Ben

I received the sad news that Kimberly Hébert Gregory (@youfoundkimberly ) has passed away. Kimberly was the voice of Nicole Williams on both Craig of the Creek and Jessica’s Big Little World. On screen, Kimberly played Craig and Jessica’s confident and caring mother, and in the recording booth she extended that same kindness to the cast - treating the kids as if they were her own. It was a joy to work with Kimberly. She was always deeply invested in the material, and I can still hear her laugh when the script called for her to do something ridiculous - as is often the case in a cartoon. Kimberly was incredibly talented and funny, but also empathetic and courageous. A genuine artist and person through and through. I know I speak for the Craig and Jessica crews when I say we’ll miss her deeply.

The final episode of Craig of the Creek airs on 1/25 at 9am on CN and then will be streaming 1/26 on Max.  The beautiful final title card is by the one and only @benjaminamsterdam For the final episode, I didn’t want to do anything big or dramatic. I wanted an ending that let you walk away from these characters, knowing that even if you can’t watch them on a screen, they’re still having fun. This is an episode about goodbyes, without being a goodbye. It’s about appreciating the good moments and people in your life - even if things might change down the road. It’s a celebration of Craig, the adventures he’s had, the stories we’ve told, and a chance for all of us to finally take a moment and reflect. “I’ll See You Tomorrow At The Creek” was written & storyboarded by @neo_rama & @deenarrhea .  Both have been with the show in one way or another, since Season 1. Lamar did a wonderful job sending off the family with just the right amount of laughter and tears, and Deena made sure each shot was filled with everyone and everything we loved about the creek. The ep was directed by @bloochikin . Najja is a talent like no other. She has been taking the show to new heights since her very first storyboard, and as a Supervising Director, she was our rock. When all were gone, she helped Matt and I carry the movie, and the final moments of the show, across the finish line.  I’m forever thankful she stuck with us. There are many more people I want to spotlight once the episode is out in the world, but for now I want to thank the voice of Craig himself - @philipdessie . I can’t imagine Craig without this guy. Philip brought so much energy and life to each record session. He was truly like Craig - a well of brightness and positivity. He pumped us up. He made us laugh. He is one of the greats.   I could say so many things about this episode, but it’s mostly stories about me holding back tears in various locations.  Not tears of sadness. Like Craig, I just was appreciating the beauty of it all. Of a time that I was lucky to experience, with all of the amazing people who were a part of this show.

“The Little Warrior” - the penultimate episode of Craig of the Creek - is up on Max.  Title card by @benjaminamsterdam .  The ep is a tribute to Kelsey, and SPOILER ALERT - please watch it before you read this. We’ve always been sparing with certain details about Kelsey’s life.  In the episode “Alone Quest”, @tortelliniteeth wrote in a moment where Kelsey is by herself in the grass, and she quietly says hi to her mother.  It was very moving.  Over the seasons, the crew had many discussions about Kelsey’s mother, but what made it to screen was always brief - like that moment in the grass.   Still, there was a desire to know who this person was and how she influenced Kelsey.  Writers @lorrankydank and @harron_alexander had workshopped a story about this for the sleepover arc, but it was when we were told that the show was coming to an end that we decided it was now or never. Ideas were discussed at our big finale brainstorm meeting.  Forgive me if I’m wrong, this was over two years ago, but I recall @glamdoodle bringing up an idea about a book, written by Kelsey’s mother, as a gift for her daughter.  We began to work it out from there. The episode was written & storyboarded by @jasonmdwyer & @jnwiedle who did an amazing job channeling their love of fantasy into this mini-epic.  It was directed by @charmainevee who added so many ridiculous and heartwarming moments into these 11 minutes. As a nod to Kelsey’s mother being a writer, the role of Grace was played by @shaunacmcg , who was story editor on the first season of the show and helped usher this character into the world.  I named the character after the author Grace Chetwin, who wrote one of my favorite fantasy series.  When I was a kid, my buddy Clark and I used to pretend-play like we were in “Gom on Windy Mountain” which is part of the inspiration for Kelsey’s own self-narrative play. The role of Kelsey, of course, was played by @noelwells .  Noël has always taken so much care to make Kelsey a truly multi-faceted character.  She played her funny, grim, sweet, anarchic, vulnerable - and every time she sang it was amazing.  I’m so thankful I got to work with her, week after week, in the booth.

