The Cuphead Show Producer Discusses Racist Animation
The cute and colourful world of Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is coming to life on the small screen, with The Cuphead Show! capturing this adorable aesthetic for a 12-episode run. Unfortunately, recreating the magic of the Golden Age of American Animation has come with some uncomfortable reminders of the era.
Something like Cuphead seems made for TV, while the game’s notorious difficulty and sometimes adult themes mean it’s not exactly aimed at kids - having gained a massive following from more mature gamers. It’s only just out on Netflix, but The Cuphead Show! has already been renewed for a 48-episode Season 2.
How Did The Cuphead Handle The Problems Of The Past?
With Season 1 out, the show’s producer has explained the process of giving Cuphead and Mugman their own series.
Speaking to Polygon, Dave Wasson said there was a conversation about the racism of this era. “It was definitely something we were aware of,” said Wasson. "That era of animation is loaded with problematic portrayals of characters and race. And there’s also misogyny. It’s definitely problematic. It was a very different time.”
Art Director Andrea Fernandez added, “It wasn’t just staying away from it for the sake of like, 'Oh, don’t touch that,'
“We really did discuss the root of what was problematic so that we could end up [asking] OK is the style or art of this worth detaching from this awful trope at times? Sometimes it wasn’t.”
The '30s/’40s might’ve been prosperous for animation, but from Mickey Mouse doing blackface to Merrie Melodies’ Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, it’s a time that has aged uncomfortably in many respects. The Tom & Jerry cartoons also showed off racist tropes from the time, while there’s a whole Bugs Bunny episode called “All This and Rabbit Stew” that’s been heavily censored. To this day, there’s a list called the Censored Eleven that’s been out of syndication since 1968.
Is Cuphead Erasing The Past?
In an essay titled “Cuphead and the Racist Spectre of Fleischer Animation,” Yussef Cole argues that Studio MDHR has “sanitised” the past. Also, by being worried about racist caricatures of the past, Cole says their simply bulldozing the past as an easy way to get around these issues.
Cuphead Lead Inking Artist Maja Moldenhauer has previously said much the same as Wasson when they admitted: “It’s just visuals and that’s about it. Anything else happening in that era we’re not versed in it.” As Cole himself puts it: “The truth may be dirty, and often uncomfortable. But it’s preferable to offering up a bleached white past, while pretending nothing was lost in the process.”
Being inspired by the likes of Walt Disney and the Fleischers is all well and good, but we imagine Team Cuphead didn’t expect there’d be this much of a debate. Looking at the positives, the Cupheadders on both the game and the series are aware of the cultural significance of the Golden Age and how the seemingly chirpy exterior of this world could have a seedy underbelly. It’s not perfect, but at least they’re willing to have a discussion.
The question is though, how was Cuphead supposed to handle race? Including minstrel stereotypes or a murder of crows inspired by Dumbo’s notoriously problematic birds would’ve caused even more issues, meaning the developer was always going to be caught between a rock and a hard place. While we go for a lie down in a dark room to process all of this, at least The Cuphead Show! Should be a jolly jaunt.
