Nickelodeon releases animated short based on Harpy Gee Webcomic
Harpy Gee Short via Nick Animation.
Every week since the tenth of this past February, Nick Animation’s YouTube Channel has released new shorts produced by the next generation of innovative animators. The shorts have been stunning, like the hilarious spectacle of Gene Goldenstein's Planet Panic or the vivid world of Celestino Marina's The Girl from Dinosaur Island. What has gotten the attention webcomic fans, however, is the release of a short adapting one of the most beloved webcomics in the medium: Brianne Drouhard's Harpy Gee.
Art via Brianne Drouhard.
For the uninitiated, Harpy Gee is a fantasy webcomic created by animator and illustrator Brianne Drouhard. Drouhard has worked in animation for years, with series like Transformers: Animated or Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but, besides Harpy Gee, is probably best known for producing and directing the Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld segments for the defunct DC Nation series of shorts.
In Harpy Gee, Drouhard tells a story, set within a fantasy world, revolving around the life of the eponymous elf. Being an elf immune to magic, Gigi Harpy Geranium, or Harpy Gee, leaves the elvish kingdom of Welferingrum behind and, with her trusted pet goblin cat Pumpkin in tow, enters the human kingdom of Podunkello. There, she befriends, and is employed by, the friendly item-selling witch Opal, who uses Harpy's skills as a swordfighting swashbuckler to retrieve rare ingredients, all the while encountering an array of colorful characters and breathtaking settings.
The short by Nickelodeon; written, directed, and storyboarded by Drouhard, is a brilliant take on the world of Harpy Gee and an immensely faithful adaptation of the series. With Drouhard's history of animation, it makes sense that her style would translate well to the medium, but it is still a visionary joy to behold. Everything that gave the comic its unique spirit, like its designs, humor, stunning colors, characters, and unconventional story beats are perfectly represented by the short. Plus the casting of Jason Spisak, familiar to DC fans as Young Justice's Wally West, as grumpy and aloof Prince Humphrey is truly inspired.
Currently, there are no plans for Nickelodeon to pursue a full adaptation of the comic. In a blog post sharing the animated short, Drouhard expressed interest in a full adaptation of the series and encouraged fans to let their support of the series be known to Nickelodeon on social media. Regardless, she, in the same post, noted her gratitude to Nickelodeon and the fans for helping bring the series to life. The short can be viewed on the official Nick Animation YouTube Channel, and the webcomic can be read here on Drouhard's HiveWorks hosted website.
Would you like to see more of Harpy Gee? What's a webcomic you love that would make a great animated series or movie? Let You Don't Read Comics know in the comments below, and via our official social media!
