I am Genndy Tartakovsky, the director of HOTEL TRANSYVLANIA. AMA.

Omelette du fromage?

Omelette du fromage!

Any plans on more 'adult' series like samurai jack in the future? WILL SAMURAI JACK HAVE AN ENDING?

Working on it

Heard a rumor that The Powerpuff girls is getting rebooted...is this true?

I have no inside information

But yes

I had the privilege of designing all the International Burger King Hotel Transylvania toys for the past year and a half. I love the characters in the film and had a great time working with your team. Headed out tonight for a 3D midnight Screening! I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done, especially Samurai Jack!

Thank you! The toys look great

I've got a question about the episode "Dexter's Rude Removal." Years back, I heard of a thoroughly adult-oriented episode of Dexter's Laboratory, that was allegedly created solely for the entertainment of those who worked on Dexter's Lab. The rough plot was that Dexter felt Dee-Dee's rudeness was becoming too big of a problem, and so he created a device that would render her entirely polite. The device ends up malfunctioning, and separates Dee-Dee and Dexter into two "good and rude" versions of themselves.

The rude versions are exceedingly vile, cursing and acting tremendously rude. At one point, allegedly, Dee-Dee calls Dexter a "Skull-fucking douchebag". There's a lot more information here.

My question is what ever happened to this cartoon? I'm sure a lot of Dexter's Lab fans would love to see it. :) How accurate is the description of that episode in the forum post linked above? Do you have any plans on releasing it to the public? (Pretty please!)

Sidenote: You're a huge inspiration, and I absolutely love your work. Thank you for years of entertainment!

There was an episode like that called RUDE REMOVAL but it was for kids, about Dexter trying to remove the rudeness from Dee Dee. But he ended up making a rude version of himself and Dee Dee. They cursed but it was bleeped! Cartoon Network didn't want to air it, they thought it was too harsh

Any chance that episode could find its way to the internet?

It might? It was all finished

You are definitely the reason why I shamelessly (at middle age) watch cartoons. Thank you for especially for Samurai Jack. The best of luck with your future projects.

Thank you! Keep watching

The "Clone Wars" episodes you did for Cartoon Network are, in my opinion, the best Star Wars media produced this decade (including the prequel films). Do you have any plans to work with Cartoon Network in the future (beyond Sym-Bionic Titan)? And what's your opinion on the quality of cartoons aired today?

Thank you. I'm pretty settled in features right now but who knows what the future holds

Cartoons today are okay! I'm too picky

I heard about the Samurai Jack movie coming out. Should we expect it to wrap up the story nicely? Also, thanks for making my childhood awesome!

Not coming out yet! Trying to make it happen. It would be a beginning and an end all in one story.

What's currently standing in the way of it happening?

Money, distribution. It's hard to sell a 2D action oriented stylized movie in this marketplace

BUT if HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA does well it will definitely help

I love you. That is all.

I love you

Any chance you could get together with Joss Whedon and do an animated Firefly series?

T'would be awesome.

p.s. huge fan.

Don't know Joss, sounds like fun though

A lot of people speculate that Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack are set in the same universe/world. Is this true? If so, is there a story behind it?

Noooo

What's your opinion on the "new" Dexter's Laboratory when the animation changed? I just couldn't watch the show anymore after that. The nostalgia was gone :(

The original voice of Dexter retired so it was hard to keep up the same quality

There's a joke going around how finding Dexter's Rude Removal being the hardest thing to find since the Holy Grail. Is there any chance you will make it available for fans? Or does Cartoon Network have you on some sort of gag order?

Also absolutely loved Samurai Jack, hope a proper ending comes soon.

Next time I do a public appearance I'll bring it with me!

I'm always been curious to know this. Seeing as making an animation movie takes up to 5 years to create how is the script and dialogue always so fresh?

Coz they keep f-cking changing it!

AAACK! Dexter's Lab was such a staple of my life when it was still on tv (back when I could afford it!). I just want to say thank you so much for doing this AMA and answering so many questions so far, and providing my life with hilarious quotes I still use to this day. So. THANK YOU! :) I will definitely take my friends to see your film!

Ooh what does this button do!

I just wanted to take this time and say you're awesome for keeping my childhood alive!!! All your cartoons are in my possession and I cherish them forever a kid-at-heart 23 year old! Favorites being Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, and Star Wars Clone Wars.

I would like to say that the episode of Star Wars Clone Wars with Mace Windu kicking ass through the droids is THE best animation sequence I've seen along with THE BEST EPISODE of Samurai Jack, The Blind Archers!!

Thanks again and I can't wait to see Hotel Transylvania!! And I hope to meet you someday!

Those two are my favorites also, you have good taste!

