#GIVE ALEX HIRSCH AN ADULT ANIMATION SHOW

[artsybi]

all i want from "adult" animated shows is

characters being allowed to curse. it's very important that they get to say fuck. i loved inside job five minutes in because reagan was immediately allowed to say fuck.

a larger, longer, more in depth plot that is rewarding to the eagle eyed viewer. think glass onion/knives out, or even gravity falls. i want twists that are foreshadowed so well the audience is screaming at themselves for not seeing it before

queer characters and storylines. need i say more.

more mature topics and storylines that are handled delicately and with grace, but not with kid gloves. i want to feel the effects of a character's trauma deeply, and i don't want it shoved to the side or played off.

20 episode seasons. im sick of the 8 episode season. GIVE ME 20 EPISODES.

this isn't even about velma, this is just in general. i just want more adult aimed animation that isn't a riverdale clone. thanks.

[matt0044]

Why does Indie Animation lend itself to such intense discourse?

If I had to speculate from my own observations (feel free to call me out on an overgeneralizations), it would be that the harsh turn against any given indie project would be akin to a mother scolding a child with, "I expected this from your sibling but you?!"

See also the "We were rooting for you" gif often tossed around.

Indie Animation be it from a small studio or crowdfunded is seen as bypassing the hoops and hurdles of getting your foot in the door of the highly corporatized entertainment industry. With the likes of Disney or Nick or any given streaming service, creator driven projects are subject to the whims of the company who holds the IP.

And those whims are often to said IP's detriment. It'll more often than not be willfully neglected at best or treated as just something to fill a time slot or shove onto a streaming platform as "content." Enough may be allowed to flourish but their either uncerimoniously cut short at best or being dragged out as a franchise at worst.

To keep from going on about the whole Legend of Korra vs. Spongebob thing (I was there people, there was an LoK fandom believe it or not), indie animation has often been seen as small scale but also within the creator's general control since they control how long it goes or how it's written.

Many cartoons like Gravity Falls, Owl House and Amphibia have talked about trying to get their vision across while contending with a lot of Standards and Practices. Their story which had a "kids and adults alike" target audience would have the top brass insist on something more just for the former category.

While they find work arounds, often to stick their tongue out at the FCC, this can be a hard reminder of who has the final say despite it being what you want. Indie animation is seen as an answer to "What if Alex Hirsch didn't have to comprimise elements of Gravity Falls for the FCC?" or "What if Dana Terrence could just blaze her own trail with The Owl House with little to no notes?"

Especially when it comes to animation with queer characters. Animation made to be "fit for kids" have it tough enough even today but adult animation has to "play it for laughs" since comedies have been the defacto standard for that type of cartoon.

However... a show being creator driven or creative team driven comes as a double edged sword for the fandoms they form. Not all stories that play out across multiple episodes of varying lengths are going in the direction YOU might want to.

Creators might tire of a certain direction or formula and mix things up with things that come to mind almost on the spot. Even with a solid plan, the status quo will get a shake up that can and will alienate those who fell in love from episode one.

Indie Pilots spark the imagination something fierce. There's theories as to what any little detail could mean going forward and speculation on what a character's arc could be. These go wild because Fandom is all about the hypothetical, the unknown, the what could've/should've/would've been. Whole phenomenon would be dead in the water otherwise.

Thing is that not all theories will be proven right if any at all. The creators aren't mind readers and even if it isn't a legality like in corporate, they don't read fanfics if only because they don't want their vision to be totally compromised. Any good creator knows not to just give fans what they want. However... trampling over all these fanfics and theories makes it feel like any given fan had their "child" dragged into the streets to be shot.

A harsh phrasing but that's how a lot of fans act when continuing episode bump up against initial impression of this character or that storyline. It was their creation but new lore, new backstory or what have you is liable to override them. It's been an occupational hazard of being a member of fandom for ages yet it's become the center of a lot of discourse now more than ever. Say thank you to social media for creating such a combative environment everybody.

It's this... feeling of ownership that has existed in fandoms of other shows owned by corporations but amplied by the smaller scale of it, how creators seem more... approachable. And THIS is how the YouTube "critic" scene comes in to capitalize.

So... yeah.

[disgracefulthings]

Hello..If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 7 (or top 10) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc) and your top 10 favorite (fictional) characters from any media? Why do you love them all? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

Thanks for asking! Be warned, long post

For media in no particular order:

Code Geass - Great male lead and phenomenal ending. Has that anime trope of too many love interests with little personality, but still has some really good female characters (Nunnally and Euphemia are amazing). The Lelouch and Suzaku relationship is just how I like it - filled with many complicated feelings

Scum Villain Self Saving System - As someone who loves fanfiction, I think Scum Villain is a must read. MXTX really shows her understanding of fandoms in the story. Shen Yuan is an amazing main character, his chaotic thoughts and his lack of understanding of everything makes him really funny, and I love learning more about the characters around him as they become more real to him

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Just a really great movie. Great characters and villains, you don't need me to tell you why it's amazing

Infinity Train - Gone too soon. Therapy train that forces you to get better or it kills you, a great idea for a kids TV show! It honestly was a really good show that showed people going through realistic issues, and have them try to be better, though the protagonists are never perfect and can and will fail. I will never forgive HBO for cancelling it

Gravity Falls - Being in the Gravity Falls fandom while this show was coming out was really fun. I loved all the theories and seeing which ones came true. Great characters and villains, and I can't wait to see what Alex Hirsch comes out with next

Hannibal (TV Series) - A great rom-com with some delicious looking food. Also Will has 7 dogs, 10/10 show

The Mandalorian (First 2 Seasons) - Got me into Star Wars. Tired gun dad and little gremlin baby carry the show, and I love watching Mando slowly learn Star Wars lore

Iron Man - Favorite Marvel movie. It does so many things right, I don't care if the main villain makes their own iron Man suite and fights Tony using his own power, that wasn't an annoying Marvel trope yet, and Iron Man does that trope the best. Stane actually has a personal relationship with the main character so we can feel Tony's betrayal when he learns what Stane has done. Also it has Phil Coulson, so 10/10

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! - This show is just hilarious, I don't care if Catarina ends up with any of her love interests, I just love all of the characters (except Keith, I'm not a fan of 'I can't believe it's not incest' type ships)

Epithet Erased - Criminally underrated. The story takes place in a world where some people have specific words attached to their souls called epithets that give them power. The series has many amazing characters, but mostly follows Molly, a little girl whose epithet is 'dumb'. She is forced to grow up after losing her mother, and is made to do things 10 year olds shouldn't know how to do, like taxes. It's an amazing series that can be very heartwarming and funny, but also very tragic. Please watch!!!

