The Mysterious Mr. Enter / Jonathan Rozanski's "Growing Around" - IndieGoGo Campaign Failed, John going off the deep end, "Turning Red" is ignorant about 9/11 (later retracted)

[Optimus Prime]

That's another thing that is definitely wrong with his show from a marketing perspective because Enter's character designs are all horrible or bland that no one would want any merchandise from Growing Around (save for Ryan) to support the trainwreck.

Oh, I can think of a good reason why one would buy such attrocities...especially given the last time I was in a Walmart, I saw toys for fucking Baldi's Basics of all things which, beyond Baldi himself, looked like ass (because the charcters were intentionally shitty looking).

As fodder for stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RfSR6PiSYo&t=435s

Don't let Enter hear you say that. Cartoons being abruptly cancelled because they didn't sell enough toys is a very hot-button topic for him (or at least, it was in 2014 and I don't see why he'd change his mind.) He honestly believes animation should be able to sell itself, which might be feasible for theatrical films or physical home releases, but for television or online streaming (Especially streaming with "no pay walls," as Enter demands it,) ads and personal donations alone will never cover that shit. Even on channels like PBS, it's more likely than not a show is going to die when "Viewers Like You" is their only sponsor credit.

Like, goddamn, what is his thing with cartoons even about? He sucks at this shit so hard that he makes people who have been brainwashed into Calarts bullshit actually look like they understand what they are doing.

 

[Sir Wesley Tailpipe]

All his characters are either too bland looking (like Sally) or eye-searing (like Anna) there's no middle ground.

Let's look at Sally, because she's the main character and her design doesn't work IMO. There's a pawprint on her shirt for some reason, even though there's nothing about her character that screams "animal lover" or "animal researcher" or anything. She has a stuffed animal, I guess, but that's as far as that goes. Her hair style isn't anything unique, and if you just had her silhouette you wouldn't be able to tell who she was. If I looked at this with no context I'd think she was supposed to be something of a super-outdoorsy, laid back hippie. (Flower in her long hair, animal print shirt, skirt that's green like nature), but she's supposed to be a hyper, kooky Pinky Pie/Mabel Pines clone, so it just doesn't fit.
View attachment 1332184
Honestly, the design he made for Kimiko is more in-line for the 2-quirky-4-u character he's trying to make Sally into:
View attachment 1332234
You'd need to tone down the amount of colors for this to work in animation, but when I look at this I do think this is going to be a super rambunctious, loud character that gets into all sorts of hijinks. But, we're hit with the same problem because that isn't the kind of character he wants Kimiko to be. She's supposed to be shy and awkward, as stated here. (Kathy was her old name.)
View attachment 1332240
He doesn't seem to think through these designs and how they inform a viewer about a character. I wonder if he's ever really paid attention to that in the shows he watches, because he really ought to if he wants to improve at this.

That’s a heart on her shirt, not a paw print.

 

[Tragedy of the Senate]

Honestly, the design he made for Kimiko is more in-line for the 2-quirky-4-u character he's trying to make Sally into:
View attachment 1332234
You'd need to tone down the amount of colors for this to work in animation, but when I look at this I do think this is going to be a super rambunctious, loud character that gets into all sorts of hijinks. But, we're hit with the same problem because that isn't the kind of character he wants Kimiko to be. She's supposed to be shy and awkward, as stated here. (Kathy was her old name.)
View attachment 1332240
He doesn't seem to think through these designs and how they inform a viewer about a character. I wonder if he's ever really paid attention to that in the shows he watches, because he really ought to if he wants to improve at this.

SHE's supposed to be shy? I haven't read a single script with her and just assumed from her design that she was a loud, obnoxious kid. Not a single drawing on her model sheet conveys that she's shy or even that awkward:

If you told me to guess which Growing Around character was the "shy, awkward" one, that Dora girl is the first one I'd think of from her design:

 

[Piga Dgrifm]

That’s a heart on her shirt, not a paw print.

I think it's kind of meant to be both, all the previous designs have paw-prints somewhere, (aside from the first Mabel Recolor one) so I'm just assuming:

Spoiler: Older designs

 

[DickMain]

All his characters are either too bland looking (like Sally) or eye-searing (like Anna) there's no middle ground.

