r/Invincible • u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner • Apr 23 '21
I’m Simon Racioppa, showrunner for the Invincible series on Prime Video. AMA! AMA
Hey Reddit, happy Invincible Friday. Heard you wanted to chat about the show, so I’m here to answer as many questions as I can without spoiling where all of this is going. I wrote Episode 7, so this is a particularly special week for me, and have enjoyed reading all of your reactions so far.
Proof: https://twitter.com/Sraxs/status/1384222941932441611
And here’s the Invincible trailer: https://youtu.be/-bfAVpuko5o
Let’s do this!
EDIT: Thanks everyone! Your support makes all the hard work over the last few years worthwhile – for me, and everyone else who worked on Season one of Invincible during a very strange and difficult last year. Hope to be back here sometime soon!
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u/sadshoes Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
First off just wanted to say I loved both of the episodes you wrote. What is the writer's room like for this show? Do they tell you what needs to happen for the episode you're writing or is it more of a group discussion? Lastly, any good Kirkman anecdotes to share? Thanks!
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Great question. Robert, Cory, and I spent time together working out the arc of the first season and writing the first two episodes before we brought anyone else onboard. Then we hired four other writers (Chris Black, Christine Lavaf, Ryan Ridley, and Curtis Gwinn) to come and be in the room. Together, we all improved the arc, worked on the characters, then figured out the beats of each episode. It’s basically a big group discussion and debate – and at that time, the only person we had to answer to was Robert (also in the room). Also, it’s a hell of a lot of fun…
Kirkman anecdotes… I mean, he’s super generous to work with – letting us play with all his cool characters and stories. But never, I mean NEVER, call him Bob. Or Rob. Or anything other than Robert. There's a whole section in Invincible about William and this!
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u/sadshoes Apr 23 '21
Thanks for the answer! It really does sound like a lot of fun, and I swear never to call him anything but Robert on the day we are fated to wait in the same bathroom line together. Looking forward to season 2!
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
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u/incredibleamadeuscho Robot Apr 23 '21
But never, I mean NEVER, call him Bob. Or Rob. Or anything other than Robert. There's a whole section in Invincible about William and this!
This is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
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u/LOOKaGorilla Cecil Stedman Apr 23 '21
You took my only good question before I could post it lol.
Curious to see his response!
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u/sadshoes Apr 23 '21
Yeah I am really curious how they plotted the show, also in relation to the comics and how they went about adapting it but I didn't want it to be too long. Hopefully he sees it!
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u/sharkfrog Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon thanks for doing this!
I'm a huge fan of the comics, and the show has been fantastic so far! Episode 7 was amazing, especially all the stuff Omni-man had to go through while trying to find Mark. What are some of the challenges that come into play while writing new stuff for the series while keeping it true to the spirit of the comic, and how much influence do you have on said changes?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
It’s a huge challenge – I was shitting my pants writing episode 2 for Robert, since I was making changes to his books to make it fit better into an hour of television. By episode 7, it was easier since we had so many episodes done by then. A lot of the changes were inevitable because of the previous episodes. It mostly was a matter of sitting down and asking myself: What would Cecil do now? How would Debbie react to this? Can I make this more emotional? Can I make this cooler? And going from there, while knowing in the back of my head where the episode had to end.
At the end of the day, the only people I had to convince were Robert and our show executives at Amazon.
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u/miniatureBill The Immortal Apr 23 '21
My question: i assume that Amazon switched their philosophy for releasing shows from binge watching to a weekly release during the middle of your production.
Did they tell you this? Did this effect how you did the show or was it already made? Did you like or prefer this change?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
I was told about this during post-production on the show, but it didn’t really impact anything from a show point of view. We still had to finish all the episodes by a specific date. I kinda like the staggered release to be honest. It lets the show breathe a little, gives the audience time to digest each episode. And gives me something to look forward to every week. My wife and I have been making different pizzas every Friday to watch the episodes – last week was Chicago Deep dish. The week before was Detroit style. Tonight is New York!
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u/miniatureBill The Immortal Apr 23 '21
Great answer. I've enjoyed the weekly release too. I just always wonder if one or the other would change the pacing of a show. Im sure it does in certain shows.
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u/linee001 Apr 24 '21
If it was a binge release people would talk about it for a week and never mention it again till the next season
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u/miniatureBill The Immortal Apr 24 '21
Yea ive certainly noticed that with The Boys and the new Disney+ shows. I just wanted to ask really if it affected the way they paced the episodes. Sometimes i hear stuff about joe binge culture has made the pacing of shows different like maybe there a cliff hanger at the end of each episode to keep you from turning it off or its actually like a LONG ass movie because its supposed to be watched all at once damn near. Certain things like that. Obviously these things can still be in weekly releases but i was just wondering if it affected anything
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u/linee001 Apr 24 '21
I’ve noticed that there are some binge shows that do end on cliffhangers on like 80% of their episodes to lead into the next one to keep you interested. There’s also other normal shows that do this but it seems more of an artistic choice like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
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u/The_Zany_Cartoonist Apr 25 '21
Definitely, the great thing about a weekly release schedule is that it keeps the fandom more interactive as they try hatching up various theories and predictions of what'll happen next. As a result, there is no pressure to watch the entire season at once.
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u/linee001 Apr 25 '21
Exactly I understand the want for a binge because you just want to see the whole thing and not have to suffer through that weekly cliffhanger but to me having that want for the next episode improves the show. I loved having to wait week to week for a new GoT episode Same with Better Call Saul and the old TWD. Same goes with Invincible. Especially for this next ep because that was a fantastic penultimate episode
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u/invisible__man Apr 24 '21
I think many of us are used to watching japanese anime, so I think we will all agree that weekly releases are definitely the best way to build the hype of a show. It was a great idea.
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
First off, Simon, I want to say that I'm absolutely ADORING the show so far. Seeing the community grow to support it has been a real treat. You guys really know what you're doing. On to questions!
Have you read the comics? Did you choose to read them in their entirety before you started production on the show, or are you reading them as you go through each episode?
In that same vein, as the writer of this last episode, what motivated you to make some of the bigger changes to the plot that expanded the story of issues #9 and #10?
I can't wait to tune in for the finale next week, and I REALLY hope that we're going to hear about season 2 being greenlit soon!
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Thanks so much! Nothing feels better as a writer/showrunner than seeing people enjoy the show. For the comics, I think I answered that earlier – but yes, I’ve read every issue multiple times (though I still often need to look stuff up to make sure I’ve got it right). The changes in episode 7 really came out of the changes in episode 6, then 5, 4, etc… There were things we changed earlier that needed to be paid off here. Other changes came out of just having more time to spend on characters like Debbie – meaning I could try to get into her head as much as possible. Writing is a lot of that – trying to make your characters act and feel as much as real people as you can in any given situation, rather than plot devices to move the story forward. I don’t always get it right, but that’s the goal.
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u/esKq Apr 24 '21
Love your take on Amber though, seems like a more realistic / interesting character than in the comics !
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u/DreamWarrior_V Apr 23 '21
This show, and this episode in particular was EPIC. I have never been so invested in a animated series, and left in awe except for only one other series, Attack on Titan. My question is what are the plans looking like as of now for the continuation of the show, and on a side note do you have a preferred animated series where you take inspiration from?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
We'd want to continue the show in the same way – following the books as closely as we can, expanding areas and characters we’d like to go deeper into, and making tweaks here and there to adapt it to a different medium – and always trying to make each episode better than the one before.
For inspiration, it was a mix of animated and live-action series – but also other comic books, novels, plays, music, etc.
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u/IAmTheCannonball Invincible Apr 23 '21
Congrats on the show, and well done on episode 7! The whole episode was stellar.
Question: I’ve seen so much love for nearly every single aspect of the show, but is there an area that, from your point of view, isn’t getting the recognition or attention it deserves?
Can’t wait for next week and fingers crossed for S2!
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Thank you! I guess one area is just all the hundreds of different people who worked on the show – from our directors, to our writers’ assistant, to our coordinators, to our producers, storyboard artists, mixers, overseas partners, and more… There’s too many people and roles to list here (watch the credits at least once please!) but any television show is a labor of love of SO many craftspeople, it’s a little insane – and I always try to remind people of that.
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u/V1ncent_Adultman Apr 25 '21
I'm in love with the invincible theme music so I watch the credits for every ep.
And your totally right, the crew seriously deserve all of the recognition. We wouldn't have the shows we love without them.
Also thank you for making this incredible show!
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
You seem to really like Invincible... maybe you should start a podcast or something? Idk, just an idea.
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u/IAmTheCannonball Invincible Apr 23 '21
Ya know... that’s a good idea. I just gotta learn how to press the record button and that might turn into something.
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u/Desutoroia The Grayson Family Apr 23 '21
Hey, thanks for doing this. I'd like to know, how easy or hard it is to make a 50 minute episode especially when some scenes in the comics happen pretty fast?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
The series was always planned as (TV) hour-long episodes. As we worked up the ideas and arc for the first season, we were always thinking about the episodes fitting into the 42-45 minute range – so it wasn’t hard. Plus, there’s so much material in the comics that it was easy to find little moments we could expand and dive deeper into.
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u/CaptainWolf25 Apr 30 '21
For minority characters, like Amber, she is the only Black female character on the show now (the other was brutally murdered). She's stereotyped as the "angry Black woman character" (and Black Samson as well). Is she only there as fodder between Mark and Eve? Will you develop her as a character?
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u/Flooping_Pigs Banished to Hell Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 24 '21
Actually, a lot of times... We'll just reuse art we've already done over and over. It's good for dramatic pauses and when stuff doesn't really change much from panel to panel. Most people don't even notice.
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
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u/sadshoes Apr 23 '21
Don't you think that's kinda cheap?
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u/DakotaBashir Apr 24 '21
You have character A that jumps to fly, 4 episodes later, you have Character A that jumps to fly, you start drawing the left shoe of frame A, you still have to do the whole body, 24 time again, and you remember that you're not an inexperienced teens who dreams about making the next princess mononoke in the next 30min by the power of hard dumb work, but a professional, who's animating a weekly shows, that does his job so good that he knows when to cut the superfluous and make it work. The simpsons did it.
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u/Flooping_Pigs Banished to Hell Apr 24 '21
You're gonna get downvoted but people shouldn't expect new fans to understand comic jokes.
So here you go: https://i.redd.it/jdi8kzl4t9q61.jpg
This is what the other user was referencing
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u/f33f33nkou Apr 24 '21
Lol, all animation is trying to save as much time and frames as possible. The good studios are just the ones that dont make it obvious. Disney, the king of animation for 50+ years reuses and repeats assets a fuck ton.
So no, its not "cheap". Its literally necessary.
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u/Flooping_Pigs Banished to Hell Apr 24 '21
You're gonna get downvoted but people shouldn't expect new fans to understand comic jokes.
So here you go: https://i.redd.it/jdi8kzl4t9q61.jpg
This is what the other user was referencing
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u/f33f33nkou Apr 26 '21
Thank you! That's actually pretty damn funny in context
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u/Flooping_Pigs Banished to Hell Apr 26 '21
The whole comic is hilarious with things like that, you should definitely check it out!
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u/_Arctica_ Apr 23 '21
Yea. Sometimes the animation is rendered quite well, other times it's literally just still frames.
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u/Ghetteuax Apr 23 '21
lmaoo i just seen that in the comic last night ...i couldnt wait for the next episode =/
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u/WA_rio Apr 23 '21
Thanks for doing this! Episode 7 was probably my favorite in the series so far. Let me ask this because I posted about it earlier- was the burger scene/samurai movie reference with William supposed to be foreshadowing for what happened in Omniman’s fight at the end of the episode?? (Trying to keep it spoiler free)
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Thanks! And yes, it was… Though I also love Samurai movies. And Voltron. Didn’t that happen a lot in the OG Voltron series? I feel like it did…
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u/zmcvicker Apr 23 '21
Were you a fan of Invincible the comic before you started working on the show?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
I was – though I wasn’t up to date on it. I had read about half of the trades when I was asked to develop the show, so I quickly re-read those and then caught myself up with everything else. And just as I was getting started, Robert was finishing the run, so I was reading those last few issues in real time, same as everyone else.
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u/cravenj1 Apr 23 '21
Oh wow, so you've been working on this since 2017
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Apr 24 '21 edited May 07 '21
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u/Gathorall Apr 28 '21
At this rate even if everything goes smoothly the series still isn't finished in 2025.
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u/Jhin-Row May 01 '21
wat, i thought the series was already finished?
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u/Gathorall May 01 '21
I meant the show adaption, that the comics has so much content that even if we get a season every year it won't be quite done yet if they don't make significant cuts.
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Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
The show's artstyle has some heavy influence from Cory Walker. Will we ever get any kind of aesthetic change to resemble more Ottley's style ?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Cory was an integral part of the show from the very start - the first day I sat down to talk about season one was with him and Robert. So he helped set the tone both for the writing and the art style of the show. I love Ottley’s work (of course) but it’s hard to imagine doing the series without Cory. Also, Ottley was definitely a part of the show as well.
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u/EnchantedDestroyer The Viltrumites Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon, great job for today’s episode!
Just wanted to ask about power levels in the show, is omni man in the show capable of lifting the planet or the moon? If not, around how much can he lift or destroy? Do you consider him a planet buster or less?
I’m genuinely curious about this, hope you get back to me about this 🤞😅 and again, thanks for the awesome episode(s)!
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
If you’re asking how much Omni-Man can destroy or lift, I guess the answer is: ALL THE THINGS. Seriously though, everyone has limits and so does he – we just haven’t really seen them yet. Also - can you even lift a planet? What would you lift it from?
Also - glad you liked the episode!
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u/EnchantedDestroyer The Viltrumites Apr 23 '21
Thanks for the answer but I didn’t mean lift the planet, I more meant, could he lift the weight of earth?
I’m quite curious as to how physically strong he is...
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u/ALIENANAL Apr 24 '21
I have often found the idea of someone moving a planet quite funny as they would just look like someone doing a hand stand.
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u/Flooopo Apr 25 '21
Honestly he’d probably push into the planet until he got to some bedrock that’s stronger than the force it’d take to push the planet out of the sun’s orbit. Not sure if any bedrock like that even exists.
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u/TheLocalRedditMormon Apr 24 '21
I mean, y’all did say that they create their own momentum in the air so they can fly so... pick a point?
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u/IceBearLikesToCook Apr 23 '21
Hi Mr. Racioppa,
What are Mark and his dad going to talk about? This is a question on all of our minds.
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Y’know, the usual... School, the weather, how you get blood out of your costume (hydrogen peroxide), what it feels like deep in your guts when you see someone you love straight up tear a dude in half… Standard father-son conversation stuff.
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u/HeWhoPlantsEgg Apr 23 '21
Ah. I remember the first time I saw my dad tear a man in half. Was a threesome I'll never forget.
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u/where_is_korg Mark and Eve Apr 24 '21
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u/autonomousfailure Apr 24 '21
I saw my older brother do it to our parents. It completely changed my life.
-Sasuke Uchiha.
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u/donutdong Apr 23 '21
If you could have anyone's super power from the show(that we've seen so far), which would you choose and why?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Oh man… I mean, Mark almost has it all, right? Hard to argue with that. Though I do have a soft spot for Aquarus, may he rest in piece(s).
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u/iamqueenlatifah Apr 23 '21
How do you handle such a star studded voice cast fr
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
I mean, what’s to handle? Hire amazing actors and let them do their thing!
And somehow keep from fanboying out.
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u/VladDarko Apr 23 '21
I may have actually squealed hearing Michael Dorn as Battle Beast. The casting has been so pitch perfect. To build on the last question, did you face any difficult casting decisions because of Covid? Do you think it might be difficult to get someone like Dorn back to do BB?
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u/HeWhoPlantsEgg Apr 23 '21
Is Battle Beast that one who opened a can of whoop ass? I want a series just following him around lmao
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u/cravenj1 Apr 24 '21
In the comics, I think around issue 120, Kirkman joked about pivoting to Battlebeast being the main character of Invincible.
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u/dsweezzy Apr 23 '21
WILL THERE BE A SEASON 2?!?
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Man… I hope so. But it’s not up to me. Maybe let those fine folks as Amazon Prime Video know how much you like the show?
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u/Serious-Vermicelli-4 Apr 24 '21 edited Apr 24 '21
It's pretty obvious to me that you will. You can tell these things from IMDB votes and at 13k Invincible is stronger than average for an animated show. Obviously it's not a Rick and Morty reception yet, but Bojack ran for 6 years and only had 117k imdb votes. Infinty train has 4k. Obviously there are differences in budget. It's a critical hit and high scores for those that watched, even if it's not profitable they'll put it out for at least 3 seasons to see if they think it will become profitable.
But you look at the subreddit activity and that grim-dark-violent subversions are in in in, then it's pretty clear you'll get the whole run. Just don't D&D it.....though Kirkman D&D'd it a little bit
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u/A_Bit_Of_Nonsense Apr 24 '21
Bojack got quite a lot of front page advertising from Netflix. Invincible hasn't had any from Prime that I've seen.
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Apr 24 '21
Bojack is such a great show. I think invincible might be the first animated serie to dethrone it in my mind.
