Action cartoon with female lead . . . can it work?

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Desperado 85

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One of my dreams is to someday make an action cartoon and put it on the air on a network. I'm actually putting together a bible/treatment together for one, though it's not like I can make the pitch now, as I have no connections in order to actually walk into the studio and make it.

It has a lot that I think kids will find appealing. It's technically sci-fi but uses the "science fiction" parts almost like magic, making things easy to understand for the viewer. Lots of action, an attempt at a deep mythology (I have things going back 50 years), a fairly large cast of teenagers, children, and adults . . .

I don't want to reveal too many things because of plagiarism concerns (no offense) but the quickest way to describe it is a genderswapped Shakugan no Shana crossed with Gargoyles by way of Half-Life 2.

But the thing that could single-handedly kill any pitch is the fact that the lead is a girl, and so are many of the supporting characters.

I'd like to break gender barriers, and be able to create something that is "shonen with a female lead". But I don't know if the opportunity will ever exist.

What do you think?
 
Action cartoons with female leads have worked before, no reason why they cant or wont work in the future.

... pitch it to the right channel and it can work, pitch it to one with mostly a female audience, Kim Possible was an action cartoon with a female lead and it aired on a channel in which last time i checked most viewers of were female.

An no im not saying that it cant or wont appeal to boys because thats just ridiculous... if its a good enough cartoon then boys will go to whatever this channel is and watch it, guaranteed, i just meant that itd be easier to succeed in getting it made by pitching it to a channel where the viewers gender matched the lead of the shows gender.
 
Powerpuff Girls was easily Cartoon Network's biggest hit up to 2004, and did well enough to garner a theatrical movie. Sure the movie did porrly, but to get to that points says a lot.

Kim Possible was the first Disney Channel cartoon in the 2000s decade to go beyond 65 episodes.

The Wild Thornberrys made it past 90 episodes and got a theatrical movie.


Now sure these are only three shows out of hundreds of cartoons, but they had a female lead and didn't just do mildly ok. They did great.
 
Well, the thing is that this is an action cartoon and definitely crosses into TV-PG territory. It's not incredibly violent but it's definitely comparable to, say, Young Justice. This isn't like Kim Possible at all, this is serious material. Gargoyles-esque serious, Batman: TAS-esque serious.

Plus the first two episodes have a ton of death in them They follow the female lead's grandparent who is a F-35 pilot and winds up confronting an alien invasion Independence Day-style, except it doesn't end too well for the humans this time, leading into an occupation, and the aliens building odd towers all over the ruined cities. The grandparent winds up forming the resistance movement that contains the present-day protagonists the female lead winds up associating with, and said grandparent is also the first to be exposed to the magic-like abilities of the aliens and learning that humans too have the ability to use it. But I'm pretty sure I can sell that along with the rest of the five-part pilot (yes that's my main structural nod to Gargoyles) at least in concept. Why? Because it's really exciting, full of the "wow" factor.

It's that convincing the network execs that a serious action cartoon with not only a female lead, but a roughly 55/45 female/male ratio can sell to the viewers, including 6-17 boys. I know Kim Possible did really well but that, Thornberries, and PPG are much different than what I want to be able to do.
 
Well, I suppose The Legend of Korra will be a slight means to answer your question. But knowing Nick, if it is successful, they'll probably just attribute the success to the title having Avatar.

How about Jem? Would you say that's serious enough to answer your question? I mean it did get renewed for 2 seasons and totaled out to 65 episodes. And in the 80s, getting more than 26 episodes was no small feat.
 
You misunderstand me, I'm asking for advice (whether it's serious or not is up to you) as to how I can make a serious action cartoon with a female lead sell, without the help of an established franchise. How would you suggest trying to make people convinced it could work? It has more in common with "boys' cartoons" than any "girl cartoon" that's ever existed.

I've never seen Jem but from what I've heard of it that and my show in its current form have as much in common as dishwater and ashes.
 
What happened to "not revealing too many things"?, and thats a lot off stuff to cram into two episodes (if i understand you right).

Also, you say this as if "serious material" can only appeal to boys, which is not true at all.

