Animator Michael Cusack‘s universe is expanding with the upcoming release of Koala Man. Murphy’s Multiverse had the opportunity during San Diego Comic-Con to sit down with the YOLO and Smiling Friends creator, alongside writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit to discuss the new superhero animated series coming to Hulu. Cusack started by providing a template of what to expect in terms of the scope of this new world.
It’s usually low stakes, relatable kinda small town things that I’ve experienced or other writers experienced. Not just from Australia, but small towns too…and using small stakes, low stakes situations and seeing where they can go. Either they go big and surreal or we commit to the low stakes and see where that goes too. It’s a sandbox where we can just do what we want.
Michael Cusack
As someone who has been involved with various bombastic, adult-oriented animations in his career, Cusack and the writer’s team provided some insight into the tone that we can expect from the project.
It’s good to have the freedom for sure. In saying that, it doesn’t mean that we’re like ‘oh we can do anything so it’s got to be as gratuitous as we want’. It’s not really that hardcore adult. It’s really just an elevated Simpsons in a way.
Michael Cusack
They also highlighted how much creative freedom they had while working on it. So, no idea was shot down at any time throughout their time working on it.
But I think that it is exciting to not limit where the story can go and how it can be expressed. Because sometimes in others’ writers rooms…you pitch something that’s hilariously funny and go ‘oh but we could never do that’. But that phrase was not uttered in the Koala Man writers room.
Benji Samit
Koala Man is produced by 20th Television Animation and will be released on Hulu. The main cast consists of Michael Cusack, Hugh Jackman, Rachel House, Jarrad Wright, Claudia O’Doherty, Michelle Brasier, and Natalie Tran. And Thursday’s San Diego Comic-Con panel confirmed the additions of Sarah Snook and Demi Lardner to the principal cast.
This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.
