Junae Benne: We had to take a break
and get a word in from our sponsors.

Nature.

No, but

we were talking, you know, I
mean, I thanks Nature for like

this wonderful lighting and this
beautiful background, like no green

screen could have been better.

You know, you just do such a great job so.

Thanks.

You're still

Bryan Newton: don't think you're on the
green screen, so you can't escape that.

People don't think people go
outside, so it's like, oh,

that's clearly a green screen.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah.

You know, uh, at some point I, I'm still,
I'm still trying to make it happen.

I really want a mobile
gaming setup, right?

Like for when I start going camping
more, but like a proper computer, right?

Like, not me playing a mobile game on
my phone and then sharing it 'cause.

I would just like kill my phone.

But I'm telling y'all, I've been trying
to do it for like, I think two years now

and just figuring out like the logistics
and like which computer I'm going to use.

'cause like the gaming laptops are
sometimes they have a hard time

trying to just function without
like a direct power source.

And then I have to get like some
meaty power bank, you know, to charge

my laptop to like play something.

So yeah, it'll be nothing thing soon.

Bryan Newton: Yeah, it'll happen.

Um,

Junae Benne: so yeah, we were still
talking about Invisible Fight Girl,

and I really want to, 'cause we
were talking about Craig, right?

And it's so funny because I couldn't
remember his name was Craig, but

like I love Craig of the Creek.

Um, but we're gonna get to
Craig of the creek in a second.

For right now, I want you just to
tell me, uh, about the name and how.

Did you guys arrive at
Invincible Fight Girl?

Bryan Newton: So, uh, for Invincible
Fight Girl, it's all Justin's creation.

Like we already, we already were
recognizing that there was already

a popular show called Invincible
Out, but Justin wanted to stand on

principle and he wanted change it.

So it's, uh, usually just colloquially
we refer to as Fight Girl or IFG.

That's another way that
like internally we call it.

But, um, we figured the show
was different enough that.

It stands on its own principle.

Like obviously people are gonna draw
comparisons just on title alone.

They're like, when's
season three coming out?

It's like, it's different show dude.

Uh, but also 'cause adult swim.

So that's another thing
that's an interesting story.

Uh, we were developing for
Cartoon Network studios.

Uh, I know I mentioned earlier that
Rick and Morty is not Cartoon Network.

So this is the one instance where
we were producing a Cartoon network

show that did go for Adult Swim.

We didn't know we were
gonna go on Adult Swim.

We had some suspicions, especially
after, uh, my Adventures with

Superman went to Adult Swim and
we were like, Hmm, interesting.

Maybe they're gonna put
us in a similar block.

And they essentially did.

But like we, we were next to,
uh, jiujitsu, uh, sorry, Makki.

And then, um.

So going to Adult Swim was kind
of a surprise for us because

obviously, uh, most people know CAR
T Network has different standards

than what Adult Swim can do.

Like if you notice in Fight Girl there
is violent, but there's no blood.

Uh, anytime there would be any
instance of blood, we just have

to do with like dirt or effects.

Uh.

Maybe going forward season
two, we'll start reevaluating

like how far we can push it.

But we still wanna keep it ton tonally
consistent with the first season.

So it won't be drastically different.

But now we'll probably have a
different standard of how we can play.

And even still, like Adult Swim
is also pulling back in the lab.

Its contents shows, uh, most people
probably haven't noticed on the

outside, but they're not pushing
it the way they were pushing

it, like not even 10 years ago.

Uh, a lot of those MAs are becoming PG 13.

Or PG is whatever they call it.

Junae Benne: I'm not even gonna hold you.

I prefer a PG 13 because I feel
like you have to be more creative.

Right?

Bryan Newton: Sometimes.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: Um, what was
it drawn together like?

I feel like drawn together was raunchy, so
it was like funny, you know, but if they

had to have made that pg, I don't know.

Sometimes it's like when you, when you
have less, you kind of get more like

upscale or like you have more creativity.

So, yeah, I like that.

I, yeah,

Bryan Newton: because, uh, not
everyone's clever enough to make it.

Mature and also make it funny.

I relevant, they just think, yeah,

yeah.

Uh,

edge for the sake of edge
is the, the point of comedy.

It's like, no, you also
wanna say something.

Uh, drawing together is actually
a really good example because, uh,

it was the show, even when I saw
it, I'm like, the show's sometimes

too mean, especially towards tits.

Yeah.

It's like, that's, that's me.

Don't do thatit.

Yeah.

Everything else is fine, but
I'm just like, you, you really,

it was really uncomfortable the
way they treated that character.

Uh, but yeah.

But yeah, like it's, it's interesting
'cause I don't disagree with the

fact that you have to be more
creative when you have limitations.

I think it's just limitations
can make you more creative.

Not necessarily like limiting the scope,
but like obviously if you can tell

something that's appropriate for an adult
audience, you should be able to also

tell something that's appropriate for
a general or even a younger audience.

It's not hard and similar
to how some animes will.

Puts like all the material
they want for you up front.

So that's like, like
cowboy beef up for example.

That's a perfect first episode.

Everything the series is about and
anything you expect to see in the

series is in the first episode.

Uh, but another thing shown in does, uh,
is like it can grow with the audience.

So if we start off with a middle
school Latino audience, we recognize

that if we do further episodes.

Those middle schoolers aren't
gonna be middle schoolers in four

years and they're not gonna be
teenagers in five to six years.

So like we could also scale up
with the audience if the growth of

the characters is also consistent.

Junae Benne: I feel like Adventure
Time did that because I do remember

watching Adventure Time right before
I went to college, and then I watched

it like a lot afterward and, um.

You know, at first it kind of
was just like, oh, this is cute.

Like, you know, she's just like a
dungeon crawl kid who's just been

forgotten in the woods and all
these people are made of candy.

And then like, you know, it
just started getting, not like

dark, but more intentional.

And, uh, I could kind of say the
same thing with regular show.

Uh, but I feel like they also, they
started just a little bit higher and

then it started just to kind of get.

