As mentioned in many different posts on this blog, Rebecca Sugar is a big inspiration to me, and has affected my work in several ways. I first discovered her through her work on Adventure Time, but fell in love with her own show Steven Universe. Seeing her potential in Adventure Time, Cartoon Network finally gave her her own show in Steven Universe, where she was allowed to express herself completely.
I will look mostly on her show Steven Universe. It truly proves how an animated show can be a piece of art, and how deep plotlines can be a part of a beautifully animated show.
As a non-binary woman herself, she wanted to express herself through her show. This is why she made the gems, the aliens in the show, all non-binary women. As a different species, it is easier for children to understand how they might be different, but also notice how they are very similar to us.
She also introduced the idea of fusion in this show, which she says is a methaphor for relationships.
The gif is of Ruby and Sapphire fusing to Garnet, one of the main characters of the show. I think the idea of fusion is very interesting, and have incorporated it in my Philbert project, but not to a full extent. Turning two people into one is a great way to explore the possibilities of the characters.
Ofcourse, we have seen fusion before, in shows like Power Rangers, but Rebecca Sugar twists the idea in a way I haven't seen before. She adds to the idea by creating something new, and in Garnets case, they stay like that for the majority of the show. Ofcourse, as it is a network behind it all, you could always say that it's just a marketing ploy to sell more toys, but toys will be sold at any time, and I for one would prefer to see more diversity in the toystore. Sugar definitely adds to that.
The art in Steven Universe is unique for a childrens show of this scale. Animation only gets better and cheaper with time, so in that sense it makes sense that we occasionally can get a show like this airing on a network like CN. Most of the time it seems shortcuts are taken, and that they prioritise cheap over good, which is understandable, but that only makes me appreciate it more when a show like this comes to existance.
Steven Universe also has these silly ideas introduced early in the show. As you can see in the gif, he uses his spit to heal. This idea seems like something that came from a joke, but that they just went with, and I adore that. Silly ideas are important to me, and I need some humour in my work.
The animation style and overall artistic style is very calming, and if you have seen the show, you know what I mean when I say it is filled with grief. It is a great starting point, as everyone is still in grievance over a character we never saw. We learn about who it was by watching. Rebecca Sugar did something unheard of when she released the first season of Steven Universe with 53 episodes. Yes, you read that right. 53.
I do want to incorporate an essence of grievance in my Philbert Project as well. It should be a heavy reality that Philberts mother is gone, and I am sure Philbert does not understand why.
Steven Universe is full of great ideas. It is written by great writers, and the animation is highly effective. I do have some critiques of the show of course, but that's not really what this text is for.
It is clear to see that my work is inspired by this show when you look at them compared.
By being both a great show storywise, and a great show animation and artwise, Steven Universe is my biggest inspiration for both my Philbert Project, and some of my older work. It keeps inspiring me to this day, and I aim to create something that can inspire others in the same way. It is very useful to me that it is a show with 6 seasons and a movie, as I can always put an episode on, or listen to sountrack, to get my inspiration rolling. It affects every part of my work, and I appreciate the effort Rebecca Sugar has put into her show.