Adele Williams Reveals Secrets Behind Her Groundbreaking Adult Swim Series!

Prepare to be thrilled! The captivating show titled “Oh My Goodness…Absolutely!” is about to air on Adult Swim this weekend, and prior to its launch, we had a chance to converse with the creative mind behind it. This fresh and intriguing series stands out in the Adult Swim lineup as it showcases an ensemble of characters unlike any other that has appeared before, and it boasts a truly original voice. The story unfolds in a future vision of South Central Los Angeles, yet it manages to mine humor from this setting without resorting to typical stereotypes.

Get ready! The eagerly awaited show titled “Oh My God…Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances” will debut on Adult Swim this coming Sunday, March 9th at 12:15am PT/ET. Not one but two episodes will air back-to-back, giving fans an early glimpse into the lives of this fresh and quirky trio as they journey through their youth in a futuristic setting. In anticipation of its premiere, ComicBook had a chat with the creative mind behind the series, Adele “Supreme” Williams, to delve deeper into the show’s origins.

Adele “Supreme” Williams, the creator of the series, shares insights about the road to its premiere on Adult Swim, the science-fiction elements shaping her unique portrayal of Los Angeles, the audition process for her role, and more. Dive into our interview below (edited for brevity and clarity).

NICK VALDEZ, CREATOR OF OH MY GOD…YES!: It’s a real pleasure talking to you, as I’ve been thoroughly engrossed in your series ever since I started watching the episodes. Upon delving into its history, I can see that the path to this stage has been quite significant. Given this, I thought it would be fitting to kick off our conversation by asking about your feelings regarding the transition from the initial Oh My God…Yes! comic books to the animated series we have now. Could you share with me how this transformation began? What was the initial process like?

In my creative journey, I’ve crafted an exhibit titled “Oh My God…Yes! A Sequence of Shockingly Troublesome Scenarios.” This unique display delves into the lingering, profound impact of slavery on the African American community – a topic I tackle with a blend of humor and gravity. As a writer and artist, I’ve always found solace in merging lightness and darkness to create thought-provoking works. By infusing a touch of comedy into often challenging discussions, I aim to make these conversations more palatable for viewers and readers alike.

Initially, I found pleasure in working with these spaces and eventually compiled the comics into a single book. I then chose to address my supporters’ requests by collaborating with an affordable yet gifted animator on freelancer.com, which was fortunate. The arrangement was that I would create storyboards, he would animate them, and I would share the results on social media. The response was overwhelming, with many people asking for more, so I thought, “Oh no, this needs to be a series.

I created a trailer and approached Dominique Braud, a colleague and executive producer on the show, who has been with The Simpsons for about thirty years. I wasn’t trying to network or pitch myself; instead, I sought her advice since I was new to animation. She watched my trailer and suggested it should be aired on TV, even offering to produce it herself. Overjoyed by the prospect, I accepted her offer as The Simpsons is one of my all-time favorite shows. With Dominique’s introduction, I met numerous people, which eventually led to the success of the project.

The response seems to be expressing that the speaker’s art is well-received by people, and it has led to the natural progression of moving into television. “People love my artwork! It brings me joy when I can fill galleries in cities like New York, Miami, LA, and San Francisco. Seeing large crowds gather to appreciate my work is always rewarding. And, it seems that TV was the logical next step for me.

Indeed, that’s an insightful observation! It’s intriguing to learn that the original conception of your concept had a more troubling backstory, given that the portrayal of South Central, LA in the series isn’t bleak as one might expect from reality. I found this contrast particularly appealing, as it’s not often we see a future vision of such a place devoid of the usual apocalyptic or disaster-ridden themes. When developing this series and ensuring its relatability, how did you arrive at this particular vision of South Central for the future?

Raised in South Central Los Angeles, my childhood years didn’t match the portrayal of South Central in movies. It was a violent area, particularly during the nineties, but there was also a sense of community, joy, and playfulness. Believe it or not, even gangsters crack jokes! As a child, I watched nothing but cartoons, especially sci-fi shows. I often pondered what it would be like if “The Jetsons” were set here. This thought sparked my desire to create a more positive image of South Central and challenge the stereotypes that surrounded me as a child.

In the recent past, about a decade ago, there has been a significant shift. There are creators such as Issa Rae who have brought to light the complexity of citizens from South Central and demonstrated that we’re just like everyone else, not defined by stereotypes but still respecting our unique culture. This was the direction I wanted my work to take. Since I grew up in this environment, it felt natural for the story to be set here. Additionally, I desired to infuse a touch of Science Fiction, reminiscent of shows like Futurama, as I found it exciting to incorporate that element.