A bit crazier.

Like I feel like regular show was like

Bryan Newton: Yeah, regular show
might be a, a similar example I

always talk about with problem solvers
where the suits and the people in

charge just stopped paying attention.

Uh, but I literally thought

Junae Benne: of that when you said that.

I was like, I wonder if that happened
a regular show, because they would be

like, you made me drop my gumballs.

Like,

Bryan Newton: wait a minute.

With regular show, I'm like,
I'm like 85%, maybe 90% certain.

That's the case with Adventure time.

You're right.

It's also the suits not paying
attention, but it's also the creatives

behind the scenes wanting to.

Uh, evolve and, uh, mature the characters
like I'm sure Penn, that was like an

idea because there's a lot of like
little seedlings they drop behind the

scenes of the show and the structure.

So when it does start getting more
serious, you're like, oh, those are clued

in 12 seasons ago, or 10 seasons ago.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah.

That, that, I think I, I love that.

And I, and like we were talking
about with, um, invincible

Fight Girl, I feel like.

We are gonna eat really good, right?

With all of the things that you're
able to like put in there and drop.

'cause we're gonna be like,
well what happened to this?

Or what happened to that?

And you know, there are those people who
like love to know every detail about it.

So they're gonna be like, oh my gosh,
finally they're answering this question.

And I like that we know
what we're getting.

Um, because like I hate to watch
an anime and get invested and then

all of a sudden it's like Gore.

And I was like.

What were y'all gonna say?

That, like, what were you guys gonna say?

That, you know, people's limbs are
just gonna be all over the place.

You know, like, um, I'm gonna forget
it because I kind of wiped it from

my mind, but I, it was like something
saving Japan or something like that.

They, it was like an apocalyptic
thing and I was like, okay,

they're just trying to survive.

And it was like, no, bro.

But

Bryan Newton: they didn't take
that in the first episodes,

because most shows would do that.

Like, if you're gonna see
any TNA or any violence, it's

gonna be in the first episode.

Junae Benne: No, no.

I, I don't have any specific hard turn
examples, but I just know that sometimes

I would be like, it'd be episode two and
a half and my jaw drop, and I'd be like,

okay, I wasn't expecting this, you know?

And, um, there's this creator
on TikTok, she made a very like.

Funny but true video about like, Hey,
if you don't wanna watch certain anime,

you gotta look at the cover, you know?

And so she was talking about like
the details of things you should

look for in an anime if there are
certain things that you want to avoid.

And so,

Bryan Newton: oh, really?

Junae Benne: Yeah, so, because

Bryan Newton: I kind of wanna check out
like ly, so like, oh yeah, you're right.

I thought that

Junae Benne: she's, listen, ever since
I have been doing her like tests, I've

been like, she's been right, like a
hundred percent of the time for me.

Like very, very, very useful.

So, um, yeah, no, so
I, I like that though.

I, everything that I've seen so far,
I really like it and I want more of

it, and I do want it to be like this.

Full on.

Um, like course, you know, like
I really, I think there's, so,

especially because we haven't even
been to the other places, right?

Right.

Like we saw, um, the importance of
like the accounting island, right?

Like we saw the importance of that and
you know, the one they, one day, the

year they have to deal with like all
of the wrestlers and it's like, okay,

but what other factions are there?

What other aisles are there, you know,
territories and things like that.

And um, right.

I, I think they're gonna have
like their own little stories.

So

Bryan Newton: I'm pretty, I'm

Junae Benne: pretty excited.

Bryan Newton: Well, all of it's gonna
be, the thinking behind the wrestling

world is that like every place has an
economy that contributes to why the

world of wrestling functions so clearly.

Like all the wrestlers, our bulk
of them go to accounting island.

They get their taxes done.

Cool.

Then you think like, okay, where
do they get their food from?

Oh, the beef puncher district.

Oh, okay.

Cool.

Uh, where do they get their fashion from?

Well, there's a district for that too.

Oh, okay.

Cool.

That's where they get like their belts.

Oh, that's gonna be a district for that.

Is there a training area?

Possibly, yeah.

Where are the rings produced?

That's another thing where
those robot refs produced.

Yes.

That's another

Junae Benne: thing.

Yes.

I was not expecting it to just drop.

Bryan Newton: Yeah, the rings, the rest.

Who's in charge?

Like you also noticed?

Yeah.

Like who?

Junae Benne: Because who?

Second

Bryan Newton: episode?

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Bryan Newton: No, I'm sorry,
what were you gonna say?

Junae Benne: I was agreeing with
you, like who made the rules, right?

Like everybody knows like the
tapout rule, but it's like.

You know, a couple of times they went out
of the ring and I was like, okay, that's

like not a dq, but you know, depending on
like what match you're doing, sometimes

you can like fight outside of the ring
and as long as you know, you dominate.

But yeah, like who is in charge.

Bryan Newton: Yeah.

We haven't done TAG team yet.

Junae Benne: Right, right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm waiting for like hell of the cell.

Yeah.

Like I, I'm waiting for it.

I'm ditching

Bryan Newton: them.

We're ditching them.

So it's just a matter of
like, we gotta build to that.

Like, first you have to get accustomed to
the world, the economy, the characters,

and how like fights and growths operate.

And then you can start, like, Andy,
we throw Andy in those situations

where it's like, well now you're
gonna be teamed up with somebody.

You gotta win.

It's not just gonna be on you, now,
you're gonna be stuck in the cell.

So the rules are different and you can't
just like, have tap out or knock 'em out.

It's like you're gonna be dealing
with some more intense situations.

Yeah.

Um, the, yeah, like another economy is
like, well, who are the top wrestlers?

Like, we see two of them in the, in
the second episode, you're paying

attention, like they're on screen.

So it's like there are characters
out there who are like, we haven't

even seen the top of the world yet.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Let's stop talking about it.

No, no.

Wait, one last question.

Mm-hmm.

One last question.

Um, is there a wrestler that you would
like, like to feature on the show?

