Meet Kyra Kupetsky | Showrunner, Animator, Voice Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyra Kupetsky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyra, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I love things that are silly, cute and heartwarming. Creating works centering those themes has been something I’ve done since I was a little kid because it was always so fun and serotonin-boosting. Things like characters being affectionate and supportive of one another. It’s sappy but I love it! It’s always been so soothing and therapeutic to make stuff like that and I’m so glad so many others feel the same. Chikn Nuggit definitely encapsulates this, sprinkled in with some dark spooky bits for some fun flavor. I think cute and sweet is something that will always be a part of my brand and I’m so glad those things are nearly universally beloved worldwide.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career is a strange one in the Animation world! Animation is a very nomadic industry where oftentimes you move from studio to studio throughout the months or years onto different projects. I’ve been at BuzzFeed Animation for 7 years straight now, a big rarity in Animation. It was 2017 and I’d moved out to Burbank around a year prior, jobs were very sparse at the time. I took a chance and applied to a job listing for BuzzFeed as an animator for their new team and I’ve been loving it there ever since! The creative freedom is nuts and getting to animate in house with job stability is a dream. I initially started there adapting amazing creator Loryn Brantz’s comics into animated format. I went with ‘The Good Advice Cupcake’, a comic about an adorable but rage-prone talking cupcake. It was a hit! I worked as lead animator and voice actor on Cupcake until 2020 where my boss Zee Myers gave me the opportunity to pitch my own show. I came up with Chikn Nuggit, a short-form TikTok-based show about a cute but surreal little dog and his friends, all named after fast food. Chikn Nuggit thankfully was also a hit and now we’ve got plushies, toys, calendars, meet and greet events and even an animated show development deal with Frederator! It’s been amazing and I cannot express my gratitude enough toward BuzzFeed, my team and the audience for these incredible opportunities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh man, so many great places! I live in Los Angeles and there’s so many cool things to do. I’d say a trip to the wonderful Little Tokyo is a must. Super fun shops and incredible food, everyone there is so kind. Love visiting Monkey Pants for really kitsch and unique little trinkets from Japan. They often have products from Swimmer which is one of my favorite brands, lots of merch centering cute Showa-era style animals. Taking a visit to beautiful Pasadena for endless good food and lovely parks, Riley’s Apple Farm in Oak Glen during Autumn, 626 Nightmarket in the summer, WeHo for a gay old time any time. Some of my favorites. Closer to my current home in Burbank, I recommend the extra fun Halloween Town and all the kitschy shops on Magnolia for your fix of goth goodness. In terms of delicious food places, Nabemono in Alhambra for incredible shabu shabu, my favorite. Ddong Ggo, Hungry Crowd, Ma’s Kitchen, CoCo Ichibanya, Castaway, Ca’ Del Sole and Sushi Nishi Ya are some of my favorite restaurants. Definitely would take any friend here for some mind-blowingly great stuff. I am a deeply simple creature. Cute stores, tasty food and fun scenic walks is living the good life for me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out my wonderful parents for always supporting me in my creative endeavors and just in life in general! I would not be where I am today without them and I love them so much.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyrakupetsky

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kyrakupetsky

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC0aCrsMnk074Tg5JhDj8Qg