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Brian Tyree Henry has never been afraid to let his geek flag fly. “When I took this show, I remember thinking, ‘I hope I get Black nerd street cred,’” Henry admits. “I’m a Black nerd. I’m a total geek. I love cosplay. I love Comic-Con. I love comics. I love animation. I love anime. I love it. I love it. I love it.” That being said, despite Henry’s enthusiasm, it hasn’t always been easy to find representation in these forms of fandom.
“What I’ve noticed about some of these arenas is that they don’t really reflect how much we really love it. It doesn’t often feel like we are part of the narrative of that story,” he adds about representation. “What’s really great about Bass x Machinais that it’s existing in this land that we created and that’s so intertwined in such a wonderful way. They’re all trying to figure out how to exist in this world that’s denied them something. I’m hoping that fans, episode to episode, can root for somebody that looks like them.”
Bass x Machina, an upcoming animated series from Studio Mir that’s set to hit Netflix on Nov. 3, is described by Henry as a “crazy Spaghetti Western, steampunk punk rock” adventure. The series, which Henry executive produces and stars in, follows a heightened version of Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal, who fights for justice and his family in a wayward world that’s steeped in danger. The eclectic blend of genres on display in Bass x Machina brings to mind iconic anime space Westerns like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, and Outlaw Star. It hits all the right bases for a challenging experiment that doesn’t feel the need to limit its options, which is also part of what makes it so exciting.
“I always start with my inner nerd with every project that I do,” explains Henry. “I’m like, ‘What does my inner geek want? How do I feed him? How do I shut him up for at least a day or two?’ and this will do it. I’m quite excited to release Bass to the world.” In the case of Bass x Machina, it’s been a three-year-long journey to let Bass Reeves loose and establish a new normal for anime heroes.
“I want Bass x Machinato create space for other Black nerds like myself who maybe don’t really feel like they’re seen,” he continues. “I’m hoping that Bass really creates a space and a lane that brings out more stories like this, more adventures like this, and more heroes like this. I want it to speak to Black audiences, but I want it to be global as well. I want people to be excited about seeing something so fresh.”
Clearly, Bass x Machinaisn’t lacking in ambition, either on-screen or off. It’s a madcap mix of influences, styles, and spectacles that keep the audience’s heart racing from the jump.
“We’re gonna make you feel stuff,” teases Henry. “We can say that we really went there and created this badass, funky eclectic brand-new way to tell a story of this historical figure that really existed. And where else better to do it than animation?”
“Could a live-action version of this exist? Sure,” Henry adds. “But I think that in the world of animation seeing characters like this exist is so necessary, especially in the time that we’re in now. Animation has always, in my mind, been a form of protest against the norm. It can speak and reach people that you never thought would listen to certain beliefs. Animation just has a further reach than if it were live-action.”
When it comes to Bass x Machina’s animation, South Korea’s Studio Mir (Devil May Cry, Kong: Skull Island) has gone above and beyond with its work here. Meticulous visuals, radical displays of power, and brutal battles punctuate every episode.
“Each episode is a final boss,” jests Henry in reference to the endless obstacles that Reeves faces on his blood-soaked rampage. “Every story needs a hero and every story needs a villain. The crazy thing about this show is that there are so many villains. Post-Civil War has a lot of villains in it. You’re watching Bass fight through most of that.”
And on the topic of the series’ excessive brutality, Henry explains that blood is essential to Bass x Machina’s storytelling. “The overarching theme of the show is about blood. Blood ties. Blood loss. Bloodshed. What it all means. What it really means to be blood. There will be blood this season.”
This contemplative carnage would still hit hard if Bass x Machinawere a complete work of fiction. However, it’s even more evocative due to how it holds up a distorted mirror to society.
Explains Henry, “We’re dealing with real-life things. We’re dealing with segregation. We’re dealing with oppression. We’re dealing with all these atrocities that happened in this country at this time. After the Civil War was a time of Reconstruction, but it was also covered in so much blood. So much loss.” Henry is honored to communicate that through genre-bending animation.
Henry couldn’t be more thrilled over Studio Mir’s work on Reeves’ revenge, but there’s another aspect of Bass x Machina that he argues is just as important to its identity. “The music is one of my favorite parts,” gushes Henry over Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland collective and their bold work on the series. “We’re using Indigenous music, drums, and sounds. We’re using African instrumentation. We’re also pulling from the funk era, using jazz and hip-hop, and blending tones to really challenge what Westerns can sound like.” Henry praises Wondaland for not just rising to the storytelling and animation’s level, but actively elevating it. “Do not skip the theme song, I promise you. You’re going to want to watch it every episode.”
Brian Tyree Henry couldn’t be prouder of the series they’ve put together and for audiences to finally see Bass Reeves in action. He’s also hopeful that this is just the start of many adventures to come for his metal-armed lawman. “There are so many stories that are waiting for Bass,” he says. “There are so many things to discover.”
