Reddit AMA Recap: Genndy Tartakovsky

Recently, during a Reddit AMA, Genndy Tartakovsky, Creator and Director of Primal (along with many other animated bangers such as Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Fixed and directed all 4 Hotel Transylvania animated films. Compared to his previous AMA, Genndy is here to discuss Primal Season 3, along with his previous works and inspirations behind Primal.

What were the greatest sources of inspiration for Dexter’s Lab, Samurai Jack, and Primal? The last two in particular always stood out to me, due to their nature as shows with little to no dialogue and emphasis on ambience.

G.T: I always find myself enjoying things that are the most challenging or trying something new. If we’re doing something by the numbers, then I kind of shut off. I get the most excited when we’re doing something experimental because it means we’re doing something fresh. Usually, the first episodes of a show have that feeling.

What motivated you to get into animation as early as you did, and how did you get started? Was there anything specific that inspired you to create Primal, or was it an idea you had for some time? When did you decide to largely omit verbal dialogue, and did you think it would be a risk to launch an essentially silent TV series in this day and age?

G.T: My dad bought a tv set when we emigrated from Russia, and when I turned it on, there were all these cartoons that I fell in love with. It just struck me, and I never outgrew it. I would do flip books. You know, watching a little stick figure run across the page and dunk a basketball. When I showed it to my friends, I would get a huge reaction from it. There was something about entertaining them that I fell in love with. So I pursued it.

What lessons or inspiration from your past work did you bring into creating Primal? And did you have any key ideas that came from your creative team?

G.T: From the very start, I looked at Dexter’s Lab episodes. Visual storytelling prepared me to do Primal. You start to realize this is what I like to do. I got really lucky because my job is doing the thing I love the most.

What are the other dive animation/live action/art/books that inspire you? That aren’t they widely known and deserve some shine?

G.T: The Sorcerer, a 1977 movie that came out the same day Star Wars did. It does everything that I like to do. Also, The Party by Peter Sellers. Conan and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is also a good way to know where I’m coming from.


On whether or not Fantasy Artist Frank Frazetta was an inspiration for the development or inspiration of Primal?

G.T: Of course. I was bedazzled by Frank’s work when I was a teenager. When we started making the show, we were fans, and we were wondering how we could get the feeling of the art into our animation.


What inspired you to make this show? The lack of dialogue and just showcasing emotion is very cool and unique. How did you come up with the inspiration for it? And how do you feel about the show blending anachronisms, such as the blending of dinosaurs, Neanderthals, and ice age animals, and early civilizations inspired by Egypt, as well as the inclusion of things such as magic?

G.T: Basically, after we made the final season of Samurai Jack in 2017, all the best reactions were from the sequences with no dialogue. I asked myself the question, could I make a show with these specific kinds of sequences, and the rest was history.

What were some of the most significant obstacles you faced on the road to becoming such an IP powerhouse?


G.T: I guess reality vs. expectations and how to live with myself when something turned out terribly, that was a huge hurdle. You want to cry, but you have to keep moving. People don’t realize how much we work; there isn’t a factory churning these shows out. It’s people and hard work, no cheat codes. Life and work for me are the same; finding a balance between them is crucial. We’ve raised 3 healthy kids who are pretty good people, and they don’t hate me. I think I did it right. Additionally, I’ve been fortunate that people I’ve worked with have been on my side.

Which work do you look back on as the defining moment of your career that set the tone for who you are as a creator?

G.T: I have multiple defining moments. Probably the first one was when we made the pilot of Dexter. That opened up my career. Then, when we made old man Dexter, it was the first time I was like… that character’s alive. That was an amazing epiphany. Then the first silent 7 min of Samurai Jack… that, without music, we were just watching it, and I knew we reached a new level, so that was also big.

How do you even pitch this season? How much pushback did you get?

G.T: I have a very long history with Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, and there’s really no push back. Everyone is very supportive of each other. Once I pitched this idea, everyone saw what I was going for and supported me.

When you were making the storyboards for Primal, was there any scene or sequence that was particularly difficult to execute, or that you had to redo many times? What was the process like to achieve the best result?