I have ideas, but I was
wondering if you have ideas.

Bryan Newton: You mean like
contemporary wrestlers?

Like people who wrestle?

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Bryan Newton: Uh, yes, there is, there is
a group I would like to see in the show.

A group show, but,

okay.

The thinking

I'm, and this is, uh, definitely gonna be
a rule I'll try to enforce, is that like

they'll not be appearing as themselves
'cause it's a whole separate world.

If anything, they'd be
a cameo of a character.

That's about it.

It, so whoever they would be,
they'd be like, oh, you can cameo

the voice of this character.

Maybe a background, but you're not
gonna be appearing as you because

that, we don't want that kind of
like crossover representation.

Yeah.

It has to be consistent with our world.

Okay.

Yeah, just the people you know for know.

So

for example, even though I love
Mick Foley, MC Foley's not just

gonna show up and be Mick Foley.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

I'm thinking Jade Cargill.

Athena Palmer.

You know what I, I'm thinking swirly,

you know, I'm, I'm thinking.

Yeah.

Just, uh, anyways.

Yeah,

Bryan Newton: I got, I got
a short list of people.

I'm like, I would love to have this
person just be a voice for the cred

and just if they're, if they want to.

But it, it'd be like, 'cause again,
we're building a series that's like.

Anime inspired, obviously,
but we're doing it.

So if anything, we've also, for
the casting, we've got, we've

gotten performers who can do the
range that usually anime, dubbing,

American dubbing can do so we'll.

We reach out to those people, but
also we got like heavy hitters like

Clancy Brown and Keith David and
many others and new people too.

Like, uh, I found out that, I
can't think of his name right now.

That's.

Bug me.

I'm sorry.

Uh, the voice actor Craig is the new,
uh, mini cheetah and dragon Ball diamond.

Mm-hmm.

So that's like crossover right there.

So there, if anything, I'm gonna be
pulling more from, uh, anime dub and voice

work that people would know and recognize.

It was like, hey.

Come to our show.

'cause you already do anime in general.

Yeah.

This is level of like, gruffness
and obviously with, uh, with,

uh, television production, you
need availability and range.

So it's like you can't, most people
just don't come on, do one voice.

It's like, well, we wanna
get our moneys word.

So.

Yeah.

These are all factors into
television production.

It's like, yeah, you just can't
like see a line and leave.

That's gonna be expensive, so we need,
gotta have you put some value in.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

I, I think that makes perfect sense and
I love that we're coming back to Craig.

Right.

I love that we're coming back to
Craig because once again, right.

More power to him

Bryan Newton: of the series.

I know he's annoying,
but that's the point.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

You know, I, I, I'm
excited to see the growth.

You know, or whatever.

He's, it's like Andy,

Bryan Newton: you got Andy's in the
middle, but you got Craig, Mikey,

aunt P and you got the corner Yeah.

Of range of her

rise.

Okay.

Junae Benne: Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So Invisible Fight Girl
is on right now, right?

We currently on HBO

Bryan Newton: Max and it's uh, adult Swim,

Junae Benne: HBO Max, and Adult Swim,
and they just recently announced.

The end of Craig of the Creek, right?

They said that the last couple episodes
are gonna start airing in January, 2025.

And I think Craig of the Creek
kind of opened up an era where a

lot of people who are my age, uh,
millennials, who are really excited

for shows like Ed, ed and Eddie.

But as we started to age up,
we didn't really get those.

And then.

Oh, that's the wind.

Hello.

Um, and then, uh, you know, Craig of the
Creek came and then we were really excited

and we're really excited for like Jessica,
'cause she was a magical girl once.

And we're like, wow, is Jessica
gonna get like that anime spinoff?

And here we are, um, you know,
with Invisible Fight Girl.

And I feel like she's, she the show.

I feel like the show
is filling, it's like.

Filling.

It's filling in where that space
where we were kind of like, well, what

happened to the Craig of the Creek?

Right?

Like, you know, there was a
point where it's like, why am

I only seeing old episodes?

Like, is it canceled?

You know, kind of wondering
That's, well, fosters,

Bryan Newton: the movie
came out recently too.

I haven't

Junae Benne: seen it.

I haven't seen it.

I was in Finland.

I was in Finland, and I have not watched
a movie in the whole year unless I

could get it like on Disney Plus.

So like say less,

Bryan Newton: do that tonight.

I mean, I only watched
the first part of it, so

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, so, you know, I feel like
it's filling and you know, we're

obviously hoping that this is going
to have like some longevity to it.

What is that like to be in this space
where Craig of the creek is ending

and we have Andy and you know, like,

Bryan Newton: well in by large
part CAR T network in is.

There's several things that happened.

There's COVID that also
hits a lot of productions.

Were either put under or had
to rechange its priorities.

Cartoon Network now being a
part of Time Warner has also

consolidated a bunch of shows.

So Warner Bro's.

Like, look, we don't need two car,
we don't need two separate networks.

We have Warner Brothers animation.

What are we do on Cartoon Network?

So there's also things being produced in
Europe under the Hanna-Barbera Studios,

which used to be Cartoon Network Europe.

So that's where we get gumball.

So it's, I mean, curricular
Creek had its run.

I don't know if it was, uh, their choice
to end the series or if it was like,

literally they were like, you're done now.

Because they did the Jessica spinoff,
which was being in the same time we were

doing Fi CO, so we were sitting on Fi Girl
for like a year before it finally aired.

And I know they were wrapping on Jessica.

So it's one of those things
where it's just, I'm.

Fortunate to have been on kind of the
last running shows at Cartoon Network,

while it was still at the old Burbank
Studios, which they sold off last year.

Yeah.

Or no, sorry.

Uh, earlier this summer,
earlier this year.

And if Cartoon Network's future is
obviously gonna be determined by the

suits of the bigwigs up at the top.

How they're gonna run this network.

So we may be one of the last shows that
Cartoon Network produced internally.

Hey.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: It's not

Bryan Newton: even just Craig, it's
just like, Hey, there's also like they

have Fiona and Cake that's still coming.

