Talking with AMPHIBIA Creator Matt Braly

Matt Braly is the creator of the hit animated series Amphibia. I recently started watching the show on Disney+ after hearing that it got a third season order and have loved watching it. Then, I was given the opportunity to interview Braly, and it was so much fun. I got to ask him about the show so far, what to expect in the future of the show, and what he’d like to do in the future. I can’t wait for season two of Amphibia to premiere on July 11 on Disney Channel.

Tommy – Matt, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of my questions. I recently started watching Amphibia and I'm loving it so far. I'm curious what gave you the original idea for the show?

Matt – I'm glad you're enjoying it! The show is loosely inspired by my childhood trips to Bangkok, Thailand, where I would very much feel out of place. I wanted to make a show that centered on a character who was dropped into an unfamiliar environment and would grow and mature based on her experiences there. Also, frogs are cute and cool.

Tommy – I know some creators have specific actors in mind when creating characters, were there any characters that you made with specific people in mind?

Matt – I didn't write any characters with a specific actor in mind, but many of the characters have been seriously defined by the actors who now play them. After we cast Brenda Song as the voice of Anne Boonchuy in the pilot, I couldn't hear anyone else when I imagined the character. The same goes for Justin Felbinger as Sprig; he has utterly defined the character.

Tommy – What have some of your favorite episodes been?

Matt – Haha don't make me pick favorites! If I had to choose, I would probably say the episode called "Toad Tax." There's something so gratifying about seeing Anne put her foot down and choose to fight for the people who were crummy to her. I have to admit; I teared up a little at the animatic screening because it felt like the character had come so far.

I also really like the scarier episodes like "Night at the Inn" and "Children of the Spore." I’m a huge horror movie fan.

Tommy – Season 2 is coming out in a couple of weeks, what are you most excited about sharing in the new season?

Matt – This new season is bonkers. I'm most excited to see how the fans respond to some of the twists and turns that are coming. We take some big swings and I'm crossing my fingers that they connect with people.

Tommy – As a huge fan of Gravity Falls, I'm excited for the homage said to be happening in the second season. Can you give us any other details about that? What voices can we expect from Alex Hirsch? Will this be Bill's introduction into Amphibia?

Matt – I probably shouldn't talk too much about it. Let's just say that two very familiar faces will be showing up early on in the season in a way that no one will be expecting.

Tommy – Why did you decide to create episodes featuring 2 roughly 10-minute stories instead of 1 20-minute story?

Matt – This is a great question. I decided to create episodes featuring two 11-minute stories because I thought we could tell more diverse and interesting stories this way. For example, it's easier to write an episode about a supporting character when you've got the 11-minute format to work with. We were able to really flesh out and explore a number of villagers this way.

Tommy – How does Anne's phone keep a charge for so long? I know in the episode "Taking Charge" her phone gets a 10,000% charge (or similar), but before that there was seemingly no way for her to charge her phone and she's constantly on it.

Matt – Agreed. "Taking Charge" was written because it drove me crazy that she was able to use her phone even though days had already passed. All I can say is that whatever model of phone she’s got - I’ll take 10. That thing has some of the best battery life I’ve ever seen.

Tommy – Why does Anne still have the twigs and leaves in her hair for the majority of episodes I've seen? Wouldn't she have removed them after the first day or so?

Matt – Haha, I am asked about this and Anne's one shoe a lot. From a character design point of view, we wanted to visually communicate that Anne was a girl out of place. Keeping the leaves in her hair helps to sell that she is not where she belongs and doesn’t quite have it all together. From a logistics point of view, I like to imagine that she does pick the twigs and leaves out each morning, but that new leaves get stuck in her hair right after she leaves the house. It’s probably pretty frustrating.

Tommy – What is a show other than Amphibia that you think fans should be sure to check out?

Matt – Oh man, there is so much good content out there that it’s hard to narrow it down to a single recommendation. "Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts," "Hilda," and "Infinity Train" spring to mind. I think if I had to single out something I was watching recently, it would be the television series "Summer Camp Island." There is something so dreamy and ethereal about it. It is both beautiful and soothing to watch.

Tommy – I imagine you're hard at work on season 3 of Amphibia, but I was wondering if there are any other projects that you're working on that fans should be aware of?

Matt – I’m always dreaming up new projects, even if "Amphibia" is currently dominating all of my time. I would really love to develop an animated feature after this. Something in the vein of a Studio Ghibli film. I would also love to explore making a video game.