RWBY Chibi: The RWBY where nothing bad happens to the characters! For this panel at RTX, many of the behind-the-scenes creators joined in. 

Article by Stephen Ramirtha, Photos by Audrey Browning

The panel started off with highlights from season 3, with the audience laughing the entire time. Paula then talked about how she was brought on as a director, saying it was an honor working with Kerry. Kerry echoed those sentiments, stating that while it was weird becoming hands-off on something he created, he couldn’t think of a better person to pass the torch to.

Paula started the questions by asking who everyone’s comedic heroes were. Ian, Billy, Tom, and Kerry stuck in the realm of cartoons with Chuck Jones, Dave Willis, Rebecca Sugar, and Pendleton Ward respectively. It wasn’t planned, but Chris and Paula both picked Aziz Ansari and Amy Poehler respectively — two Parks and Rec stars. Paula also said that Leslie Knope’s commitment to optimism in the face of adversity inspires a bit of RWBY Chibi’s tone as well.

Even in the happy-go-lucky and non canon world of RWBY Chibi, not all ideas make their way in. Tom talked about a story he pitched when the girls were trapped in cages. Miles first laughed and then said no. The panel talked about how they bring every storyline to Miles and Kerry first to make sure they still stay true to the character traits established in RWBY.

RWBY Chibi is known for their parodies, and the panel weighed in on some of their favorites. For Paula and Billy, it was Jean’s Sailor Moon transformation. Billy himself took care of the lighting and effects. Ian mentioned the Scooby Doo one, and Greg talked about the Seussical rhyme in “Don’t Pet the Grimm.” Kerry joked that there should be a parody from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. They can’t go to an actual bar, but a juice bar could work!

After a sneak peek of season 3 episode 15 (which Chris improvised the sound for), the panel opened it up for questions. As always, the cute kid cosplaying Ruby stole everyone’s hearts when she got up to the mic and said “I like your show.”

When asked about their favorite season, the panel unanimously said season 3. By then, they had the rhythm, team, and team dynamic down. It was clear a great spirit of collaboration was established.

Attending the panel, it was clear the bubbliness and lightheartedness of the show came from the people who worked on it. Audrey, our photographer, mentioned how Paula was the perfect fit as a director by how much she was like Leslie Knope. Like Mega64, there were plenty of laughs, but it was more like a Mr. Rogers vibe.

Featured image credit: Rooster Teeth