The Fiona, and is

Junae Benne: it still okay?

I, I was nervous about that.

I was nervous about that for sure.

Like.

Ooh.

Yeah.

You know, I mean, as long as

Bryan Newton: I know they're,
they, they did their run and

after that, I'm not sure.

But like, I think that's
still in production.

Junae Benne: Okay.

Uh,

Bryan Newton: yeah.

Other than that, trying to think.

Junae Benne: Yeah, it was a shame
what happened to gumball because

gumball could have kept going forever.

It could have kept going forever.

It ended.

We hated that and still going.

Okay.

'cause I felt like I watched the
last episode and I felt like, okay.

Maybe it's a spoiler, but I felt
like, 'cause where was I gonna

get new episodes of Gumball?

Right?

Like usually I just haven't seen a
new episode and like the most recent

episode that I watched, maybe like a
year or two ago, like they all kind

of just got sucked into the tv, right?

Like, you know, they were constantly
breaking that fourth wall and like.

Bryan Newton: Charms.

I know gumballs still in development.

Really

Junae Benne: still corruption.

Okay.

When was the last time they had a season?

Bryan Newton: That's to, well, like I
see literally on Wikipedia season seven.

Um, it's coming out next year to 2016,
so yeah, they're still working on it.

I just think they took a break.

Junae Benne: Okay, okay.

Yeah.

Yeah, because I'm like,
what's, what's going on?

I thought we were, they, they got

Bryan Newton: reordered for that.

I, I remember that.

Okay, good.

Uh, another one, yeah, another one that's
coming is, uh, I'm pretty sure it's been

announced, but regular show coming back.

Junae Benne: Yes, regular
show is coming back.

Um, I don't have a lot of
the details 'cause I was

really, really excited for it.

I'm also excited for King of the Hill,
but like, it's so quiet, you know,

it's so like regular show and King of
the Hill have been like a lingering

whisper and then it's like, it's
official, but now it's like we don't

Bryan Newton: have like, cam Hill
should be like right around the corner.

Because I, I know people boars
who've rolled off of it, which means

they're in animation, which means
they're probably in post by now.

So that's probably, you'll probably start
seeing Q Hill stuff like next year early.

Okay.

Uh, at least advertisements.

I don't know when the show's
actually supposed to drop.

Uh, regular show.

I'm not sure how far they're, I know
they've been picking up people for

it, so at least that will be another
last bastion of CAR T network.

And they may even try to like reboot some
older, older class, uh, cartoon Network

shows like they did with Powerpuff Girls.

I have no idea.

Yeah.

But that's my thinking.

'cause everyone's in the IPA age right
now, so that's the other thing I'll say.

Invincible Fi Girl.

Totally original show.

All Justin Gration not based on
anything prior to, yes, the references

and the inspirations are obvious,
but I'm like, when was the last time

you saw an American produced anime?

Yeah, that's

very true.

Probably the closest you
can think of is Avatar.

An avatar literally just did the
aesthetic, but they weren't shown in.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Is

Bryan Newton: new avatar
coming by the way?

Junae Benne: Yeah.

No, we'd hope so.

Right.

Uh, that's, she's an Airbender, right?

Yeah.

Or sorry, earth.

Earth.

She's earth by

Bryan Newton: the way.

Earth is coming.

Yeah, something's coming.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Um, you said a lot, uh, reboots
and then it being original.

Um, I think, you know, sometimes when
regular people see reboots were like,

oh, the studio got like maybe a bit
lazy and they kind of just wanted that

money 'cause they knew that, you know,
people were gonna return to it and it's a

Bryan Newton: safer bet and
sometimes studios don't want to Yeah.

Risk anything.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah.

And you know that that kind of sucks.

But the originality I think is also.

Scary.

It's just a scary time to like to be.

Yeah.

'cause if they do

Bryan Newton: something original
and it doesn't make money or it

doesn't get the views and it's like,
well people don't want original.

Yeah.

And if they make a sure bet and it
kind of just does okay, then it's

like, well, people want sure bets.

I'm like, not all the time.

Like sometimes you're sure Bet can
fail and can suck and sometimes your

original thing can be really good.

It's just people don't know about it.

Got it.

Junae Benne: If Cartoon Network,
adult Swim, time, Warner,

Disney, God forbid, Pixar.

Mm-hmm.

Um, were to

continue like a downward slope,
where do you think people

would get their animation?

Right.

Same with crunchy rolls overseas, right?

Bryan Newton: 100% overseas.

Junae Benne: Okay.

Okay.

And, and, but like where, where
would the people have access to it?

Would we need another streaming service
just for this or like, do you think,

because I've been thinking about it a lot
and I know a person who has the ability

to like create the next YouTube, right.

Or like for a fee like, you
know, hosting year old thing.

And I'm always thinking
about it 'cause I'm like.

Like games are so, I don't wanna say
easily produced, but they're more

accessible and animation and stuff is now.

But um, you know, for a hundred
dollars your game can be on steam.

Right.

But like, and I know people are
using like web tunes and stuff like

that, um, I'm just thinking like

wood and an independent.

IO for like animation thing
even be a possibility.

Bryan Newton: I don't know because like
it would strike me like where people go.

The consumed entertainment isn't
like a core, like this is only

the thing for the one thing.

Like look at Twitch and TikTok.

People go to watch, like people
watch on Twitch, it's like

they're watching games or they're
watching movies or just hang out.

It's, I think that's where it's
really gonna, where our main source of

competition and where the future of how
people consume media and entertainment's

gonna be for the foreseeable.

It's like literally like someone watching
a thing or hosting a thing, and then

like their followers or subscribers
go to them to check out the thing.

Whether they're playing a
game, uh, watching content.

Uh, where the content
gets produced, who knows?

Like, I think, uh, YouTube
is still like a viable go-to.

'cause I, I've been telling a lot of
the young people as the animations

kind of like slipped and dying
and I've known people who've been

outta work for like a year or two.

