Craig McCracken Talks About Creating Netflix Series ‘Kid Cosmic’

With the launch of Kid Cosmic, Netflix’s 2021 slate of new original animation is really getting underway. The series, which premieres today, sees the return of Craig McCracken, the creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Wander over Yonder. To mark the occasion, the new animation event platform — and Cartoon Brew partner — INBTWN Animation spoke to McCracken about how Kid Cosmic resembles his past work, how it differs, and why, at its heart, it’s “old-school Mister Rogers, Jim Henson stuff.”

The show tells the story of a young boy whose dream of acquiring superpowers comes true when he discovers five magical “cosmic stones.” The sci-fi superhero premise is of a piece with McCracken’s previous shows — but Kid Cosmic is also his first serialized series, as befits the streaming format.

He tells us about how he approached Kid Cosmic, setting it up as a script-driven show but writing with the storyboard artists (a role he has experience of) in mind. He also tells us about the influence of Dennis the Menace and Tintin, the central role of music in his creative process, his reasons for choosing a relatively naturalistic animation style, and much more…

Watch the conversation with McCracken below: