Creative team of PBS KIDS' Carl the Collector talk autism representation, illustrations, and authenticity

Cozy on up for a brand new series on PBS KIDS! A new 2D animated show produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures called Carl the Collector will premiere on November 14!

The show follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a raccoon who is on the autism spectrum and loves collecting things. Carl is seen alongside his friends and other companions such as Sheldon, Carl's best friend and an empathetic beaver, and Lotta, a quiet and self-assured fox who is also autistic and hypersensitive to loud sounds and powerful smells.

The show is special because Carl the Collector is meant to not only showcase but also celebrate the differences and commonalities of our society. Packaged in a cozy and fuzzy animated series, this show offers a unique way of sharing the stories of these central characters.

The Parent Watch sat down with creator Zachariah OHora and Director Lisa Whittick to talk about tackling subjects such as autism, the beautiful illustrations that make up the show, and coming up with the personalities of the characters. Read on to find out more about Carl the Collector!

Zachariah, [in] tackling this series, the subject matter may seem difficult or even taboo to some people, but it feels like this show is already part of the zeitgeist. It just feels very familiar. What made you want to create the show? 

Zachariah OHora: It's been nine years in production, so it's been a long time coming. At the time, it just seemed obvious that we should have more stories about this. I had some experience—at that time, my kids were going to school. They attend an inclusion school, and we're lucky that they could go there. In all of the classrooms, there were kids with different needs. It was a lightbulb moment for me; it normalized the idea that people have different needs.

My kids were friends with everyone, and they accepted each person as they were. It was a moment where I realized, "Oh, yeah, this is the obvious thing." If everyone has more exposure to the whole spectrum of humanity, then we’ll all understand each other better, and the world will be a better place. That's how it started.

Lisa, I know you've been a part of some of my favorite shows. I grew up watching Martha Speaks, and I thought you were a storyboard artist for it. This is a really cool full-circle moment. Coming on to direct, how has it been collaborating with Zachariah to help bring these ideas to life?

Lisa Whittick: Zach has been amazing to work with. He really trusts us at Yowza! [Animation] to fulfill his vision for the show. Zach is obviously an illustrator, and taking those flat drawings and the perspective he created and turning them into an actual show is a bit of a challenge.

Early on, we came up with certain rules for Fuzzytown that we needed to stick to regarding perspective. Not everything is going to look perfect, and that's the point: we don’t want it to look perfect. The environment isn't perfect, and people aren't perfect either, right? So it's a nice, full-circle thing that way. It’s been amazing working with Zach. He’s a really incredible creator.

The aptly titled production company, Fuzzytown Productions. When I looked at the key art and, in general, this episode, the illustrations and animation elicit a very warm and fuzzy feeling—a safe space, in a way. I'd love to know, as an illustrator, your inspirations for the drawings prior to the animation.

ZO: It's a lifelong thing. When I was a kid, I collected comic books and wanted to be a comic book artist. I also loved picture books. I admire Ben Shahn, an illustrator from the '50s and '60s known for his heavy black lines. Inspiration comes from so many places. The other part of it is just working with what you have. There are things that I am terrible at—I can’t draw realistically—but I lean into the things I can draw so it's all those elements.

Some writers on staff are neurodivergent. Ava Rigelhaupt is part of the team. It’s incredibly necessary, and almost mandatory, to bring these voices into the show. What was that dynamic like in the writer's room? What perspectives did you all have when crafting the storylines?

ZO:  The point from the beginning was that we wanted an inclusive atmosphere as possible, with different voices. We don't need to hear only my voice. We wanted an authentic representation of all the kids and parents that we show in the series and in order to do that, we have to have the same range of people writing. And that's what we attempted to do. And it's been really, really great. Lisa technically is not in the writer's room, but when we go through [story] boarding, she has so many ideas, too. On every level of the production, some people are adding valuable additions to how the stories get crafted that no one person could do.

LW: We also have, not just neurodivergent writers, but we have neurodivergent animators. The voice actors are neurodivergent as well for Carl and Lotta. That's Kai Barham and Maddy Mcllwain. And yeah, it's a really collaborative process where I feel like it's becoming more of an outlet for autistic voices to be heard throughout the entire production, which is really, really great.

We can't forget about our star, Carl, and how he moves throughout the show, as well as the lead character, who loves collecting things and being around family. When it came to crafting Carl as a character, what was that process like? Was he an amalgamation of people or kids? How did that come to be?

ZO: I originally came up with Carl as he looks now, with the sweater vest and everything else. Often, when I create characters, they don't come with a backstory, so I'll make a drawing or usually a card for my wife if I've upset her and need to say I'm sorry. I try to think about what the cutest animal with the cutest outfit possible would be. Not that Carl was created that way, but sometimes these characters will hang on the wall of my studio for a year, and then they start to talk to you and reveal their personalities the more you draw them.

Eventually, a story and scenarios develop. Carl followed a similar process. I want to emphasize that a lot of the development occurred when we got to the animation stage. There were different aspects of Carl that had to be figured out from an animation standpoint—things I hadn't even considered. 

LW: Once Zach provided us with the artwork and the story premises, we had to work closely with advisors to ensure we were accurately portraying the autism aspects of Carl's personality. We worked with two advisors, and many of the crew members also contributed. As a parent of an autistic son, many of Carl's mannerisms—like the stimming and pacing—are things I've observed in my son as he grew up so it feels like he is an amalgamation of various people.

From the perspective of an audience—whether it’s a parent, a caregiver, or a young child watching—they know it’s authentic, and that’s the best part. I also noticed there's a character named Forrest, a squirrel with a tree nut allergy. I want to talk about that for a minute because I love the humor behind it. When developing the other characters and their personalities, was it just ideas that came to you, or what was that process like?

ZO: I try to think about characters in a similar way. I focus on three elements: humor, a little bit of weirdness, and a lot of heart. I'm always trying to incorporate those three aspects. With Forrest, he has ADHD; he runs around really fast and is quite impulsive. I considered the different things that can make us feel isolated from our families or communities. For a squirrel, eating nuts is a staple, so having a nut allergy—which many kids can relate to—would be particularly tough. There’s a great pizza place around the corner, and he loves pizza, which is his favorite food. So it’s about addressing serious issues while adding a touch of levity, making it relatable and fun to watch.

Do you two have a favorite character that out of all of the people, all of the characters in the ensemble, is there one that sticks out to you?

LW: Forrest is the funny one. He's the one that I think the audience is really going to love because he's got all these funny little quirks and sayings and just the way he moves. I do really love him. I do have a kinship with Mama, Carl's mom. I feel like she's me, and everything that she is thinking and doing, I've thought and done all those things before. There's going to be a lot of parents out there with neurodivergent kids who are going to really relate to her.

ZO: Carl was the first, so Carl is the closest to my heart. There are some ancillary characters that we are starting to explore that are also my secret favorites. There's a skunk who's a DJ named Jam Master Spray, who I really love, but we haven't actually really gotten deep into his story yet. There are those other little fun characters that have come out of this process that we're waiting to explore.

If you want a sneak peek, check out this YouTube Short from the series on the official PBS KIDS YouTube channel:

Watch the premiere episode, "The Plushie Collection; The Bouncy Ball Collection" of Carl the Collector on PBS KIDS on Nov. 14.