It's like now's the
time to go independent.

Especially the younger artists who have
not as much overhead as far as their

life is concerned, like family, job, I
mean family dependence, all that stuff

is that you gotta produce your own stuff.

Get in any outlet you can, which it
would be if there's a new independent,

new outlet like you, like you were
mentioning your friends thing.

Yeah.

Or do Twitch streaming, YouTube, whatever.

Go, because like it you, it's
almost impossible to go to a network

and say, Hey, I got a new thing.

Pitch it to.

Uh, paramount Plus, or HBO Max or thing.

'cause like they're like, no, we
got our, we got our ip, so we're

gonna stick with what we got.

Yeah.

Uh, so new avenues, but like
film festivals are still a thing.

Uh, this you can probably, like this
year was great for independent films.

I'd highly recommend like
substance, hundreds of beavers.

I just saw Flow last night, which
is the little, uh, it's about a

independent film, about a little cat.

Uh, stuck in a flood with a
bunch of animals on a boat.

It's great.

And I'm not sure how much money they spent
on it, but the director I saw produce many

shorts before he got to like two features.

Uh, it's probably younger
than me for sure, but

as far as how people are gonna consume it,

I, I, I look at the, the reading now and
just how like Zoomers and like younger,

uh, uh, millennials are operating
and how they consume their media.

It's all Twitch and YouTube.

So even if you produce shorts that
way and like maybe build up, 'cause

there was another one that came
up like has been hotel hell of a

boss, uh, was a digital circus.

They're independent, like smaller form.

They didn't go to the studio system.

They got their followings,
dude, like those mees.

And then like they were able to produce
enough revenue that they could hire

more people who produce more episodes.

That's really what television is about.

We used to have advertisers.

Now you can go directly to a, a core group
of people who want to consume your stuff.

Junae Benne: Yeah, I think, you
know, the enter the entertaining

part of TV was commercials.

I used to wanna make commercials.

Right.

Because, like I said, like I'm
interested in media, always have been

interested in media, interested in the
entertainment side and like understanding.

That, um, advertisements, commercials,
made tv, you know, and I, I kind

of j about it, but I mean it, like,
you know, if I'm watching King of

the Hill on Hulu, I'm no longer
getting like by the Super Soaker.

I'm like, do you need medication for
this thing you've never heard of?

Yeah.

Bryan Newton: They know,
they know your age.

Junae Benne: Exactly.

Exactly.

You know, and, and so like, you
know, we don't get those things or.

Even if we're going back to Twitch
and how people are running ads, like,

you know, they're just running stuff.

There's just, you know, it's like I can
run ads on Twitch and it may or may not

resonate with you guys, but like, they're
like, some, somebody's gonna buy from it

or somebody's gonna do this or to do that.

And so, um, yeah, like, yeah.

You, yeah.

Until something

Bryan Newton: else comes
around that really hones in.

On how people are consuming media.

And it would probably be like some, uh,
some copy or idea that's like, 'cause

like YouTube wasn't Twitch, but like the
element of like watching someone stream

something did start, I think originally
on YouTube before Twitch came around

and kind of stole its lunch for that.

So it's gonna be the same thing.

'cause like something
will come after that.

Yeah.

Uh, the, the troubling part,
part I find is that like.

I see people like that's the way they
can make money and produce content, but

I'm like, but who's gonna produce the
content that people are gonna react to?

I think in gaming, you probably
know this better than I do.

It's like AAA titles.

Yeah.

It's like those can't make money anymore.

Yeah.

Because

like, yeah, they're, people can react to
people playing them, but like people gotta

play it for themselves and purchase it for
themselves, for them to make the money.

It's like, and then after the
time the balloon cost gets

up, it's like, well, we spent.

$2 million on this game, but we can only
possibly make a hundred million dollars.

So we're operating at a loss.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

And you know, people are tired
of, um, people are tired of

the same old stories, right?

Like, we like the indies that have the
feels behind it or the message or the

stuff that we care about, you know, and
I feel like, um, I love Assassin's Creed,

but what does I do for my everyday life?

You know, something like you played,

Bryan Newton: you played one,
you played a bunch of them,

Junae Benne: you know, and, but
like pigment, it's like, okay.

I love the environment like, and you know,
I'm always gonna be interested in that.

And so that's what I'm thinking.

The same thing is happening, especially
in animation, like, um, right.

You know, like people are doing
that on TikTok, they're putting up.

Episodes or even like comedy shows, there
was this really interesting sketch show

besides a black lady sketch show, right?

Mm-hmm.

That's very interesting that,

Bryan Newton: which I, that's a good show.

I, I watched that a couple years ago.

Junae Benne: Yeah, very good.

You know, but it had the production
quality of SNL and it was funny,

'cause at first I was like, do
I not know anybody who's on SNL?

I was like, it's only been a
couple of months, you know?

But.

They're on TikTok and I watch them
and I'm like, this is someone that

I would go follow over to YouTube
or, uh, this hour has 22 minutes.

They're on TikTok as well.

They're pretty funny.

Or, you know, the Tim Robinson show
that's on Netflix is also pretty funny.

Like,

Bryan Newton: oh no, I
think you should leave.

Yeah.

Brilliant.

Junae Benne: Yeah,

Bryan Newton: I'm finally
watching the Detroiters, I'm

finishing season one right now.

Junae Benne: It's so good.

I, because, you know, if we're watching a
comedy show, like I wanna laugh every time

and, um, you know, it's just the, these.

These types of genres and things like
that, that like, you know, I, I grew

up on, uh, it is nice to have them come
back because it's relevant and I think

that's why South Park does so well, right?

Like the Simpsons kind of slowed
down a little bit and then they

try to take like a family guy
type turn, but that's not that.

Mm-hmm.

And so, you know, with something
like South Park, the jokes

really write themselves.

They're really like the
South Park is really like the

onion, you know what I mean?

Like Sure.

But

Bryan Newton: they can be topical.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

You know, and, and the production
is kind of still the same.

