You might think that the person responsible for some of the greatest works in the animated genre might be satisfied with his career. However, Genndy Tartakovsky is just getting started. The Russian-American animator has created shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack, which have been crucial to our childhoods.
He also went on to work on projects like Star Wars: Clone Wars and Hotel Transylvania as well as created an adult animated action horror, Primal. Clearly, Genndy Tartakovsky’s career is filled to the brim with successes but he believes he still has a long way to go before he finds his magnum opus. In fact, there is one incredible animator out there that Genndy Tartakovsky wants to be like, if not better – Hayao Miyazaki.
Genndy Tartakovsky Wants to Have a Career Like Hayao Miyazaki
Founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki is responsible for a ton of great works including Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron which he won Oscars for. Needless to say, Miyazaki is an inspiration to many animators and Genndy Tartakovsky is one of them
While talking to Polygon about Primal at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Tartakovsky opened up about his desire to keep doing something better and different every time he comes up with a project, just like Miyazaki.
When asked about what his magnum opus could be, Tartakovsky stated,
“To get this type of show [Primal] on the air and hopefully it’s successful and people will have a giant reaction to it would be great. And I think doing something on an equal level and features would be fantastic. And not just to repeat, just do something different every time and see where it goes. Like I want to have a career like [Hayao] Miyazaki or whatever. He’s got 11 films and they’re all incredible in their own unique way.”
He then added that he would like to be a director who has the audience’s respect. He wants his fans to know that every single one of his projects is going to be different from the others he has put out.
“So I want to be a director that’s respected, and you know if you’re walking into a Genndy show or movie, you would expect a certain thing whether it be comedy or action or drama or whatever, but it’s going to be something different. And I think I have to keep making sh-t and try to get better at everything. And then that one will hit in a huge way and see what happens.”
Clearly, Tartakovsky is still in search of that one project that he will consider to be his magnum opus. It looks like he only knows how to keep moving upward and doesn’t plan on stopping till he has left Miyazaki and others behind.
Genndy Tartakovsky is Synonymous with Competitive
They say when you turn your passion into a career, your job becomes your passion. This is exactly what Tartakovsky has done. Even though he has been in the industry for years, his love for art and animation only keeps growing. In fact, he is so fortunate for the opportunities that he would work for free if he had to.
He told Polygon,
“You’ve got to work. I’m super fortunate to be in this industry where I would be working for free and because this is what I love doing. I get up every morning and I am so excited to do this. And each drawing is exciting.”
He stated that it is all a “giant process” where he keeps learning and keeps getting better, despite being one of the finest in the industry. Tartakovsky added that he has a drive and aggression that makes him want to be the best. He is not afraid of admitting that he wants his projects to be better than everything out there.
“I’m a very driven person for sure. I want everything to be at a certain quality. I want to be respected. I’m super competitive. I want to be the best. I want everything else to suck. I don’t want anything to succeed besides anything that I do and I have that spirit going into everything.
So yes, I want Primal to be higher ratings than Rick and Morty. And I want it to be just as loved and it’s never going to happen because it doesn’t work that way with action. But that is my goal.”
Just like everyone has an inner voice that pushes them in life, Tartakovsky stated that his inner voice, too, helps him go to great lengths in his career. It looks like he won’t stop at being one of the best in the industry. He wants to be the best. And with a drive like that, the day doesn’t seem far.
Primal is available to stream on Max.
