Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544997
STAYING IN CHARACTER Keeping designs familiar but fresh wasn't just about the monsters. The kids, the town, and all of the side characters had to feel like a new spin on the flagship, as well. With the kids, the artists designed to the live-action actors' likenesses, spending weeks getting details right. But with supporting characters from the original show, some of the actors hadn't given their likeness rights to this new project, so the design team was faced with the challenge of conveying the essence of their characters without making the designs look exactly like them. " We had to look at each character through the lens of an archetype, then design that archetype from scratch," says Chesworth. "There were certain cues that felt non- likeness infringing, like he's got a fancy suit because he's a politician, or he's got a mustache and glasses because he's a science teacher." They also needed to design a new character, Nikki, that felt like an outsider. They looked to punk scenes across urban America to create a look that was recognizably '80s and way too cool for Hawkins, Indiana. "The dyed hair, the patches, the scribbling on clothes, the torn fabric, all these things are timeless signatures of punk," Chesworth explains. "So that was how we approached Nikki." As well, the CG team had their work cut out for them when it came time to make the characters feel familiar, according to Jason Meier, the CG Super vising Producer. " We would always try to imagine what the actors would do," he says. The team rewatched the series multiple times, zeroing in on minute mannerisms and movements of physical characteristics like eyebrows. " We wanted to make sure that everybody felt real and tactile, like you could reach out and hang out with them." this page: (from top) The CG team studied the movements and expressions of the live-action actors to ensure the animated characters felt real and consistent with the originals; (bottom) The artists invested time in getting period details just right, including classic '80s-era hairstyles. SUMMER 2026 23