NY Comic-Con 2010: “Firebreather” Driven by Story and Passion: Press Room Report

After a premiere showing of Cartoon Network’s first original CGI movie event Firebreather at NY Comic-Con, the men (creators, writers, and director) who are still kids at heart, sat down for an informative and intimate chat about animation, comic books, and growing up as an outcast.

The film, of course, is based on the original comic book Firebreather (written by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, both on the panel)- where we find our teenage hero Duncan Rosenblatt trying to live a normal, adolescent life. But of course, he isn’t normal at all. He is half human and half-Kaiju (a term for Japanese dragons or monsters.) Director Peter Chung explained that while his goal was always to remain true to the spirit and “core” of the original comic, that certain elements simply work better in comic book form than they do in films. In the end, Chung was extremely happy that he got to “make the movie we wanted to make,” and add creative elements in the process.

When I asked the men about some of their own childhood favorite cartoons and comics, I got a mixed bag of replies including Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Looney Tunes/Road Runner, X-Men, and Tiger Mask.

In discussing the main character of Duncan in the film and comic-book, all the men agreed that the themes resonate with everyone. Said Phil Hester: “I moved around a lot as a kid. Moved into a small town where everyone knew everyone else, and had to adjust to that. Being the outsider. Everyone can relate in some way to being different.”

The cast, including Josh Keaton (The Spectacular Spider-Man), Dante Basco (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Dana Delany (The New Adventures of Superman), was something the producers and team put a lot of time into making the right choices. When asked if famous names/voices can be a distraction in animated films (I cannot watch Shrek without thinking “Eddie Murphy!” over and over), the point was made by Jim Kreig that it really depends on the actor and the role, and that the team had a lot of confidence in Delaney’s ability to pull off the character 100%.

At the end of the day, these talented men just love to create and drive a good story. These stories come from imagination, experience, and childhood memories. The message I came away with is that it’s fun to play, at any age.

Images courtesy of Poptimal.com and Kelley Lynn.