‘Long Story Short’ is a family’s time-skip-filled trip down memory lane

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In Lisa Hanawalt’s office, the partition wall is adorned with resource materials focusing on the primary characters from her comic series “Long Story Short.

Each page showcases a character’s name, birth details (month and year), and corresponding zodiac sign. Accompanying this is a chronological series of full-body images that demonstrate how the character’s appearance changes over time. This range encompasses various stages of their life, such as childhood, adolescence, and middle age.

On a sunny mid-August morning at ShadowMachine studio, Hanawalt works at her desk, reviewing various character designs from earlier stages and current works in progress. Raphael Bob-Waksberg sits nearby, offering insights on favorite details and exchanging ideas with Hanawalt about potential changes to certain characters’ appearances over time, reflecting how people can evolve.

According to Bob-Waksberg, who is the creator and head writer of “Long Story Short”, it’s a unique aspect that many animated shows don’t offer. He enjoys the flexibility to develop and style the characters in various ways throughout the series.

Review

‘Long Story Short’ is a moving tale of a modern Jewish American family

The Netflix animated series, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (who is known for ‘BoJack Horseman’), focuses on the daily lives and interactions within a typical Jewish household.

In most typical animated sitcoms, characters remain stuck in a time loop: always the same age, frequently donning the same outfits, and seldom experiencing a haircut change – regardless of how many holiday specials they appear in over the years. This isn’t the case with “Long Story Short,” as this series actively incorporates the flow of time as a key element.

Hanawalt, the show’s lead producer, finds it enjoyable to explore the personalities of the characters and contemplate their appearance,” explains. “As part of our work, we often need to sketch multiple variations of everyone.

On Friday, I’m excited to say that I’ll be diving into “Long Story Short” on Netflix! This series focuses on the Schwoopers, a unique Bay Area family whose last name is a mix of the parents’, Schwartz and Cooper. I can’t wait to see what adventures this blended surname brings to their lives.

The star-studded cast includes Lisa Edelstein and Paul Reiser, who lend their voices to the vibrant characters of Naomi and Elliot, respectively. And the Schwooper children, Avi, Shira, and Yoshi, are played by Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, and Max Greenfield – a lineup that’s sure to keep me entertained!

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I’d say the narrative of this captivating film weaves together seamlessly over time, blending everyday life occurrences with significant milestones. Each episode stands independently, transporting us from moments echoing as far back as the 1950s to the contemporary times of the 2020s, creating a unique tapestry of time that’s both intriguing and immersive.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, this series seems to build upon itself, yet the individual episodes may not always link directly. Boob-Waksberg and the team seemed more focused on crafting emotional journeys for each character, rather than adhering strictly to traditional narrative arcs. The question they posed was: Can we experience these characters evolving, even when their story unfolds in a non-linear fashion?

After wrapping up “Bojack Horseman” in 2020, this is Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s latest project – a new show. Bojack Horseman was an adult animated series set in an alternate Hollywood where humans and animals coexisted, focusing on a fallen television star named Bojack and his personal struggles. While “Bojack” often emphasized the role of poor parenting as a source of characters’ problems, “Long Story Short” offers a more complex exploration of dysfunction, making it less straightforward to attribute blame.

With the passage of time, it becomes apparent that everyone has their unique flaws, and often, our upbringing wasn’t perfect. However, it’s important to note that our parents were doing their best and, in some aspects, they provided for us, while in others, they may have fallen short of our needs. – Bob-Waksberg

In simpler terms, this passage suggests that the show in question is their third collaborative animated series. Previously, Hanawalt worked on “Bojack” as both the production designer and producer, while Bob-Waksberg was an executive producer for “Tuca & Bertie,” a series developed by Hanawalt. Their comfortable chemistry, evident in their discussions about a sauce explosion clip or speculating about a character’s wardrobe preferences, hints at a strong friendship between them. It seems that their bond extends beyond their professional partnership.

During their teenage years in Palo Alto, where they were both involved in theater, Bob-Waksberg and Hanawalt often discussed collaborating on projects and brainstormed ideas for TV shows. Bob-Waksberg considers Hanawalt one of his favorite individuals and artists, and she is the first person he thinks of whenever he needs assistance with creative work.

