‘PTP:’ Outcasts and Oddballs, From Marvin to Christo

May 15th, 2025

Growing up, who was your favorite cartoon character? Who’s your favorite cartoon character today?

Hello, this is Christine Burright, graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha MFA in screenwriting program, filmmaker and aspiring TV writer, for Pass the Popcorn for KVNO’s Arts Today.

I distinctly remember the day I became obsessed with Marvin the Martian.

I was in sixth grade at Westroads Mall. Over by the old theater, there was a T-shirt store that screen printed shirts. I was browsing through the racks when I came across one with an image of Marvin the Martian.

The T-shirt was gray and his face was cropped into a square with a purple background. Something about the bold graphic really got me. I convinced my parents to buy it.

I think Chuck Jones himself was shining down on me, because later that day, we were at Shopko and I happened to find a pair of plaid shorts with an embroidered Marvin on the cuff.

From then on, everything revolved around Marvin: notebooks, stickers, stuffed animals, necklaces, VHS tapes. You name it, I had it.

And OK, Marvin was the villain and was mad at all of Earth because it blocked his view of Venus. But for me, Marvin represented being the outcast — and not caring. Sure, you don’t belong here, but that’s OK. You’re just here to observe.

Animation has progressed a lot in the past 90 or so years since the early days of Disney and Warner Bros., but the emphasis on character hasn’t changed. A great character is still essential to every animated movie or series.

Recently, I came across a new favorite cartoon character at the Omaha Film Festival. Maybe you saw it too?

The award-winning short animated film Christo the Civilized Barbarian had its world premiere in March and has already gone on to screen at festivals from Hollywood to France.

The character of Christo lives in A.D. 400, at the height of tension between the unruly barbarian clans and the imperialist Roman Empire.

Unfortunately for him, Christo is a civilized barbarian — constantly trying, and failing, to bring decency, decorum and cleanliness to his dim-witted yet affable brethren.

Animator Shaddy Safadi describes the short as an animated “Curb Your Enthusiasm-like comedy” that deals in 21st century grievances against the backdrop of a high-stakes ancient world.

What I love about Christo is that, like Marvin the Martian, he doesn’t really fit in with his surroundings. Unlike Marvin, Christo isn’t from a foreign planet — but his ideas are foreign to those around him. He’s challenging the status quo and trying to improve the lives of others, even if it gets him kicked out of the clan.

Christo the Civilized Barbarian was presented at the festival as a standalone short film, but Safadi has plans to extend Christo’s world into a series.

Episode 1, titled The Hunting Party, and other behind-the-scenes videos from Safadi and his animation studio, One Pixel Brush, can be found on his YouTube channel.

Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite character in Christo. Or maybe Christo will inspire you to rediscover a favorite that’s been lost to time.

Either way, it’ll be eight minutes well spent.

By Christine Burright for Pass the Popcorn for KVNO’s Arts Today.