And now my favorite characters, this time in order:

1. Shang Qinghua, Scum Villain Self Saving System - I love this pathetic hamster man. You can see parts of himself in the characters he wrote, and while his backstory isn't as tragic as most of the other characters, it is still very relatable and sad. He has really great chemistry with many of the characters, so he can be fun to write. He is my best friend and I would kill for him

2. Loki, Marvel - I'm a young adult woman on Tumblr, of course I love Loki. His characterization has kinda gone out the window since Thor Ragnarok, but he's still very charming and funny

3. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha (and only Inuyasha. Final Act made some questionable choices for the character, and I refuse to acknowledge Yasahime's existence, may it burn in hell) - I love the trope of redeeming a character by giving them a child. Sesshomaru's character growth throughout the story was fun to watch, and I love the fact that even though he has 1 arm, he doesn't hesitate to punch his brother in the face. The show ends without resolving anything, but at least it doesn't ruin the relationship he had with his father, gives his arm back in a stupid way, and changes his relationship with Rin in a creepy way. Nope, none of that happened

4. Yakushi Kabuto, Naruto - I loved this nerd since he was introduced, and the fact that he was given a tragic backstory near the end of Naruto just made me love him even more. He's a healer that uses his abilities to harm others, and I love that for him

5. Pythor P. Chumsworth, Ninjago - Best villain in the show. It doesn't always handle his character well, but his motivation for revenge is very tragic and I wished the show acknowledged it. His release with Lloyd was fun in ep. 4, and I wished they had a reconciliation. Still, he was fun throughout the show

6. Natural Harmonia Gropius, Pokemon - I love the idea of a character that can understand Pokemon, and he has a compelling arc in the games and anime. I love villains who do the wrong things for the right reasons, and also have good relationships with the people he's apposing

7. Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Star Wars (specifically when he's written by Timothy Zahn) - He's too smart for his own good and can be a little shit, but he also holds importance to the life around him, even though he's on the Empire's side. I love my morally grey characters

8. Discord, My Little Pony - I watched the entire show just because I liked one character, and it was worth it. I love my chaotic gods

9. Kumoko, So I'm a Spider, So What? - I love shows where we watch a protagonist get new abilities. Kumoko is very silly and chaotic, and while she seems nice, she wouldn't hesitate to commit atrocities

10. Lan Qiren, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - I just think he's funny

[maythevoidnotscreamback]

For this Alex Hirsch to try to slap human morals or emotions onto what is essentially nature itself personified is weird to me, ngl.

Like, the Unicorn didn't ask to be, essentially, drugged and grabbed from her 'bed' by Mommy Fortuna when they happened upon her and while Schmendrick did help release her, he didn't have to follow after her. He chose to do that of his own volition for his own reasons under the guise of 'leading the way'. Something we all found out was a lie, unintentional or not, when Molly reveals they've apparently been going the wrong way the whole time. As it is, the Unicorn, when he got himself in trouble, did not have to rescue him from his plight; not even as repayment for releasing her.

Why would I say that?

Because 1) she's not human and thus not beholden to our laws or rules or sensibilities of reciprocation or what-ever-else and 2) she is, as said previously, nature personified. You can make offerings, you can make sacrifices, you can beg and pray and plead but nature will not care for what humans want it to do or why. The harvests could still fail, the animals could still get sick, the ships might still not return or the fish not plentiful, the seasonal dangers could still kill you. It doesn't matter. It will do as it will. Because while we humans need nature in any and all its forms to thrive, nature doesn't need us at all. It'll still be here long after we might all be gone.

As it is, did Schmendrick even give her thanks for that? It's been a while since I last saw it, mind, but I think I remember him blustering about how 'he had it handled' even though he clearly didn't. And while, yes, Molly was emotional at finally getting to see a Unicorn, the Unicorn herself is confused but willing to offer what comfort she can to someone in distress. Molly even goes so far as to 'forgive her' when she most likely doesn't care for or even need forgiveness because, in all reality, what the Unicorn represents is what humans have made of it. Not what it actually is.

And then there's Prince Lir. Looking back to my childhood thoughts after watching this movie, I remember I felt bad that he and Amalthea didn't stay together, but looking at those same memories as an adult? There's a bit of an unsettling... vibe to it. He actually complains to Molly that he felt guilty for killing a dragon that I'm pretty sure, I could be horribly wrong since I haven't seen it for a while as said before, he didn't have to kill. It wasn't threatening anyone, wasn't 'holding a hostage' for him to rescue, it even looked to be living in a remote place. He did it because he wanted to. To show off. But he complains because Amalthea didn't care he did it. That she wasn't fawning over him as he was expecting (mind, it could be because he was raised to expect that) because he killed a dragon. That she wasn't interested in him just 'cause he was a Prince, adopted or not.

All that aside, I loved the movie then and I still love it now. The songs felt perfect to me, the artwork was gorgeous, the characters were memorable and the climax was amazing.

Following the author of The Last Unicorn on Facebook is the only thing that makes being on that site worthwhile.

(source)

[disneytva]

The Walt Disney Company Investing More Than 500 Series For Regional Content For Disney+, This Includes More Regional European Animation and Anime For The Animation Catalog.

Disney has previously revealed it has 500 shows in the pipeline outside of the U.S., but on Wednesday, the company broke down for the first time how those planned local-language programs are being dispersed throughout global regions.

According to Christine M. McCarthy, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, 140 of those shows are in the works in the Asia/Pacific region (This will include Asian-Pacific Live Action Dramas,Comedies,Soap Operas).

Besides that for Japan, one of the contents will be more Anime either licensed or officialy created made officialy by The Walt Disney Company’s Japan new division: “Disney Anime”

Also according to Christine M. McCarthy 150 are in the works for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) territories  (This will include European, Middle East and Africa Live Action Dramas,Comedies,Soap Operas).

Like Japan this also will include original and licensed animation by longtime European Division of The Walt Disney Company’s Europe: “Disney Europe Animation” 

This is huge as last weeks the animation industry seemed to get some bummer news with Netflix Animation Studios being opted down by Netflix with the axing of many projects like Lauren Faust’s Toil & Trouble, Alex Hirsch Untitled Adult Comedy, Pearl, Bone, Rise The Bar, Dino Daycare and more who need to get annouced.

Since then other companies like Disney in this case have been investing in more animation more than ever with Walt Disney Animation Studios announcing the return to traditional 2D Animation specially with shows like Tiana on the way, Marvel Animation being absorbed by Marvel Studios to bring more animated series for Disney+,  LucasFilm doing more animated Star Wars content for young adults, Pixar Animation Studios giving new voices a chance with Directing IP driven Short Series or doing their own shorts for Sparkshorts, Disney Television Animation working on more animated series for Disney Channel and Disney+ either episodic comedies by Big City Greens and Phineas And Ferb alumnis for Disney Channel and Young Adult Animated shows with collaboration with sister adult animation studio 20th Television Animation for Disney+ also the creation of original movies for Disney Channel,Disney Junior & Disney+, Disney Junior Educational Resource Group investing in more preschool content for Disney Junior and Disney+, 20th Century Animation working on more Family IP Driven Films and now more investment with European Animation and Anime with Disney Europe Animation and Disney Anime.

