#sdcc2021

If you didn’t know, Nickelodeon has launched an official Avatar podcast called Avatar: Braving the Elements. For the most part, it’s a rewatch of the show with hosts Janet Varney (the voice of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of Zuko and Iroh II). However, they also have special guests on from time to time, and for the most recent episode, they interviewed Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra co-creators, and Avatar Studios co-Chief Creative Officers Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

While they didn’t get too into Avatar Studios (keep in mind this was likely recorded several months ago), they did mention some stuff that does give us some key new information.

Here’s all of it!

They’re working on “new stories” and have been “finding great creative partners to work with” them.

They have “mapped out a very ambitious, multi-tiered” plan

They actually used the words “multi-tiered” more than once. My best interpretation of this is that there will be main, flagship stories, as well as secondary spinoffs, potentially miniseries, etc.

They also said that there will be “shows and animated stuff” but also “other stuff beyond in publishing”. This could also fit the “multi-tiered” description, and seems to indicate that future Avatar content in the form of novels, books, comics, etc. will be under the Avatar Studios banner. (However, they did also mention “and podcasts like this” (paraphrase) which notably is under the Nickelodeon banner, not Avatar Studios, and doesn’t seem to have Avatar Studios involvement (again, Bryke were specifically guests) so I’m not sure what to make of that.)

They have a “long plan” that could take “20 years”

Okay, the 20 years thing was mostly a joke, but it does give us an idea of the scale they’re planning on. Specifically, Mike said that if they “make all this stuff you guys are gonna be podcasting for the next twenty years or so I think”.

Other franchise-based production companies like Marvel Studios are known for phases of storytelling planned well in advance, with releases set for many years in the future. It’s good to hear that there’s some indication of a long-term plan from Avatar Studios (even mostly relayed as a joke).

Avatar Studios will have stories set in the past and future of the world of Avatar

They’re going to “go deeper into this big, rich, largely untapped history and future”.

This is pretty exciting news to hear! There are so many interesting time periods to explore, and specifically mentioning the future seems to hint that the next earth Avatar after Korra will indeed be coming as a third main series at some point.

Each project will have its own feeling, look, and tone

They “want each of these projects to have its own feeling, its own tone and look” that are “true to the Avatar world but very different expressions of it”.

This is very interesting information. I personally don’t interpret this as saying there will be vastly different art styles, but rather in the way that ATLA was more travelling fantasy while TLOK Book 1 was a gritty noir piece.

Related to that...

Avatar Studios projects will target different audiences and age groups

They were talking about how the two original series already attracted different audiences and age groups despite being technically kids’ shows, and then said that “new stuff will even push into other audiences”.

Could we be getting movies or series made specifically for adults, that are able to push some boundaries that the originals couldn’t? The Kyoshi novels already did a great job of this, bringing in some more explicitly mature moments as well as realistic violence including blood and “on-screen” death.

Avatar Studios will realize some ideas that the creators have had since ATLA and Korra

There are “ideas that we’ve been excited about for a long time that we’re finally getting to dive into”.

Notably, this has happened before, with the Avatar Wan backstory having been planned during ATLA but not included until Korra, and the story of Fire Lady Ursa having originally been pitched as a post-series animated film before being done as a graphic novel trilogy. Who knows what else is in store that will finally see the light of day!

That’s all the new information as far as I heard in my listen. Notably, they didn’t specifically mention the animated theatrical film that was announced as Avatar Studios’ first project. Not sure if this means plans have changed, or it was down to the timing of when the podcast was recorded, or what, but I do find it interesting. Also interesting is that none of the official statements at the launch of Avatar Studios earlier this year actually included the film, that was a detail relayed by (still official) news articles. I’m not sure what to make of this, but I guess we’ll find out soon!

!!!

Crystal Mess

The Pumpkin-ing

Driving Big Dummy

Seven-tween Again

Beach Please

Stuck In the Kitchen With You

Gene’s Christmas Break

Loft in Bedslation

FOMO You Didn’t

Touch of Evaluations

Video Killed the Gene-eo Star

Frigate Me Not

Ferry On My Wayward Bob and Linda

Interview with a Pop Up Buyer*

Ancient Misbehavin’

Spiderhouse Rules

Clear and Present Ginger

A-sprout a Boy

Manic Pixie Crap Show*

SDCC 2021: DC Horror – Read With The Lights On

SDCC 2021 or Comic-Con@home gave us a little insight into what’s cookin’ in the horror genre  with a panel hosted by DC Editor Katie Kuber.  She chatted about the scariest stories in comics with James Tynion IV (The Nice House on the Lake), David Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring: The Lover), Bill Sienkiewicz (The Conjuring: The Lover, 30 Days of Night), and Matthew Rosenberg (The Joker Presents:…