JOE BENNETT

“Scavengers”

Many of Bennett’s animated shorts capture a twisted take on humanity. There’s a definite touch of Mike Judge’s dark comedy, but also a poignancy and often a melancholy — Bennett cites John Cassavetes and documentary filmmaker Sean Dunne as influences.

“I’m creating something raw and natural,” says Bennett, a Georgia native, who studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York before realizing he was more excited by animation.

Amidst those shorts, “Scavengers” stands defiantly apart: created with Charles Huettner, it’s a silent piece about humans trying to survive in an alien world, yet its tone is softer and sweeter than his earthbound works. “I’m not into sci-fi but I watch a lot of animal documentaries and loved the challenge of telling a story without dialogue,” Bennett says.

Now the duo is creating a series based on the short for HBO Max. He did have to make some compromises. “They said ‘absolutely not’ to the idea of a whole season without dialogue,” he says.

Also in the works is another swerve, “Common Side Effects” (for Adult Swim), co-created with Steve Hely, who previously worked on “Veep.” (The show is to be executive produced by Judge and Greg Daniels.) It features characters working for Big Pharma and others looking to help the world more naturally (think mushrooms); Bennett says it’s closer in tone to “The Big Lebowski” or shows such as “Succession” and “White Lotus” that poke fun at corporate America and greed. “I’m trying not to fall into specific genres,” he says. — Stuart Miller