From canceled celebrity frogs to heartbroken shrimp, the vast world of “Smiling Friends” is full of bizarre supporting characters. But co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel took things to another level in the Season 2 premiere of the Adult Swim series. The episode, succinctly titled “Gwynbury: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director's Cut),” is a collection of beloved '90s videos that didn't make stars. The film follows the Smiling Friends of the same name as they try to cheer up the game's character, Guinbury. He can't participate in new games because an evil corporation known as Insane Groundbreaking Games won't give him access to his IP.
The episode was previewed to fans last month after the network's puppet-filled April Fool's prank, in which the gang rescues Guinbury from a sad life of making undignified cameo videos and allows him to pursue independent work. It's a classic “Smiling Friends” adventure where you help create something. game. It also features some of the most unique character designs we've ever seen. Gwynbury is not only his 3D character living in his 2D world, but also his crude '90s and early 2000s videos by artist Dave “Foolopy” Post to evoke his game protagonist. Carefully designed. In a recent conversation with IndieWire, Hadel and Cusack opened up about incorporating their passion for old video games into the show.
“We had no idea what Gwynbury was going to be like, but we had an idea,” said Hadel, adding that the character is a spin-off of dubious origins that dominated many video games in the '90s. He explained that the hair is an homage to animals. “Sonic isn't really a hedgehog. He's a hedgehog, but he doesn't look like a hedgehog at all. So we knew Gwynbury was this vague animal thing.”
Hadel went on to explain that their interest in the character stemmed from a long-held feeling that fictional video games that exist in movies and TV shows rarely capture the feel of real games. .
“While we grew up with '90s media, I personally felt that I had never seen a truly accurate representation of the video game era in film or television,” he said. Ta. “I feel like whenever I see something that features a fake video game, I get that feeling of, 'Die!' It seems so, but it's so far off.”
Once Post and the team designed Gumbry to be an accurate reflection of the game they grew up with, it was time to integrate him into their bizarre television world. This character eventually fights another fictional character, a giant robot known as Troglo, in a platform combat game at the end of the episode. The animators said that blending their styles in the fight scenes was the culmination of Gwynbury's experimentation.
“Having a PlayStation 1 or Nintendo 64 type 3D character from the '90s or early 2000s in the episode was what got us excited from the beginning,” Cusack said. “And then you see him interacting with a 2D character that's already established. And if you're going to do the video game aspect, that's what a high-poly character would look like in that world. It was also fun to think about how they became Trogrow and Super Smash Bros. and interact with each other while watching the various video games.
“Smiling Friends” Season 2 premieres Sunday, April 12 at midnight on Adult Swim.
