It's been a long time since a cartoon managed to grab our attention the way Rick and Morty has. In just two seasons, the dark sci-fi series has become an instant classic with fans thanks to a stellar balance of witty humor and morose storytelling. Everyone's currently at the edge of his or her seat waiting for Season 3 to help us get schwifty again, but the process has been slow to say the least. Thankfully, Dan Harmon took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con and gave a damn good reason for what specifically made this season of the beloved Adult Swim cartoon so hard to put together for the show's animators.
It's been harder this season... I watched the thumbnail animatic of Episode 304 and I was ready to move forward with it and Ryan [Ridley] said 'we're not satisfied with it and we were already behind schedule. They have to bear the brunt of the schedule, they have to work weekends. They are the ones that wanted to do it. There's a weird higher calling there and it's not an endless perfectionism because you know when something finally clicks and you go 'this is a good episode of TV.' But it's not just me and I was very happy to find that out.
Dan Harmon shared his thoughts during the Rick & Morty panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it's abundantly clear that quite a bit of love and care goes into the creation of every single episode of Rick and Morty. The animators constantly endeavor to outdo themselves, and that can lead to some serious delays in production because they never quite feel like they've nailed an episode. Although it's a frustrating process, Dan Harmon seems comforted by the fact that the entire team involved in creating the series shares his perfectionist spirit.
The stress placed upon the animators is not helped in any way by the way in which the show is written and the voices are recorded. Rick and Morty uses a technique known as "retroscripting" to put the dialogue together, which means that the voice actors receive a rough outline of the story and guide the dialogue along in an improvisational manner. This is one of the reasons why Rick Sanchez constantly stutters over his words and utters Morty's name when he talks, because voice actor Justin Roiland pretty much has to think on his feet while he records Rick's voice. The constant, almost incoherent ramblings end up becoming far more difficult to animate than more tightly scripted adult cartoons. It's hilarious, but it's difficult.
The restroscripting style of Rick and Morty is perhaps most noticeable during the show's signature "Interdimensional Cable" episode. Check out a sequence below to see for yourself:
If you're anything like us, chances are you that can't wait for the third season of Rick and Morty, but it sounds like the wait will be well worth it in the end. We (burp) will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming season, Morty, and it's expected to premiere before the end of the year, Morty. For now, make sure to check out our fall TV premiere schedule and mark your calendars appropriately.
