‘I’d never played a dinosaur character before’: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal found inspiration in a Superman cartoon that had a major impact on Batman: The Animated Series

Genndy Tartakovsky was a revolutionary voice in the world of animation, creating some of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim’s most famous cartoon shoes. Popular shows from the 2000s, including Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, and recent entries like PrimitiveAnd Unicorn: Eternal Warriors were his creations.

His current show Primitive was a big hit on Adult Swim. The visionary creator/director took great inspiration from some of cinema’s greatest like the Star Wars films and Sergio Leone. Interestingly, Tartakovsky based the behavior and mechanics of the Fang dinosaur in his show on how Max Fleischer’s Superman behaved in the 1940s animated series.

Genndy Tartakovsky was inspired by Max Fleischer Superman For Primitive

Genndy Tartakovsky Primitive intrigued fans of the famous visionary with its unique visual style and ambitious scale of the series. It depicts a prehistoric world featuring a Neanderthal (Lance) and a female Tyrannosaurus (Fang) who reunite after tragic events happen to their loved ones. While exploring the wastelands, they come into conflict with various developed civilizations.

In an interview with Vulture, Tartakovsky revealed how the show was an evolution of his previous works, including Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, And Star Wars: Clone Wars. He also looked to cinema legends like Sergio Leone, John Woo and others to imitate their presentations of scenes and characters.

In the interview, Tartakovsky said that he wanted to bring a new flavor to the movements and behavior of the characters in Primitive. He struggled with the Fang’s presentation. He had never created a dinosaur character before and he continued drawing until he found the perfect language and tone for the character. He mentioned the work of Max Fleischer Superman animated show as a great source of inspiration for the design of Spear and Fang’s traits and construction. Tartakovsky said:

“It’s really interesting because at the start of each new series you have to learn how the character stands, how they pose, all these things. We did it with everyone, including Copernicus.

It was like experiencing the fight with Fang in Primal. I had never played a dinosaur character before. I had to draw and draw and draw to find this language that would define her. Like the way Max Fleischer’s Superman stands with his chest open.

Tartakovsky also pointed out the similarities between Superman and Spear with his “a weird, bulky body that we would draw a little differently each time”. It is also important to note that Fleischer Superman the show also had a huge influence on Batman: The Animated Series.

Bruce Timm built on the show’s style and mandate for the Caped Crusader show (via Forbes). Tartakovsky’s Primal also raised the benchmark for animated storytelling with the show and other future shows will surely take inspiration from it.

Genndy Tartakovsky initially found no one to do Unicorn: Eternal Warriors With

With Primitive being a gigantic success, Genndy Tartakovsky created another adult animated show titled Unicorn: Eternal Warriors. The series tells the story of a group of ancient heroes coming together to stop an evil force from destroying the universe. Despite the success of Tartakovsky’s tasting with Primitiveit seems no one was interested in being a part of the wacky series.

In an interview with Paste Magazine, Tartakovsky revealed that no one was willing to support him during the series’ development phase because they were busy. After the show came out, everything was the opposite and everyone was calling Tartakovsky to work on potential projects. Tartakovsky felt weird about the whole thing because he hadn’t been called to work in over 2 years. He said,

“When I started Unicorn, I couldn’t find anyone to work on it. It was crazy! That’s why I had to do it myself because I couldn’t find anyone. Everyone was busy. And now it’s the opposite. All of a sudden, there are people asking for work, even though I haven’t received any in over two years.

The show received positive reviews from fans, becoming another winner for Tartakovsky. He is preparing yet another animated project for adults entitled Fixed featuring the voices of Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan and Beck Bennett.

Fans can watch Tartakovsky’s Primitive on Adult Swimming/Max.