#taputti

Brett Jubinville is the Creative Director at Tinman Creative Studios and creator of Super Science Friends, an animated series about a team of superpowered scientists (Freud, Einstein, Tesla, Darwin & Tapputi) who travel through time fighting nazis, renegade soviet cosmonauts and their own scientific rivals. The latest episode, “Freudian Sleep” is available now on Cartoon Hangover Select on VRV.

We got to talk with the creator himself about the ins and outs, and all abouts of the series!

What's the story behind the creation of Super Science Friends?

Since I’m less of a writer and more of a drawer, the way I typically come up with ideas is by drawing. In the case of Super Science Friends I was home by myself for a weekend, my girlfriend was out of town, and I stayed up really late playing Fallout New Vegas and drawing. At some point I drew a sketch of a soviet zombie astronaut.

Later that night I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about that drawing, so I got up and spent the rest of the night coming up with a show idea where that character could exist. I still have those drawings, and they’re more-or-less what the designs for the show ended up looking like.

What other historic geniuses might be part of the Super Science Friends? Who didn’t make the cut?

Because we went for the lowest hanging fruit possible, there weren’t many characters who didn’t make the cut. Everyone we chose needed to be more-or-less a household name, have a power that was easily identifiable as a superpower (for example, Tesla = Electricity Powers) and also they had to have been dead for a certain amount of time to get us out of any sticky likeness rights trouble. Aside from Tapputi, they all hit each of those marks.

I’ve got a lot of characters I’d like to get onto the show. One of them who played a major role in the comic book was Ada Lovelace, and I’d like to find a reason to have her join the cast for an episode.

Other than that we’ve got ideas for James Prescott Joule, Lord Kelvin, Robert Oppenheimer and Pythagoras.

What made you think, “Man, we need a young Einstein, let’s do a clone!”?

I really made him a clone in order to justify the design choice I had made during that all-nighter where I came up with all the characters. I happened to draw him as a teenager, but gave him white hair so he would be recognizable (since I couldn’t give him the moustache). So in order for that to all make sense he couldn’t be the original Einstein, and so I wrote that the original Einstein was dead and Churchill had ordered himself up a clone. Then we decided that he was a clone created by the US Government in order to justify casting Fred Kennedy who has a North American accent.

What modern day evil-doers would the Super Science Friends have beef with?

Assuming they arrived in 2017 coming from 1941 I’m pretty sure they would think that the entire human race has been brainwashed by our phones, computers and televisions. My guess is they would dedicating themselves to “freeing” us and in the process set the science and technology back decades. Oh man, we just wrote a sweet episode of Super Science Friends!

Is it okay to punch a Nazi?

Well … I was ready to punch the person in front of me at Starbucks this morning for returning her drink because she asked for half-sweet and not full-sweet and felt that it was still just too sweet, so I’m probably not the most moderate person to decide on who’s punchable. But I figure, hey if you can’t punch a Nazi then who CAN you punch?

Will you ever do another segment like you did for Episode 1 with the nerds fact-checking the show?

Those nerds (as you so callously put it) were actually our biggest Kickstarter backers for the first episode. They donated enough that they were able to get killed in the show. The main nerd actually went on to play the voice of Edison in episode 2.

But while they don’t get apple’d, we do have people who donate to our Patreon as extras in the show all the time. So if anyone wants to be in the show they can become a patron and then email us some photos and we’ll put them in.

Can we expect more episodes of Super Science Friends?

You sure as heck can! Episode 4: “Freudian Sleep” is out now on Cartoon Hangover and our Patreon, and on YouTube December 14th. After that we’ve got three more episodes planned to round out season 1. So there’s still lots more on the horizon.

What artists and animators inspire you?

That’s such a big question! I’m just going to spout off some Instagrams that I think people should follow if they want to look at the same cool stuff I look at on a regular basis.

ashleywoodart

crom_cristianortiz

heikala

jbnda

loiclocatelli

merghimself

nuriatamarit

shaneglines

taryndraws

thasenkamm

Also, follow an artist named Xulm wherever you can. He does background designs for Super Science Friends and they’re literally the least cool thing he does, which is saying something because the backgrounds he does for us are amazing.

What are your favorite cartoons?

As a kid I was all about Looney Tunes, Batman the Animated Series and X-Men. Lately I’ve actually been on a bit of self-enforced cartoon embargo until I finish Super Science Friends. There are a lot of cartoons I know I’d love but haven’t seen yet because I don’t want them to subconsciously affect how we write our show. Those include Adventure Time, Rick & Morty, Steven Universe and Gravity Falls to name a few.

“Ermagerd you haven’t seen Rick & Morty!!!!!!!1” Yep. Haven’t seen it. I really want to, but I gotta wait until our show is done so it doesn’t inadvertently become Super Rick & Morty Friends.

What's the last thing you took a picture of on your phone?

This checklist of scenes that were completed for the next episode of Super Science Friends. We’ve gotten a few more done since then.

What else are you working on?

We’re in development on a couple other series that we’re really getting excited about. You should be hearing about those sometime in 2018.

Anything else you'd like to share with the world?

Yeah, actually one of Super Science Friends’ background designers has a book coming out soon. If you’re into cats and large, naked men, you should check out Manfried the Man.

Thanks to Brett for taking the time to talk with us!

Super Science Friends is back with a new rival, brainy super-powers, and psychoanalytical action!

The new episode is coming to Cartoon Hangover Select on @watchvrv November 14th! *US Only

Hey Super Science Friends fans! The team behind the kickbutt cartoon is making a video game! 

We got some cool Super Science Friends merch from Tinman Creative! Also, a Soviet Space Ghoul figurine that is SWEET! Thanks! 

Watch Super Science Friends on VRV! It’s FREE!!

Get ready to fight! Episode 3 of Super Science Friends is now on VRV for premium subscribers! And, in 30 days, it will be FREE!

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