Motorcity (TV series)
Motorcity[] is an American animated television series created by Chris Prynoski and produced by Prynoski's studio Titmouse, Inc., Robin Red Breast, Inc. and Disney Television Animation. The show is set in a fictional, futuristic version of Detroit named Detroit Deluxe, owned by the evil billionaire Abraham Kane; it is an elevated metropolis built over the old Detroit whose citizens are subject to strict laws and restricted freedom. Below the city lies a group of rebels calling themselves the Burners, led by Mike Chilton, who aspire to protect their underground home and safe haven, Motorcity, from Kane's tyranny.
Motorcity premiered on Disney XD on April 30, 2012, and concluded on January 7, 2013. As revealed by Prynoski, the series was not renewed for a second season. Motorcity was Prynoski's first co-production with Disney; he would go on to co-produce future projects with the company, including Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Kiff, and StuGo.
Synopsis
Motorcity occurs in a fictitious futuristic version of Detroit, which is an elevated metropolis built over the old Detroit, classified as Detroit Deluxe. It is owned by evil billionaire Abraham Kane. Ruling the citizens under strict laws, and banning personal freedoms including automobile transportation, Kane now faces one last obstacle: a group of hot-rod wielding rebels who call themselves the Burners. Led by Kane's former cadet Mike Chilton, the Burners rise to stop Kane from conquering Detroit's last oasis of freedom—an underground refuge dubbed Motorcity.Characters
Protagonists
The Burners
- Mike Chilton is the leader of the Burners and the main protagonist of the series.
- Chuck is Mike's best friend and computer expert for the Burners.
- Julie is the Burners' infiltration expert and inside connection to KaneCo.
- Dutch is the Burners' creative technological genius.
- * R.O.T.H. is Dutch's cube-shaped robot assistant who has helped the team on a number of occasions. He was one of Kane's attack bots until Dutch reprogrammed him as his helper.
- Texas is a violent, gung-ho powder keg who is dedicated to the Burners and his fierce determination usually makes him the first one on the battlefield when a fight breaks out.
- Jacob is a hippie\biker type in his mid-60s and Kane's former partner, with lots of scientific and technological knowledge.
Allies
- Claire is Julie's best friend and confidant for her dual identities.
- Dr. Hudson is a scientist who was Jacob's student when KaneCo was trying to help people.
- Rayon is the leader of a gang called the Skylarks, the owner of the Skylark Motel and a regular client of the Burners.
- Darr is Dutch's brother and new cadet to Kane.
- Tennie is an engineer and love interest of Dutch. She, her father, Bracket and the Burners worked together to defend her home, the "Cablers' Settlement" against Kane's bots.
- '''Foxy is the Leader of the Amazons, an all girl gang in Motorcity that specializes in fast and high-tech vehicles that resemble Formula One Cars.
Villains
- Abraham "Abe" Kane is the billionaire owner of Detroit Deluxe who serves as the main antagonist of the series. Kane is a wicked, megalomaniac industrialist who was responsible for building the new Detroit called Detroit Deluxe atop the old one, now named Motorcity.
- * Tooley is Kane's dimwitted but loyal right-hand man.
- Kaia is the leader of an eco-terrorist resistance group called "The Terra Dwellers", who live in a village outside Detroit that was destroyed by KaneCo's waste dumping.
- The Duke of Detroit is a hammy, self-absorbed collector and lover of cars who owns a palace filled with guards and mint condition automobiles.
- * #2 is the Duke's Number 2, Not much is known about her except for the fact that she is extremely devoted to him and is very involved with his plans.
- * Cyborg Dan is a robot who works for the Duke.
- Red is a ghost from Mike's past who was indirectly responsible for Mike coming down to Motorcity.
Episodes
Pilots (2000–09)
Both pilots were written by Frank Coniff and Chris Prynowski.Season 1 (2012–13)
Production
Conception and development
According to series creator Chris Prynoski, he conceived the idea for the show in the early 1990s when he worked at MTV and "even made a trailer for it," adding that he showed it to development executive Eric Coleman, who was at Nickelodeon at the time; Coleman took a liking to it. Prynoski had revealed that he grown up worshipping car culture in Los Angeles and his inspirations for Motorcity were The Dukes of Hazzard and Star Wars.Around 1999, Prynoski began development of Motorcity. It was planned to be a series of 26 episodes, each one lasting for 22 minutes. The project's production was shelved a year later, after he founded his T-shirt company and later the animation studio Titmouse, Inc., and began work at Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Two pilots were produced, and he pitched the show to Disney investors in 2010. Eric Coleman would begin his tenure at Disney; during this time, he asked Prynoski whether he still had Motorcity, which he agreed to, partnering with Disney Television Animation to pick up production again, where it became the first intellectual property sold to them. Its production also started in October 2010.
For the production of the show, around 80 people worked on it, some from Europe and Japan, such as art director Antonio Canobbio and show director Juno Lee, vehicle designed Brandon Cuellar. As well, Robert Valley who worked on concept design. The first season was planned to have 20 episodes. Though it was not designed as a serial, Prynoski stated that "once the first few episodes set the stage, there will be more of a story arc. As the season unfolds, viewers can expect character-focused episodes that dig a little deeper into each of the Burners' personalities and backstories."''''
Animation
Motorcitys animation was made with a combination of 2D and 3D elements and effects, using software such as Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya for 3D models, and Adobe Photoshop for creation of elements and backgrounds, provided by Nepal-based studio Incessant Rain.Additionally, for the production of the show, Prynoski's production company Titmouse, Inc. created Facinator, an exclusive custom plug-in tool, that allows for the manipulation of 2D rigged head models from a wide array of angles, which not only made some of the specific angles of the characters easier, but also to make them look like they were animated as a 3D model. The purpose of use and creation of Facinator for Motorcity was to blend CGI well with the rest of the animation.
Marketing and broadcast
Motorcity was first announced in October 2010, initially scheduled to come out in the fall of 2011. However, the show was delayed out of 2011, with the latest date being given around winter 2012. Ultimately, in April of that year, it was announced and debuted on April 30, on Disney XD. With the release on iTune Store in HD quality, following suit in May. In order to promote Motorcity, Disney XD released a mobile game on March 26, 2012, called Motorcity: Drive. In April, Hyundai's Veloster sponsored the show along with its partner Rhys Millen to compete in the Global RallyCross Championship, piloted by Stephan Verdier. At San Diego Comic-Con in July 13, the producers showed "never-before-seen" clips from then-new episodes of the show.Internationally, Motorcity also premiered in other countries. In Canada it was May 26, in Japan it was September 22, and in Latin American countries it was July 2021, after first premiering online in 2013. Disney XD aired a marathon of the series in the United States on July 27, 2020.