From my Instagram: “4 new eps of Adventure Time next week. Tues is an ep I boarded solo. I remember this was the episode that started to break down my mental defenses, which resulted in possibly some of my best writing in the latter half of Season 6. “Best” meaning weirdest.”
Comments on my own comments: “Weird” is a reductive word. When I use the word “weird” I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of general audiences. The thing that’s invested me in working for the show is that season by season, my bosses allow me to experiment with narrative form, and thematic aggressiveness. It’s like a rubber band that keeps stretching. So when I’m on the verge of emotional/spiritual collapse, my writing for the show actually benefits in a way that makes me nervous about audience reactions. I don’t see any way around that kind of relationship between author and general audiences. There’s always going to be some kind of tension there – especially if you are trying out new shit with each go. I read the Bhagavad Gita recently, and it helped me navagate the idea of expectations. So I think I figured out a way to keep pushing without feeling too overwhelmed by the response to my work.
Right now I’m in a pretty steady zone – concentrating on characters and humor, less so about concepts – and it’s feeling good – especially since Ako is temporarily working with me again.