To progress, I decided to condense the information I'd written in my analysis of cartoons that I like by creating mindmaps. Since Alan previously suggested that I look at cartoons that I personally enjoy, I decided to especially focus on just my favourite shows as opposed to ones that I generally like to watch this time around so I could explore briefly the fantasy and non-fantasy elements of these shows.
I started by writing down my favourite shows first, as I intended to write a little bit about them later on, followed by the other shows I like and will still draw inspiration from, but aren't my favourites.
I went over the analysis I'd written and separated the information about things I'd observed into five smaller categories that I could condense the information down from as well as add more things I'd thought about since; aesthetics, character designs, relationships, story, and worlds.
I then went on to gather some basic information about the cartoons I'd listed as my main sources of inspiration and that I would say I enjoy the most, and wrote down elements that display the fantasy side of the shows and the more 'mundane' sides. I will then use this to draw common threads between them to understand what exactly I should be considering when coming up with ideas as I, if possible, want to have a balance between fantastical and mundane in my idea.
Bee and Puppycat (2013-present)
- Genre: Comedy, drama, fantasy, surrealism, slice of life
- Target demographic: Adults
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: Human characters have unusual designs (for example, abnormally coloured hair and eyes). There are an assortment of non-human characters including
cyborgs, talking animals, aliens, and other such fantasy species. There seems to be advanced technology and/or magic in the
world that allows for modes of transport designed for non-human characters including
teleportation to and from different worlds as well as justifying the existence
of incredibly human-like robot characters. Fantasy and otherworldliness is also rooted in the aesthetic
including in food items or clothing.
- Non-fantasy elements: Human and human-like characters live relatively normal lives with jobs, prospects, and challenges experienced by typical people in everyday life. There are various plot points that revolve around this to balance out the fantasy elements. There seems to be a prominent focus on the characters’ mental states and methods of dealing with issues in their lives that isn’t outright stated but seems to be a running theme.
Bluey (
- Genre: Preschool, slice of life
- Target demographic: Younger children
- No continuity
- Fantasy elements: The entire cast (and by extension, world) is comprised of
anthropomorphic dogs. This is reflected in design choices down to architecture,
background elements, and place names. Another element arguably comes from the younger characters’
application of their imagination in day to day scenarios and interactions with
one another.
- Non-fantasy elements: The world that the characters live in is otherwise a reflection of the real world besides the aforementioned smaller details, and there is a focus on the family unit and their relationships to one another, particularly that of the main character and her younger sister.
Craig of the Creek (
- Genre: Comedy, drama, adventure, slice of life
- Target demographic: Children – teenagers
- Loosely continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: As with Bluey,
most of the drama and ‘fantastical’ element of the show are derived from a
childlike perception of the world wherein the younger characters find more wonder
in the generally ordinary world around them.
- Non-fantasy elements: The series is entirely rooted in the mundane, with the titular creek being the main focus in most of the episodes. It’s mostly about the children that play there and the situations that they find themselves in as well as their interactions with one another; as well as friendship, though, there is a rather large emphasis on the importance of supportive family. This is shown not only through the main character’s family, but the two sidekick characters’ families as well.
Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
- Genre: Mystery, adventure, comedy, coming of age
- Target demographic: Children – teenagers
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: The show deals with a strong supernatural element as well as
sci-fi aspects. Interdimensional travel and science-fiction-esque technology feature
prominently as a result. The fantasy-through-imagination element is displayed through
particular characters as well. Non-human characters are common, including the main villain,
a reality-warping, demon-like being.
- Non-fantasy elements: Most of the main cast are human characters working or staying at a souvenir shop. The two main characters are 12-year-old twins who go to stay there with their great-uncle for the summer – aside from the fantasy elements, there is also a large focus on coming-of-age plots that deal with the two main characters facing the reality that they are growing up. The relationships between the main family and their friends are driving points of the show, particularly that of the great-uncle and his estranged twin.
Infinity Train (2019
– present)
- Genre: Sci-fi, mystery, adventure, drama, anthology
- Target demographic: Teenagers
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: The supernatural and science-fiction
elements are the centrepiece of the show, as the main character finds herself
stuck on the titular train that is filled with peculiar worlds that she has to
traverse to get home. There are an array of non-human
characters, including anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic animals,
alien-like creatures, and human-like characters. The main character of the
second season is a humanoid character; her debating of her own humanity and
free will is a prominent plot point of the narrative.
- Non-fantasy elements: The main character of the first season is a regular teenage girl who is facing problems with her personal life including dealing with her parents’ divorce. The friendships that she makes with a robot creature and a talking dog character are important parts of the narrative. Another important character in the second season is a human boy who deals with his own struggles in terms of his personality flaws and being too afraid to defend himself. Asides from the train, the world that the first season’s main character and the second season’s recurring human character herald from isn’t implied to contain any fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements. It is essentially a reflection of the real world to some extent.
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
- Genre: Fantasy, comedy, drama, mystery, adventure
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: Supernatural and fantasy elements are played for horror; the
setting is a warped forest world that the two main characters become lost in and
have to traverse to get home. The characters in the forest are typically non-human, and
the human characters that do exist are either implied to be not what they seem
or have very strange and intentionally creepy designs. It is left ambiguous as to whether the forest the main
characters were stuck in really existed or not – the truth is ultimately a
mystery.
