Hi everyone. I've been working on and off over the years on a cartoon that I plan to eventually pitch. I have an important question. Is it mandatory to have at least one character of each race on a kids show? I have all the characters created for my idea but I have no character from an Asian background among the cast of characters and I'm wondering if I should go back and create/draw an Asian character to put in the show before I pitch the idea.
Working on my own cartoon, have an important question.
- Thread starter Milnivri
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Anitaaaaaa
New member
Nope, it's not mandatory to cover every ethnicity. In fact, I wouldn't even encourage trying to be THAT politically correct. Just focus on creating good characters. Ethnicity should be a PART of a character, but not what defines them. A non-stereotyped cast will go over better than a massively diverse, but stereotyped one.
Good characters should be personalities first and ethnicities second, so you're definitely not required to showcase every major ethnic group in your production. It's fine if that's what you want to do, but it's not mandatory. In fact, adding a character of a particular ethnic group just for the sake of doing so could potentially make your project look like a marketing tool for political correctness.
ric francis e
New member
Don't have one. It's just an idea I've been working on for the past few years that I plan to eventually pitch.
abe_elifarrar
New member
I'd like to make my own cartoon(s) and be an animator when I grow older. I've had several ideas already.
PLEASE don't worry about trying to incorporate every ethnicity. It doesn't matter what ethnicity your characters are, or how diverse your cast is. What matters is that the characters are interesting and likable.
BTW, since we're on the subject of making our own cartoons, click here!
Don't let that discourage you-- You can't just expect people to get excited that you're thinking about making a cartoon. That doesn't mean much. Until you've actually got something to show (even just a premise, character designs, scripts, etc), there's no reason for anybody to be interested. Don't worry about people's reactions, just focus on having fun making something. Cause if you're not having fun making it, what's the point?
BTW, since we're on the subject of making our own cartoons, click here!
Don't let that discourage you-- You can't just expect people to get excited that you're thinking about making a cartoon. That doesn't mean much. Until you've actually got something to show (even just a premise, character designs, scripts, etc), there's no reason for anybody to be interested. Don't worry about people's reactions, just focus on having fun making something. Cause if you're not having fun making it, what's the point?
Let me help you by coming up with an Amish character for you:
The name is Adolfdiah. He's the reclused son of a professional butter making family in a wholesome Amish community. One day his friends in the "heathen village" take him to see one of them there moving pictures, let's say, Tom Sawyer, and he becomes fascinated with the idea of visuals arts.
He then leaves the comforts of the house of Stalidiah to take shelter into the local bijou where he studies film, when he decides that he doesn't like his miserable black hair. He dies it blond, finds comfort in an oriental lady, and plans his voyage to California, where he will make the sequel to Gone with the Wind that was meant to be, Scarlett. Adolfdiah and his female companion, Lily, head off in the comfort of a nice horse and carriage, not bowing down to the advances of modern society.
I will not tell you Adolfdiah's entire story right now, but it's an inspiring, unusual take on living your dreams that you should consider adding to your show. With this your cartoon will surely succeed in being an unforgettable experience that will stand the test of time for generations to come.
The name is Adolfdiah. He's the reclused son of a professional butter making family in a wholesome Amish community. One day his friends in the "heathen village" take him to see one of them there moving pictures, let's say, Tom Sawyer, and he becomes fascinated with the idea of visuals arts.
He then leaves the comforts of the house of Stalidiah to take shelter into the local bijou where he studies film, when he decides that he doesn't like his miserable black hair. He dies it blond, finds comfort in an oriental lady, and plans his voyage to California, where he will make the sequel to Gone with the Wind that was meant to be, Scarlett. Adolfdiah and his female companion, Lily, head off in the comfort of a nice horse and carriage, not bowing down to the advances of modern society.
I will not tell you Adolfdiah's entire story right now, but it's an inspiring, unusual take on living your dreams that you should consider adding to your show. With this your cartoon will surely succeed in being an unforgettable experience that will stand the test of time for generations to come.
Personally, although networks and studios encourage it, it's not required. Networks/studios ARE afraid of stereotyping, however. In Codename: Kids Next Door, for example, Numbuh 3 was originally going to speak only Japanese and Numbuh 5 was originally going to be mute. But of course, CN insisted on changing this.
WinterFrost
New member
Considering that there might very well be hundreds of "races" out there, depending on your defenition of the term, it would be pretty damn hard to include a character of every race in a single show. 
jcantrucker
New member
It is never a requirement, but it may appear to be. Most of the distributors and networks are looking at a few things:
1. How to expand their programming to a new audience
2. How to better reflect the diversity in North American viewing audience
3. How to appeal to audiences overseas
You have to think big picture when creating your characters. Part of the reason many children's shows add characters from diverse racial groups is to allow people from different backgrounds to feel included in the programming. Children of every color want to be able to relate to a character. Although the outside isn't as important as what's inside, the look of the characters can influence what people think.
I've also seen this taken to extremes, where show developers place one ethnic character done to an extreme in order to make a statement or simply as a passive aggressive response to pressure from a producer.
One thing I think you should work on is your story and character traits FIRST. Many shows such as Sesame Street, Reboot, and Sid the Science Kid all us characters that have radical skin tones (yellow, purple, pink) to make you focus less on the race of a character and more on the character.
1. How to expand their programming to a new audience
2. How to better reflect the diversity in North American viewing audience
3. How to appeal to audiences overseas
You have to think big picture when creating your characters. Part of the reason many children's shows add characters from diverse racial groups is to allow people from different backgrounds to feel included in the programming. Children of every color want to be able to relate to a character. Although the outside isn't as important as what's inside, the look of the characters can influence what people think.
I've also seen this taken to extremes, where show developers place one ethnic character done to an extreme in order to make a statement or simply as a passive aggressive response to pressure from a producer.
One thing I think you should work on is your story and character traits FIRST. Many shows such as Sesame Street, Reboot, and Sid the Science Kid all us characters that have radical skin tones (yellow, purple, pink) to make you focus less on the race of a character and more on the character.
Physics101
New member
But if networks do encourage people of every race to be included as characters. Do they have to be main characters?
This is my situation, I have a cast of about 8 main kids. If a network wants at least one Asian character for example, do they have to be one of those 8 main kids? Or can I have the Asian character be someone else that wouldn't neccessarily appear in every episode?
This is my situation, I have a cast of about 8 main kids. If a network wants at least one Asian character for example, do they have to be one of those 8 main kids? Or can I have the Asian character be someone else that wouldn't neccessarily appear in every episode?
select start.
New member
Encouragement isn't the same thing as requirement. You're not going to be required to have an Asian character, or any character of a particular ethnicity, in your show, in either a major or minor light. Even if networks encourage diversity, they're not going to force you to make your cast ethnically diverse just for the sake of doing so. If you have an Asian character in your cast, that's fine, but it won't be considered a strike against your show if you don't, and it's certainly not mandatory for you to have one.
Just make your show and your cast the way you want to make them, and don't concern yourself so much with political correctness.
Just make your show and your cast the way you want to make them, and don't concern yourself so much with political correctness.