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Apr 23 '21
You guys got some really expensive but also really awesome voice actors. I hope that you guys can keep costs down compared to The Tick. I want Invincible to keep going!
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u/Midnight_Swampwalk Apr 23 '21
Are the high viewership articles that have come out recently accurate? Are things looking good on that front?
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u/CloudMountainJuror Cecil Stedman Apr 23 '21
How do we do that? Spam Twitter or something? I want a season 2 so badly I'll do whatever it takes lol
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u/DataInTheAss Apr 25 '21
I just gotta say that the additions you guys made to this show have really improved upon the comics. It's a REAL adaptation of an already good comic. Legit I have not found 1 change that I didn't like or understand. From the earthquake villain to Amber to Omni-man getting to Mark in the latest episode, all great and respectable changes. I love this show.
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u/5am281 Robot Apr 23 '21
How have they not confirmed it yet? It’s amazing
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u/idkbbitswatev Apr 23 '21
This show is one of the biggest shows of this year theres no way they could not renew it
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u/DivineJustice Apr 24 '21
What do we know to indicate that?
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u/TurtleNeckTim Apr 24 '21
We could beat each other up relentlessly until they decide to make another season. Bare knuckles. Pants off
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u/DivineJustice Apr 24 '21
No I meant what do we know that indicates that it's one of the biggest shows of the year, but having said that I am taking my pants off right now.
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u/SaKaly Omni-Man Apr 25 '21
From what I've seen it's 8.8/10 imdb score and has 96% rotten tomatoes score. This sub has also had 25K new members since the premiere less than a month ago meaning it's really popular. That's just from critical standpoint.
As of numbers for the network we are all in the dark as a fanbase. But I'm inclined to think invincible is successful in that department too. I just hope it gets renewed for a S2 to begin next year
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u/jojcece Invincible Apr 23 '21
HOW DO I LET THEM KNOW
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Watch more of it in Amazon Prime and get your friends and fam to watch it on Prime instead of pirating it?
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u/warriormale Invincible Apr 23 '21
How purposeful was it, steepening Mark's learning curve throughout the first season? Other than his fights with Titan, Killcannon, and some miscellaneous villains like the Elephant, Mark hasn't had as much luck against threats as he did in the early comics. (Not that any iteration of Mark could ever hold a candle to Battle Beast, of course!)
I see now, at least, that the challenge the Reanimen pose to Nolan in Episode 7 is foreshadowed by Mark's difficulty with them in Episode 6: the Reanimen of this show are simply that much stronger than their comics counterparts. So what motivates these adaptational changes to Viltrumite strength levels in general-- or more accurately, changes to the strength levels of the other characters?
The fight between Nolan and the Guardians was definitely compelling in a different way from the unceremonious bloodbath in the comics.
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u/simonracioppa Simon Racioppa - Showrunner Apr 23 '21
Thanks everyone! Your support makes all the hard work over the last few years worthwhile – for me, and everyone else who worked on Season 1 of Invincible during a very strange and difficult last year. Hope to be back here sometime soon!
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u/SeacattleMoohawks Séance Mod Apr 23 '21
Thanks for the AMA Simon! Good luck to the continued success of the show, hopeful for a season 2!
Feel free to stop by anytime to answer more questions or interact with the fans.
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
We were happy to have you! Congrats on an incredible show. I'm sure you've seen just how positively people are responding to it. You're welcome back at any time!
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u/xDJeslinger Apr 23 '21
How did everyone feel about casting J.K Simmons? I think it was a perfect casting, but it is hard to deny the similarities between Omni-Man and J. Jonah Jameson, was this a very small part in the decision in casting J.K Simmons? Again, perfect casting all around.
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u/agentcheeze Apr 24 '21
Kirkman said in an interview once that he was intially mildly shocked how easy it was to get big names.
Apparently there was no casting process really, they just got a list of people available for each part and went "Ask JK if he wants to do it." "He will?!? Okay... How 'bout _____ for blank ____? He's onboard? Well... this is easy."
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u/Chipmunk46 Apr 23 '21
Thanks for doing this. Fantastic show so far, I can't wait to see more. What has been the most challenging part of adapting the comics to the show? There's a lot packed into the comics I've heard and that can't be easy adapting into 8 episodes.
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u/Xerneous12_ Omni-Drip Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
Hi Mr. Racioppa, been a big fan of your projects since I was kid, grew up with Martin Mystery, Kid vs Kat, & Storm Hawks! Loved episode 7, it was very intense all throughout and added lots of great things not in the respective comic issues!
