One of the remarkable aspects about the new Warner Bros. animated feature, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, is that it has no marquee-value celebrities. No sports stars. No flavor-of-the-month comedians. Just two veteran voiceover actors performing the leads: Eric Bauza and Candi Milo. And both have an impressive array of […]
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INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond on Xadia: The Land of Loose Ends


In the opening to The Dragon Prince, the narrator tells us the land of Xadia is rich in magic. It’s also rich in history, cultures, and the depth of its main characters, as one would wish for in an epic drama. There are so many details that, with the heroes focused on saving their world, […]

INTERVIEW: Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Chris Buckley on the Return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker


Yes, it’s true. Mark Hamill is back as Luke Skywalker. And Luke is alive after The Last Jedi. Except … this Luke lives in the LEGO Star Wars galaxy, as are many of the thought-to-be-dead characters in the nine-episode Star Wars saga. Just don’t expect Luke and the others to behave as you remember. The […]

INTERVIEW: Rebuilding the Star Wars Galaxy … Upside Down!


Two brothers. One seeks adventure, the other prefers the quiet life. Both are nerf-herders in a galaxy far, far away. And one manages to turn the galaxy upside down. Meet Sig Greebling. He likes to stay a farmer, regaling the neighborhood kids with the Skywalker saga, while his older brother Dev wants to create his […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond: Beating the Odds


With the narrative portion of The Dragon Prince drawing to a close, Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond reflect on their achievement. After all, it’s rare for a made-for-streaming series to last seven seasons, with untapped potential for more. What are the odds of that happening, and how did the Wonderstorm producers beat those odds? “In […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond on Ending a Saga—and Beyond


“When is Season Six showing?” That’s what The Dragon Prince fans want to know. They clamor for it in podcasts, social media and conventions. And no wonder: Season Five ended with many compelling questions. What’s to be done about the sinister Startouch Elf, Aaravos? Will he possess Prince Callum again? Will Callum sacrifice himself to […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond on “The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos”: The Right Choice for the Voice


An epic like The Dragon Prince requires a villain of epic proportions, one powerful enough, and intriguing enough, to engage the audience. This is certainly true of the Startouch Elf, Aaravos. Listen to his voice, and you’ll hear a mix of mystery and menace, arrogance and cleverness, sultry and beguiling, rhythm and yes, magic. To […]

INTERVIEW: “The Dragon Prince” Influences, Inspirations, and the Mystery of Simpson


When I last spoke with the executive producers of The Dragon Prince, they ended the conversation with a cliffhanger: Aaron Ehasz said, “If you pay attention to Viren’s story arc and what happens to Viren, what I want people to know is Jason Simpson did something. Sorry, Jason, you know what you did. Don’t mess […]

INTERVIEW: The Magic of Her Voice: Paula Burrows of “The Dragon Prince”


Canadian actress Paula Burrows stars in The Dragon Prince as a Moonshadow Elf, a kingdom’s High Councilor, and a parrot named Berto. On July 22, she added “pirate” to her repertoire. During the Dragon Prince panel at San Diego Comic-Con, she and her colleague, Boone Williams, bounded on stage and demanded Netflix show Season 5 […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond and Villads Spangsberg: Gutsy Storytelling for “The Dragon Prince”


Fantasy stories are a means to convey ideas. Or with its characters, inspire directions for life. Or encourage new ways of thinking. Or expand the imagination. All from realms of make-believe. One can name Animal Farm, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, even The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond and Villads Spangsberg: Making “The Dragon Prince” an Epic


What makes an epic fantasy series successful? The Dragon Prince has been so popular that its streamer, Netflix, committed to seven seasons—ordering the later four seasons all at once. So far the show has won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Children’s Series, an IGN People’s Choice Award, two Kidscreen Awards, and a Leo […]

INTERVIEW: “Dancing with Dragons: Frederik Wiedmann’s Music for a Magical Land” (Part 2)


When showrunners Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond selected Frederik Wiedmann to score The Dragon Prince, the young composer was relatively new to the entertainment industry, yet had already amassed an impressive array of credits. Several came from DC’s direct-to-videos: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Son of Batman, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Batman vs. Robin, […]

INTERVIEW: Dances with Elves: Frederik Wiedmann scores “The Dragon Prince”


Animation is primarily a visual medium. But, as George Lucas pointed out in The New York Times in 1992, “Sound is half the experience in seeing a film.” Sound, as in dialog, audio effects—and music. Such is the case with The Dragon Prince, the epic fantasy adventure on Netflix. The show’s composer, Emmy-winner Frederik Wiedmann, […]

INTERVIEW: James Waugh on “Star Wars: Visions” – Animation from Certain Points of View


When one thinks of Star Wars’s impact in the real world, at least three terms come to mind: innovative, imaginative, and inspiring. Innovative, as in developing technologies that improve the production pipeline. Imaginative, as in its exciting audio and visual storytelling. Inspiring, as in motivating people to develop their talents and pursue their dreams. It’s […]

INTERVIEW: Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond: Reflections on “The Dragon Prince” Season Four


The Dragon Prince used to have a rating of TV-Y7. Then in September, about two months before the premiere of Season Four, Netflix slapped on a rating of TV-PG with the label of “Gore.” What caused the rating change? The show’s co-creator, Aaron Ehasz, wonders as well. “Honestly, I’m not even sure what that is,” […]