Like they upgraded it a little bit,
but they're like, we're not gonna spend

so much time like making an episode.

Bryan Newton: I, I shouldn't inform
on, I should find out about that.

I don't know how expensive
a stop park episode is.

I mean, it's obviously more
expensive than it used to be.

Yeah.

'cause like the assets that they build

Yeah.

But they

built the assets so they
should keep things down as

far as the production costs.

Yeah.

But I'll tell you this, like most shows
are having their shows, productions

cost because of the, the economy and the
trying to make money through streaming.

Everyone's taking hits.

Big shows are super popular
taking hit, so I imagine South

Parks probably taking a hit too.

Yeah, like Viacoms, like Well, you,
you guys are spending I their budget.

Oh, you're spending a million
per, can you spend it?

Can you do it on 800,000?

Yeah,

so

Junae Benne: that's probably why I
felt like for a while, south Park

just kept coming out with specials.

Right?

Like instead of doing like that's Yeah.

Four or five episodes.

They just do like an hour.

Bryan Newton: Yeah.

Yeah.

We don't have enough for, uh, 10 episodes
for season, so let's just do six.

Yeah,

that might have been, that might
have been that, that decision making.

Yeah, it's, and it's, the
quality has always been there.

'cause the talent's there.

Same thing with the
Simpsons and family guy.

Like, I can't believe the Simpsons
and family guy still operating

the way they're operating.

Uh, really just so how much money
that, like the nineties era of

making cartoons was just crazy.

They can like, yeah, you can
float this for another a hundred

episodes or a hundred seasons.

Junae Benne: As much as I love The
Simpsons and I watch it from the Rudy

to the Tootie, that was the first,
like when Disney Plus came out, I

was like, yeah, give me those 33
episodes and I watch it and I easily,

I could watch it like within a month.

You know?

I'm not sure if it could continue
because the older episodes now I'm

watching it as an adult and I'm
understanding Margin Homer, right?

Yeah.

As before, when I was like,
oh, I'm watching it as a kid,

I understand Bart and Lisa, but
I watched the newer episodes.

Today's kids should be understanding,
you know, like Bart and Lisa.

'cause even something so simple
as like, you know, obviously

their TV changed from being one of
those like the TVs with the back.

So like, you know.

Yeah.

Bryan Newton: Oh, do they have a flat

screen now?

Junae Benne: They have a flat screen.

Yeah.

Bryan Newton: I've never seen that.

'cause I haven't watching
Simpsons in like.

A or more.

So I have not seen that,

Junae Benne: you know, and they're doing
that, like, just the simple difference

of like, you know, us being like holding
a telephone, like, like hold those.

Yeah.

You know, and then everyone
else is like, hello?

Like they're, I don't know,
holding pizza to their ear.

I don't know.

But, you know.

Bryan Newton: Well then also I saw
an episode that you had to like

update, uh, Homer's backstory.

So he's a kid in the nineties.

Which is,

Junae Benne: no, I didn't see that one.

One of those, because you know,

Bryan Newton: they always go back to like,

Junae Benne: it's

Bryan Newton: true.

So Homer's a kid, nineties.

Junae Benne: Literally every 70 song
that I know is probably from that show.

Like a lot of the things
and the references that I

learned is from that show.

Um, yeah, that's another thing I like for
a lot of the shows that you are creating.

Another thing that I like or you are a
part of, um, the process, I, I enjoy that

it felt like we weren't going back to like
the eighties and the seventies, right?

Because we don't have a lot of.

TV shows that reflect like the
early 90 or nineties or the

early two thousands, I think.

Um, 10 15 on Hulu was Oh yeah.

About like two girls, like,
you know, in the two thousands.

And I was like, oh my gosh.

Like I was like, you know,
I was in the same grade at

that time, so like, so funny.

But it really felt like we kind
of just skipped that, you know,

everyone was like, oh, we're just
gonna go back to the seventies.

'cause that's what we grew up on
because adults were making our cartoon.

Bryan Newton: Yeah.

'cause the people in charge, like
there's an article about this a

little while ago about the geriatric
nature of Hollywood right now.

But a lot of the upper people making
decisions are definitely in their

mostly seventies, eighties kids.

Yeah.

Makes

sense.

Like that's a transition out.

Some people move, people
come in, but not enough.

Yeah.

So I would say the best show
I've ever watched that kind of

represents our age demographic and
kind of matching us is a JG show.

Close enough.

Where I'm like, like even on
Rick and Morty, I'm like, well,

Beth and Jerry are my age.

Mm-hmm.

But they don't feel
like they're millennial.

They feel like boomers.

Like they're, even the way they dress,
you can really talk and operate.

They feel like boomers because like
if you think about it, uh, Beth

had summer in high school, which
means she's only like 40 something,

early forties, late thirties.

Yeah.

But

she doesn't feel like a
woman in her late thirties.

She feels like a woman who's
like in her sixties or fifties.

That's very true, but like.

But close enough.

You watch and you're like, no,
these are millennial parents.

Yeah.

The way they talk, the way they operate.

Even the fact they're like, oh

man,

it sucks

having this kid.

I wanna go to

a club.

Junae Benne: Yeah, yeah.

Uh, yeah.

That's So, I, I forgot about
that till you mentioned it.

'cause I did watch it and I
was like, this is pretty funny.

And it definitely felt
closer to age range.

Yeah.

'cause

Bryan Newton: Rick and Morty, like with
Dan Harmon and like even Justin back

in the day, it's written by Gen Xers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And Simpson's written by boomers.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: Dang.

Bryan Newton: So rarely did like, are
millennials get the right shows for adult.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Bryan Newton: Yeah.

Even South Park guys are Gen Xers.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah.

That, yeah.

That's why some of that stuff don't
be landed the way it's supposed to.

Mm-hmm.

I'd be like, whew, y
you gotta gotta cringe.

They had a

Bryan Newton: different experience.