G.T: After doing so much action, sometimes I feel like I go by the numbers. That’s when I have to stop and rethink. In this 3rd season of Primal, I’ve felt that the most. I have to rethink and find a fresh perspective on the scene. Action is hard when you do it a lot, and you feel like you’re burning out.

Did Spear not hurt the villagers because human ostracization is a powerful instinct over “just kill everything that hurts me?”

G.T: I think for them, at that point, he is already aware enough that these are normal humans. He’s never killed to kill. I think he feels a different threat at that point because they are Mira’s people. I don’t think story-wise we could survive that.

What was the episode in the first two seasons that made you think “oh yeah, they will LOVE this one” before it was released? And for the new season: Are there any episodes that make you think the same thing?

G.T: Rage of the Apeman, it’s badass. For this season, I thought people would love the Cricket episode.

What exactly made you make a season 3 and continue the story of Spear and Fang? What was your inspiration for Spear’s enemies in season 3?


G.T: All the enemies, we try not to be random about. They all facilitate something in the story. It’s not picking a monster, and we put them in. The questions are what kind of fight do we want to do, what kind of action, what kind of threat? Sometimes, when you’re creating a story like that, what you need guides you to what kind of creature is needed. I like lots of creepy little creatures. Sometimes I’m scratching a visual itch.


I love Mira’s character design and find the culture of her people so fascinating. What inspired Mira’s character, her personality, and role in the narrative? And what real-life cultures was her own culture modeled after?

G.T: Her culture is mostly influenced by North African tribes. Her language is based on formal Arabic. The woman who plays her (Laëtitia Eïdo) actually asks her mom to give her the proper old-school Arabic translation. Her character was something that I felt worked well with Spear because she had to be very (she had her own trauma of course) open to accept him. So she had to have a lot of qualities to survive in this world. I thought it would be a good match. It seemed like a good part of the second season to save her.


What is your favorite movie, cartoon, video game, and anime?

G.T: Movie: Apocalypse Now
Cartoon: It’s between Little Rural Riding Hood, Deputy Droopy, and Zoot Suit Cat
Video game: Not a video game guy
Anime: Gatchaman, Speed Racer, Star Blazers, Cowboy Bebop
Music album: This is a tough one. My taste is really eclectic, it’s hard to say one.

Where did the idea for Fang rejecting Zombie Spear come from? It’s such a gut punch seeing the driving relationship of the series in the state it’s currently in (in a good way, of course).


G.T: Fang rejecting Zombie Spear came from animal reactions to scent, and Spear does not smell like Spear. And so maybe visually she sees something, but she trusts her scent, and it says NO.


How do you decide the pacing of your action sequences? Do you have any sort of rules that help you define when things are slow and quiet and when they explode, and action ramps up?


G.T: I always think about action as a piece of music. And a good piece of music always has ups and downs, and then I look for a rhythm in the action. I’ll draw, draw, draw, and then I pitch it back to myself. So I don’t explain. I pitch it to music. If I sing it to myself and feel like it’s missing a beat, then I’m instinctively feeling like it’s going somewhere. Sometimes this could be a long waaAAhhhewee. Then I feel what’s missing or what’s needed.


How do you think of a story? In the brainstorming phase, what is your process? Do you write everything out, are you drawing, or do you mix writing and drawing? Do you think about what you’re interested in? Are you considering your audience? Do you only work on a pitch, or do you develop an idea more? Or do you wait for someone to bring you something? If you have an agent, how involved are they in your process?

G.T: We initially start with loose ideas like mole men, or Spear loving the grasshopper, etc. I’m very instinctual; if I don’t have any ideas, then that means something isn’t right. Darrick Bachman and I will sit down and talk the whole season out. Once we have that, we dive into each episode with specifics, which has lots of writing. When I storyboard, the drawings and the visuals guide me as I go. Overall, there is definitely a structural piece of writing we follow.

So do Fang’s babies in the new Primal season have names? I just saw a post on Instagram from an animator referring to them as Spike and Sonja.