[coolchevistianofficialsite]

Besides Very Important House and Douglas Furs what other Disney Pilot would you like to see revived?

Leo by Janie Lee... i liked the concept and that the artstyle is so amazing that needs to be seen ,i see that you folks ask me alot about that rumor that is getting revived for Disney+ but i can't find a reliable source for that.

I think it has a great potential for a limited or long format serialized series specially with those Blue Sky Studios excs now being heads at Disney TVA and focusing on serialized animation for Disney+ while Disney Channel handles the episodic comedies.

Let's remember the concept was rejected by previous administration at Disney Channel beacuse it starred an adult and the mc wasn't female.

And right now every studio except Disney is having problems....ok let's see:

-Netflix Animation Studios is pretty much death with movies only being the only priority and their other projects like TV Shows being cancelled mid production (Lauren Faust's Untitled Serialized Comedy, Alex Hirsch Adult Animated Series) and they are focusing on celebrity driven series for adults and celebrity driven shows for preschoolers and future animation will be licensed from other companies just for distribution.

-Nickelodeon: XD

-Cartoon Network is focusing on expanding the Cartoonito content and their non preschool programming is more slice of life focused and they just merged with Discovery which makes me wonder how long that Genndy Unicorn show will even survive

I think it has a potential right now like Very Important House with Disney Channel as an episodic comedy to have a place at Disney+ for serialized programming, even if that rumor turns to be false i hope Janie Lee finds a way to make it as a graphic novel and probably if it's a sucess Disney can ask to adapt it specially with Lee's sucess with her Camp Jason WebToon and now Graphic Novel probably will make new heads actually check it out and give it a chance.

TBH is such a fascinating concept and i think deserves to be seen also unrelated but i hope if that rumor of revival of project they use Powerhouse Animation and Flying Bark Studios as Animation Houses.

BTW Protect Popi at all costs

[popculturebuffet]

So, in a recent livestream with Cissy Jones, Matt Braly would reveal many things. Among them is the confirmation he no longer works at Disney (where he's been since 2011) and is doing another project at another studio. Thoughts knowing he's left Disney (looks like lots of the serialized Disney show creators like Alex Hirsch, Daron Nefcy, Chris Sonnenberg, Shane Prigmore, Frank Angones, Matt Youngberg, and now Braly aren't at Disney with Dana soon to follow)?

I can't say i'm suprised. The company isn't treating animators well. It's not as bad as HBO Max but just because there's a new standard low for this sort of thing dosen't mean Disney isn't bad at how they treat shows.

My issue is more.. where did he go as it unerlined for me just HOW unstable most of chiidren's animation is: Disney will either run your show forever or cancel you at two seasons, Warner has gone from the most stable presence in the industry with a few screwups to a nightmare form which there's no exist, netflix dosen't care about running series for a long time only greenlighting series for a set run, and Nick has never been stable. Paramount+ seems to offer hope as unlike their competiorors they get animation's importance and we're slowly getting more and more shows, but otherwise we're getting next to nothing on most non-netflix streaming channels for kids.

Adult Animation wise is better> While I worry about Adult Swim for obvious reasons, it seems to be the one thing discovery isn't touching.. yet, Netflix has taken to making adult action shows (comedy wise.. needs work as they went from having one of the adult animated shows of the last decade.. to giving the Brickleberry idiots multiple shows), Amazon Prime is slowly growing in that regard itself. So the industry isn't DEAD.. but it is bleeding pretty heavily this year.

[magentasnail]

well, you asked for this! but don't say I didn't warn you !

so assuming the twins were 12 in 2012, they are about 24 in this

I imagine that dipper has graduated (possibly even from the dream collage ford wanted to go to? and made him super proud) and is now back in gravity falls doing his own research and documenting it all on his "modern day journal" - aka laptop

mabel is a multi talent artist, I wanted to say she'll be doing fashion design because of the sweaters thing but I think that's underestimating her overall arts and crafts abilities, so she's probably doing a bit of everything (maybe even animation ? 👀) I just hope that she got her ADHD diagnosis and medication so she can focus her energy and not crumble out of wanting to do too much!! (like yours truly)

things that I gave both of them: I gave them glasses, to resemble stan and ford - mabel's round glasses are like ford's (kinda) and dipper square ones are like stan i specifically made sure to have the less common pairing, because the other way around is the more prevalent (+ i did give dipper ford's chin dimple) and I wanted them to have a bit of each grunkle !

I also gave them shooting star/pine tree necklaces, I just imagine they are hand made by mabel as a gift on one of their birthdays

individual design: first we have mabel, as I said in the original tags I gave her puffy messy hair as a child because I feel like she has curly hair and doesn't know how to take care of it, and honestly it gives her so much personality

but a part of why i gave her this hair is because I wanted older mabel to have short curly hair inspired by kristen schaal (her voice actor)! i did make the hair a bit longer than hers just so it'll look nicer with the colorful highlights!

generally, I think adult mabel probably dyes her hair all the time in every possible color, but to keep her recognizable I made the rainbow hair only as ombre to keep the original brown visible

for her outfit I just assumed mabel is going to decorate everything she possibly can, so like super colorful makeup, piercings, tattoos, stuff like that

I gave her a cardigan because it felt like an elegant evolution from sweaters (still hand made of course) and heels (/boots with heels?) because it felt like the natural progression from her doll shoes

her wardrobe is probably super colorful and diverse! I feel like as an adult she has a lot more tools for self expression through clothes, like sewing ! technically she did use a sewing machine on the show, but I just imagine that because she was young she wasn't really allowed to use it much / had a pretty bad kids focused version, which is why she focused on knitting because it's safe and easy for a 12yo but as an adult she has a proper sewing machine and can make more serious outfits! so everything she wears is either fully hand made or thrifted and patched up and decorated with a bunch of embroidered stuff

I also feel very strongly about her tattoos, i just feel like she would LOVE them!! she probably say something like "tattoos are just permanent stickers for your body!" not to mention she has 0 impulse control so she gets so many you can take a closer look at all the tattoos i drew her, but my favorite idea was ducktective, just because a lot of people are getting gravity falls tattoos for being their favorite childhood show so i feel like she'd do the same!

