Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1378252
F E AT U R E NATHAN RICO ART DIRECTOR BIG MOUTH NETFLIX WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES BIG MOUTH UNIQUE? I think Big Mouth walks a line between gross humor and raw feelings about sex and relationships. Our EPs and writers are great at finding relatable moments/topics and making them fun yet approachable. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MOMENT YOU CREATED FOR YOUR SHOW? It is an episode coming up for next season. But a close second would have to be Season 4, Episode 6: "Nick Starr"—we took our cast into a future dystopian Earth. It was super fun to take a normally light-hearted Big Mouth into a more dark and gritty locale. WHAT ANIMATED SHOWS INSPIRED YOUR CAREER? Too many to count! Dragon Ball, Batman: The Animated Series, Aaah!!! Real Monsters, and Samurai Jack. I remember running to watch these shows on Saturday mornings or after school. All of them have a strong and distinct visual style that drew me to them from a young age. Most have a strong protagonist who is trying to be a good person, and the monsters are just fun and weird! I think two ideas were imprinted into my brain from these: opening my eyes to a wide range of looks for animated shows, and also for me to try to be good, fun, and weird. WHAT ANIMATED SHOW HELPED YOU GET THROUGH THE PAST YEAR? The Midnight Gospel one hundred percent. Thought-provoking subject matter, fun style, and a format that was a little different. It released in April 2020 when things were getting more intense, and it helped me take a breath to enjoy something really cool. PRIMETIME PLAYERS WHAT ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? A FAVORITE MOMENT YOU CREATED FOR YOUR SERIES? THE SHOW THAT GOT YOU THROUGH THE PANDEMIC? WE REACHED OUT TO CREATIVES FROM A FEW OF THIS YEAR'S EMMY HOPEFULS FOR OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM TO FIND OUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS—AND THEN SOME. "Nick Starr" sees the characters in Big Mouth visiting a dystopian future. 26 KEYFRAME