Question:
If Invincible gets renewed for more seasons (🤞), how will you & the team adapt the more mature tone that comes up in later arcs in the comics? The blood/violence/gore is adapted spectacularly already, but I mean moreso the more mature character relationships, interactions, and how they're depicted that you wouldn't normally see in an animated series or child comic?
I feel those mature interactions were essential to seeing how certain characters & they're relationships evolved & grew up before our eyes over the course of the story. Do you think there would be difficulty in getting approved to adapt those very mature moments even with the age rating being 18+?
Thanks a lot for doing this! Appreciate it!
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u/Flooping_Pigs Banished to Hell Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
I have a serious question now if you're still taking them. I shouldn't have wasted the opportunity. It's the Kirkman AMA all over again.
Since you finished the comics, would you want to explore all of those plotlines shown in the final arc, (cannot go into detail because of spoilers) or would you want the comic series to end on a similar note personally?
Just happy to have more Invincible so thanks for that! Also thanks for taking all of these and going into so much detail with your answers. I understand if you're unable to get to mine
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u/SeacattleMoohawks Séance Mod Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon as someone who has moderated this community for over 5 years now I can't tell you how amazing its been to see it explode since the show has come out. Not only is the show fantastic but its made so many new comic fans. Thanks for all the hard work you and the team over at Amazon have put into this.
My questions are:
Who is your favorite small time character?
What was your favorite moment of episode 7?
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u/ptsq Battle Beast Apr 23 '21
not op, but since each image comic creator retains the rights to their characters licensing for projects like this get complicated, as multiple characters from the invincible comic like savage dragon or tech jacket would have to be licensed, and thus would cost more money, so it depends on if their budget is increased for possible future seasons
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u/Aquarichris Apr 23 '21
Really great job with episode 7. I’m a big fan of the comic and seeing how you and others working on the show have been able to adapt the source material in a way that feels fresh and engaging has impressed me week after week. I know there’s no guarantee of a second season at the moment but I’m curious, if you guys were granted as many seasons as you needed to fully tell the story of the comic, how many do you think that would be?
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u/MojoJoj_8 Apr 23 '21
First off thanks for doing this! Also Episode 7 was absolutely amazing; probably the best one yet! One question, any chance you could explain a little more why Amber was so unwilling to hear Mark out after he told her the truth? I feel like it was kind of unfair of her to expect him to tell her that after only 5 months of dating but maybe I’m missing something. Either way I loved the episode and keep up the great work!
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u/MamaDeadHead Apr 23 '21
Hello Simon! I'm genuinely enjoying the show so far. You mentioned you wrote episode 7, who was your favorite character to write for or what was your favorite scene to see brought to life.
Also is there a plan for Debbie merch? We adore her!
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u/HoundOfJustice Witchblade Apr 23 '21
Can you confirm that Brit won't be making an appearance moving forward?
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u/ripskeletonking Show Fan Apr 24 '21
that would be a problem since he's a big part of the comics later on. i can live without savage dragon though
also imagine how good invincible war would be without the pages and pages of exposition dialogue
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u/TheJoshider10 Apr 23 '21
How challenging was the process of adapting one overarching comic storyline into both episodes and seasons? For example a recent university episode took place over the course of several month in the comic whereas this arc is told in one episode of the show. Was it easy to go "yeah, this can be told here" or did you debate telling certain arcs across multiple episodes?
Did you know what storylines you would expand on? For example in the comics the detective barely has a role in the Guardians murder investigation whereas in the show he's a key figure.
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u/queerboy1218 Amber Bennett Apr 23 '21
Thanks for creating this lovely show!
1) Is the security guard dad from the 1st scene meant to parallel Nolan?
2) Will we see more of Amber? More of William? I haven't really seen him and Mark have great chemistry in terms of friendship.
3) would you have done what Titan did if you were in his shoes?
Thank you for taking the time to do this! Really appreciate it!
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u/Pikalink12 Apr 23 '21
I love what you guys are doing with the show. I loved the comics to death, and honestly was just happy to see some of my favorite scenes be animated, but this is beyond expectations! I dont know how you guys managed it, but you and your team did so well making even hard comic fans excited for each next minute! Props to you guys and thanks so much!