I have slightly less things to say about dipper's design, mainly because I don't think he cares that much for his appearance, but mainly for practicality

so, like every other adult dipper design, he still has wendy's hat (which is hopefully surviving all these years), and a flannel unsurprisingly, the flannel is supposed to represent alex hirsch and I imagine him being equally attached to the idea of wearing it and probably has a similar story to alex of "a girl told him it was cute so he never took it off"

I gave him a blue shirt to play on the young dipper colors, and it has a little stain because of course it does

I also imagine him also having curly hair like mabel, just that he doesn't even bother with washing/brushing his hair as much so the curls aren't getting all puffy so they are visible, but it is greasy adult dippers hair is also a bit long, just because it's fun and again, because he couldn't bother with a haircut

he also has a bit of facial hair, something a bit like young alex hirsch or jason ritter (his voice actor), mainly because he can't be bothered with shaving it off most of the time (and he feels a bit proud of being able to grow it) i didn't give him much in the drawing though, but that's just because it was hard + i liked the way his face look

and both him and his young self has cargo pants, mainly for the functionality of having as many pockets as possible I am also not against the possibility of older dipper's pants being detachable into shorts, for extra functionality

and that's all i thought about when making this !! I hope it's what you were hoping for

bonus detail if you read everything: if you look closely at dippers laptop, the pie chart is supposed to look like a pacman

ok pause from bill art time for some mystery twins art !! specifically, 12yo selves meeting their current day selves!

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Echoes of the Past" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who most certainly won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

What probably gets debated the most in the fandom is the legitimacy behind King being the King of Demons. Some believe that there's truth to his statement, while others, like me, like to think that he was just some stray Eda picked up off the streets. Either option seemed likely, especially since Season One never gave an answer that leaned one way or the other.

Then here comes the writers finally answering the question of who King is in episode THREE of Season Two! Because, again, they don't waste time on giving fans exactly what they want.

Fans wanted answers behind King, we got 'em, and analyzing what those answers mean requires going deep into spoilers. So if you haven't checked the episode out yet, I highly recommend that you do. Trust me, it's worth seeing.

Now let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz Experimenting with Spells: Hey, look! More proof that Luz isn't an idiot like some people flanderize her to be!

But, seriously though, this is a perfect little thread to introduce into the story. Luz collecting knowledge from Lilith's old books and past work she and Eda made adds to Luz's intelligence while also providing a believable explanation for how she gets new spells. It's also nice to see that she has this little notebook (or spellbook) to help see what works and what doesn't. It's a level of experimentation that proves her dedication to becoming a witch while also exemplifying how she isn't stupid. Occasionally reckless, sure, but you can't say that the person who figured out an invisibility spell through showing her work is also an idiot.

Francios with a Knife: How did Francois get a knife? I don't know. But the fact that a random knife plopped out behind him with little to no explanation is funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

Luz’s Invisibility Spell: I breezed past this, but I honestly love this invisibility spell. More specifically, I love that there's a limiter. It can turn you, objects, and people you're in contact with invisible, but only as long as you can hold your breath. It helps make the spell something the characters can't always rely on, which is appreciated. Because if it works as long as they concentrate, what's stopping them from sneaking into Belos' castle and assassinating him in his sleep? It's a smart way of explaining why they can't always rely on something, despite how insanely useful it is.

Luz: Let's gush about Luz some more, shall we!

"Echoes of the Past" is another episode that has Luz on top form. She is constantly supportive of King, even if Lilith has a point in the dangers of indulging his fantasy as a powerful tyrant. Doing so would cause more harm than good, especially when King finds out Luz doesn't believe him, but her going along with it was all done with the best of intentions. Luz doesn't want to hurt her friend, and even if she did in the long run, she still makes up for it by helping King learn more about his past.

And, as another reminder, Luz isn't stupid. She's the first to say they should leave when it's clear how dangerous the castle is and is quick to figure out there should be more at the top. Luz is a loyal and caring friend who's also guarded and intuitive when the situation calls for it. This episode understood that, so here's hoping other fans will too.

Lilith: Yeah, she's still growing on me.

I feel like this episode shows a better idea of Lilith's place in the group more than the past two. She's a person who's obsessed with knowledge and learning but considers herself above the jovial nature of King, Luz, and definitely Eda. Therefore, she acts as the perfect catalyst for what jumpstarts this week's adventure. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she almost instantly dismisses King's claims due to considering herself more knowledgeable than everyone else. Still, I like how she's willing to believe King once she finally sees evidence that seemingly proves he really was the King of Demons, to the point of referring to him as "her lord." Hooty does the same thing, but it comes across as him fearing for his own life and choosing to be friends with someone who could maybe kill him in an instant. For Lilith, her newfound respect comes from the desire to learn more, and it's that desire that makes Lilith an enjoyable character to me. It's adorable to see, and it has some comedic flavor in moments like when she dismisses everyone else and their emotional revelations to take pictures of the carvings around her. I'm sure she'll cause some controversy like other characters with rushed reformations, but for me, I'm more than ok with her addition to the main cast.

More of Lilith’s and Hooty’s Friendship: HOW DOES THIS WORK!?

ON PAPER, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, BUT IT F**KING WORKS!

HOW?!

WHAT BLACK MAGIC DID THESE WRITERS USE TO MAKE A RELATIONSHIP SO UNEXPECTED COME ACROSS AS SO ENDEARING AND ADORABLE?!

And where can I get some for my stories...just asking.

But seriously: HOW?!

Hooty Making Himself Portable: Ah, yes. The classic bit where a character does something horrifically grotesque off-screen, and we have nothing but character reactions and sound effects to imagine what happened between shot A and shot B. It's an oldie, but given how hard I was laughing (mostly because of Luz's gagging), it's still a goodie.

Eda’s Portable Bathtub Boat Thing: I mean...I was expecting Eda would use something to catch up with the others, but...that thing...well...I mean, I'm still laughing just by thinking about it. That should tell you how well executed this joke was.

John Luke: ...I'm gonna go ahead and add him to the list because HOLY S**T was this guy disturbing! From his design to his movements to even the sounds he makes when moving, everything about John Luke screams as something that will stay in kids' nightmares for a while. Now, this might seem like a complaint, but to be honest, I'm more than alright with how creepy John Luke is. I highly doubt adult viewers will consider John Luke scary, but I guarantee he'll terrify some of the youngins that this series is aimed for. And that's fine. It's good to creep kids out a little bit with something somewhat scary, as it might introduce them to more good horror stories later in life.

Plus, the reveal that John Luke was only a guard for King is pretty solid narratively speaking. You can see how John never really meant to hurt King aside from one accident when Eda escaped with him. If you want to read into it, I guess it might be questionable to tell kids that something that looks dangerous is secretly nice, but that's really nitpicky, in my opinion. John Luke was a fantastic threat that is designed and animated well, with a solidly executed twist. Some might hate what he presents, most will fear him, but we can all agree on one thing: His theme is awesome (can I get the track for that, please)!

King’s Backstory: Finally, at long last, we know who King is, thus putting an end to a year-long debate. And I fully mean it when I say that the writers gave the best possible answer. Because in a way, everyone was right. Yes, King was just an animal that Eda decided to adopt, like the nature-loving hippie she is inside (She's got the hair for it). However, while he may not be the King of Demons himself, he is still the son of someone who deserves that title. So while he isn't the King, there's a chance he might be the Prince. Once again, there's no direct answer, but given how the writers came up with something that pleases everyone while still providing more questions for debate, it acts as a brilliant move, in my opinion. So whatever answer we get next, I'm sure it will be just as perfect.

