Exactly 30 years ago, Warrior alumnus Matt Youngberg sketched his favorite characters from DuckTales, Disney’s animated classic, in the comfort of his own home. But never in his wildest duck-dreams did he think that he would one day bring new adventures to Duckburg as the reboot’s executive producer.
Get ready to sing “Woo-oo!” and dive back into this classic 80s cartoon that is guaranteed to leave every child and adult breathless from quack-ing up.
Though life may be a hurricane quite literally here in the United States, it’s a duck-blur for Warrior alumnus Matt Youngberg, the executive producer of Disney XD’s remake of the classic animated family series, DuckTales. Along with his other reboots such as Ben 10 and Teen Titans, this remake hits home as Youngberg brings his favorite childhood triplets— Huey, Dewey and Louie— back to life. With Uncle Scrooge and the rest of the McDuck clan, the trio ventures on to save the town of Duckburg from dangerous dragons, strange robots and uncanny mummies. Striving for the perfect balance of originality and nostalgia, Youngberg integrates aspects of his own life into this new series while living up to the legacy of the previous quack-tacular series.
An avid fan of daring adventures, Youngberg was beyond ready to challenge himself to create an epic tale overflowing with adventure and mystery. He strove to bring viewers the excitement he first felt from watching the show 30 years ago. When he first heard its catchy theme song as a child, Youngberg was immediately teleported to a land of imagination. Every comedic line fits seamlessly into an action-packed storyline. Inspired, Youngberg sketched out his favorite characters as he enjoyed the episodes.
Though he had a passion for drawing, it didn’t click for Youngberg to pursue a career in animation until high school. Troy’s welcoming and diverse environment nurtured his unique dream. From there, he never looked back. But little did he know that one day, he would rewrite the history of DuckTales.
“I was over the moon, and I was really excited because DuckTales was always a dream project of mine,” Youngberg said. “It was something that I had a great love for as a kid, and I wanted to be able to revisit that as an adult.”
Creating new storylines that remain consistent with those of the classic series, Youngberg remains true to the family-orientated theme of the original. A sitcom, Ducktales explores the distinctive qualities of the hyperactive triplets when they are placed under the wings of their affluent Uncle Scrooge. Especially for Dewey, the middle duckling, growing up as triplet made it hard for him to stand out. The fourth child in a family of nine kids, Youngberg was more than aware of what that’s like. In fact, Dewey has a habit of carrying a briefcase instead of a backpack to school, something Youngberg’s own middle brother did quite often.
“What we’re trying to do with this DuckTales is to explore the large crazy family, and what it feels like to be a part of [it],” Youngberg said.
Despite a few tweaks with the characters, Youngberg artfully recreates the timeless nature of DuckTales. The remake’s premiere episode serves to introduce the newer generation to the energetic ducklings. Paying homage to the original series, Youngberg sprinkles Easter eggs, or allusions, throughout the episodes. These include Scrooge’s artifacts that were treasures from older adventures. But technology has made advances, and the triplets are more than well-equipped with the newest gadgets. With the remake’s cross generation appeal, Youngberg carried on the series’ nostalgic longevity and made it possible for a new generation to enjoy the childhood animation that he grew up watching.
“When we finished the first episode and we could watch it, I was able to say that it feels like DuckTales, and that was the proudest moment in the creation of this show,” Youngberg said.