Let me rephrase that for you: How can we ensure this project reflects South Central accurately? How can we communicate this effectively? My suggestion is to maintain the geographical authenticity as much as possible. One of our directors, Brian, even went so far as to obtain the coordinates of specific landmarks, restaurants, and stores in the area. During production, they made every effort to adhere to this map layout.

If granted a second season with an increased budget, we hope to venture out further and explore additional aspects of the world, as there were certain elements we wished to delve into during this season but ran short on time. Essentially, it’s like planning an educational expedition, where we aim to uncover even more reflections of the world and enhance its visual style with a touch of cyberpunk essence.

Let me shift gears to discuss Sunny, Tulip, and Ladi, an exceptional main group for Adult Swim. They stand out as they are not commonly found in shows, especially in the fast-paced, eleven-minute animated format. Can you explain how you managed to strike a balance while developing them as a team, ensuring that each character had significant roles in every episode?

In simpler terms, each character – Sunny, Ladi, and Tulip – embodies a piece of my personality. People often wonder if these characters were based on real people; instead, they reflect the way I approach situations.

Sunny symbolizes the part of me that can rationalize even unwise decisions, making them seem sensible due to my intellectual abilities, sometimes to a fault. Tulip represents the spiritual, empathetic aspect of me, always finding meaning and giving second chances, despite obvious warnings or difficulties. I tend to persist in such situations because I believe there might be something valuable hidden there.

Ladi embodies the instinctive side of me that I sometimes hesitate to heed due to my Tulip-like nature, which tends to be more cautious and open to trying new things. However, when Ladi speaks up, she’s bold and unafraid to call out nonsense. She was the one taught how to fight at 15, and she’s not afraid to let you know if you step out of line. In contemplating various situations, it became simpler to visualize how each aspect of me would react to what presented itself.

When considering a situation, such as deciding whether to attend your friend’s birthday party, it can be helpful to view things from multiple perspectives. For example, one part of you might want to socialize, while another part prefers solitude. In a less dramatic scenario, like this, Ladi could represent the confident and decisive person I admire and aspire to be more like – someone who is always ‘ten toes down’ and clear in her decisions.

It’s intriguing to learn that they each carry a part of you, with you voicing Sunny on the series. What led you to select Sunny as the character you wanted to develop? Was there something unique or appealing about Sunny specifically?

Among all the characters, Sunny appears to be the most similar to me. Interestingly enough, despite being the creator of the show, I was required to audition for the role of Sunny. Despite my expectations, Adult Swim asked me to read some lines during the audition. Surprisingly, it was the same lines I had written that I ended up reading. In the end, I got the part. Looking back now, I believe it was a brilliant decision. Sunny embodies chaos in one form, and the mechanic from one episode referred to her as ‘walking chaos.’ At times, I too can exhibit similar tendencies.

What I desired for her tone? I believe she conveys similarities to me, yet there seems to be an extra layer of…I’m not sure what. One of the first sketches I made of Sunny depicted her lounging on a couch, bare-chested in her underwear, with her pubic hair visible on either side, drinking a pale ale, a bowl of popcorn resting on her stomach, and the remote control in her hand. She embodies grunge; she’s not a tomboy, but she simply doesn’t care about societal norms. Consequently, I didn’t want her voice to be soft like Tulip’s. I didn’t want her voice to be sugary sweet, and I didn’t want her voice to be grungy either.

When Cree Summer was at the helm, there were instances when she’d guide me to maintain a single tone for certain lines. I mentioned that Sunny is like unpredictable turmoil, and I wanted her vocal inflections to reflect that. I desired her voice to take us on a journey, exploring every possible nuance in some of these lines. There were moments when she’d sing, where the melodious nature of her words was evident.

At times, she speaks with a high pitch; at others, she speaks with a low one. Some might find this grating, like nails on a chalkboard, but others see it as music in its purest form. Personally, I found great pleasure in matching the disorderliness she represents with her speech rhythm. It was an enjoyable process for me, adding depth and richness to her words. I think it’s intriguing. I think contrasting her voice with the other two adds a unique layer of complexity, creating a harmonious symphony overall.

Could you let me know if there might be an opportunity for you to come back for another season?

Wow, I’m really excited about this! There are so many characters from the past I’d love to reintroduce. I have a longing to expand the world with new characters too. I’ve got all these destinations in mind where the girls could travel next. I’m determined to create a peaceful retreat setting within our storyline, even though it might seem like a common trope. However, I think it would be intriguing if this idea came from Sunny unexpectedly.

Looking forward to the premiere of “Oh My Goodness…Yes! A Series of Highly Recognizable Events,” airing on Adult Swim this coming Sunday, March 9th at 12:15am PT/ET. The series will also be streamable on Max the following day.

2025-03-05 09:02

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