Interview with Bill Motz & Bob Roth from 'The Ghost and Molly McGee'

03/31/23 • 20 min

We're big animation fans at The Cosmic Circus and always love getting the chance to sit down with the creators behind these fantastic stories. Earlier this week, Cosmic Cafe host Ayla Ruby chatted over zoom with Bill Motz and Bob Roth from Disney's fantasy show The Ghost and Molly McGee.

The Ghost and Molly McGee is about a young girl named Molly McGee who is an optimist and always sees the brighter side of things. There's always something to have joy about. When Molly's family moves to a new home and town, she discovers their house is haunted by a grumpy ghost named Scratch. Awesome, right? When Scratch's attempts to haunt Molly go wrong, the two are bound together forever. The show follows them through this unlikely and sweet growing friendship.

The show is Emmy-nominated, and for a good reason - it's a joy to watch. The talented cast includes Ashly Burch (as Molly), Dana Snyder (as Scratch), Jordan Klepper, Sumalee Montano, Michaela Dietz, and Lara Jill Miller.

Bill Motz and Bob Roth are equally as talented as their cast. The duo has been writing partners for 30 years, working on things like Darkwing Duck, LEGO Star Wars , and The Penguins of Madagascar. They're the creators and executive producers of The Ghost and Molly Mcgee and were so much fun to speak with.

Full article available on https://www.thecosmiccircus.com⁠

Timestamps:

- 00:25 - Intros
- 02:20 - Bill Motz and Bob Roth tell us more about The Ghost and Molly McGee
- 04:00 - Talk about season 2 and the introduction of autistic character June Chen, and the importance of representation.
- 08:10 - More will be revealed about Scratch's past in the second season
- 09:05 - Guest stars in season 2
- 10:10 - Discussing the detailed work of the designers and the Mega City game from season 1
- 11:40 - Roth and Motz talk about the process of going from a kernel of an idea to a script.
- 15:25 - What is the status of The Ghost and Molly McGee season 3?
- 16:15 - The show is about "humor, heart, and hope."
- 17:30 - Ayla asks what Motz and Roth are working on next.
- 18:35 - Outros

Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Recorded 3/23/2023

Full article available on https://www.thecosmiccircus.com⁠

Timestamps:

- 00:25 - Intros
- 02:20 - Bill Motz and Bob Roth tell us more about The Ghost and Molly McGee
- 04:00 - Talk about season 2 and the introduction of autistic character June Chen, and the importance of representation.
- 08:10 - More will be revealed about Scratch's past in the second season
- 09:05 - Guest stars in season 2
- 10:10 - Discussing the detailed work of the designers and the Mega City game from season 1
- 11:40 - Roth and Motz talk about the process of going from a kernel of an idea to a script.
- 15:25 - What is the status of The Ghost and Molly McGee season 3?
- 16:15 - The show is about "humor, heart, and hope."
- 17:30 - Ayla asks what Motz and Roth are working on next.
- 18:35 - Outros

Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Recorded 3/23/2023

Previous Episode

An Interview with Matt Youngberg from Skydance Animation

If you have kids and an Apple TV+ subscription, the chances you’ve seen the movie Luck are pretty high. It’s an Apple Original movie with a tremendous amount of heart. Last week, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the Luck universe grew. We sat down with director Matt Youngberg from Skydance Animation to discuss his short Bad Luck Spot from the same Luck universe. Bad Luck Spot features the Hazmat Bunnies that had an adorable but short appearance in the movie.

Matt Youngberg has an impressive career. Before he joined Skydance, he spearheaded the Ducktales reboot for Disney Television Animation. (As part of Ducktales, he even brought this writer’s favorite hero, Darkwing Duck, back to the screen!) Youngberg is both Emmy and Annie nominated, and he’s worked on other beloved franchises, like Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, and Ben 10.

Cosmic Cafe credits: Host: Ayla Ruby Theme: “Coffee and You” by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

Recorded 3/14/2023

other links: ⁠https://www.thecosmiccircus.com/

The Bad Luck short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpFAOQyAKw&feature=youtu.be

Next Episode

Interview with Prehistoric Planet's Mike Gunton and Tim Walker

Prehistoric Planet is a documentary series on Apple TV+ that combines state-of-the-art realistic animation with stunning cinematography to transport viewers back to the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. The series features never-before-seen "footage" of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in their natural habitats. Sir David Attenborough, the legend of documentary series like Planet Earth, even narrates it. Executive Produced by John Favreau, Prehistoric Planet uses tech from hit shows like The Book of Boba Fett to bring these animals to life.

On Tuesday, The Cosmic Circus had the opportunity to sit down over Zoom with the show's executive producer Mike Gunton and showrunner Tim Walker. Both are highly accomplished filmmakers in the world of natural history. Gunton is known for his work on the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Planet Earth II, as well as Galapagos, Yellowstone , Madagascar, and Life. Walker has a similarly impressive career, with 20 years of bringing natural history to the screen.

There are five episodes in the new season, each tied to a different habitat and the animals that lived there. In our interview, we chatted about dinosaurs (of course!) but also how they built on the technology from season 1, creating empathy for these prehistoric characters and more.

Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Recorded 5/16/2023