We haven't seen it yet, but my 6 year old is entranced by the commercial where the vampire says "I do not say 'BlahBlahBlah'!". What's the possibility of an "autographed" vampire "photo" or poster from the movie, by any unlikely chance? She'd go nuts.

Go on the Sony Pictures Animation website to request some!

Would you have preferred samurai jack to not have the restrictions of being a show suitable for children?

Also, what's your opinion on Johnny Test? To me it seems like an unfunny rip-off of Dexter's Lab

No, I totally didn't mind making it for children. I think that's what made it what it was. Agreed

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Yeah, it's a big concern but hopefully we'll find a creative solution if we ever come to it. Mako is pretty irreplaceable as Aku.

What was it like working with Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler? Were they d-bags or nice? This is the Internet, just be honest. EDIT: If you could start a project on Justice Friends action figures, that'd be great. Oh and congrats on Hotel Transylvania

The truth was that it was very challenging and at the same time very fun.

Adam is actually really funny and it was my job to translate his humor into the animation. And Andy's expressions are so funny, it was something that was hard to live up to

I’m dutch, and since I was very young, it was my dream to become an animator. Instead of college, I decided to do 2 more years of highschool so I can go study film and animation. Any tips for a successful start?

Draw and make stuff. There's no better way to learn than to make stuff

Just had to say that I've really enjoyed your work over the years. Samurai Jack is a big hit around here, and there are a lot of folks who feel like Clone Wars goes a long way toward redeeming a franchise that was really damaged by the new trilogy of movies. Thanks for everything and congrats on all of your success!

As a question, what project you've done is your favorite/holds a special place in your heart?

Dexter's Lab for creating a character that's still relevant right now, Samurai Jack for the artistry on a TV budget and schedule

Hello Genndy! What can we do to help get your Luke Cage comic book into stores?

Call Marvel Comics to pressure me! I don't know if they still want it coz it's been so long

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I think it's amazing, there's so many opportunities to show your stuff on the internet right now.

If I was 20 I would for sure be making film for the internet. I'd probably have my own channel or something

Your cartoons made my childhood an amazing one. Thanks!

Thanks for watching

What was your favorite TV show and movie when you were a kid?

Three's Company, Six Million Dollar Man, Carol Burnett Show

I have a question about your new movie, Hotel Transylvania and your opinion on the state of animated children's movies. It seems as if lately there is a very thin line that animated movies attempt to toe between creating humor suitable for children and imbuing films with humor for the parents that are taking their children. These jokes tend to be "over the head" of the younger members of the audience. I understand that it is important to provide a fun experience for parents and it certainly helps to attract an older audience when there are tongue-in-cheek jokes and pop-culture references but does it harm the experience for the "target audience" of younger children?

As a director/writer/producer who has always included what some might call irreverent humor in his work, how do you walk this line in your new movie? Do you feel you still put your signature in this movie and that those who see it will recognize it as your work?

I also heard that this is the first picture in a multi-picture deal with Sony Pictures Animation and that there is potentially an animated Popeye feature in the works?!

HUGE fan, thanks!

It's funny, usually I think of neither kids nor parents as humor especially is very subjective. We try to make a movie for us that we think is funny in hopes that many others will think it's funny too. Otherwise it's kind of insincere.

I feel my signature is in the animation, the timing, the expressions, some of the camera work.

And YES, I have committed to making a couple more with Sony Pictures Animation and POPEYE is one of them! Toot toot!

Hi! Love your work!! What's your favorite PPG episode that you wrote or directed? Also, do you ever come back to Columbus and can we hang out? :)

It's all a blur. Can't remember which one I like the most. Next time I'm in Columbus I'll let you know!

Mr. Tartakovsky, let me just say that I am a huge fan, and thank you for doing this. My question is "Are there any ideas you had for episodes that you never were able to do (especially for Sym-Bionic Titan, as it only lasted one season)?".

YES!! We wrote 10 more episodes for SYM-BIONIC TITAN that were better than the first 20. It was tragic for me to not have a chance to do that.

Just want to say Thanks. Samurai Jack is a high point of my adult life.

Thanks back!

Love your work! Dexter's Lab is something I can still watch today and I was a grown adult when I first saw it in the first place!

When doing the Clone Series, what was your experience working with LucasFilm? Did you get much freedom? Any funny outcomes from your conversations with them during production? What did THEY think of your series at the time?

How do you feel about the lore created for your series being erased and replaced by lore created for the new animated series? Is there a bit of lore you were proud of creating?

What is your favorite scene from any of your TV projects?

Overall my experience was pretty great with Lucasfilm. They liked what we did and supported us. Yes we got total freedom pretty much. George didn't care much one way or another in the beginning, but after he saw the first series and his son really liked it, then he got involved more in the second one.