Let's look at Sally, because she's the main character and her design doesn't work IMO. There's a pawprint on her shirt for some reason, even though there's nothing about her character that screams "animal lover" or "animal researcher" or anything. She has a stuffed animal, I guess, but that's as far as that goes. Her hair style isn't anything unique, and if you just had her silhouette you wouldn't be able to tell who she was. If I looked at this with no context I'd think she was supposed to be something of a super-outdoorsy, laid back hippie. (Flower in her long hair, animal print shirt, skirt that's green like nature), but she's supposed to be a hyper, kooky Pinky Pie/Mabel Pines clone, so it just doesn't fit.
View attachment 1332184
Honestly, the design he made for Kimiko is more in-line for the 2-quirky-4-u character he's trying to make Sally into:
View attachment 1332234
You'd need to tone down the amount of colors for this to work in animation, but when I look at this I do think this is going to be a super rambunctious, loud character that gets into all sorts of hijinks. But, we're hit with the same problem because that isn't the kind of character he wants Kimiko to be. She's supposed to be shy and awkward, as stated here. (Kathy was her old name.)
View attachment 1332240
He doesn't seem to think through these designs and how they inform a viewer about a character. I wonder if he's ever really paid attention to that in the shows he watches, because he really ought to if he wants to improve at this.

Why do his characters have scoliosis? Does he draw while laying down instead of sitting upright? My shit only turns out strangely slanted like that when I am.

 

[Corsola]

View attachment 1330946View attachment 1330947View attachment 1330948
He's good at answering questions, guys.

350 thousand dollars

 

[BlueCandle]

350 thousand dollars

I’m certain that the failure of the indiegogo campaign permanently effected Enter’s enthusiasm for the show. For years he was fed support from his tight knit gang of yes-men on DA, but as soon as he brought his product to the public, he was met with both confusion about the premise and tough questions about funding the show that he didn’t want to answer. I don’t want to keep bringing up the indiegogo streams but he just sounds more and more miserable as they go on. The only time he ever sounded anyway enthusiastic was when one of his autist friends mentioned their like 8 year old sibling was in the room and he tried to ask them what they thought about Growing Around and how cool it would be to be the one who tells adults what to do, only for the kid to just kind of be like ‘Uh yeah I guess’.

And thst begs the question, who is this show for? If it’s supposed to be for little kids, the overarching plot is going to confuse and probably go way over their heads - not to mention all the weird horror episodes just being wildly inappropriate. If it’s for like young adults, the ultra cutesy kiddy style of the show is going to immediately repel them. The only people who would like this show is the kind of person who feels they can relate to it, relate to hating their childhood and wanting revenge, spiting all those other shows they think suck, and harbor repressed cross dressing fantasies. This show is made for Enter and nobody else, and that’s why it sucks.

 

[Sussy Baka Desu?]

He doesn't seem to think through these designs and how they inform a viewer about a character. I wonder if he's ever really paid attention to that in the shows he watches, because he really ought to if he wants to improve at this.

Enter's artists don't exaggerate or simplify forms when drawing in this bland cartoon style because he's ignorant. The artists from before never exaggerated either because they lacked skill or proper direction to do it. With the current artists, the only things exaggerated are the expressions, which is just a small part of character design. You need to be able to understand the character without them having to say anything or be animated.

Like when you look at Spongebob you already can tell that the character is goofy and childlike just by looking at those eyes, teeth, and nose.

What can I tell about Sally by looking at her? She's a girl, and possibly likes animals? But what is her personality and temperament? I can't see it no matter who draws her.

Why do his characters have scoliosis? Does he draw while laying down instead of sitting upright? My shit only turns out strangely slanted like that when I am

Enter hasn't made an effort to learn how to draw better after Meghan probably stopped teaching him, so he is relying solely on those new artists for everything. If he can spend $500 on a poorly drawn animatic, he could invest in learning some things through cheap platforms like Skillshare/Udemy/Domestika. Or heck, learn for free from Youtube tutorials. I think Christopher Hart (early 2000's character designer) teaches children how to draw on Youtube and sells cheap How to Draw books. No excuse not to make use of free or cheap resources if you're supposedly interested in making cartoons/drawing characters.

