The panel itself, moderated by TV Guide’s Damian Holbrook, was a chat with the cast and producers. Present at the panel were original voice cast members Rob Paulson (Yakko and Pinky), Jess Harnell (Wakko) Tress MacNeille (Dot) and Maurice LaMarche (the Brain) with executive producers Wellesley Wild and Gabe Swarr.
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When asked by Holbrook “why bring it back now?”, the answer was a universal “Why not?” Speaking about Animaniacs’ long lasting appeal, Jesse Harnell recalled meeting legendary animator Friz Freleng and asking him what he thought the secret was to his works’ endurance. Freleng said it was down to 2 things: “Number 1, they were funny. Number 2, we didn’t make them for kids, we made them for adults.” Something showrunner Wellseley Wild has a lot of experience in due to his work on Family Guy.
Looking at the clip, the style of the new series is totally in keeping with the original. But what’s really striking is how the new designs for Yakko, Wakko and Dot are both updated yet instantly familiar. Character designer Genevieve Tsai took influence from TMS (Tokyo Movie Shinsha) Entertainment’s work on the original show and said in an interview with Cartoon Brew, “My style just has an angular feel to it, so I put that onto the characters. I kinda kept what I really liked about the TMS stuff, but just streamlined them, pushed the expressions because I really love pushed facial expressions and dynamic poses." Rest assured, in the clip Steven Spielberg promises that they’ll still be zany to the max.
Animaniacs will be available to stream on Hulu on Nov 20.
MORE: Animaniacs Yakko, Wakko, Dot Are Here to Activate Massive Nostalgia
Source: TheAnimaniacs/Twitter