G.T: Yes – Spike and Sonja


Has their ever been ideas/concepts for episodes of Primal that ultimately didn’t make the cut, and if so, what were they about?

G.T: I feel like in tv we have such limited time/resources we cant afford to throw something out that we’ve started. The ideas have certainly changed. I remember Samurai Jack episodes we had to throw out because something wasn’t right, but things in Primal have been adjusted, but not thrown out.


How is it working with Scott Wills? I have heard that he is a bit of a ‘character’. Is it true that someone threw a plate of potatoes at him when he worked at Dreamworks?


G.T: It’s amazing working with Scott because he’s as passionate about animation as I am. Things do get combative sometimes, and I’ve wanted to throw a plate of potatoes at him here and there, but we’re very like-minded, and we have the same goal. It makes for a beautiful partnership.


Have you ever considered doing the art /animation for video games?

G.T: I’m not opposed to it. I’ve been employed doing my own thing, but if something interesting came along, sure.

Do you envision Primal continuing into further seasons, or should we expect something brand new?

G.T: Both! I want Primal to be everlasting… until I retire or die, and there is always something new on the horizon.


Is it too late for me to try and practice drawing again, and am I making a mistake picking a stable field in College over animation?.


G.T: I’m a firm believer in doing what you love. If you can swing it, yes, pursue animation. Yes, it will be hard, and who knows what will happen… but if you love it, do it. I worked jobs that I hated, so I pursued doing something that I love.


What’s the most common mistake young animators make when trying to create something “epic”?


G.T: Moving everything all the time. Control is our best tool. Every shot doesn’t need to be at 11. You need to create a rhythm, a build, and a release. It can’t just be yelling at you the whole time. That’s what stands out to me, at least.


What were the pig-like creatures that attacked Mira’s village in S3 intended to be? Were they entelodonts? Andrewsarchus? Some generic pig creatures? Everyone seems conflicted on what they are, so I was hoping you could set the record straight.

G.T: We based them on Andrewsarchus


What inspired you to do the Dexter’s Lab episode where you animated a kid’s dictated story? How did this come about? Was it a random submission? Did you guys get in touch with the family in advance, or were they surprised when it aired?

G.T: We just got the tape in the mail of this kid who does Dexter’s voice, and we decided to use it. Totally random.


Are there any tips on how to get action scenes and even everyday scenes to get that cinematic look and feel?

G.T: I think cinema is about creating moments and giving yourself the time, patience, and trust to create that moment is the key. It’s not just random big epic shots. It’s all for a purpose. It’s all for something I’m trying to communicate.

Has anyone ever brought up the fact that your show might be the first inclusive adult animated cartoon? How do you hopefully see Primal influencing another tv shows to be as amazing and inclusive?


G.T: Thank you, that’s amazing. Communicating through visuals is a magic trick, I think, because when you break it all down, it means nothing, but when you put it all together, it means everything. I don’t know how it will affect the rest of the industry. It has to be a mega hit to affect it. Because I like to watch things like this, that’s why I do it.

Have you studied archeology before? Your anatomy with animals/ creatures has always amazed me with how anatomically accurate they all manage to be.

GT: I have not, but we have a guy who works with us – David Krentz. He is a dinosaur expert without a certificate, and so he keeps us in check.


What is the most important lesson you hope viewers will take with them after watching Primal?

G.T: It’s not really about a lesson. Success is when you fall in love with a character, and they seem real. I want them to be everlasting, and they become someone you like, love, and miss in a way. Creating everlasting characters is the trick. Stories are one thing, but character is forever.

And finally, for those trying to break into the industry during these trying times of AI and layoffs, what do you recommend to keep that creative spark burning bright and not get disheartened by it all?

G.T: Right now, you have the opportunity to just make things and release them on social media, and that’s a significant thing we never had. So if you’re driven and devoted, you can make it happen. The worst you can do for yourself is complain and not do anything. So if you work as a waiter do your drawings at night. You only fail if you never try.


-Genndy has left the building-

Catch new episodes of Primal every Sunday at 11:30 pm on Adult Swim, the next day on HBO Max. Catch the finale on March 15!