 

[DickMain]

Or heck, learn for free from Youtube tutorials.

That's how I've done it. I've never paid a dime to learn what I know. Just years of sucking it up and doing it. Enter just needs to shut up, hole himself up, and practice.

Or not, and hopefully out himself as an unironic pedo with how his discord is trending.

 

[CoconutCat]

The only time he ever sounded anyway enthusiastic was when one of his autist friends mentioned their like 8 year old sibling was in the room and he tried to ask them what they thought about Growing Around and how cool it would be to be the one who tells adults what to do, only for the kid to just kind of be like ‘Uh yeah I guess’.

Where did that happen? I don't think it was one of the IndieGogo livestreams because I watched them all, but maybe I missed something.

 

[BlueCandle]

Where did that happen? I don't think it was one of the IndieGogo livestreams because I watched them all, but maybe I missed something.

It does happen at some point during one of them, but tbh I completely forget in which one + its only like a 30 second interaction so it would be a nightmare to track down. You're just going to have to take my word for it.

 

[Be patient I have lurkism]

I’m certain that the failure of the indiegogo campaign permanently effected Enter’s enthusiasm for the show. For years he was fed support from his tight knit gang of yes-men on DA, but as soon as he brought his product to the public, he was met with both confusion about the premise and tough questions about funding the show that he didn’t want to answer. I don’t want to keep bringing up the indiegogo streams but he just sounds more and more miserable as they go on. The only time he ever sounded anyway enthusiastic was when one of his autist friends mentioned their like 8 year old sibling was in the room and he tried to ask them what they thought about Growing Around and how cool it would be to be the one who tells adults what to do, only for the kid to just kind of be like ‘Uh yeah I guess’.

It's sad when you put it that way. Premise and writing aside, he's a really naïve producer in general. Slowly but surely realizing that over the years must take a toll on him.

 

[Sneak 'n' Snore]

I’m certain that the failure of the indiegogo campaign permanently effected Enter’s enthusiasm for the show.

Maybe thats the reason Enter acts so shitty towards his fans on Discord, or at least part of the reason.
Deep inside he knows GA will never turn into a full animated series but doesn't want to admit defeat.

 

[Piga Dgrifm]

New Script:

https://www.deviantart.com/mrenter/art/Growing-Around-Max-and-Ryker-Season-3-843848499

Eeyup.

 

[Master Shake]

So, the key to stopping toxic masculinity is making men wear dresses? Seems like perfectly sound logic to me!

 

[CoconutCat]

Oh God, the new script just reaffirms what I said before about the gender episodes and introduces yet ANOTHER giant hole.

The episode deals with Max feeling insecure in his masculinity as a result of losing power. Never mind the fact that it's already been established that girls have ruled for generations and power hasn't been a masculine trait at ANY established point in GA history. Even in episodes taking place in the present, most of the leaders are female.

When Enter was shilling his book, he consistently used "they've lived in the world all their lives so they don't have to explain it" as an excuse for why the world is never explained to the audience. He should know more than anyone that the perspective of the characters differ from real world perspective, but this episode ONLY makes sense from a real world perspective.

Also, bonus points for more crossdressing!

And why is Max being referred to as a "man"? I know referring to kids with adult terms is relatively common when trying to promote adult-like behavior, but isn't this supposed to be a world where kids rule and being an adult means losing your rights?

Edit: Here's a link to my previous post on gender episodes, for the people who haven't read it: https://kiwifarms.net/threads/the-m...is-growing-around.43381/page-305#post-6519460

Edit 2:

So, the key to stopping toxic masculinity is making men wear dresses? Seems like perfectly sound logic to me!

Wasn't that the logic the girls in Tales of Childhood Past used, that was portrayed negatively? I guess Enter doesn't care about the consistency of his morals as long as it fuels his fetishes.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Enter's artists don't exaggerate or simplify forms when drawing in this bland cartoon style because he's ignorant. The artists from before never exaggerated either because they lacked skill or proper direction to do it. With the current artists, the only things exaggerated are the expressions, which is just a small part of character design. You need to be able to understand the character without them having to say anything or be animated.

Like when you look at Spongebob you already can tell that the character is goofy and childlike just by looking at those eyes, teeth, and nose.

