Ammer Arron Robinson
and Curt Spurging of Plan
B Production House Inc. know
that cartoons like Looney Toons
are timeless, entertaining both
young children and adults
alike. That’s why, when they
decided to create their own
series of animated characters
called the Goblins, they drew
on inspiration from their

childhoods and from the

children in their lives.

“We wanted to have that
kind of light-hearted, fun,
slapstick kind of fast-paced
comedy,” Robinson said during
an interview with the Other
Press at the company’s studio

in North Vancouver.

“We wanted something
that was obviously appealing,
that looked good, but
we wanted

  
      
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
   
 
 
   

By Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor

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something that felt good too.
Something that reminded us of
being a kid,” he said.

Goblins is a series of online
comic books featuring three
curious creatures—Peeko,
Herbert, and Earl—who
explore the human world,
looking for adventure and
tokens they can add to their
hodgepodge clothing.

“Having a strong female
character was important to us
from the beginning,” Robinson
explained in a Kickstarter
campaign video for the first
Goblins graphic novel, Yard
Away. “Peeko’s intelligence and

ingenuity were born from this.”
Peeko is a smart, tech-

savvy girl who uses common
sense to save the day. Herbert
is a tall, mischievous teenager
who thinks he’s suave and has
an obsession for expanding his
wardrobe. Earl is a gentle giant
with a competitive nature who
brings the muscle to the group.
The characters are named after
teas: orange pekoe, herbal, and

Earl Grey.

“When we started
designing these
characters, we wanted
them to be appealing
not just to North
America but to
Europe and to

Asia, because those are two
vastly different markets when
it comes to comic books,”
Spurging said.

The Goblins’ appearances
were adjusted from their
original designs to reflect
various styles of animation,
such as bold outlines, solid

colours, and geometric shapes.
“We want to be able to

reach all those audiences and

try to make that show in the

artwork,” Robinson said.
Herbert, Peeko, and Earl’s
clothing also allow the series
to reach a wide audience by
adding details that appeal to

different ages.

“It gave us an opportunity
to play into a bit more of the
pop culture and being able to
relate to kids now,’ Robinson
said, mentioning that his two-
year-old daughter is a fan of
the Goblins series. “Also people
from our generation, it’s a bit
of a throwback, like when we
see the old Sony Walkman that

Peeko wears.”

In Yard Away, the Goblins
discover Mr. Jones’ riding
lawnmower and take it for a
ride across the backyard and
over the house, damaging
everything in sight and
irritating Mr. Jones’ dog, Spike.

“There is an innocence to
these characters. The whole
idea behind them is that