Last week, JP’s Bucket List premiered on CN & Max.  I had planned on posting about it earlier, but life has been incredibly chaotic here in Los Angeles.  But I’m back to share my thoughts on our third to last episode. For those who don’t know - we were midway through writing season 5B/6, when we were told that our episode order was cut in half and the show was effectively cancelled.  So we scrapped a story arc we were working on and quickly pivoted to figuring out how to wrap up the series.     We had already done an epic multi-episode arc with the Heart of the Forest, so we wanted to do something different - something smaller.  So after wrapping up the Elder’s storyline, we decided to dedicate a single episode to each of the trio: JP, Kelsey and finally Craig.   The writers, directors, storyboard artists and revisionists gathered together and we talked about what we wanted to see for each of these characters.  For JP there was certainly a lot of unexplored territory, but it was clear that what we all loved about JP was the joy he brought us.  He’s funny, empathetic, oddly insightful, and carefree in a way that we all should be.  So instead of bowing out on a dramatic note, we decided to give the fans the comfort of one last fun hangout with JP. JP’s Bucket List is basically a speed run of all things JP.  Title card by @benjaminamsterdam . Written & storyboarded by @fumichun & @richiepope who did a fantastic job on making a laugh out loud funny episode during some unfunny times. Directed by @charmainevee who took a lot of care to make sure episode came out as silly as possible (some great Charmaine drawings in the pics above).  And I can’t talk about this episode without talking bout the voice of JP -  @hmichaelc .    H has added so many hilarious improvised JP moments over the years, and helped shape his personality a tremendous amount.  Personally, once I had H’s voice in my head, it was a lot easier to write JP.    Thanks to everyone who’s helped make JP who he is.  Thanks to all the JP fans - I hope you enjoy the episode.  And if you’re a fan of animation, there’s a link in my bio to a list of gofundme’s of animation folk who could use some help.

The Elders of the Creek premieres on Max today! This episode was written & storyboarded by @leilei.art & @onihat , directed by @bloochikin and the title card was designed & painted by incredible @benjaminamsterdam . Now you may ask- why make one of the last episodes of Craig about the Elders? Well, the first thing Matt Burnett and I ever collaborated on was a short about three nerds LARPing as the wise men in a nativity play. We animated the whole thing (on paper), voicing the characters, along with our friends, in a make shift booth in my apartment, and then we put it up on Youtube. The algorithm was different back and 2007, and surprisingly, it got a decent amount of attention. So we continued on, making a little web series about those three nerds, Mark, Barry and David. One thing led to another and eventually had the chance to pitch it as a show. There were no takers. Maybe the concept of college kids playing make believe was confusing. However, the pilot script we wrote did land us our first writing job. Years later, Matt and I were writing on Steven Universe and had the opportunity to pitch to Cartoon Network. We thought about what we loved to do, and the web series the came to mind. It made us think: instead of doing a show about three college students playing pretend, what if we made one about three kids? Playing pretend in the woods, like how we did when we were kids? That was the beginning of the Craig of the Creek. And as a nod to our old web series, we put Mark, Barry and David in the show as the Elders of the Creek. Many folks have written and shaped the Elders over the course of the show, but Ashley and Leiana have a real fondness for these misfit weebs. Ash, in particular, was an early champion of the Elders - even creating an amazing zine with @jayperior titled “What If We Kissed At Anime Expo?” It’s so good. Basically a dream episode of the Elders show that never was. Together, Ashley and Leiana have made some delightfully unhinged episodes about the Elders, so it was no question who should wrap up their arc. I love this episode, and am glad they were the ones to give the Elders their final send off.

The final episodes of Craig of the Creek will begin airing this weekend. They’ll air first on Cartoon Network on Saturdays at 9am and then be available to stream the next day on Max. Here are the dates: 1/4- The Elders of the Creek (1/5 on Max) 1/11- JP’s Bucket List (1/12 on Max) 1/18- The Little Warrior (1/19 on Max) 1/25- See You Tomorrow at the Creek (1/26 on Max) The key art for these last episodes was designed and painted by @benjaminamsterdam who created and designed scores of characters for the show as well as many many beautiful title cards, posters, billboards and pieces of key art. He went above and beyond to make this final image for the show. So a huge thank you to him. I don’t know how to sum up my feelings about Craig of the Creek It was a life changing experience. It allowed me to work with and befriend so many amazing people. Together, we explored the creek, creating a world and cast of characters that were fun and silly, but also reflected parts of ourselves out to the world. I’m immensely proud of these final episodes. I feel like we went out at the peak of our game. Hope you enjoy them, and I’ll post some more thoughts on each one as they’re released. Thanks for watching and thanks to everyone who was a part of the show!

