‘Goldie’ Creator Emily Brundige Introduces Her Big-Hearted Animated Heroine (NEW CLIP)

This article was written for the March ’25 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 348).

A giant girl with a big heart is ready to stomp her way into viewers’ hearts in in Goldie, a charming new show premiering on Apple TV+ this month. Created by Emily Brundige (Hilda), who also serves as exec producer along with Emmy winner Clint Eland, the 13-episode first season of the show follows the adventures of a giant girl who goes on some epic adventures with her best friends in their town of Boysenberg. Along the way, they celebrate their differences and learn that there’s space for everyone in this big world.

The 2D-animated family series features a stellar voice cast that includes Jessica McKenna, Dee Bradley Baker, Amari McCoy and more, along with guest stars such as Henry Winkler, Al Yankovic, Nicole Byer and Maria Bamford.

Perfect Tone

Goldie is based on a 2018 short by Brundige, an animation veteran who has written for shows as diverse as Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Teen Titans Go!, Unikitty, Big Nate and Hilda. “In the social and political climate of 2016, I felt a strong urge to create a larger-than-life character like Goldie — a giant girl who takes up space!,” she tells Animation Magazine in an email interview. “This may sound unbelievable, but honestly, the development process was a breeze thanks to my fantastic executives at Apple TV+. The toughest part was just waiting for production to begin. I think having my short film as a proof of concept from the start really helped. From the moment I pitched it, the executives were able to visualize everything — from the visual language to the comedic tone. The show has stayed true to those elements from the short.”

While the writing, voice acting, songwriting and score was done in the U.S., everything else from the designs and storyboards to animatic editing was done at Mercury Filmworks in Ottawa, Canada. “The animation was done at their partner studio, Lighthouse Studios in Kilkenny, Ireland,” says Brundige. “Both Mercury and Lighthouse did an outstanding job and were amazing to work with. The animation pipeline and overall production were led by my incredible director at Mercury, Graham MacDonald, who also served as the animation director on Kid Cosmic and the Mickey Mouse shorts.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Graham — he was a dream partner in making this show,” says Brundige. “The animation was done in Harmony, blending character rigging with drawn animation seamlessly. Paul Madden, who was also the assistant director on The Cuphead Show!, served as the director of animation at Lighthouse.”

Brundige says the art director of the original Goldie short, Germán Orozco, took her directive of creating a whimsical European town, which was reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking’s home, and added his own inspiration from mid-century illustrators like Mary Blair and Josef Palecek to create a look that felt both fresh and appealing.

“My genius art director on Goldie the show, Ross Love, was able to honor the unique look Germán created, while elevating it to the larger, well-rounded town of Boysenberg you see today,” she explains. “Cheyenne Curtis created the initial designs for the short. She’s a fantastic artist with a natural sense of appeal. However, when the show entered development, we wanted to make the designs feel even more unique compared to character designs we’d seen before. For example, adjusting Goldie’s eyes from a more cartoony style to something slightly more realistic helped give the character a distinct look.”

Goldie feels and looks unique, and Brundige loves that about her show. “I’ve always wanted to do a show with my special brand of humor in it, which is a kind that doesn’t hit you over the head, but sneaks up on you,” she points out. “It’s deceptively simple, and I feel like I’ve achieved that in Goldie. I also love that the show celebrates the things that matter to me: diversity, acceptance and emotional honesty. Boysenberg feels like a town we’d all want to live in. It has a strong sense of community, with everyone coming together when times get tough — even someone as grumpy as Mrs. Petunia, the little old lady and antique-store owner!”

“Goldie is a female character who is flawed and makes mistakes, and I want kids, especially young girls who are often conditioned by society to be perfect, to see that it’s okay to be imperfect.”

— Creator Emily Brundige

When asked about her animation idols and influences, Brunidge mentions early Peanuts specials and Pippi Longstocking. “She’s my one constant idol and forever hero,” says Brundige. “Early influences that shaped my overall creative vibe include Pee-wee’s Playhouse, early Wes Anderson films, the books of J.D. Salinger, Steven Weissman’s Yikes! comics and Thurop Van Orman’s Flapjack series on Cartoon Network.”

According to Brundige, Goldie had one of the smoothest production of any show she has ever worked on. “I think that’s due to several factors,” she explains. “The supportive style of my Apple executives, the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness toward the show at both Mercury and Lighthouse, my strength as a leader with a clear vision, and the talents of my head writer, Ben Greene, as well as all the other writers, actors, musicians, and artists involved in the show. It was a dream project for me!”

Nobody’s Perfect

Now that Goldie is ready for her big debut on Apple TV+, Brundige hopes the show will encourage kids to be more accepting of themselves. “Goldie is a female character who is flawed and makes mistakes, and I want kids, especially young girls who are often conditioned by society to be perfect, to see that it’s okay to be imperfect,” says Brundige. “Goldie also experiences big emotions. I want boys, too, to see a character who expresses her emotions intensely and to understand that even when she’s a giant crybaby,’ her friends still love and accept her.”

Sharing some helpful advice for animation newbies, Brundige says it’s important to know that you have everything to gain from the people you work with. “Pick your battles, stay open, and focus on keeping ideas flowing rather than shutting them down,” she offers. “Be respectful, do your research before meeting with someone, and always maintain professionalism!

Goldie premieres on Apple TV+ on February 14.