Children’s book by Cape Breton comic book creators adapted for new Apple TV + series

“The show has a fearless female lead who gets into trouble and who’s not perfect, which was something we wanted to tell,” Beaton told CBC Radio’s Main street from her home in Mabou, NS, Monday.

“We were designing her bedroom, and I thought, ‘We should put some trophies in seventh place on that shelf, because that’s the reality.’ Most of us did not get the first place all the time. “

As an executive producer, Beaton had a lot to say in the series, but she admits that there was one thing that the creative team had to rule over television: only one fart joke per episode. section.

“It has to be related to the plot, and it has to be character driven and all, and it became a fun thing to try to add to each episode because you get your one shot to put it in,” she laughed.

Beaton made a name for himself in the comic book world and created webcomics under the name “Hark! A Vagrant!” Her printed collections Hark! A Vagrantand Go to page Pops spent several months on the New York Times bestseller list of graphic novels.

Pinekogle and Pony‘s journey began back in 2017, when Toronto-based First Generation Films acquired the rights to Beaton’s book.

Dreamworks then came on board, and Beaton turned the idea in LA into various streaming services. Apple TV + picked it up and it went into full production in 2020. The series premieres on April 8th.

First intake in television

It was Beaton’s first foray into television, and she said she was able to be involved in many aspects of production, from design work to writing, script editing and casting.

“They have always been really, really respectful of my input,” she said.

“I worked with a lot of people who were a lot more experienced than I was, so having that kind of respect was really special.”

Pineapple and Princess is an eight-episode comedy about a young girl who lives in a warrior kingdom and dreams of becoming the greatest warrior.

Her best friend, a flatulent pony, helps her along the way.

“One of the hallmarks of the pony that made it not exactly a warrior horse was that it was a little airy, and it always made the kids laugh,” Beaton said. “I mean, you can not mess with the classics. It’s fart jokes, and the kids love it – and we love it!”

Beaton said the pony does not seem to belong in a realm of warriors, “but the message of the show is often that things are not as they seem and they are created for each other.”

The power of a good story

As a child of the 90s, Beaton grew up watching Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

“But first I wanted a book that just had a princess who had a different story to tell than the princesses I grew up with, except maybe The paper bag princesswhich is pretty brave, “she said.

She remembers what it was like to read a book The paper bag princess when she was young, and falls in love with the character because she saw a little of herself.

These childhood experiences, whether they come from a book, movie or TV show, never really leave you, Beaton said.

Even with so many animated shows out there, Beaton hopes Pineapple and Princess can similarly inspire and empower young viewers.

“If you’re not doing a show that’s fun, the kids just will not see it,” she said. “And so we wanted to do a really fun, good show.

“And to think that it might be someone’s favorite, it’s just a real honor because you remember those shows for the rest of your life.”