Animated Series Takes to the Skies  

Hoot! We’re following the owls to join Luz’s adventures in The Owl House! What makes The Owl House so different from other recent fantasy shows? How do Luz and Eda defy expectations? What adventures are in store for us?

We say goodbye to one of our favorite shows: BoJack Horseman. How does the “Great American Novel” end? What story have we been following these past few years? What have we learned about how to end a story? How do you give closure to characters and relationships without answering all the questions? Previously on Writers Get Animated 121 - The Lost Loves of Scrooge McDuck and BoJack Horseman 103 - From Bazooga Eyes to BoJack: Sexual Harassment in Cartoons 046 - What Are You Doing Here? The Struggles and Failures of BoJack Horseman    

Grab your wizard’s staff and set off with us as we discuss Pixar’s Onward! Why is Pixar telling this story now? What can we learn about foreshadowing and audience expectations? 

Climb aboard a massive dragonfly as we zoom through the coolest post-apocalyptic world around in “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts!” How is the storytelling different in Kipo? What are the trends that we’re seeing? How is the world introduced? What is most exciting about the world created in Kipo?

It's our annual look at the Oscar-nominated animated short films! Five different and engaging short films were nominated for the Oscar this year: Hair Love, Daughter, Sister, Memorable, and Kitbull. What trends and themes were present this year? What were the different ways stories were told? Previously on Writers Get Animated 133 - Hey Academy, Here’s How You Should’ve Voted: The Oscar-Nominated Shorts 107 - Dear Academy, Here’s How to Vote 2018 063 - Dear Academy, Here’s How to Vote… Again: Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts 012 - Dear Academy: Here's How To Vote  

Brendan Hay, Mike Yank, Sarah Nerboso, and Marie Cheng from Harvey Girls Forever join us to discuss the final season of the show. We discuss their favorite moments of the final season, how they said goodbye to the show, and what they were glad made it into the final season! Previously on Writers Get Animated 138 - The Writers of Harvey Girls Forever!

Harley Quinn has her own series now on DC Universe! What happens when a character who began in animation, went into comic book form, then into live action, returns to animation? How has the character of Harley Quinn evolved? How is this series different from other DC animated series that have come before? Also, who knew that Poison Ivy would be the ultimate roommate?   Links Watch Harley Quinn on DC Universe (Subscription Needed)  

It’s a new year, so we’re celebrating by dreaming big! We’re taking our tradition of proving that some things write themselves to new heights. It’s one part improv and one part writing exercise. Play along with us as we come up with sequels, reboots, and spin-offs of some of the properties available on Disney+.  Previously on Writers Get Animated 095 - It Still Writes Itself, Apparently 050 - It Still Writes Itself 018 - It Writes Itself

Disney+ is here, and the Disney Vault is mostly open! Our trip through the Disney canon continues as we go back through the early shorts of Disney to see if we can identify Disney DNA. What makes Disney Disney? What has changed through the years? What can we learn from these early Disney shorts? Why would you ever trust Goofy to drive you anywhere? Previously on Writers Get Animated Canon in Disney Part I: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Canon in Disney Part II: The Not-So-Golden Age Canon in Disney Part III: The New Classics Canon in Disney Part IV: Without Walt Canon in Disney Part V: Welcome to the Disney Renaissance Canon in Disney Part VI: The Lost Era Canon in Disney Part VII: Modern Disney in Bolt and Frozen  

When is a sequel justified? Or… How do you make a sequel that’s just as merited as the first film when you’re writing for the sequel to the biggest animated film of all time (besides The Lion King)? This week, we plunge into the icy waters of Frozen II (2)! What else does Elsa have to do to complete her character arc? What can Idina Menzel sing about this time? What do you do when your characters get comfortable? Can a snowman make you cry?   Links   Buzzfeed Facts About Frozen 2: https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/frozen-2-behind-the-scenes-facts  Episode 154 about Frozen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/writers-get-animated/id1059055576?i=1000422610016

It’s (almost) Christmastime, so we unwrap your gift early to talk Klaus on Netflix! What kinds of stories can you tell with Santa? What are the tropes and trappings of Santa? How successful can a dark and gritty reboot of Santa be? Links Klaus director pushed past the limitations of traditional animation SPA Studios on YouTube Watch Klaus on Netflix

How do you tell a story without words? We look at the tools and techniques used in Genndy Tartakovsky’s new show: Primal! How can color and staging tell your story? How do you show a changing relationship without words? Links Watch Primal on Adult Swim About the Herculoids About Act Without Words I  

Yes, they are creepy and kooky, but they're also one of the most beloved families ever, it's The Addams Family! We take a look at what needs to be included in any Addams Family film, what stories are told, what themes are explored. How does the newest film both pay off and play against our expectations?  Links The Addams Family Clips and Trailers