As for the lore--I think it's sad...

Favorite scene? When Samurai Jack fights Aku on horseback in "The Birth of Evil"

What was it about Hotel Transylvania that made you join the team?

The opportunity to do Dracula as a father, and as a comedy

You are just awesome. Many of favorite shows as a kid were yours.

I'm sure you will get many questions on the subject, but about the Samurai Jack movie:

• Is it still alive?
• How much of it is done? Is there any art, even concepts?
• Will it be sticking to the rating of the original show, or would it grow a bit to reflect it's older audience? Not an R or anything of course, but something a little broader.

And, for a non-SJ question: What's your favorite show you've not worked on? Animated or not.

Favorite show would be Curb Your Enthusiasm

Hi! I am an aspiring animator currently in college. I love your work- Dexter's Laboratory and Sym-Biotic Titan were awesome! My dream job is to work in the animation industry after college, and someday own my own feature film studio. Do you have any advice on what I can do during college to make this dream possible?

Make stuff and draw! Good luck

Do you already have a pretty good idea of what will happen in the Samurai Jack movie? Do you have any of it scripted/storyboarded or is the project just completely on hold until some studio exec gives you the green light?

I have the story that I want to tell. So I'm just waiting to sell it

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If you get a laugh, stop and move on!

What inspired you to go into cartooning?

Bugs Bunny, Tex Avery, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Laugh Olympics, Hong Kong Phooey, and many more

Why the transition from 2d to 3d? What are the pros and cons of each, in your opinion? Also, Samurai Jack has always been a huge inspiration for my art style! One of the first more serious storylines I ever followed as a child. You do amazing work!

I really didn't have a choice, it's not like anybody's making 2D features

But actually in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA I was able to infect it with my 2D sensibilities and there's some really fun things in it

Thank you!

DAAAMMNNIITT, I had the opportunity to watch this movie with my 6-year old niece before it came out in theaters, but I couldn't make it due to completely unexpected traffic. I was extremely disappointed to miss the movie after making the drive, but now after finding out you were directing that movie, I'm exponentially sadder...I totally would have fought tooth and nail to see the movie had I known you made it! Because any project you get behind, I always thoroughly enjoy. You are the shit! I have thought that thought since Dexter's Lab first came out, haha.

Sorry you missed it but it's out in theaters tomorrow !

Animator here, thank you for this this AMA, I'm a HUGE fan and you're one of my idols. I really love how you push the 2d style in this movie, the poses and the facial .

Hotel T has been in production for a while, and there were a few director changes. When did you come on to the show? How far along was the production before you came on? How much input do you have in the final film. Thanks again.

I came onboard a couple of years ago. There were some locations built and some characters built, and I had to put all those separate pieces together in addition to making new ones.

So I had a lot of input into the final film.

The characters in Hotel T are SO cute. How did you go about choosing their voices? Was it hard? Can't wait to see it tomorrow!

Once we know what the personalities are, then you just try to find the actors to match. It's harder to get them to commit than to find them!

If someone wanted to make feature films for a living and you could only recommend them one movie to watch and study, which would it be?

Wow, that's a heck of a question. I don't think there's anything animated you should study as far as feature films.

Study life, that's where you really learn how to tell stories.

Hi. I want to say that your cartoons were my favorites on cartoon network when I was little. I still watch them form time to time and I still love them.

I read somewhere that the city in ruins with the English talking dogs from Samurai Jack was actually the City of Townsville. Is this true?

No

After having much success with different projects, such as Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory, do you find it difficult to move on to new things and start from a clean slate? More specifically, do your older works tend to affect your newer ones?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

No, not difficult because I did 52 half hours of DEXTER and SAMURAI so I was ready to move on.

It's later on when you usually want to go back because you have more stories to tell. And everything that I've done affects everything that I'm doing.

Do you believe the Six Million Dollar Man/ Bionic Woman/ Bigfoot crossover episodes to be the high water mark of 70's entertainment?

They were pretty damn great!

What was the biggest challenge you had breaking into the entertainment industry? I'm trying to do the same, but from the middle of the country, and it seems like everyone/everything is telling me to not go for it. I love film more than anything in the world, and would hate to have one of those "what if?" moments 25 years from now.

Thanks in advance. I always loved your work. It was kid-friendly without being pandering, and I always appreciated that.

I had the same challenge when I was in Chicago and I came to crossroads that I basically had to leave if I wanted to have a serious career.

It's difficult, but if you truly love it you'll know what to do. Without knowing your specifics, there are more opportunities nowadays to feature your work on the internet. Maybe that could be an outlet.

Any update on your Luke Cage comic? I hear its pencilled and just needs inks and colors. Please push it through I'll buy ten copies an issue I promise!

I want to, I'll see what happens. Trying