If your plan is purposely target a channel that targets boys age 6-17, which by the way there is no channel that would target an age range like that (its just crazy, just crazy), then your shooting yourself in the foot with the big network exects before even trying. Thees boy network execs would look at you with a "this does not compute face".

My suggestion?, you know how those Avatar guys are making a new Avatar show with a female lead based on an already proven universe and concept and fanbase and success of their previous show?, do that. You say you have a 50 year mythology right?, Pitch a different show to these boy targeting channel executives that happens in teh same universe only taking place 20 something years before that (in the mythology), with some random boy as the lead and lots of great female characters that'll be loved by the fans and all, then if that succeeds in being a major success then you can go "yo executive guys, i got a new idea for a show based on this same universe only 20 years latter, the fans will come running back, the leads a girl (they say "wait a minute, boys wont like that ect.."),you say dont worry exec guys remember how everyone loved all the girl characters in teh last show?, trust me this work its a proven concept etc etc...", and then bam!!, you can make your dream show with a female lead on a channel that targets boys 6-17 (which again is a ridiculous target audience).
 
It is becoming clear that I'm making no sense to anyone.

As for that story detail, that's all I'm revealing of it. Period. I just wanted to put one of my ideas out there to give an inkling of what I'm going for.

Executives have it in their heads right now that action cartoons must be made for boys and marketed to boys. I am asking for advice as to how to overcome that perception when pitching this show, which has a similar mindset and mood to boy-aimed action cartoons but is really kinda aimed towards both, girls a bit more.

How can I convince an executive that yes, this can make money, even though it isn't as boy-aimed as most serious action cartoons are? What is the right approach? Is there a right approach?
 
There are two schools of thought.

As noted, Powerpuff Girls & Kim Possible were very successful, and the PPG actually had a theatrical feature. The Wild Thornberrys, though, doesn't qualify as an action cartoon, IMPO. That falls under comedy-adventure built around a family. Let us also remember there has also been the following:

Grossology
Totally Spies
Atomic Betty
She-Ra, Princess of Power

But, the graveyard is filled with series that didn't quite succeed:

Mary Kate & Ashley In Action!
Spider-Woman
The Legend of Calamity Jane
Jana of the Jungle
The Life & Times of Juniper Lee (which could also be construed as comedy-adventure, depending on your viewpoint)
Stripperella

Now, you know as well as I that if WB green-lighted a Wonder Woman cartoon, and it was done in CGI, fans would go apeshizzle.

It all depends on how it's marketed, methinks.
 
Well, even if it is an action show with similar mindset and mood to boy aimed shows, just emphasize/sell the parts of the show that you put into it that is aimed towards girls specifically, which your show should have seeing as how you say its aimed at girls a bit more... and no "female leads and mostly female cast" does not count towards that. Besides that, i got nothing.

Also, dont go talk to a cartoon channel executive with this "its kind of aimed at both, girls a bit more" stuff, even if that is true, most channels simply do not work like that, (especially not those dedicated to animation) when they make shows they need to have specific target audiences for advertising reasons and such. They will just say "why should we go with your cartoon that only kind of targets girls a bit more when we can go with one of these other tons of show ideas on our desks that target more than kind of do it".

(the creators of the Young Justice cartoon say they want all demographics to watch their show.... but its still pitched as a show specifically made to sell toys to boys aged 8-14 or something like that. Point is, even if you are making a show that everyone can watch, dont go try selling that to execs, sell the show as something girls will like first and foremost).
 
Yeah, see, that's the big hurdle. I don't have Korra's advantage of being part of an established franchise. In fact, other than Generator Rex, EVERY action cartoon currently running on Nick/Nicktoons, Disney XD, and Cartoon Network are all established franchise-types. It is really hard to break in more than ever, and I know I'll need the connections plus some experience with freelance animation writing (and getting into that is its own battle). I'd give my left arm to pen a Young Justice, Korra, Voltron Force, or Generator Rex episode just to show what I can do.

But I'm confident that the show can sell on most things because it's really exciting and suspenseful, has enough merchandise appeal to make money that way and can last a while . . . as long as I don't personally blow it. The sticking points are the target audience and the female lead.
 
I offer 1 suggestion: Don't make the protagonist an egomaniac. That seems to be the biggest mistake made with these types of shows (and its one of the main reasons I can't stand the Ben 10 franchise and Generator Rex).
 