- Non-fantasy elements: The main characters are two human brothers. Snippets of their life are mentioned in passing or shown through flashback sequences before they end up lost in the woods, but they aren’t focused on massively barring a few exceptions. The brothers’ relationship is a relatively important part of the narrative as is their relationship with a character that they meet during their travels in the forest.
Regular Show (2010 – 2017)
- Genre: Animated sitcom, comedy, drama, sci-fi
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- Loosely continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: The main cast and a considerable portion of the extended
cast are some variation of anthropomorphic foods, animals, objects, or human-like
creatures. While mundane situations are an important part of the show, most
of them take a very science-fiction or fantasy-inspired twist by their respective
episode’s end. The last season of the show sees it abandon its ‘normal’
setting in favour of a science-fiction storyline and setting (set in space as
opposed to a city park).
- Non-fantasy elements: Some of the extended cast and almost all of the background/minor characters are human. The main characters spend their lives working in a park and dealing with typical struggles of young adults. Most of the episode premises are based around normal things that end up taking an unnatural spin towards the end. The main characters are best friends, which is a large part of the show’s premise as they both end up getting into trouble together a lot of the time.
Steven Universe (2013 – 2019)
- Genre: Action,
sci-fi, comedy, drama, coming of age
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: The main character is the child of a human and a member of
an alien race. As a result, half of the show centres around the fantasy element
of the main character’s life. The alien characters are essentially a race of anthropomorphic
gemstones with magical powers and advanced technology.
- Non-fantasy elements: The other half of the show centres around the mundane human half of the main character’s life and his interactions with other human characters living in the nearby town. The characters’ interconnecting relationships are especially important to the show’s narrative.
The Amazing World of Gumball (2011 – 2019)
- Genre: Fantasy, animated sitcom, surreal comedy, black comedy,
drama, slice of life
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- Loosely continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: All of the characters are anthropomorphic food, animals,
objects, or other non-human creatures. Mundane plotlines often take a spin for the fantastical and
surreal as they tend to spiral out of control. The imagination and childlike perspective
as fantasy approach is a part of the show as well. There are other dimensions in the world that the characters
live in that bring continuity to the show. It introduces a vaguely science-fiction/fantasy
element to the show as the storyline eventually acts as a means for the show to
deconstruct itself.
- Non-fantasy elements: The characters live normal lives in an otherwise normal world. The main characters and their friends go to school and their parents as well as the rest of the adults are shown working typical jobs. The friendships and family relationships between the characters are focused on, and the two main characters are both brothers and best friends. There are also relationships that are important to some of the characters’ backstories such as one character being estranged from her parents for most of her adult life due to their disapproval.
The Owl House (2020 – present)
- Genre: Comedy,
horror, fantasy, adventure
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: Most of the show takes place in a fantasy world filled with
mythological and supernatural characters. Magic and supernatural powers are central to the show.
- Non-fantasy elements: The main character is a human girl who struggles with fitting in with her peers and finding a purpose to her life. The series starts with her presumably on earth or at least in a relatively normal world and her mother suggests she go to a summer camp – the main character eventually ends up in the fantasy world by accident instead.
The Powerpuff Girls (1998 – 2005)
- Genre: Action, comedy, adventure, superhero
- Target demographic: Children - teenagers
- No continuity
- Fantasy elements: The main characters are three little girls with superpowers. Each episode usually sees them dealing with a monster or
villain, usually by defeating them. Sometimes it’ll be a recurring villain, but
none of them, whether they’re recurring or one-off, are human.
- Non-fantasy elements: There is a focus on the girls’ dynamics with each other and their relationship with their father. There is also a focus on the issues that the girls face that are typical of children their age such as problems at home in the more mundane part of their life or at school.
Tuca & Bertie (2019)
- Genre: Animated sitcom, comedy, surreal humour, slice of life
- Target demographic: Adults
- Continuity-based
- Fantasy elements: The show takes place in a world populated with anthropomorphic
birds and other animals.
- Non-fantasy elements: It deals with mundane, and the issues that the characters face in their adult lives. It focuses on their relationships with one another, with a particular focus on the titular characters and them as best friends. The show also highlights how characters deal with events from their past such as struggles they have faced previously and how it affects them in the present day.
On a general note, I have started to consider some of the routes I could possibly take, three of which being;
- Creating an imitation of a short pilot by looking at some of the pilots of the shows listed above (particular examples being that of both of Bee and Puppycat's pilots and The Amazing World of Gumball and Steven Universe's pilots.
- A teaser trailer styled short if I were to make something more action-based, perhaps by looking at ones for shows like The Owl House, Gravity Falls, or Steven Universe.
- An opening sequence. Examples of ones I'd look at for this would be The Powerpuff Girls, Craig of the Creek, Steven Universe, and The Amazing World of Gumball.
Each of these ideas lend themselves to using visuals and design to showcase personality of characters in a short space of time as well as their potential roles, their relationships to one another, and the premise of the story if there is one. Parts of the environment design and setting are showcased as well so the viewer can better understand the feel of the show.
In the case of an imitation trailer or opening sequence, music is especially important to capturing the feeling that the show is trying to present to its audience as well as being catchy enough that it's not easily forgotten. Both of these options tend to be incredibly fast-paced as well, and dialogue is limited if it is included at all.
Next, I'm going to work on compiling the ideas that I have come up with thus far.
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