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u/RomulusRemus13 Apr 23 '21
Hey there Simon, Thank you for this fantastic series; I'm enjoying every minute of it! I was wondering whether the voice cast (which is perfect btw) is just as you had envisioned it or if you had planned for others to do the voices. And if you've met the cast (kinda tough with the pandemic, I know), are they nice folks? Any rad anecdote?
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u/soupcereal Apr 23 '21
I know the AMA is over, I just wanted to say this week’s episode is sooooo good. I’m just on the edge of my seat watching all these story threads coming together, having no idea how it’s going to wrap up or what’s gonna happen to these characters. I don’t even know where this next episode could go... next week can’t come soon enough!
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u/One_Werewolf9014 Apr 23 '21
We need season 2 confirmed ASAP
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u/TheMaskedCrisis Darkwing Apr 23 '21
Bro, we haven’t even finished S1 yet, lol.
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u/alanamablamaspama Allen the Alien Apr 23 '21
To be fair, it’s not unheard of for shows get renewed for a new season before the first ends. In rare cases, some shows get a new season announced before their current one even starts.
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u/Beerbaron1886 Comic Fan Apr 23 '21
Love the show and comics! What’s your favourite character and which story are you most looking forward to?
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u/Historical-Trash-191 Apr 23 '21
huge fan of the invincible comic series, and the show so far has blown me the hell away, i was wondering if you had any news on when we're getting a second season if at all?? there are some really cool moments i wanna see adapted into the cartoon. much love to the whole team by the way! keep doing what you're doing.
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u/Valar-Morghulisss Apr 24 '21 edited Apr 25 '21
If you get green lit for a second season, will you please change the characters clothes in each episode. That’s the only part that I don’t like seeing. Mark wears the same sloppy sweater and button up hanging out the front. It’s lame.
Run the Jewels is a great choice! I want to hear more of them when the Mauler Twins appear.
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u/AvatarConner01 Apr 23 '21
Obviously with invincible being a comic series that’s been finished for a few years now, I imagine one of the bigger challenges was surprising fans of the comic who know where the story is heading. How did you go about adding things that add to the story without making it feel bloated?
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u/mmcintoshmerc_88 Battle Beast Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon, massive fan of invincible and I just wanted to say you and everyone involved have done an amazing job with the show, you've made the show everything I wanted and more.
My question is what would you say was the biggest challenge in adapting the comic to an animated series?
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u/Btec_Nick Apr 23 '21
Just wondering if there is any way we can support the show other than just watching it?
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u/TheSkywalkup Apr 23 '21
There's quite a few spots where the show goes "out of order" compared to the comics. How do you decide which places to stick to the source material's order vs choose a different order?
I love the show, I hope we get a second (and third and fourth) season!
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u/SylarMagician Apr 23 '21
I wish I had an interesting q but I don’t. Just wanna say the show is amazing and I got all the comics and read them after watching the first 3 ep. Can’t wait to see more of the show, good luck with everything and I hope you get to finish it
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u/big-daddio Apr 23 '21
Did the old age aliens in Ep2? have any motivation that ties with Omniman's motivation or were they just a device to introduce the new super heroes. Omniman seems to take an extra bit of joy in wrecking their entire civilization.
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u/Crimson-One Apr 23 '21
No question, but, I am so excited for the next episode to see why he did it. I've never read the comics but definitely want to now! The whole season has been great hope, definitely hope they sign up a couple more seasons too!
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u/Core-8 Shrinking Rae Apr 23 '21
Why is there so little marketing for the show? I’ve never seen an ad for it and only heard about it from the initial announcement trailer. The Boys got a ton of marketing, so I was wondering what is so different about this?
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u/PM_ME_WHAT_YOU_COOK Apr 23 '21
How did you decide on the voice actors you hired? They're all so great!
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u/TheFlannelDeath Reanimen Apr 23 '21
Absolutely adore the show, been a fan of the comics for about a decade.
Does the Invincible Animated Series take place in the multiverse established in the comics, could they ever possibly crossover?
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u/BisonVermersch Apr 23 '21
It's been a pleasure recommending the show to friends & colleagues and experiencing the story's twists again through them.
You and your crew have improved on the amazing source material. Kudos.
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u/MamaDeadHead Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon! Ross Marquand has such incredible talent when it comes to manipulating his voice to sound different. Will he be involved going forward as other characters, even if just background?
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u/gchan815 Apr 23 '21
Hey, Simon! Just wanted to say thanks for bringing one of my favorite stories to life on screen!
