Jon Favreau Praises Samurai Jack Creator Genndy Tartakovsky’s Legendary Career

Genndy Tartakovsky is synonymous with quality animation. You know him as the mind behind animated hits like Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Primal. As it turns out, he’s not only a role model to more than fans of animation over the past thirty years — he’s also a legend to some of the top filmmakers in Hollywood. In a recent profile piece with IndieWire, the outlet caught up with The Mandalorian helmer Jon Favreau, a director who couldn’t stop raving about the animator.

“Genndy has one of the most unique and inspired voices in animation today,” Favreau said. “His knowledge of cinema informs his animation style and I draw a lot of inspiration from the imagery that he incorporates.”

“His love of Kurosawa and Leone come through in his stylized depictions of action, and ‘Primal’ pushes it into the realm of ‘Conan’ and [comic book artist Frank] Frazetta,” the Iron Man director added.

Getting his start on fan-favorites like Tiny Toon Adventures and Batman: The Animated Series, Tartakovsky’s first big break came as creator of Dexter’s Laboratory in 1996. The artist-turned-filmmaker then went on to write for shows like Cow and Chicken and The Powerpuff Girls before creator his second break-out hit Samurai Jack in 2001.

Most recently, he’s placed an increased emphasis on feature films, serving as the director for Sony’s Hotel Transylvania series. Believe it or not, the creator’s also got two comic book credits to his name — a 2001 Dexter’s Lab series for DC Comics and Marvel’s Cage! in 2016.

“There’s an inherent beauty to be found even within the series’ brutal displays of violence,” ComicBook.com’s Nick Valdez said in his Primal review last fall. “It never breaches the realm of grotesqueness, and though there might be an excitement in seeing it play out from time to time, violence is a means to an end. It’s an unavoidable facet of living in this savage world, and thus feels as natural as the rest of the presentation. As one would expect from such a set food chain, there’s a consequence to each violent act⁠—emotional or otherwise.”

“Primal is the culmination of years of experimentation, and it’s an incredible project densely packed with a wide range of emotions. Portraying the surprising serenity to be found in savagery, this series has an honesty that continues to reveal itself the more times you watch. It’s an intense, powerful, and brutal masterpiece.”

The second half of Primal Season One is currently schedule for release later this year.