When Matthew Inman embarked on transforming his beloved tabletop card game into the captivating 2D animated series "Exploding Kittens" (now streaming on Netflix), he found his muse in an eccentric feline belonging to an ex-girlfriend. This cat's schizophrenia was so profound that a priest was summoned to exorcise its malevolent spirits. The narrative unfolded into a cosmic clash between righteousness and malevolence, where God (portrayed by Tom Ellis) and the Devil (embodied by Sasheer Zamata) were dismissed from their heavenly duties and banished to Earth, inhabiting the bodies of two rotund household cats.
Godcat's mission was to restore harmony to a dysfunctional family through empathy, while Devilcat, his mischievous feline neighbor, wreaked havoc as the diabolical anti-Christ. "Collaborating with [executive producers] Mike Judge and Greg Daniels [of 'King of the Hill'] was a divine alignment," Inman confessed to IndieWire.
"We steered clear of tired tropes that we've all grown weary of," he continued. "It's not just about every teenage victim of bullying getting bitten by a radioactive spider, nosebleeding, and acquiring superpowers to pummel opponents."
Inman's unique artistic sensibility, which he defines as "bloated, sallow, obese" characters, necessitated a complementary scribe. Thus, he teamed up with Shane Kosakowski ("Teenage Bounty Hunters") as co-showrunners. "We toyed with familiar themes and twisted them into something fresh," Kosakowski revealed to IndieWire. "That's why the mother, Abby [Suzy Nakamura], is a Navy SEAL veteran, while the father, Marv [Mark Proksch], is a geeky gamer on the verge of 50, still sporting sock sandals, and indulging in 'Dungeons and Dragons'. It was intriguing to have their son, Travis [Kenny Yates], be a gamer of a different breed, unable to relate to his dad's world."
For Inman, the greatest challenge lay in navigating the intricate world of animation, where collaboration became a complex dance. The initial stages were handled by Netflix, and the animation was brought to life at Jam Filled Studios in Canada ("Clone High" Season 2). "The addition of actors, motion, sound design, and musical scores introduced numerous variables beyond my control," Inman reflected. "These elements have the potential to either elevate or dilute the comedy, leaving its essence vulnerable to change or dissipation."
"The core challenge lay in ensuring we cast individuals who possessed humor, rather than relying on star power," he elaborated. "Moreover, our involvement in the recording process and animatics was paramount, guaranteeing that the visual humor landed with precision, ensuring the one-liners struck their mark." Among Inman's prized one-liners was a scene in the pilot, where Godcat haltingly remarks to Marv, "Your words are like a dagger crafted from Benadryl."
In the pilot, God is portrayed as a jerky deity who gradually warms up to his feline form, assisting the family in overcoming their communication barriers by banding together to vanquish monsters in a game. The plot thickens with the introduction of Devilcat, who consistently undermines Godcat, despite his efforts to be a benevolent fatherly figure.
"There's the realm of Godcat, a flawed deity struggling with kindness, and we had this conception of Satan embodying benevolence," said Inman. "It's a twisted concept, imagine the river Styx, where Satan strolls among the tortured souls, yet his daughter hands out Gatorades, ensuring everyone remains cool and at ease. We found humor in this portrayal of her. Hopefully, the dynamics will unfold as intricate as two beings from opposing ends of the universe, who somehow comprehend each other's plight."
Episode 5, titled "No Regrets," stands out among the nine-episode series. It grants the family a chance to rewind time and rectify their most regrettable moment. "This episode provided a graceful insight into Abby's past," Kosakowski remarked. "It delves into her motivations, aspirations, and current standing. The sequence featuring her and Greta, her entomologist daughter, in Northern Canada, was pivotal in character development, offering Greta a glimpse into her mother's life. Simultaneously, it tells a heartwarming father-son tale, where Travis grapples with the humiliation of being bullied, and his father reveals a long-hidden truth. It underscores a crucial lesson: bullies are inevitable in life, but it's how one responds and refuses to be intimidated that matters. The episode is filled with humor, such as a high-speed chase on a moose, yet it's also profound in revealing the characters' emotions."