Who’s your favorite character in the series? Can you share some of your thought processes for the shuffling of events (which I love by the way)?
Hoping there’ll be a second season!
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u/Super-Max- Apr 23 '21
how do you decide what to take from the source material and when to introduce it? also we’re there supposed to be major differences in our main cast from their comic counterpart?
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u/tmlangostino Apr 23 '21
Did you have any time or budget problems when doing the show? I've seen a few criticisms on animation shortcuts. Love the show, just want you to be able to defend yourself.
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u/MistakesIHaveMade Apr 23 '21
I’m going to assume the show gets more seasons. So what would be the goal for the timeline? How many issues/trades do you think the team will be aiming to cover per season?
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u/yourdadneverlovedyou Apr 23 '21
Love the show, great episode. Ep7 spoilers, Can you explain your thinking about why Amber broke up with Mark even thought she knew about him being invincible?
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u/jkcohen626 Apr 23 '21
What were some of the challenges of cutting down and adapting such so much material from the comics? How did you chose what to cut, add, and or move around?
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u/BothFuel9915 Apr 23 '21
Hey Simon
i gotta say this episode sans amber was immaculate from the pacing to the dialogue to the unravelling of the story . Quite excellent.
But why would you guys racebend amber to make her unreasonable, she had no reason to be mad at a mark and as a black woman who already saw alot of the racism being spewed at Amber this creative decision did not help her at all . Why would u change her just to place her in an unfavourable light worse than the comics ?
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u/Wk1360 Tech Jacket Apr 23 '21
Any chance of us seeing certain side characters in the show? Brit, Wolfman, Kid Thor, etc? Which side character do you think is most likely to be featured
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u/AlphaBaymax Apr 23 '21
If you had the greenlight to be a showrunner for an animated adaptation of any other Image comics series, what comic series would you choose and why?
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u/Spidey_777 Apr 23 '21
Hello Simon huge fan of Invincible and love how the show improves on the comics. Will we get a season 2 ASAP for this series anytime soon?
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u/mwthecool Omni-Mod Apr 23 '21
Were you actually responsible for the tapeworm in Mr. Meaty? What kind of depraved mind do you need to come up with stuff like that?!
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u/JaredIsAmped Allen the Alien Apr 24 '21
I know it’s over, but thanks for doing an adaption that exceeds my expectations as a fan of 9 years. Everything I wanted and more.
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u/G33nx Apr 23 '21
How closely are you planning on following the comics? I'd like to know if I can read them without spoiling this great show! 😂
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u/CockerTheSpaniel Battle Beast Apr 23 '21
Who designed the kaiju we saw in action this week? Reminded me a bit of the Cloverfield monster and the creature in The Mist.
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u/TheMaskedCrisis Darkwing Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
Are you going to stay true to the original comic series, or do you plan to make a few changes to the story as it progresses?
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u/s_walsh Apr 23 '21
What was thinking behind showing omni-man killing the Guardians in episode 1 instead of having the mystery like the comics?
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u/Jataka Apr 23 '21
Who are the people who actually animate this show? The so-called studios in Japan and Korea that Wind Sun Sky points to.
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u/htsukebe Apr 23 '21
any reason in particular that when the villains were summoned by machinehead they didnt get a proper name introduction?
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u/htsukebe Apr 23 '21
how can i get my friends to watch the show? they seem to be biased over it being animated or non-marvel/dc.
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u/Juno_Cipher Apr 23 '21
Hi there, big fan
What's your favourite animated scene until now?
This show is amazing, love the comedy!
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u/Brepnir Apr 23 '21
Would you like to see Studio Trigger animating some action scenes for a possible season 2 of Invincible?
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u/Devastatingly_ Apr 23 '21
Is it hard adapting a comic that came out basically before the internet/smart phones into today's world
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u/Pym_Particles Apr 23 '21
Thank you for the hard work!
Who are your favorite characters from the Marvel and DC franchises?
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u/CockerTheSpaniel Battle Beast Apr 23 '21
How many episodes would you like to have for an ideal season if the show were to be renewed?
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u/spliffydood Apr 23 '21
We’re you expecting people (on Reddit at least) to like Donald as much as they did?
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u/SeacattleMoohawks Séance Mod Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
Alright guys, AMA is now over. Thank you for your time Simon, a lot of great answers.
Everyone be sure to follow him on Twitter and continue spreading the word about Invincible so we can get a Season 2!
And join our Discord! - link in the reply to this comment.