Baby King:

My heart was not prepared for that level of cuteness!

King’s Breakdown: NOR WAS IT READY FOR THIS LEVEL OF SADNESS!

But in all seriousness, a HUGE round of applause to Alex Hirsch for his performance in this episode. He expertly captured the raw emotions of shock, anger, betrayal, and sadness that King must have felt when finding out that everything he believed he was is a lie. It's one of those moments where I don't hear a person voicing lines in a booth (or wherever the hell VAs are voicing characters nowadays), but instead hear a living person being emotionally torn apart. It was heartbreaking seeing King so vulnerable as he's so guarded with his emotions. Seeing him like this adds so much more layers to a character that many would mistake him as a cute, comedic animal sidekick. But just like with Luz, there's more to him than people will tell you.

“I don’t even know what’s real or fake anymore!”: I'm just pointing out this line because I believe it's what convinces Luz to help King learn more about who he is. Hell, not knowing what's real or fake is the main reason why Luz got sent away in the first place, so I feel like she can relate to King when he's in a similar predicament.

Hooty and Lilith vs John Luke: This was just a cool scene with some epic moments of dodging John Luke's attacks and some funny ones, like how Hooty said the word "pain." It's a ten out of ten that I would rewind to watch again.

King’s Other Horn: I'd question the logistics of how a horn that got broken off when he was a baby still manages to fit perfectly in the present...but it is neat symbolism of King accepting his past and letting it be a part of him, so who cares?

(The fact that the colors of the broken-off piece don't match the rest of the horn is nice attention to detail as well.)

WHAT I DISLIKED

It's a Little Too Predictable: I pretty much figured almost every little twist the episode offers. But, I'm willing to say that's because I'm in my twenties, and I've seen enough stories similar to this one, so I'm more likely to know what will happen. The little monsters watching this will see it for the first time, so they'll most likely get more surprised than me...And that was my only complaint about the episode...which is more of a personal problem than an actual issue...I guess that means it's perfect.

IN CONCLUSION

"Echoes of the Past" is an easy A+ in my book. It gives lore and backstory that furtherly develops the characters that episodes like this should. It also tells a tragic story about King that still sprinkles in a few good jokes every now and again to lighten up the mood. Sure, there are some nitpicks I could mention (how did King remember his own birth?). But when the good stuff is done so well, what's the point of dwelling on small, insignificant issues? This is still a phenomenal episode that flew past all expectations I had for it, and it continues the winning steak this season is having so far.

(But that's still three home runs in a row. Meaning that a stinker is coming. Ooiee, is it coming!)

[hibiscusangel15]

Wondering What to Watch After Steven Universe?

Want more stories about kids with magical destinies? Try Tangled: The Series (or Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, as it’s known in later seasons) or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Tangled: The Series is honestly an excellent sequel to the movie. It builds on previously established lore (the Sundrop flower, mostly) to create a more thoroughly-realized world of magic and Rapunzel’s own journey of self-discovery outside her tower as she adjusts to being Princess.

Also, the sweeping camerawork for this 2-D animated series is beyond perfection. I mean, just look at this:

You do have to watch the actual movie Tangled and a short movie called Tangled Before Ever After before watching this series, though. That short movie introduces a few characters (one a major player) in the series to come. And it also explains why Rapunzel’s hair is long and blonde again lol.

Honestly, Avatar: The Last Airbender needs no introduction. It is the quintessential action/adventure cartoon.

If you haven’t watched it already and you adore great action/adventure shows with gorgeous animation, then you really should get on this.

Miss the wacky family beachside adventures from the earlier seasons? Watch Bob’s Burgers. For an adult-oriented comedy, it’s got a lot of heart, and you can’t help loving the Belcher family no matter what zany things they get themselves into. The first couple of seasons are little edgier with its humor, but overall, it’s a pretty fun, wholesome show.

Want a cartoon about a kid uncovering a weird, magical world? Try The Owl House, Hilda, or Bee and Puppycat.

To be fair, The Owl House more of a mash-up of Gravity Falls and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. It even has Alex Hirsch on as a voice actor voicing this cute, little dude:

Speaking of which, if you haven’t seen Gravity Falls yet, now would be a great time to do so! If uncovering mysteries and delving into strange lore is your thing, then you’ll love this cartoon.

Hilda is a Netflix Original series that’s super cute and wholesome. It’s fairly low stakes compared to the other cartoons on this list, as it’s more a chill magical slice-of-life cartoon.

Bee and Puppycat is another weird cartoon that’s more slice-of-life-like than the others on this list. I really like the color palates on this show, and it feels really dream-like to watch.

Want a cartoon about a kid with strange powers coming into their own? Try Epithet Erased or WordGirl!

Epithet Erased is a cartoon by the Youtuber JelloApocalypse (the guy who makes the “So This Is Basically...” videos), and it’s honestly fantastic. It has a lot of great humor, unique use of powers (called Epithets), and lovable, dorky characters. It’s free to watch on his Youtube channel, so give it a watch when you have the time!

WordGirl is a PBS Kids cartoon (ik, just hear me out) that’s honestly much funnier than it has a right to be (mostly due to the voice actors’ great improv). It’s been one of my favorites for a long time (and in fact one of the main reasons why I first created a Tumblr lol).

The characters all have big names attached to them (Tom Kenny as Doctor Two-Brains, Patton Oswalt as Tobey McCallister, Chris Parnell as The Narrator, Amy Sedaris as Ms. Davis/Rhyme, Grey DeLisle as Lady Redundant Woman, Cree Summer as Granny May, Fred Stoller as Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy, etc.).

It’s just a fun show even if it’s meant for younger audiences. Please give it a watch if you can.

[limonjarritos]

Apollo will you be watching Inside Job, Alex Hirsch’s new show? Is out now! *excited noises*

The show's actually created by Shion Takeuchi who helped work on gravity falls (as a writer i think)! Alex Hirsch has done alot of shouting out on Twitter for her though! Sometimes I'm a lil hesitant with adult animated media (there's some good adult cartoons but some are such flops f r) but I'm defo gonna give it a shot! Mainly cuz I have nothing else to do! Tell me your thoughts on it when you watch it Cherry!

[matt0044]

If I had to speculate from my own observations (feel free to call me out on an overgeneralizations), it would be that the harsh turn against any given indie project would be akin to a mother scolding a child with, "I expected this from your sibling but you?!"

See also the "We were rooting for you" gif often tossed around.

Indie Animation be it from a small studio or crowdfunded is seen as bypassing the hoops and hurdles of getting your foot in the door of the highly corporatized entertainment industry. With the likes of Disney or Nick or any given streaming service, creator driven projects are subject to the whims of the company who holds the IP.

And those whims are often to said IP's detriment. It'll more often than not be willfully neglected at best or treated as just something to fill a time slot or shove onto a streaming platform as "content." Enough may be allowed to flourish but their either uncerimoniously cut short at best or being dragged out as a franchise at worst.