Part Two! Jessica’s Big Little World was nominated for Best Preschool TV/Media and Best Writing! A merger and a half ago, @atoffany , Matt Burnett and myself co-created the show. It was going to be Cartoon Network Studios first preschool show. We assembled a crew made up of Craig of the Creek powerhouses and uber talented artists and production staff. Something we all had in common: we were all new in different ways. New to pre-school, new to leadership, new to making TV, new to each other. First seasons are hard - you’re starting from scratch. But this was the sweetest crew who were so dedicated and incredibly supportive. It was a dream to work alongside them. Then, halfway through production, our season order was cut in half, abruptly cancelling the show. It was heartbreaking. Crew members were let go into a hostile work landscape and we wondered if the show would actually make it to air. But we all pushed forward, and those who remained on staff worked diligently to make each episode unforgettable before signing off. But thankfully, Jessica’s Big Little World made it out into the world. The episode that was nominated for both awards is “Jessica’s Picnic.” The story & outline was written by @shawnee.gibbs , @nelletheelle and @ashleighcrystal who are all such talented writers and constant sources of positivity. The episode was then written & storyboarded by @roxinrox and @franklinboards - two amazing artists who found new ways to make Jessica even more charming and fun with each episode they worked on. “Jessica’s Picnic” is about Jessica having a bad day, and ultimately making the most of it. As a crew, we may have not gotten the run we deserved, but we sure made the most of it. Congratulations to Shawnée, Shawnee, Ashleigh, Gabe and Austin. And a huge thanks to the entire Jessica crew and cast, including @graceorsomething who wrapped up this episode with a beautiful song. And this show never would’ve been made without the tireless efforts of Supervising Director @dashawn.mahone , director @ashlynanstee , Art Director @benjaminamsterdam and producer @drsuessy who poured the hearts into this project.

Amazing. First it was 3 Emmy nominations and now it’s 3 Annie Nominations!!! I’m gonna have to do two posts here. First off, Craig of the Creek was nominated for Best Writing for “Whose Dimension Is It Anyway?” @harron_alexander and @lorrankydank brought us this story about Wren, the Creek’s resident scientist, traveling through dimensions to find a reality where her parents aren’t divorced. Lorraine summarizes the themes of the episode so beautifully in her post. What I’ll say is, sometimes ideas come to the writing room as a sentence or a joke, and this one came in as a layered, sci-fi adventure that we knew we had to make. Brains were stormed, and Lorraine and Harron crafted a wonderful outline which was passed to @fumichun and @richiepope , who wrote and storyboarded the episode. Pearl and Richie brought the story, and Wren’s family, to life - mixing wild gags with just the right amount of tension and heart. When editing the episode, I kept marveling at how much was in this 11-minute cartoon. It’s absurd and silly, but also sincere and beautiful. It’s got six different dimensions, but also one of the most beautiful monologues in the show. I feel so proud of this episode and I am so happy for Lorraine, Harron, Richie and Pearl. Congratulations! And a huge thank you to the director of this episode @charmainevee and the entire cast and crew!

Craig of the Creek & Jessica’s Big Little World were nominated for 3 Emmy’s!!! The Craig of the Creek episode “Heart of the Forest” was nominated for Writing For A Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series! The nomination includes the writing and storyboarding team: Matt Burnett Ben Levin (me!) Najja Porter Dashawn Mahone Harron Atkins Lorraine DeGraffenreidt Jason Dwyer Leiana Nitura Ifesinachi Orjiekwe Ashley Tahilan Jones Wiedle It’s so wonderful that this episode, which the entire crew worked so hard on, is getting a moment in the spotlight. It was the culmination of an ambitious story arc, and it makes a beautiful statement about friendship and the show. And the Jessica’s Big Little World episode “Glow Toy” was nominated for Writing For A Preschool Animated Series! The nomination includes: Matt Burnett Janice Chun Tiffany Ford Shawneé Gibbs Shawnelle Gibbs Meemee Joi Gimes Ashleigh Hairston Dashawn Mahone Ben Levin (me!) Our run was short lived, but I’m glad the inspiring efforts of the crew aren’t going unnoticed. And last but not least - the voice of Jessica herself, Lucia Cunningham, was nominated for Younger Voice Performer in A Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program! Congratulations to Lucia whose performance has always made Jessica such a charming and lovable character! And congrats to all the nominees!

