‘RoboGobo’ Creator Chris Gilligan Discusses the Inspiration Behind His Disney Preschool Show

Disney’s new animated preschool show RoboGobo follows the adventures of a team of mech-enhanced pets (Hopper, Booster, Allie, Shelly and Wing) who teach young viewers about the importance of teamwork, problem-solving and kindness. We had the chance to chat with the show’s talented creator and exec producer Chris Gilligan (T.O.T.S., Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends), who oversees the world of the friendly rescue pets (produced by Ireland’s Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Jr.) Here is what Chris told us:

Animation Magazine: Congrats on the debut of your fun new show. Can you tell us a little bit about the origins and inspiration of RoboGobo?

Chris Gilligan: The original inception of the idea came from me thinking about rescue shows, and “rescue pets” popped into my head. I’ve been thinking about superheroes at the same time, and then it hit me. What if the rescue pets, rescue pets?

I have two kids who are grown now, but we raised them in New York City in a tiny apartment. They shared a room and we used to do this thing at bedtime called story soup. We would pick a bunch of ingredients from around the room and put them all together and tell a made up story. In those stories, the fluffy little bunny wound up in the robot suit, fighting dinosaurs on a volcanic planet. That notion of “super” and “cute” colliding was something I always remembered. And so I connected that to the rescue pets that rescue pets.

What were your sources of inspiration?

The variety of pets my kids have had over the years was part of the inspiration. Dax is a unique character, where he has a vet as a dad and an inventor as a mom, so he’s got an inherent love of animals. Dax having five different pets was an extension of probably what every kid would want.

When did you begin work on the series?

I pitched it in 2017, and there was a good response from Disney Jr. right away. It was the usual journey to get things going. Animation typically takes about four years and with the pandemic in the middle there, here we are.

What do you love about the final version of the show?

I love the team that I work with. Everyone has gone the extra mile and poured love into every frame in this show. That’s everything from writing, the mixing and everything in between.

It’s always fulfilling to watch everything come together and the next exciting part is sharing it with the audiences.

Can you tell us about the biggest challenges of producing a CG-animated preschool show?

Since there are six main characters, it’s about strategically and carefully thinking about making sure everyone is heard but doesn’t get too complicated. The trick was remembering the theme of rescue pets who rescue pets and to keep this theme alive in the writing, staging, and animation. The next aspect was ensuring that there was a sincere and emotional story told that people can relate to. If you keep those things in mind constantly, the rest of it is almost technical.

Where is animation produced? And how many people work on the show?

There are teams in New York, L.A., Ireland and Bali. There are about 500 people total who work on the show.

Please talk about the overall visuals of the show.

The visuals of the show started with this idea of 2.5D, nodding to comic books while embracing 3D. We aimed for a hybrid style and the characters wound up being more 3D while we flattened the background more so it didn’t compete with the action in the foreground.

The characters themselves are full 3D. You can get super close and see the follicles of the fur. It’s amazing work from Brown Bag Films. We wanted to have this cute cuddly animal in a hard plastic metal suit that contrasts the fluffy characters on the inside.

How did you manage to get such a terrific voice cast and recurring guest stars on the show?

Our cast is amazing. Dax is like an adult character in charge of a bunch of smaller kids, and Ja’Siah Young has the voice of a genuine old soul. He is funny but also personable. He was the anchor, and then we cast the kids around him.

The guest cast is outstanding. Cynthia Erivo, Alan Cumming and Ana Gasteyer, among so many others, all brought something special to their characters. We were fortunate to have Allison Pill as Farmer Faye, who has an amazing singing voice. And Dulé Hill and Susan Kelechi Watson, who voice Dax’s parents, anchor their roles so well.

What do you hope young audiences will take away from the show?

I hope people are entertained and walk away feeling connected to the characters. The idea of working out problems together is central to the storylines, and we hope they develop empathy and feel encouraged by the show.

Do you have any tips for folks who are trying to get into the animation industry?

Follow your heart. Find places that tell stories the way you envision your stories being told and look for a way in, even if it means starting as an intern.

I started as the classic intern, getting coffee for people and being a runner and just getting your foot in the door, and the truth is, animation is a very small community. Internships are fantastic for building your network. My first feature job came from a connection made during my first internship. Just get your foot in the door and work hard!

RoboGobo currently airs on Disney Jr. and Disney Jr. On Demand. The first episode is also available on YouTube and garnered over 4 million views in two weeks. The series will premiere on Disney+ on April 1.