To keep from going on about the whole Legend of Korra vs. Spongebob thing (I was there people, there was an LoK fandom believe it or not), indie animation has often been seen as small scale but also within the creator's general control since they control how long it goes or how it's written.

Many cartoons like Gravity Falls, Owl House and Amphibia have talked about trying to get their vision across while contending with a lot of Standards and Practices. Their story which had a "kids and adults alike" target audience would have the top brass insist on something more just for the former category.

While they find work arounds, often to stick their tongue out at the FCC, this can be a hard reminder of who has the final say despite it being what you want. Indie animation is seen as an answer to "What if Alex Hirsch didn't have to comprimise elements of Gravity Falls for the FCC?" or "What if Dana Terrence could just blaze her own trail with The Owl House with little to no notes?"

Especially when it comes to animation with queer characters. Animation made to be "fit for kids" have it tough enough even today but adult animation has to "play it for laughs" since comedies have been the defacto standard for that type of cartoon.

However... a show being creator driven or creative team driven comes as a double edged sword for the fandoms they form. Not all stories that play out across multiple episodes of varying lengths are going in the direction YOU might want to.

Creators might tire of a certain direction or formula and mix things up with things that come to mind almost on the spot. Even with a solid plan, the status quo will get a shake up that can and will alienate those who fell in love from episode one.

Indie Pilots spark the imagination something fierce. There's theories as to what any little detail could mean going forward and speculation on what a character's arc could be. These go wild because Fandom is all about the hypothetical, the unknown, the what could've/should've/would've been. Whole phenomenon would be dead in the water otherwise.

Thing is that not all theories will be proven right if any at all. The creators aren't mind readers and even if it isn't a legality like in corporate, they don't read fanfics if only because they don't want their vision to be totally compromised. Any good creator knows not to just give fans what they want. However... trampling over all these fanfics and theories makes it feel like any given fan had their "child" dragged into the streets to be shot.

A harsh phrasing but that's how a lot of fans act when continuing episode bump up against initial impression of this character or that storyline. It was their creation but new lore, new backstory or what have you is liable to override them. It's been an occupational hazard of being a member of fandom for ages yet it's become the center of a lot of discourse now more than ever. Say thank you to social media for creating such a combative environment everybody.

It's this... feeling of ownership that has existed in fandoms of other shows owned by corporations but amplied by the smaller scale of it, how creators seem more... approachable. And THIS is how the YouTube "critic" scene comes in to capitalize.

So... yeah.

Indie Creators and Critique

I'm working on a post about the new RWBY finale and some details I noticed, but I wanted to bring this up because I think it's getting out of hand:

What the hell is with all the hatedoms for indie series? Yeah, I'm looking at you YouTube Critics.

Y'all complain the heck out of the corporate schlock you get from Disney these days and whine about the lack of creativity. And then you get indie stuff and you rip it apart with the reading comprehension of a snail attempting to study pharmacology.

I LOVE critique. In fact I love it so much I've been called a hater in many fandoms for picking apart things that I don't think work very well in stories I otherwise adore.

I'm furious for what you did to RWBY. To Lore Olympus. Now trying to do to Hazbin Hotel.

On the Lord Olympus aspect, it is HILARIOUS to me that y'all think that myths have been preserved in perpetuity at the moment of their creation. Nah. In fact, much like Shakespeare's adaptations of stories (no, the man never created a story from thin air) myths have gone through revisions and syncretism and cultural contextualizations to become the myths we know today. They shift with the times an d the cultures. That's anthropology 101, baby.

For example, did you know that Greek myths adapt a lot of Sumerian/Babylonian ones? Did you know Aphrodite/Venus is likely an adaptation of Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, and she also likely influenced Hindu stories? (This relates to the RWBY post I'm working on actually...) So by retelling any of the Greek myths you're actually misrepresenting Sumerian ones, according to your logic.

Criticism is supposed to be a conversation, not a shut down.

YouTube critics are, by and large on the whole, terrible at what they do and ignorant. If your criticism isn't a conversation, then you should maybe reconsider whether you'll do anything good or whether you'll actually just contribute to all of us having to eat bland, uninspired corporate mush. And maybe also look into why you're harsher on indie stories.

[ramblesanddragons]

I posted 1,404 times in 2021

308 posts created (22%)

1096 posts reblogged (78%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 3.6 posts.

I added 1,044 tags in 2021

#gravity falls - 555 posts

#the owl house - 126 posts

#stanford pines - 67 posts

#critical role - 60 posts

#stanley pines - 48 posts

#the owl house spoilers - 47 posts

#personal - 44 posts

#thanks for the ask! - 39 posts

#a tik tok - 30 posts

#my writing - 28 posts

Longest Tag: 111 characters

#i’m rebloging this one because the last person’s bio says occasionally erin hunter and i just lost my damn mind

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Look I have been on this site since 2011. I will admit I enjoy it. I actually do. However I will not put a dime of my money anywhere near this blue hell site.

Take the Survey and tell them exactly how bad of an idea this is. 

Maybe us openly saying this is the only bearable social media site left was not a good idea. Our bad. Wont do it again.

235 notes • Posted 2021-07-21 21:40:28 GMT

#4

Let me talk about this screenshot for a second.

1. Insert leg day joke here.

2. This is one of my favorite visual gags in the show. “Oh he’s just reading a mystery book.” Except he’s not and is indeed a plot twist. Or one half of one anyway. I love whoever thought of that gag.

3. This is where my head canon that Stan likes to read comes from. Maybe he struggled with reading in school but like a lot of adults he found enjoyment in books when he could read what he wanted. Also libraries are one of the few places a homeless guy can be for a few hours without having to pay anything.

247 notes • Posted 2021-04-10 20:40:40 GMT

#3

Throwing this out there because I don’t think I’ll write it but it’s a fun idea. Stan probably could have been a decent actor. If he had tried Hollywood out before diving deep into criminal stuff I could see him being like Harrison Ford.

So he becomes successful and is decently happy and stuff. Maybe even reconnects with his family and Ford a little bit. They’re distant but Ford comes to the whatever you want to call Star Wars premieres.

Does that change the portal incident? Maybe? Trying to balance being a big Hollywood star while helping your brother fight a demon sounds like a “wacky comedy” waiting to happen with some dark undertones.

Or maybe the portal incident still happens so now Stan has to figure out what to do from there. He’s too big of a name to disappear so he fakes Ford’s death and opens a small movie studio in Gravity Falls. He retires from acting to become a director and makes his income from creating B horror and sci fi movies like he used to watch with Ford as a kid. Sometimes casting real cryptids! (He earns accolades for the costumes and make up.)

Ford comes back and is still mad Stan “mocks his work” but softens over time as he listens to people rave about how Stan’s movies have inspired them to study anomalies. Dipper included.

Idk this idea is up for adoption if someone wants it.