What can I tell about Sally by looking at her? She's a girl, and possibly likes animals? But what is her personality and temperament? I can't see it no matter who draws her.



Enter hasn't made an effort to learn how to draw better after Meghan probably stopped teaching him, so he is relying solely on those new artists for everything. If he can spend $500 on a poorly drawn animatic, he could invest in learning some things through cheap platforms like Skillshare/Udemy/Domestika. Or heck, learn for free from Youtube tutorials. I think Christopher Hart (early 2000's character designer) teaches children how to draw on Youtube and sells cheap How to Draw books. No excuse not to make use of free or cheap resources if you're supposedly interested in making cartoons/drawing characters.

A problem I have with the style Enter and his fellow artists have is that it comes off as too stiff. You can tell they're trying to aim for a softer, more rounded style for the kids, yet the hard edges makes me feel like they're either incompetent at it, or uncomfortable at loosening up. Not only that, but they don't seem to know how a line of action works, as their attempts to exaggerate are not really attempts.

In addition, with Sally in particular, the only thing I see on her that expresses her "quirkiness" are the mismatched socks. Nothing else. Even simple something like some bandages on her legs, slightly different proportions, or a different, messier hairstyle could do a little more to show how eccentric and hyperactive she is. Because as it stands, she looks like a clean cut hippie.

As for Enter and his artists' (lack of) competency, I think the biggest problem is that he's relying on deviantArt. Which I can't say I blame him, given how his audience mostly comprises of people from the site. But were these really the only artists he could muster up? They're not much better than most of the MSPaint artists I've seen on the Horrors thread. And I don't see Enter puting in any effort on his part to learn how to draw, he doesn't seem like the kind of man who'd put in the effort to do anything beyond his "scripts" and those are pretty low effort judging from how first pass-y they look at the best of times.

 

[LiquidKid]

Don't let Enter hear you say that. Cartoons being abruptly cancelled because they didn't sell enough toys is a very hot-button topic for him (or at least, it was in 2014 and I don't see why he'd change his mind.) He honestly believes animation should be able to sell itself, which might be feasible for theatrical films or physical home releases, but for television or online streaming (Especially streaming with "no pay walls," as Enter demands it,) ads and personal donations alone will never cover that shit. Even on channels like PBS, it's more likely than not a show is going to die when "Viewers Like You" is their only sponsor credit.

Even animated movies don’t sell themselves. They constantly have toys, games, clothes, fast food tie ins, advertising deals with cereals and snacks, soundtrack sales, app games etc. These things need to be profitable to make sense producing them

Oh, I can think of a good reason why one would buy such attrocities...especially given the last time I was in a Walmart, I saw toys for fucking Baldi's Basics of all things which, beyond Baldi himself, looked like ass (because the charcters were intentionally shitty looking).

As fodder for stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RfSR6PiSYo&t=435s



Like, goddamn, what is his thing with cartoons even about? He sucks at this shit so hard that he makes people who have been brainwashed into Calarts bullshit actually look like they understand what they are doing.

Baldi’s Basics has toys? I haven’t seen shit from that game since it came out. Tangent aside, I’m starting to think toy companies are just waiting for indie games with any sort of minor web traction to immediately buy the rights to while they’re cheap so they can potentially hit the next FnaF success.

 

[Tragedy of the Senate]

Even animated movies don’t sell themselves. They constantly have toys, games, clothes, fast food tie ins, advertising deals with cereals and snacks, soundtrack sales, app games etc. These things need to be profitable to make sense producing them

But remember, Enter said that Growing Around isn't meant to be profitable. A theoretical six season show isn't meant to be profitable. Let that sink in.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

Enter said that Growing Around isn't meant to be profitable.

It's been well established that Enter has no idea how animation works, but I think this is the dumbest thing he's said. The endgoal of any commercial product is to make money. That is how the entertainment business works; you can sell your idea but it has to pay back the cost that went into making your idea a reality. Animation can be an expensive process; if it's not making money, then the company has the right to cancel the show. We can argue whether X show deserved to be cancelled or how some things are unfairly terminated due to backdoor politics, but at the end of the day, the simple fact is that animation is a business, and businesses have to make money to stay afloat. Enter can bitch all he wants, but no one will pick up a show that isn't going to be profitable.