Those who fell in love with the charming and hugely influential children’s show Arthur, which ran on PBS for 25 seasons (1996-2022), are anticipating the premiere of its creator Mark Brown‘s latest animated project. On Thursday (April 4), Brown’s new series Hop, a new venture about a group of eclectic best friends which spotlights kindness, acceptance and working together, premieres on Max. Co-created by Brown and Arthur alums Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown, the show centers on Hop, a high-energy, empathetic frog with one leg shorter than the others. One of the unique aspects of the show is that its entire ensemble voice cast cope with some type of disability, allowing young viewers to relate and better understand the various challenges faced by many around the world.
We were thrilled to able to have a Zoom chat with the fantastic Marc Brown about his new labor of love. Here is what the three-time Emmy-winning author, illustrator and show creator told us:
Animag: Well, first of all, congratulations on the debut of your charming new show, Hop, which premieres on Max in April. Can you share with us how and when you started thinking about the new project and its characters?
Marc Brown: Of course. I guess it was about three years ago that I was at my drawing table, and I happened to draw this little doodle of a frog. I realized that one leg was a little shorter than the other. I guess I had in the back of my mind that Arthur was finishing up after 25. We had done so many stories and I always wanted to work for a younger audience. I was lucky enough to have Fred Rogers as a good friend, and I was really influenced a lot by what he did for kids and how well he did it. Iso the hope was to add to what Fred had done for kids, and also including humor in the mix as well. As I was talking to my wife about this interview this morning, she told me, “Don’t forget to mention that the show is about two things: humor and heart.”
Perfect, now how would you say the show is different from our favorite Aardvark series?
i think one of the things that makes it a little special is that some of the main characters have disabilities. You know with Arthur, we did introduce characters with disabilities yes but they never had a meaningful, ongoing relationship with the main characters and it felt a little gratuitous in a way for me. The letters I get from kids when we do include characters with disabilities really encouraged me to make this a foundational part of the show. As I explained, Hop has one leg shorter than the other and that doesn’t get in his way. What I like about the way this show handles disabilities is it never defines who our characters are or what they can accomplish. We focus on friendship and the power of working together to get things done
Arthur was about telling kids the truth. I believe that kids look to us in the media for truth, and I don’t think there’s enough of it out there right now.
Can you talk about the visual style of the show?
I guess I can’t help myself, but I draw the way I did for Arthur, and so the characters in Hop look similar to the characters in Arthur. I just want to say something about how Arthur made me love being a part of a team. When I first met with the people at Cinar [the now-defunct Canadian company which produced Arthur] and we began working on Arthur, I had a really hard time sharing these characters that had become so close to me. But working together as a team I saw how much more we could do with these. I feel really lucky that we have Peter Hirsch who was our head writer for Arthur almost all the way through and my son Tolon who was a producer for 20-some years working on Hop. They bring all these people together that care about kids in the most important ways. We’re all having a good time working on this series it doesn’t feel like work!
How long did it take to wrap the first season (26 episodes), which is produced by Epic Story Media and Loomi Animation [using Toon Boom’s Storyboard Pro and Harmony and Adobe’s Photoshop for design, layout and colors]?
I guess it took about three years, and yes, we’re done with the first season now polishing some episodes for the season. I’m so lucky to be working with the folks at Epic Story as they let me have access to all the paints in the paintbox. You know, with Arthur I didn’t have that kind of access, for example, I wasn’t really involved with the sound mixing and all that. But with Hop, I have really discovered the power of what that can do for the show. Music also plays such an important part of our show. Another big thing is that I’ll be there in a voice record, and I’ll see that an actor is struggling with a certain line , and I can just rewrite that line. Those little things make such a big difference. I’m really enjoying being more a part of the entire creative process.
Looking back, are there any specific episodes that stand out for you?
Well I always come to these episodes as a six year old and, and I do like some of the spooky stories. We introduced this little troll named Helgo, and our character Benny who is afraid of just about everything around him encounters her. The episode is really about making judgments about people before you get to know them, and so after the two meet, they find out how much they have in common and they become friends: It’s just one of the messages that’s important for kids to think about.
Working with one of our voice actors (Charlotte Walker) who is neuro divergent proved to be quite a memorable experience. Initially, I was a little nervous about the authentic casting of the character (Filipa, the squirrel), but you know what? Charlotte absolutely nailed everything and brought such heart and enthusiasm to the character. You always want to make sure the actors are the right fit with the characters they play, and once you get to know them as other stories evolve, it really helps to have that foundation of who that person is to build new stories on.
Speaking of important messages, Arthur was on always on the forefront of fearlessly including important themes and storylines, regardless of the conservative backlash it faced.
You know, when we did the “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone Episode” in 2019 [in which Arthur’s teacher gets married to his same-sex partner] , we got so many texts and letters from kids and adults who said, “I wish there was something like that on television when I was growing up.” So, yes, we were lucky to have done that. Another thing that is really important is about Hop following in the footsteps of Arthur: We were able to gain so much trust from parents and that’s something that I really value. I feel like we can be an ally with parents with the show because parenting is really the most difficult job that anyone can ever! It’s a lot like being a trapeze artist: You have to know when to let go, but there’s a long time that you have with children before that happens. I like to think that with stories in the picture books and the TV shows we offer families opportunities to share your values: They are great conversation starters!
What do you think about the wild world of children’s animation in 2024?
I wish that I watched more of it but I don’t if you have a life yeah you’re really creating I did it I ripped the Band-Aid off you know I’m a little intrigued about 3D animation yes and I hope I live long enough to maybe try a entering that world. I’ve had some conversations with animators about that and I see great potential there, so I think that would be a fun thing to try.
Any thoughts on using AI in animation?
Well, it can be both good and bad. I mean it’s all about how it’s used. A lot of wonderful things can happen, but I also worry a little bit about artists’ copyrights and ownership and sort of crossing that line. So, I think it’s just like anything new: We’re just going to have to dive in and take it as it comes.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Hop and his friends?
I hope that they will see the humor and the heart in the show. We’ve put a lot of love and effort into it, and I hope that it will inspire families will find the series helpful to have those conversations about what they’re watching together.
One final question for you before I let you go: Do you have any good advice for young people who want to write or draw books or create animation for children?
I get that question a lot when I visit schools and talk to kids. I think you have to practice, just like playing basketball or playing the piano. Fill up your sketchbooks, and make sure you write or draw something in it every day. I think that training your ear to hear dialogue around you is really important. Truman Capote used sit in the park all day and listen to the conversations around him, and then he’d go home and try and recreate as much of them as he could yes. It’s all about practicing and not giving up. If you want to do something that you love, you have to be persistent!
Six half-hour episodes of Hop will premiere on Max on Thursday, April 4. A total of 26 episodes are set to roll out on the streamer this year. The show is produced by Epic Story Media in Toronto and animated by Loomi Animation in Quebec City.
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