Emmy winner Angela C. Santomero (Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) talks about reviving Super Why! nearly 20 years after its premiere for the new animated family series Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures. It premieres Monday Oct. 5 on PBS KIDS. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity. Images Courtesy: 9 Story Media Group)

Jackson Murphy: You created “Super Why!” back in 2007. What have you loved about the overall impact this brand has had over the last 20 years?

Angela C. Santomero: Oh my God. You’re gonna make me cry. It was my Master’s Thesis when I was at Teachers College at Columbia University — the idea that we did have a longitudinal study that proved that kids were learning to read from the show, but also, of course, that they were loving the show and loving to read. All of the stories that I’ve heard from parents over the past 20 years have been amazing.

JM: Wow. And before we get more into “Super Why!”, I also have to mention that “Blue’s Clues”, which you co-created, just turned 30. Can you believe it’s been 30 years?

AS: I cannot believe it’s been 30 years. It’s insane.

JM: I grew up with “Blue’s Clues”. I had a big red chair for a long, long time. That show has meant the world to me. Thank you for it, and thank you for continuing to provide great content for families over all these years.

AS: Oh, thank you.

JM: So there’s been such a rise, I feel like, in the last 20 years, since “Super Why!” started, of comic book movies. Superhero movies. And kids really being interested in this look and this style of storytelling. Have you seen that firsthand, especially now diving into the new show?

AS: Yeah. And what’s so fascinating is we wanted to bring that idea to preschoolers — you could start reading with a comic book and that it is just as legitimate as reading a… chapter book. We did an episode on the original show that was written by Alex Breen, who’s also a co-creator on this series. Kids LOVED the comic book aspect. We had so much fun with the villains — mischievous, really. That idea of how we can get kids to read and the skill to learn to read and all those tools through this format became something we really got excited about to do as its own series.

JM: Were there fascinating aspects for you and your team of specifically bringing this look to life? Did you look at a lot of comic books and study that?

AS: Yes. We’re so research-based, so we dive in from a content analysis, “What’s been done for preschoolers?” Or the fact that five year olds are watching Batman. How do we deliver on that level of action adventure to really make sure we’re delivering on that comic book sensibility, but also be true to the mission of the series, which is to teach kids to read?

JM: Each story focuses on a different letter. So you’re crafting stories about specific letters of the alphabet. Is that an interesting process thinking about, “Alright, I have to come up with something with the letter S that will do this, and then another thing with the letter S that will also accomplish this goal?

AS: Yes. We used to joke our reading/literacy show was really more of a math problem because we would constantly be bringing everything together. So what we need is a really collaborative team. Our director and our head of research, we’re constantly talking. And of course the writing team. Everyone has to come together and agree on that.

JM: And having there be three seven-minute stories in each episode… What does that give you as far a storytelling arc and structure?

AS: At first it was a challenge because from a 22-minute episode of “Blue’s Clues”. Then I went to “Daniel” and it was 11 minutes and I was like, “I can’t tell a story in 11 minutes.” And then we went to seven, “Oh my God!” And the original “Super Why!” was 22 minutes as well. So what it does for kids is really zero in on that specific lesson that we’re teaching. For specific characters… funny moments are funnier. We really found that depth within the seven minutes… the music that we wanted to hit that related to everything else. We found a rhythm. And we also wanted to be valuable for teachers in this bite-size seven minute chunks so that it can complement a curriculum they might be teaching in the classroom.

JM: Connecting to kids… having the characters talk directly to the screen. Obviously that was a core part of “Blue’s Clues” and so groundbreaking. You have that with the Super Readers / Super You with this.

AS: It’s the way for kids to practice the skills and to be invited into their world. Now they’re a character. They’re called “Super You” in the show. They’re needed to help. They really do become part of that world. That’s all we want — to be seen, to be heard, to be thought of as important and needed, and that’s what we do with that… pseudo interactivity.

JM: I’ve seen some activities online / social media for “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures”. What goes into marketing these days with activities for kids?

AS: A lot of it is reaching out to the parents and making sure the parents understand the depth of what we do and how much fun / how much your kids will love it. Social media is about engaging. “Which character are you?” And while we’re doing that, we’re explaining who the characters are so parents have that tidbit of information to think, “Maybe I should be putting this on for our kids.”

JM: I love that. This show is on every day on PBS KIDS. When I was young, “Blue’s Clues” [aired] the same episode every day for five days in a row, which was incredible at the time. I think so many parents (including mine) loved that. Was that your decision? Was that Nickelodeon’s decision? That changed the game when it came to how you presented an animated series?

AS: It’s the strength of the team, network and collaborators. The scoop about “Blue’s Clues” was the fact that we didn’t have enough episodes to launch, so we launched into repetition data, Dr. Dan Anderson, and I presented that to the team at Nickelodeon, who of course makes the final decision. It’s the same with PBS KIDS — the idea that they care so much about the consultants, the research, the feedback and how involved everyone is: That enables us to elevate our work.

JM: In the end this is for families — parents, and kids who are growing up learning so much. You have their best interest at heart.

AS: That’s why I do what I do. We also joke in the writers room, “I don’t care if we all laugh at this joke. Are the four year olds laughing?” The stories have to be resonant to kids. We always think about a kid is seated at the table with us when we’re making the show. It’s so important.

JM: How do you feel that the medium and art form of animation is kind of a superhero to you, who works in the industry, and everyone who gets to view the animation?

AS: I love animation. The idea that we can visually see something, let’s say that you’re thinking — like Steve [on “Blue’s Clues”], who always had his thoughts above his head. There’s so much with the magic of animation that we can do to create this level of fantastic fantasy… illustrate things we wouldn’t necessarily see before. And then also all the different styles of animation and the ways in which we get to play now in this comic book world and really go as far as we can with that. Animators are the most passionate people about their craft, and I love working with them in that way. Once they understand what we’re trying to do and what they’re passionate about, it comes together in such a beautiful way.