Merrill Hagan is an American powerhouse writer and producer across TV, film, comics and videogames. His credits include fan favourites from DC, Marvel, Netflix, Adult Swim, Nickelodeon and more. He’s written everything from Teen Titans Go! to Magic School Bus, and helped shape some of the biggest animated series on TV. In this conversation, we talk about: ◼︎Breaking into the industry, surviving it, and what it actually takes to build a career in animation◼︎Comics ◼︎Working on shows for Netflix, Marvel, DC & more◼︎The craft of writing and pitching◼︎The state of the animation IndustryFollow Merrill Hagan◼︎ Instagram: @merrill_hagan◼︎https://www.merrillhagan.com/Follow The D'Ascenzo Zone: ◼︎Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCphk_rom3ggaW9qhFlIDrag?sub_confirmation=1◼︎ Check out my children's book: https://www.amazon.ca/Tiffy-Spiffy-Mr-Michael-DAscenzo/dp/B0CKGVFP72 ◼︎Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedascenz/?hl=en◼︎Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@thedascenzozoneTDZ Episode 005 - Merrill Hagan0:00 – Intro & Guest0:30 – Origin Story & Early Work1:50 – TV vs Comics2:20 – Episodic vs Serialized3:10 – Netflix Storytelling4:30 – Daniel Spellbound Insights7:00 – Credits 8:05 – Mentorship & Pitching12:00 – Animation Challenges17:35 – Bottle Episodes19:15 – Creative Constraints20:00 – Teen Titans vs Spellbound22:05 – Balancing Tone25:05 – Kids’ Viewing Habits29:30 – Writing for Kids & Adults30:45 – Jokes: Kids vs Adult32:05 – Writing for Yourself33:55 – Offering Solutions35:30 – Pitching Shows36:10 – Presentation Tips38:15 – Handling Exec Questions40:25 – Risk & Original IP41:50 – Advice for Writers43:59 – Surprise & Story Rhythm45:20 – Production Constraints46:15 – Comfort Zone Challenges48:30 – Exercise & Creativity