Savoring the Last Days of Summer
Why did the summer of 2021 feel even stranger than last year’s as we were just beginning to get accustomed to life under the pandemic lockdown? Maybe it was because we all thought that things would be back to normal by now — and yet, here we are, still walking around in a cloud of confusion and disbelief at how this insidious virus continues to wreak havoc on human lives around the world. One thing’s for sure: We need to be so grateful to all the amazing healthcare workers, first responders, scientists and essential workers who are living selflessly to keep us safe and protected each and every day.
The good news is that we can still rely on our animation friends to offer us solid entertainment and beautiful escapism when we need it the most. The month’s cover stars — the sparkly, colorful cast of the new My Little Pony movie — haven’t lost their shimmer since they were first introduced as toys in the early 1980s. Our writer Karen Idelson had a great time chatting with the directors of the new Netflix feature Robert Cullen and José Luis Ucha about their charming project, and we hope you enjoy reading about the making of this late-summer offering.
We also have Michael Mallory’s sneak peek at the new Addams Family animated movie; Richard Johnson’s insightful interview with Pascal-Alex Vincent, the director of the acclaimed new documentary about Satoshi Kon; and Jennifer Wolfe’s lovely piece about experimental artist Christine Panuskha’s new movie Blood of the Family Tree, which will shine at the Ottawa festival this month.
September also marks the beginning of the fall festival and market season. With the exception of Cartoon Forum — which at press time was still going to be held as a live event in Toulouse, France — the month’s big animation events Pixelatl (Mexico) and Ottawa (Canada) will be online. All three events have lots of exciting plans for their attendees, and we’ve tried to highlight some of the mustsee highlights in our magazine this month.
There seems to be an unusually large number of new shows premiering in the next few months. The four that we’re spotlighting in this issue — Disney Channel’s The Ghost and Molly McGee, Amazon’s Do, Re & Mi, Netflix’s Q-Force and Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia — are as different from each other as you can imagine. We had the chance to talk to the amazing creators of all these new offerings, and their tales of how they were able to bring their visions to animated life must warm the hearts of anyone out there who is hoping to get their shows made by a big studio one day!
Don’t forget: Summer doesn’t officially end until September 22, so try and enjoy these final, golden days. Take us with you if you’re lucky enough to be on vacation!