They had a different experience
growing up than we did, so,

Junae Benne: yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Man, you know, uh, yeah, I, this is why I
like the more independent stuff, because

especially what you just said
about people making the decisions

and, you know, geriatric nature
of Hollywood and it's like.

Like we have the stranger things.

Mm-hmm.

Why couldn't have that been in
like nineties and two thousands?

And I'm not saying they like,
weren't independent, but you know,

like that is more likely to get
approved versus like Penn 15.

Like where did did Penn 15 go?

Like, I was thoroughly
enjoying it and it wasn't like.

Weird.

Like it was weird, you know, but
you know, like, it was weird.

Like turning red was weird and
everybody was like mad that like, I

Bryan Newton: love turning red.

Yeah.

So quick.

I

Junae Benne: love turning red, you know?

Um, but that's, that's

Bryan Newton: the best
fix Star movie I've seen.

Like a, a decade, maybe five years.

But definitely

Junae Benne: I love it.

I, it's, it's really at the
top of my list, you know?

But once again, that was
reflecting, I'll say the sad reality

Bryan Newton: of why, I'll tell you the
sad reality, why some of these things

get approved with some things don't.

Like we're, I was talking about where
Twitch is, if that's where the media

is, the, the people making decisions
to produce this content aren't going

to Twitch, so they'll put turning red
out in theaters and like, well, nobody

wants to go see it, so it's not popular.

It's like, yeah, because
they're watching on Twitch.

Junae Benne: Meanwhile I bought
whole, but that's not Numbers album.

Like I have a four town album.

Like I You like my Disney ears are turning
red like it's Mei Mei and her Panda fort.

Like

Bryan Newton: that's why I like K-Pop.

Caught these people by surprise.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Bryan Newton: Yeah, like, like a minute
ago they were like, what's K-pop?

And like, I've known
K-Pop since like college.

I was like, how come all
the kids know K-Pop now?

'cause they're not watching
it on broadcast tv.

Yeah, they're

watching on YouTube and Twitch and TikTok.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: Wow.

Yeah, it's just the numbers where they,

Bryan Newton: how they
make these decisions.

The numbers don't match where the
people who are consuming younger

people, like I I, I found this
out about like Las Vegas with, um,

um, like with, uh, slot machines.

Mm-hmm.

So if, when I was going to like
Vegas, the slot machines definitely

cater to a much older crowd.

They didn't have digital flash, it
was just kind of like a basic machine.

Now you go to Vegas now they
basically look like the candy

crushed fucking fruit ninja things.

It was like, they wanna try.

Yeah.

There's definitely a pipeline

Junae Benne: hate that.

Hate that.

'cause there's definitely
a pipeline, right?

It's the same thing with
like vapes and like bubblegum

flavor and you're like, okay.

Um, not, not to, not to get into that.

Yeah.

There's definitely, they, they
know what they're doing and so

then okay, we're talking about.

We're talking about how there is a way
things get approved and certain things

will get approved way more often.

How mm-hmm.

Would you describe Tobe that, where
really anybody can just be on two?

I think it's, it's a bit of a disruptor.

Bryan Newton: It's, yeah, you're right.

It's a free, it's a free service.

That helps a lot too.

Uh.

My parents could go on Tubi
and they can watch old stuff.

They wanna watch me and my friends.

We watch Tubi like on Friday nights
'cause we'll just say, oh let's watch

some trash and we'll throw up a tel
uh, a movie that's kind of out there.

Some of it we know, some
of it we don't know.

That's fun.

And I'm sure like millennials
use it because Dan got money

and it's cheap and free.

Our younger, most Zoomers
who use it 'cause like.

Hey, they're entering into workforce
now and like I don't have money to

spend on like HBO Max Netflix and all
these like different servers, but I can

just go to TV and watch a couple ads.

It's kind of the way television
used to be, but you still

like pick whatever you want.

Hopefully they stay
that way at some point.

TV's like, no, we should be making more
money off this, and they'll do that.

But it

Junae Benne: that.

Okay, so this is kind of the
hot topic part of it, which is

usually the last segment because.

I, I'm gonna have to double research.

Uh, but I was having a look at
like, to be and who owns it, right?

So, um, it almost felt like
a similar story to what

happened with like BET, right?

Like making BET like a white guy, you
know, making BET collecting money or no

wait, is that fi is that, so someone.

Is in charge of like, you know,
putting like, I think black bt Yeah.

Yeah.

So like, you know, putting Jamie Fox,
putting Martin, um, putting all these

people on, like making black tv,
catering to black people, knowing that

black people are going to support,
put their money where their mouth

is, and then kind of like, change it.

Like, yes, BET came up, but like
using that money in other places

for like other media and I, mm-hmm.

Think it might be
happening with Tubi, right?

Or like a Zeus network
or something like that.

Like can you speak to that?

If what I just said makes sense?

'cause I don't have like my facts fully
straight and I'm not like confident

to start calling numbers and names.

Bryan Newton: Well, historically, I don't
know if this is still the case, but even

like in the s. Uh, they've known that
like, uh, black people watch sitcom and

television, so shows, especially Fox.

That's how they came about.

Like they were back when I was a kid,
there were three, three stations.

It was NBCA, BC and CBS.

Then Fox came in the nineties and
they kind of like set a new bar when

they had like, in living Color rock.

Uh oh.

What was the other show they had?

Uh, Mary with Children.

So I was like, these are like the
new edgy shows, but they also catered

to a black audience and then WB
came around later and did the exact

same thing and uh, UPN another one.

So it's like always they kind
of use us to jumpstart networks.

I don't know if two B
is doing that at all.

I think they just kind
of like, it's all now.

It's like in more international, so,

okay,

okay, okay.

Yeah, that model has changed completely.

It's now international, so you just
can't cater to one group of people.

You gotta try to cater to
everybody, which is tough.

Yeah.

Uh, but back in the early
days of network, yeah.

You could just like, well we used,
we used the Black Voices to get in

there just so like, 'cause we know
that's a big television watching

demographic and it's like edgy and hip,
and then we can become more prestige.

Later this, and again, this is
phenomenon since like the eighties.