385 notes • Posted 2021-07-17 14:55:53 GMT

#2

In my expert opinion* Dipper and Mabel turn 22 today and meanwhile Stan and Ford found the fountain of youth on their travels and stopped aging at 59. The kids caught on about 3 years ago or so. They’ll keep it secret though they’re happy to have their grunkles around as long as possible.

399 notes • Posted 2021-08-31 22:14:23 GMT

#1

There’s a Problem in Animation

So putting aside the theories and hype for a minute the fact that they cut Season 3 of The Owl House from 10-20 episodes down to 3 is frustrating.

Now Disney isn’t the only one guilty of this. (I’m looking at you HBO) Lately things with their TV animation has been crazy. Between whatever happened with Ducktales and we all know the Amphibia issue this shouldn’t come as a shock. Alex Hirsch ended Gravity Falls after two seasons but that was because he was finished telling the story. It was his choice. Apparently Disney took that as “Hey things can be wildly popular and we don’t even have to give the show more than two seasons!” There’s no hate on Alex btw this is all Disney’s doing.

Luckily we have a chance to engage with the higher ups than we ever have before. Between Twitter (for all it’s faults it’s direct) and other social media we can let how we feel be known. And I’m thankful we can engage with creators too. I don’t think anyone outside of “the industry” knew what was going on with their favorite shows back in ye olden days. Now we can get insights.

My favorite example of “the industry” being dumb is Critical Role. They wanted to make an animated episode and pitched it around. Everyone said no. So they went to Kickstarter and broke all the records. We care about creators not the producers who are so afraid of new content and bold they don’t take many chances and on the ones they do they throttle them to fit whatever they deem the standards are. I wish we could just kick start all the good things but I know that doesn’t always work and making stuff costs money.  Although if Dana did do that for her next project I would toss all the money at it.

My point...we need to let Disney and other producers know we’re paying attention. Dana mentioned writing a letter so by God I wrote one. Basically asking “WTF is your problem” but politely...ish.If you too want to write a letter the best place I’ve found it here: https://disneynow.com/feedback

Pick TV program Related or General Feedback. It didn’t seem to have a word limit so go forth and let them know how much you love The Owl House and other shows. Maybe it’s gotten to the point where we have to start bugging the hell out of the big wigs.

TLDR: You can go to this link here (https://disneynow.com/feedback) to tell Disney that The Owl House should have a full season 3 or let them know how you feel about how they’re treating their other shows on top of using twitter.

1149 notes • Posted 2021-05-18 00:19:58 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[mohartproductions]

Why Am I still Here?

Ever since I was in Middle School there were so many things I wanted to be; at first I wanted to be a zoologist or paleontologist, then I shifted my interests towards animation, comics, voice acting and music making and singing. I always had dreams of bringing back hand-drawn animation in theaters, or at least helping to create some new animated shows I could assist on as an additional animator, character designer, or a writer or producer. But my Middle-School and High School never truly taught me, and me specifically.

I thought maybe I'd have better luck in college, but college just expected me to do the work, and if I don't get passing grades I can't get the degree I need to find the job I'm looking for.

I spent the last ten years of my life in college, mainly focusing on trying to do assignments and making them as best as I possibly can while sacrificing time I could've invested in my own personal projects, and maintaining a healthy life because of my neurodeficiency. I've been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndome since I was 3, and I had a hard time performing well in school ever since. And I may or may not have ADD or ADHD, which could also explain why I have such a hard time focusing and performing tasks well; tasks like reading, writing, even riding a bike. I also can't seem to properly control some of my motor skills, including how I talk: a monotone, nasally voice with a limited range which hampers any attempts I have with singing or acting out loud.

All the while I was surrounded by kids, teens, and young adults who were almost always better than me in every way: They're all smart, talented, athletic, beautiful, and have plenty of friends and even some romantic partners, while I'm almost always behind. Turns out, as someone in real life proposed, some of my animation peers specifically turned out so well because they actually got involved in summer programs back in California, Florida, or Chicago, which gave them a head start. Meanwhile I'm at a disadvantage cause I have to learn one on one, but I hadn't gotten that until recently, and now I don't even have hands on tutors because of this global pandemic, so now I'm struggling at home trying to figure out how to do things right for classes I'm not even interested in because I need those points for my graduation plan just to find a job that does interest me.

But you know what... I honestly believe now that I'll never get the career I want. I always wanted to start a career in animation, comic book art, writing, singing or voice acting while I'm still young, at least in my early 20s; just like Alex Hirsch and Rebecca Sugar have, and all the time I look at people on youtube like Brian Hull and Markiplier who all have started successful careers online, and some of them have even started working in television themselves like Cristina Valenzuela has.

They're all smart, beautiful, healthy, and incredibly talented and people love them for their talents; and meanwhile I'm still an obscure artist on Deviantart who's own artwork is still subpar, has not finished any stories I wanted to write, not even a pilot for any of the shows I want to make, which I make not even make anyway because The Owl House exists now, which is already just like the Diary of Aviril, which was my idea I wanted to make.

I could've invested more into voice acting as an alternative, but my voice still sucks, I still lack the proper recording equipment or environment for it, and for the last 2 or three years my grandma moved into my house which made it hard for me to do any sessions, let alone move into the room where I could've turned into a studio.

It just seems like every year I'm thrown with more and more crap that makes it harder for me to achieve my dream; neurodeficiencies, time mismanagement, inadequate work environments and educational methods, family issues, traffic, politics, economics, urban environments, and now a pandemic.

I wasted ten years of my life, ten years of my youth trying to obtain something I possibly might not even have anyway. I feel like I've been working for nothing. I want to give up, but if I do then all that time, energy, and resources I spent would be for nothing anyway. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

I want to go back in time, tell my younger self as a little kid about my future; and all the things I want him/me to do and not do so I could make life much better for me and my family now. I should already be proving myself useful, I should already be happy making a career with the things I love doing, but now I'm even starting to dislike drawing altogether because of just how mediocre I am and will never improve on anything.

Damnit if I can't have the life I want to live, why the hell am I still here?! I'm past 27 now, still unemployed, still thin as a twig with bags underneath my eyes, still trying to earn something. I'm a mad dog chasing cars.

I don't know what else to do, and I don't know if I can do it alone. I can't keep relying on my family to pay for me, I honestly feel like a burden to them, still living with my parents, doing most of my work in a messy living room I use for a studio, still feeling bad they work so hard while I'm leeching off of them, while nearly everyone else is fairing better and have careers going for them. I can't stop hating myself, the world I live, and the life I was born into.

I tried being positive, I even tried helping people myself, but more and more the effort I put keeps coming all for not, and every time I try to convince myself that life is good and so are people, the world finds new ways of proving me wrong. I feel like my life is controlled by a bunch of monkeys in a typewriter room, or Destiny of the Endless from Neil Gaiman's Sandman. I can't support myself, I can't focus, I can't do things most other people seem to do fine on their own. I'm lost, and I can never go back. I think wheezer said it best: I may as well enjoy my life and watch the stars play...

