Editing Craig McCracken (section)

==Style and influences==
Since his early years of career, McCracken has chosen to design characters in a simplistic way (as opposed to the realism of [[Warner Bros.]] or [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] feature films) because it is more practical for television production, as money and time limits what the animators can do.<ref name=":murray">{{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Joe |url=https://joemurraystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Creating-Animated-Cartoons-with-Character.pdf |title=Creating Animated Cartoons with Character: A Guide to Developing and Producing Your Own Series for TV, the Web, and Short Film |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications |year=2010 |isbn=9780823033072 |pages=106–109 |chapter=Q&A with Craig McCracken}}</ref> In addition to this, he claimed that the crew at Hanna-Barbera wanted their shows "to be different than what was on [[Nickelodeon|Nick]] and Disney".<ref name=":murray" /> Some of his main inspirations were comic book artists such as [[Charles M. Schulz]], [[Bill Watterson]] and [[Hergé]].<ref name=":obsessive">{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2023 |title=Craig McCracken on Creativity |url=https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/craig-mccracken-on-creativity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607190641/https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/craig-mccracken-on-creativity |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=Animation Obsessive}}</ref> All of his series have had diverse influences in terms of design, comedy and storytelling. To mention some: [[Batman (TV series)|1960s ''Batman'']], ''[[Underdog (TV series)|Underdog]]'' and [[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends|''Rocky and Bullwinkle'']] in ''The Powerpuff Girls'',<ref name=":mcdonough">{{Cite news |last=McDonough |first=Kevin |date=June 30, 2002 |title=Powerpuff Girls |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/94554371/powerpuff-girls-market-muscle-d18/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905142915/https://www.newspapers.com/article/94554371/powerpuff-girls-market-muscle-d18/ |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |work=[[Newsday]] |page=D18 (141) |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', ''[[Sesame Street]]'' and ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' in ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' (which also has a visual style inspired by 60s psychedelia),<ref name="press">{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Joy |date=August 15, 2004 |title=Television; The Retirement Home for Imaginary Friends |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/arts/television-the-retirement-home-for-imaginary-friends.html?_r=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515151140/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/arts/television-the-retirement-home-for-imaginary-friends.html?_r=1 |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Renata |first=Gonzáles |date=September 13, 2004 |title=Cambia a las Chicas por un 'Amigo' |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A126118026/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=e3a18da5 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |work=Reforma |publisher=[[Grupo Reforma]] |page=1 |language=es}}</ref> [[Yellow Submarine (film)|''Yellow Submarine'']] and ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' in ''Wander Over Yonder'',<ref name="zahed">{{Cite web |last=Zahed |first=Ramin |date=September 13, 2013 |title=McCracken's 'Wander Over Yonder' Premieres Tonight |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2013/09/a-walk-on-the-bright-side/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212142753/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2013/09/a-walk-on-the-bright-side/ |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=[[Animation Magazine]]}}</ref> and [[Dennis the Menace (U.S. comics)|''Dennis the Menace'']] and ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'' in ''Kid Cosmic''.<ref name="fay">{{Cite web |last=Fay |first=Kim |date=March 1, 2021 |title=Cosmic Cartooning |url=https://keyframemagazine.org/2021/03/01/cosmic-cartooning/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905135911/https://keyframemagazine.org/2021/03/01/cosmic-cartooning/ |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=Keyframe}}</ref>

During his time at CalArts, he discovered the cartoons of [[United Productions of America]] (UPA), which also heavily influenced the visual style of his creations.<ref name=":obsessive" /> His shows often present the underdog as the main focus.<ref name=":obsessive" /> For example, ''Kid Cosmic'' is about a group of "punk rock" characters who "may not have the skill or the talent, but they have the determination and conviction" to create a superhero team.<ref name="fay" /> ''Foster's'' also revolves around a group of misfit creatures that have been abandoned by their original owners.<ref name="press" /><ref name="Lloyd" /> Although the Powerpuff Girls are not typical underdogs, the fact that they are little girls might make people underestimate them as superheroes.<ref name=":obsessive" /> He also liked to present "the contrast of cute characters being strong and tough".<ref name=":rosenfeld">{{Cite news |last=Rosenfeld |first=Megan |date=December 26, 2000 |title=Powerpuff Girls: Good Guise, Bad Guys |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/12/26/powerpuff-girls-good-guise-bad-guys/79a54733-9e40-4633-a5c4-46c040bff6c2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620012839/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/12/26/powerpuff-girls-good-guise-bad-guys/79a54733-9e40-4633-a5c4-46c040bff6c2/ |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |access-date=December 9, 2023 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Although the Powerpuff Girls have been widely regarded as feminist icons, McCracken has claimed that the real background for their creation was finding "a fun idea" or "a cool concept".<ref name=":rosenfeld" />