It's not like they were doing
this in the seventies as much.

'cause there are some seventies shows
that I think that's when they start to

notice like, oh, we got like Sanford
and Sons and Jeffersons, uh, all in the

family who are like more edgy television
became more prestige television.

Even like Bill Cosby in the
early nineties, uh, early

eighties, the Cosby Show, I mean
Monster, but was a significant.

Stand out for black entertainment
in the early eighties, so, yeah.

Yeah.

And I don't think that's the case anymore.

Now it's like international for a while.

It's like, oh, we have to
appeal to the Chinese market.

So maybe Tubb also has like avenues
for that that we don't have.

I'm sure European at some point they're
gonna start hitting the African market.

I have not heard that yet.

But there's been, because Have you heard,

Junae Benne: have you heard about that?

Nigerian K-Pop movie.

Bryan Newton: Yep.

Junae Benne: Yes.

Sunshine.

Sunshine.

I, I love it.

And yeah, I think there has to
be something more than Nollywood.

'cause Nollywood is just,
uh, Nigeria, so Yeah.

Yeah.

There needs to be, but
that's where a lot more.

Bryan Newton: But like Nigeria has like
a a up and coming like tech industry.

There's like several independent
films coming out in Nigeria.

I know they've been sending some
animation studios there and they've been

producing their own stuff independently.

Like, I can't think of the
name of the show, but it's

like another cute little, like

Junae Benne: the Disney show.

I I Ya, IGE.

Bryan Newton: That sounds about right.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I know what you're talking about.

Yep.

Yeah, so I haven't started yet.

I had to start an invincible
fight girl first, and then I

was, I'll get, I'll get my fill.

'cause I was like, yes, I
absolutely want to watch that one.

Bryan Newton: And this also like,
backs up my earlier, uh, question

about like where things are gonna
go if they're not produced out here.

There's no streaming service here.

I think everyone's gonna have
their own like, place to go.

So like we already watched shows
from Japan and Korea largely.

And again, adapted out here.

And like the lesson from like the
eighties was American produced

cartoons throughout outsourcing was
through the Philippines and Japan.

Japan got so expensive and got
good that they started like,

well, we don't need your stuff.

We can produce stuff for ourselves.

And then, and they even
started outsourcing the Korea.

Then Korea has tried numerous times
to like produce their own material and

animation, and sometimes they have shows,
but it hasn't like quite transitioned over

here the way like Japanese production has.

So at some point, all these
different places, we're

outsourcing their entertainment.

They're just gonna start
producing their own entertainment.

Either we buy from them and we
start participating from them.

Maybe we work on shows.

Maybe at some point, uh, American
artists start working on shows

from like Korea and Nigeria or the
Philippines or Taiwan or India.

Yeah.

Or parts of Europe.

I love that arcane.

That's completely French.

Junae Benne: It's a French

Bryan Newton: studio.

Yeah.

Junae Benne: Okay.

I would love that.

Right.

To be able to participate in their
cultures, because then they don't

have to wait for us to recognize them.

We can get that authentic storytelling

Bryan Newton: right.

Junae Benne: I really like that idea.

I also like the idea of wrapping this up
because the sun's going away and I'm cold.

Bryan Newton: No worries.

Junae Benne: You about to, I heard my
teeth chattering on the mic, but, um,

Bryan Newton: oh no.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

But Brian, thanks so much
for joining and it's always a

pleasure, pleasure talking to you.

Do you, is there anything you can
tell us about something upcoming

or are, are any of your current
works we didn't get to mention?

Bryan Newton: Definitely check
out Invincible Fight Girl.

Uh, again, adult Swim at
Midnight and Cartoon Network.

We need to get those numbers up
so the more people watching it

and talking about it, the better.

Uh, because it's the holidays.

Check out Urkel Safe Santa.

Apparently you can buy it
digitally on like Amazon and stuff.

It's like five bucks, I think.

Uh, and then another show I have coming
up, which been now's called OMGS, I

was a director on, a director on that.

Um.

It is a on adult swim the basic way.

A friend had a really good description
of it, but now I can't think of it.

But the way I've been describing,
it's like Sex in the City and

the future of Los Angeles.

Okay.

So yeah, it's about like three, three
black women and their relationships

with each other and other people.

Oh, okay.

It's very off the wall, very off

Junae Benne: the, is it giving
girlfriends, is it giving girlfriends

Bryan Newton: or like Yeah, that's
another, that's another comparison.

Okay.

Yeah, another friend had like a
perfect more modern comparison.

I was

Junae Benne: like, fuck, that's,

Bryan Newton: oh, it's insecure.

That's another one.

Junae Benne: Insecure.

Okay.

Okay.

Bryan Newton: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's insecure, animated,
so it's definitely gonna

hit a very targeted crowd.

So check that out next year.

Uh, but yeah, and I got my blue
sky set up, so like, people can

follow me on that or Twitter.

Yeah.

Twitter,

as long as that's still a thing.

Junae Benne: Yeah.

Yeah.

Is it just like Brian n Brian Newton?

It's,

Bryan Newton: uh, oh, sorry.

Yeah, it's Dark King Zoar, all one word.

Okay.

Yeah.

Zora one R.

Junae Benne: My bad.

Putting your government
name out there, but,

um,

Bryan Newton: my name's out there.

I'm not hiding.

Junae Benne: Okay.

Cool.

Cool, cool.

Well, thank you so much for joining.

It's been another great episode
of Gaming for the Culture.

Like I said, if you wanna be able
to talk to my guest directly,

go ahead and join the Patreon.

It's gonna be patreon.com/jana benet.

You can ask questions,
you get a sneak peek.

Uh, and I even let you suggest you can
be like, Hey, Janae, we wanna see this

person, we notice this person, or, this
is really interesting, and, uh, I would

be more than happy to reach out to them.

But until next time, y'all game
safely, behave yourselves, wash

your butts, and your hands, and
your feet and everything like that.

So I'll catch y'all next time.

Bye.