Upon learning about Bob-Waksberg’s concept for “Long Story Short,” Hanawalt expressed that she instinctively envisioned its visual style. She believed it should resemble Sunday comics, have a ‘Peanuts’ feel, and be hand-drawn with a loose aesthetic. This style, she thought, would not only capture the show’s warmth but also soften the impact of some serious topics by providing a contrast.

Despite admitting that creating backgrounds wasn’t her strong suit, Hanawalt envisioned a certain image of the world and began to draw houses and structures reminiscent of her childhood homes. According to Bob-Waksberg, this was the key factor behind setting the show in Northern California.

Another motivation for Hanawalt to join the project was her interest in crafting human characters, a design aspect she has previously steered clear of.

She explains, “The majority of what I receive is for creatures, both real and fictional ones that resemble humans.” She continues, “I’m often perceived as an animal enthusiast because I do have a soft spot for anthropomorphic characters and vegetation. However, my preference leans towards more lifelike depictions. I don’t wish to be stereotyped. Repeating the same task becomes monotonous to me, so this was an exciting opportunity to draw adorable human figures.

Hearing this, Bob-Waksberg is amused by how aspects from their past have come to define them.

13, 14 years back, he was busy creating numerous TV shows, he recalls. The animated one was the one that made it to air, and since then, he’s become well-known for his work in animation, which he doesn’t mind at all. It has been beneficial for him. But it’s amusing to ponder over an alternate reality where a different show had succeeded, making him recognized as a writer of that genre instead.

Both Bob-Waksberg and Hanawalt admit that this continues to be a challenging period for the industry, affecting not only job-seeking writers but also creative individuals striving to bring their ideas to life. They both speak of pitching numerous concepts they believed would become their next ventures, only for those projects to fail to materialize.

Hanawalt acknowledges feeling relieved about working on something new, as he was drained after handling ‘Tuca & Bertie’ and had no more energy left for pitching ideas.

Despite the trends in other fields, Bob-Waksberg and Hanawalt find animation as one of the rare places where original concepts have a fighting chance. This is something they appreciate deeply since they prefer developing their unique ideas rather than working within someone else’s established framework. In contrast, studios often seem more inclined towards ideas derived from pre-existing intellectual properties such as books, news articles, or podcasts. However, they continue to remain optimistic that the landscape will improve in the future.

Hanawalt notes that the demand for quality, unique programs – including animated ones – remains steady. In other words, the interest is unwavering. The challenge lies in delivering these shows effectively to their intended audience.

The TV series focuses on a Jewish family living in Northern California and incorporates aspects of Bob-Waksberg’s childhood experiences, yet he clarifies that “Long Story Short” is not based on his personal life. Instead, it’s deeply rooted in his own identity. He shares that reflecting on the novel “Interior Chinatown,” which delves into the themes of representation and self-image alongside author Charles Yu, sparked thoughts about exploring his own identity within his creative endeavors.

Bob-Waksberg expressed that it revealed a fresh, unexplored story avenue he hadn’t thought of before. He added that one intriguing aspect of creating this series was realizing, through discussions with fellow writers, actors, and others, that certain aspects he associated with being Jewish were actually just family traits.

The show explores various forms of “trauma,” as understood differently by each character, yet it’s interspersed with abundant humor and warmth. Each episode primarily focuses on the Schwoopers’ personal struggles, and time progression is depicted through changes in their characters’ ages and appearances, rather than through specific historical events or news headlines from that period.

The animated series acknowledges one significant worldwide occurrence – the COVID-19 pandemic. For Bob-Waksberg, including this in the series was crucial, as it’s a shared hardship that impacted people globally and merits remembrance due to its collective traumatic nature.

Bob-Waksberg points out that this event was a significant turning point, not just for the world but also for each of us personally. He finds it peculiar how less attention has been given to it in popular culture, and he believes we’ve all been too hasty in moving past it.

He went on to say, ‘Let’s not feign ignorance about what transpired.’ In his view, as a narrator, there’s a certain responsibility that comes with the role, making him a kind of chronicler of the world.

Emphasizing the significance of listening to Holocaust survivors share their personal accounts during his youth, Bob-Waksberg states: “I feel it’s crucial that I remember these events.

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2025-08-22 20:31