July 23, 2004

Meet Christy Hui, animator

Kid Reporter Danny talks with the creator of 'Xiaolin Showdown'

By Danny Stricker

I got to visit Warner Brothers' animation studios in California and meet with Christy Hui, creator of Xiaolin Showdown.

Xiaolin Showdown follows Omi, monk-in-training, as he leads his fellow trainees into various battles with against the evildoers. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, it’s up to these four to save the day.

TFK: How long did it take to develop the show?
Christy: The process took about three years from creating the original idea to the airing of the first episode. There were a lot of changes along the way, but they were all good changes. As a matter of fact, we're making yet more changes in the new season, making the show even more exciting and edgier...it's a good thing. Part of the growth process.

TFK: What cartoons did you watch as a kid?
Christy: I must say my all time favorite was Popeye; he made me want to eat spinach!

TFK: What about other cartoons now?
Christy: I love The Simpsons. I love Spongebob.

TFK: You talk a lot about 'East meets West' in the show. What do you mean by that?
Christy: Having grown up in China and spending most of my adult life in the U.S., I have the benefit of being bi-cultural. And a big part of my vision for the show is to blend in the two cultures harmoniously. I hope viewers can see that Xiaolin Showdown serves as a good example of what I mean by 'East meets West.' We do our best to create a balance between the Eastern philosophies, and a sense of humor and adventure.

This 'East meets West' thread is applied to all areas of the show, from stories, to character development, to the design and aesthetic of the show. For example, if you look at a character like Omi, he’s raised in a temple somewhere in China so he’s completely Eastern. He then meets three kids, from all over the world with very different cultural backgrounds and values, and he learns they are his new teammates - Dragons in training - and now they have to work as a team for a common cause -- fighting against evil. What we emphasize in the show is that these characters celebrate their differences and learn from each other.

TFK: What advice do you have for kids who like to draw and want to make a career out of it some day?
Christy: Draw, draw, draw. Work hard to develop your own style. Study from the great artists and find out what makes them great. Finally, find a job at a studio, like starting out as an intern, just to get in and get started. It’s a great way to learn and get exposure to what's out there. But always work on your own craft.

TFK: What's the one thing you do that makes you successful?
Christy: Passion. You have to love what you do. When you love what you do, then hard work doesn't seem to matter anymore. Kind of like a car needs gasoline to drive. Passion is the gasoline for our lives.

TFK: How did you get together with Warner Brothers?
Christy: I feel that Warner Brothers is the best home for this show. Kids'WB has done a fantastic job at promoting the show. We are having a lot of fun and it shows. It shows in the ratings and our viewers tell us how much they enjoy the show.

Look at how diversified the programming line-up on KidsWB! is. You saw during the tour here that Mucha Lucha which is a Mexican wrestling show, Static Shock, which has an African American slant to it. So it is culturally very diversified and I think this reflects the world that we live in. Look at your friends; you probably have Asian friends; you probably have African American friends, but who cares? That’s who they are and you love them as your friends. So when I wanted to choose a studio and a network to produce Xiaolin Showdown, WB was the one.

TFK: What was your favorite book as a kid?
Christy: It's Chinese. You know the movie Crouching Tiger? That was actually a book in China.

TFK: What’s your favorite website?
Christy: For cool sites, I'd say astronomy sites - I once met a friend and she is a research scientist specializing in studying new born stars and guess what, her husband studies dying stars....how awesome is that! So they talk about stars during breakfast, lunch and dinner...a true star family. I'd say this is definitely one of my top favorite sites out there http://hubblesite.org/. Check it out. I love the pictures and all the links. Space represents the grandest of all adventures for me.

Back to all headlines