Invincible Iwájú - Renegade Animation #142
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru discuss the limited series Iwájú, as well as Invincible Season 2!
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, alongside my esteemed co-host the Animation Guru! I know it’s been a while, but we’re back with a brand new episode! This week, Cameron and I will be discussing Iwájú, the long awaited collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studio and Kugali Media, and the second season of Invincible, based on the comic of the same name by Robert Kirkman. Without further ado, please tune into the podcast to hear the full discussion!
Indie Spotlight: Ramshackle
Created by Zeddyzi, Ramshackle is a ridiculous romp that follows a trio of hobos trying to survive in the big city. As of this writing, the pilot has amassed an impressive 4.2 million views on YouTube, which means they definitely found an audience. Out of the two of us, I’m a little more positive on the pilot, mostly because I just happened to vibe with its silly comic sensibilities. However, we both agree that, with a little more elbow grease and firmly established world building, there is potential for greatness in Zeddyzi’s future!
Iwájú
Cameron and I first heard about this project during Disney’s Investor Day presentation back in December of 2020. Since then, I’ve been intrigued by what a collaboration between Disney Animation and a team of talented Pan-African artists would look like. I wish I enjoyed the story more than I did, which unfortunately was the weakest aspect of this series. Visually, it’s a feast for the eyes, especially the backgrounds, the architecture, and the technology on display. On the whole, I’m glad this series exists, and I hope it paves the way for more global collaborations of this scale.
“A proof of concept between Disney and Kugali Media shows us a world of Africanfuturism that doesn't quite result in an overall satisfying journey, but will hopefully mean that we can see more collabs like this in the future.“ -The Animation Guru
Invincible Season 2
I can say with confidence that adult animation in the 2020’s is in a really good place, especially on Prime Video. I can ALSO say with confidence that “superhero fatigue” so far has seldom applied to animation. Invincible is great because it takes full advantage of both the R-rating and the medium of animation to tell a mature story about what it’s like to be a superhero. Season 2 is all about the fallout of the events of Season 1, as Mark is still figuring out what kind of hero he’s going to be.
“Invincible Season 2 is a harrowing and stressful follow up to the bombastic horror of season one, as we follow our heroes who aren't truly able to process their lives with what has happened to them. While the blood and gore is still there by the bucketloads, season two lets the focus be on our characters and how they adapt to their now not-so-normal lives as heroes in a ruthless world full of challenges with no easy answers or ways out.“ -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us! We have provided resources for those who wish to support the victims of the Israel-Hamas war: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/, https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/, https://itch.io/b/2120/games-for-gaza, https://www.instagram.com/palestineredcrescent/, https://buildpalestine.com/2021/05/15/trusted-organizations-to-donate-to-palestine/, https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205235922/help-israel-gaza-humanitarian-organizations.