[picturejasper20]

Animation and LGBT+ representantion

I need animation fans,specially western fans to read this, please it's very important.

Lately i have been seeing this a lot of misinformation about animation, one common trend is that the people who work on these shows "are lazy" and "don't want to write LGBT+ characters".

Here's the thing: writting LGBT characters in animated children's media it's very difficult and hard. There are many restrictions about what you can or can't write.

It's not that the people who work behind these shows are cowards or don't want to make real LGBT representation. Many want to, but it depends on the restrictions they are given by their superiors.

Examples:

Adventure time

Marceline and Bubblegum (video from 2014):

"In the video you can see Olsen also made a point to ask Ward if the couple would be visible on the show or in the upcoming book. Unfortunately, not so much."

Olson: "And I said, 'Are they going to do it on the show at all, or can we say anything about it in the book?" And he's like, 'I don't know about the book, but in some countries where the show airs, it's sort of illegal.' So that's why they're not putting it in the show."

Here's she explains they that they couldn't be very explicit about Marceline's and Bubblegum's relationship because of these restrictions (they latter could though).

Avatar: Legend of Korra

Korra and Asami (from one of the creators of the show)

"As we wrote Book 1, before the audience had ever laid eyes on Korra and Asami, it was an idea I would kick around the writers’ room. At first we didn’t give it much weight, not because we think same-sex relationships are a joke, but because we never assumed it was something we would ever get away with depicting on an animated show for a kids network in this day and age, or at least in 2010."

"The more Korra and Asami’s relationship progressed, the more the idea of a romance between them organically blossomed for us. However, we still operated under this notion, another “unwritten rule,” that we would not be allowed to depict that in our show."

"We approached the network and while they were supportive there was a limit to how far we could go with it, as just about every article I read accurately deduced."

Gravity falls

"Hirsch confirms that though he attempted to push for LGBT+ characters in Gravity Falls, Disney executives prevented him from including explicitly gay characters."

Alex confirming this on his twitter:

https://mobile.twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/1292328558921003009?s=20

"Back when I made GF Disney FORBADE me from any explicit LGBTQ+ rep. Apparently “happiest place on earth” meant “straightest”"

In 2012 the Disney censor note on this image (refering to The owl house) would have been: “inappropriate for channel, please revise, call to discuss” (to avoid a paper trail)

The owl house

Luz and Amity

Dana Terrace talking about how it was difficult for her to write LGBT characters in her show:

"In dev I was very open about my intention to put queer kids in the main cast. I'm a horrible liar so sneaking it in would've been hard haha. When we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the Channel."

I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit! Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership.

Steven universe

Ruby and Sapphire (talking about the LGTB+ wedding in Reunited):

That took years of work because of sensitivities around LGBT+ content in programs aimed at children, which often have to work for a global market, said Sugar, 32, who is bisexual.

"We are held to standards of extremely bigoted countries. It took several years of fighting internally to get the wedding to happen," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

"So much bigotry is based on the idea that (LGBT+ content) is something inherently adult, which is entirely false."

"Sugar recalled the frustration of not being able to be open about her personal experiences in the early years of her career before she made her sexuality public."

“As I’m writing about this, as I’m pitching this, I’m also getting a lot of pushback,” Sugar said. “This was not considered acceptable material for children at the time. … [But] who is speaking to a generation of children about why they deserve to exist? About how they deserve to exist? I wanted to be able to do that.”

"While working on “Jail Break” in 2014, “it became clear to the network that I was incorporating LGBTQIA+ characters and themes into the show,” Sugar said. She was told that there was a chance the show could be canceled if authorities in conservative countries noticed and objected to those themes."

"Sugar tells EW it has been “extremely difficult” for her to earn this kind of visibility on Steven Universe, but acknowledges that large strides have been made. “When we started doing this in 2011, it was impossible and it has become possible over the last many years of working really hard to do this,” she explains."

"Yeah. Every time we would cover this ground, it would be a conversation. I think part of the challenge is that this show was an international show. We would be getting notes not just from the US but also from Europe, from around the world about what we could and couldn’t show, and they would be different notes from different countries."

"There was a point at which it was brought to my attention that the studio… I was brought up to a meeting where they [the studio] said, “We know that you’re doing this, and we support that you’re doing this… We don’t want to be giving notes on this, but we have to give notes on this” and it was all very difficult to navigate. Ultimately, I said, “If this is going to cost me my show that’s fine because this is a huge injustice and I need to be able to represent myself and my team through this show and anything less would be unfair to my audience.”

I could add tons of examples about this... but here's my point and it's something a lot of people need to understand: It's difficult to put LGTB+ characters in animated children media. There are certain limitations, restrictions, many times the creators cannot be very explicit about it for many reasons.

So next time you want call creators who want to write LGTB+ characters in their shows "lazy" or "queerbaiting" reconsider the fact that they are actually taking a risk by writing LGTB+ characters and they don't have all the control in their show. They can't always make their characters say "I'm gay" or "I'm bisexual" because of these restrictions. Of course, some are given more freedom than others.

If you don't like how the characters are written or a show.. that's completely fine. But reconsider that corporations have control over the creators on what they can and can't do and that it only ends up hurting their cartoons.

I would really like for people to know about this, since there's this misconception going around that animators don't really care about this. But in reality they do. And i think this it's very important thing to know when it comes to talking about animation.

[the7dwiki]

That Alex Hirsch interview is interesting. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that the word “dwarf” isn’t offensive at all. That’s what the main characters actually are and the “D” in the 7D stood for, and the word has been uttered several times throughout the series. If Disney really did have a problem with that word, then why did they re-release the movie which The 7D was based on to kick off their new home video line -- still using the original name, no less -- while the TV series was still in production two years ago and just a few months before the news of its cancellation made public? And the building that Hirsch mentioned that uses the Seven Dwarfs as its facade? That’s the Team (Michael) Eisner building -- the corporate headquarters of Disney. 

In addition, I swear that the Disney we grew up has now become too corporate and sometimes full of hypocrisy, and -- shall I say -- lost their magic. I’m sure Hirsch and Justin Roiland (who’s currently producing Rick and Morty for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim) has their reasons for saying that Disney could be a good place to work though they had to put up with some of their actions from the people above them. Disney Television Animation may be a good place to work, but still everyone there are subject to the decisions from the higher-ups that could affect the shows they work on, even if some of those decisions won’t make any sense. The same could be true to other Disney departments and divisions. And why is Disney giving some of their cartoons special treatment? Why is Disney not giving other series a chance? Did they really had a plan with Disney XD or they just created it because they thought it would be cool, but had no clear vision for the network? Disney may have a good year with their movies and theme parks, but they’re having a bad year with their PR blunders and controversies, and several of their content creators are jumping ship to Netlfix like Hirsch. 

So that’s my two cents. I know this may have ruined a good Christmas with some in this fandom with that video popping up. But tomorrow will get better. I promise.