The Animation Guild is in its first week of negotiations with the AMPTP for a new contract. Every three years we negotiate with the studios for a new contract, but this one is a fight for our existence. The past few years have brought massive changes to the animation landscape. Studios want to replace us with AI, outsource work, and force those who remain to take low paying, short term, freelance work. It is not a sustainable future, and we will not accept it. We are fighting to protect ourselves from these threats as well as a litany of other issues, like job creep and unfair wages, that are currently plaguing our industry. If you support animation then #StandWithAnimation. Thanks to everyone on the negotiating committee who has been working hard for us this week, and in the months leading up to this, and thanks to everyone who organized and spoke at the rally on Saturday.

“The Slumber Party” airs July 6th @ 9:30am on Cartoon Network and will be streaming the next day on Max. This is the final episode of The Sleepover Chronicles. And what’s a sleepover arc without a slumber party? An evil slumber party. All of the title cards for this arc are by @benjaminamsterdam . The chromatic, painted portraits were inspired by the character cards from the Clue board game - Benjamin’s idea after seeing this was the culmination of the arc. This episode was written and storyboarded by @neo_rama & @deenarrhea , who peppered in so many fun character moments, gags and wild expressions. Seeing them pitch this episode was a delight and in the final animation you can see their handiwork all over it. Story by staff writers @harron_alexander @lorrankydank and @bloochikin @charmainevee @ahhratfarts @scrotumnose Matt Burnett and myself. Wonderful voice acting from the cast in this episode. Our main man, @philipdessie has one of my top ten Craig lines in this episode, which I’ll post later. And @dreeandree who voices Eliza is really giving us top tier evil girl reads. She is a very kind and chill person so it is hilarious to see her rip into this dialogue in the booth. And of course big thanks to @noelwells @hmichaelc who are always giving us gold as Kelsey (and Jane) and JP (and George), and to @youfoundkimberly @ashleighcrystal @kamaliminter & Kaeden Hall. It was a lot of fun to see what the background design team dreamt up for Eliza’s elegant house. Thanks to Background Design Supervisor @corykfuller and her team @tinoko_art  @automeruz  & Katie Wells who made this house and episode look like a million bucks (although in this market Eliza’s house is well over a million). And as you can see from these stills, this ep has some beautiful colors by Art Director martinansolabehere, Color Supervisor @estherpaints , BG painters  @kaya_dzankich , @carolyn_ramirez_art  and Color Designers @surely_anne  and @elolopez_  . After this there are only FOUR episodes left of Craig of the Creek. They’ll be airing 9/7-9/28. I’ll be posting more up until then, but all I say now is that we’ve got some really special final episodes to say farewell to the show.

It's the penultimate episode of the Sleepover Chronicles! “Dude, Where’s My Bobby?” airs June 29th @ 9:30 am on Cartoon Network, and will be streaming the next day on Max! Deviously cute title card by @benjaminamsterdam . The fun of storyboard driven shows is seeing the episode evolve as it goes from artist to artist. This story was given to storyboard artists @leilei.art and @onihat , and they turned it into something truly wild. The episode is about Craig and Bobby having a candy fueled wild night out, and Leiana and Ash truly unleashed those kids on the Creek. Watch it and watch until the end to see all the mania. Director @charmainevee helped craft a very funny opening where we meet Bobby’s parents for the first time. Then supervising director @bloochikin took over and plussed the hell out of this thing, adding some wild key animation at the animatics stage with animatics editor Nick Lomauro (who has come through for this show so many times, you don’t even know). Together they helped create a special sugar rush sequence, and in post @jeffrosenstock added some hyper sucrose dance music to it, with vocals by @trashmoses . Special thanks to our paint and color team for adding some truly trippy colors to this episode. Art director, martinansolabehere, Color Supervisor @estherpaints . Background Painters @kaya_dzankich , @carolyn_ramirez_art and Honore Gauthier. Color Designer @surely_anne and @elolopez_ who did color design on this episode, but did beautiful background paintings for the show as well. I also had a lot of fun with this one in the booth, getting to voice Bobby AND Bobby’s dad.