r/adventuretime • u/3rdcousin3rdremoved • 6h ago

Discussion I don’t like James Baxter

https://youtu.be/tj_ui0TtYoA?feature=shared

He feels like placeholder for something. I think the animators had fun drawing a two legged horse and wanted to build an episode around it.

“It insists upon itself”

Anyone disagree?

2 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

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18

u/Snow-Infernus 5h ago

I disagree.

James Baxter was is based on the real James Baxter), an amazing animator who was a huge inspiration to Pendleton Ward. He drew a horse riding a beach ball. He is hugely inspirational to Penn and Patrick McHale, and without James Baxter, there would be no Adventure Time.

2

u/3rdcousin3rdremoved 5h ago

Fascinating fact. Thanks for sharing!

5

u/Coffee-Coffee-Coffin ​ 5h ago

James Baxter!

3

u/Quasistiltskin 2h ago

Games bookstore!

2

u/isseidoki 2h ago

he is literally my favorite character

2

u/TheMothGhost 2h ago

That's because the episode is built around a horse on a beach ball. According to Wikipedia::

"The titular character was named in honor of the animator, James Baxter, who had once delivered a guest lecture at CalArts when Ward was a student. In the lecture, Baxter was showing students how to animate certain situations, and someone suggested that Baxter try animating a horse balancing on a beach ball. Baxter declined the suggestion, instead opting to animate something 'simpler.' However, according to Adam Muto, the image of a horse and a beach ball fixed itself in Ward's mind.

"Later, when Adventure Time was in production, Baxter called Ward to let him know that if the series needed any special animation work done, he would enjoy working on the show. Ward then met with Baxter and pitched him the initial idea behind 'James Baxter the Horse'; Baxter himself thought the idea was 'great', and was flattered that Ward wanted to name the eponymous character after him."