PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: CARTOON NETWORK: ART OF THE HERO {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of events and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This morning continues Cartoon Network's 25th anniversary celebrations with a conversation about two of its hero-themed series.
Host Rebekah Fisk (director of education, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and briefly highlights the Paley Center's "Cartoon Network" exhibit, soon to move to the Los Angeles museum.
James Grebey (writer and entertainment editor, Inverse) then moderates the following panelists: Ian Jones-Quartey (creator, "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!") and John Fang (executive producer, "Ben 10").
The panelists touch on such topics as: their roles as creators and producers of their shows and how they oversee the creative processes; Fang's longtime love of comic books, particularly of the character of "X-Men" leader Scott "Cyclops" Summers; Jones-Quartey's childhood love of animation and current fondness for "Rick and Morty," among other shows; how they "fell into" careers in animation, including their enjoyment of the collaborative process; details of Captain Planet's appearance on "OK K.O.!" and Jones-Quartey's excitement at working with voice actor LeVar Burton; using the original "Captain Planet" music cues as well as the original voice actor, David Coburn, who offered insightful advice about the character; their educational background and Fang as a self-taught artist; the importance of being self-motivated beyond one's school assignments and finding artistic inspiration everywhere; what makes characters truly "heroic," including how they deal with setbacks and the importance of putting other's needs first; their shows' use of humor, inspired in part by "Looney Tunes"; the many different iterations of "Ben 10" and why Fang embraced a more lighthearted approach; their creative habits, including Fang's "morning-person" style and Jones-Quartey's drawing schedule; how to handle feedback and not-always-constructive criticism from fans on social media; their love of fan art and fan fiction as "the best, most pure" form of fan engagement; their personal heroes, including Jones-Quartey's grandmother Theodosia Okoh, who designed the flag of Ghana, and Fang's immigrant parents, who supported his artistic dreams; and their advice for other "creative kids."
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: why they chose the "creator-driven" Cartoon Network over other companies; ideas for an "OK K.O.!" / "Steven Universe" crossover; "grounded" elements and scientific references in both shows; Jones-Quartey's start on "Adventure Time" and eventual creation of his own series; the challenge of keeping to strict production schedules while managing many moving parts; Jones-Quartey's disinterest in creating content for adults and preference for younger, more open-minded audiences; the long development period and evolution of "Ben 10"; focusing on one's opportunities and how to be persistent without crossing over into "annoying"; advice on networking and providing handy contact information for prospective employers; and why creating memorable characters is more important than constructing a complex plot.
Clips from Fang and Jones-Quartey's work are also shown, including scenes from "Ben 10" and the "The Power is Yours!" episode of "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!".
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 11:00 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:03
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 131165
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rebekah Fisk … Host
- James Grebey … Moderator
- Ian Jones-Quartey … Panelist
- John Fang … Panelist
- LeVar Burton
- David Coburn
- Theodosia Okoh