No there isn't, but if you're serious about this, the best way to get such approval on an action show is to have a merchandise giant behind it. You ever notice how most of CN's action shows have toylines and merchandise in just about every big box store? Even though they don't do nearly as well as say, Transformers or Power Rangers, the fact that the network still gets at least a fraction of the licensing money is enough to at least give them a chance on the air.

The only obstacle is finding a company that's willing to produce lines of toys with a girl being the center character. None of them would willingly shortpack the hero like they usually do to girls, but how could one market an action show attempting to appeal to both genders without alienating one or the other?
 
I am serious about this even though at best pitching the thing is five years away, I think it'll take two-three years just to get into position to write freelance if I were to go about it right now and then maybe a year or two after that maybe I'd get my chance. I'm forming the bible & the timeline first, and then writing the first five episodes myself. I have researched animation script format closely and I think I can get five 21-minute episodes completed. The trick then is to make enough money in order to pay out of pocket for some early character and landscape designs, and then I'd have a good pitch, just nowhere to go with it.

Of course, it'll come out faster if I get famous a different way, though I'm not holding my breath on that.
 
Macattack, if your not already involved in the animation bizz then forget about this "five year" stuff, its not happening.Ben 10's success tells me that TV audiences disagree with you... at least the boys who watch cartoonnetwork and buy all the Ben 10 toys anyway.

Id say the opposite, make your protagonist an egomaniac.
 
Theoretically, it could work, but in reality, with the girls not the primary audience, you have to ask, why are you distancing yourself from the male audience? Powerpuff Girls was female targeted, but at the same time, so outlandish and obviously not serious it took on a sort of universal appeal that worked with an older as well as a younger demographic.

If you're going to make a primary action show with a female lead, and the female lead is deliberately made as this serious, unattractive, curmudgeon of a heroine, you will create something that will never see a pilot. Plain and simple. Focus on making something with a coherent story that has a lot to sell, not on deliberately breaking what you see as unjust taboos.
 
I didn't say I could have the thing made in five years. I was saying that I could pitch it in five years at best if I worked on getting contacts starting right now though that's really optimistic and that's if someone finds me brilliant. Nobody has ever found me brilliant. At best, professional types have told me my writing is pretty good, even great, but flawed.

I am attempting to break into writing for a living and have made progress towards that, though it is not in the animation business unfortunately. But no deal yet.
 
Ya know, when it comes to advice on how to get into the industry you should email the guys at Cartoon Brew. Asking how a writer can pitch a show would be a great topic for them to cover.


My advice is that you make the lead a male with a female co-star. Even though Avatar's main character is male, the female characters are really strong, and are as, if not more popular than the lead. Pitching a show with a main female character is practically impossible to get on the air, especially if you haven't establish yourself in the industry. Once you establish yourself by working on other shows, or already have a hit show under your belt, networks will be willing to take bigger risks.

I have tips on how to get in the industry if you're an artist, but being a writer is a lot different.





That seems to be a more personal opinion, as a show has never been hurt (ratings or merchandise-wise) due to having the lead be a cocky character.
I mean if it was such a mistake, how come Ben 10 and Generator Rex are still around?
 
Maybe there might be a chance if you could somehow get Quentin Tarantino as a producer? He likes cartoons, listing Toy Story 3 as his favorite movie last year, and Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds were both very successful movies with female heroes (though the male lead in Basterds hogged all the advertising, the final product was quite different). Perhaps he'd know how to sell it to some network?
 
Female lead cartoons have worked in the past, but it's harder to get on the air. The problem is network executives thinking they know what the audience wants so you get stupid decisions like little to no female characters showing up in boys cartoons "because boys think girls are icky" and male protagonists that are the same age as the target audience so they have "someone to identify with" despite the fact that those characters are usually the most hated. If you really want this then you'll have to do a great pitch at the right time and be willing to make compromises on the story. I'd recommend when you pitch it that you do some market research before hand to show that your series will work with a female protagonist.

It might be best to have a male co-star so you can go "look it has something for both boys and girls" and that'll be an easier sell. Multi-gendered leads are going to put the network execs at ease since they can at least market it to boys and put merchandise out there for them.
 
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