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Dan Harmon knows adult animation better than most. The Rick and Morty co-creator has been in the field since shortly after his Community days, having produced not just the sci-fi Adult Swim hit, but also projects like HarmonQuest, Animals, and Krapopolis. As you might be able to guess, Harmon can speak to the risks involved in working in that particular industry...

But on the other hand, also knows a great deal about its potential.

Harmon recently sat down with Deadline to discuss the animation industry, which he calls "a high-risk, high-yield thing." Part of the risk, he said, is the fact that animation takes a long time, especially when you do it the right (read, non-AI) way.

"It’s not slop," said the Rick and Morty chief, "It’s not driven by an algorithm [...] It takes longer to make your pilot than the average executive’s job is going to be secure. I don’t mean that to be crass because I could say the same thing about actors, writers, everybody. I mean, Venice is sinking."

So where's the opportunity? Harmon said that it's in places like Adult Swim's Common Side Effects, a strange (and personal favorite) animated project that features "a sort of unprecedented humanity."

"Fingers crossed, adult animation continues to be a thing," he concluded, "It’s a medium that that has a huge use for redeeming humanity."

"Rick and Morty is streaming now on HBO Max.

Explore the multiverse with Popverse's Rick and Morty watch guide.