“There Were Only Four Women Making a Living At It”: An Exclusive Interview with Brynne Chandler

For many of us — for most of us — the 80s and 90s were the golden age of cartoons. Much of our adoration can be admittedly attributed to nostalgia at the convenient discredit to more recent programs that are just as remarkable today, and that will be equally memorable to a new generation, but even without the rose-colored glasses, many cartoons from the 80s and 90s simply stand the test of time. Their characters held up, and will continue to hold up, forever. And behind the scenes of many of our favorite titles over those formative decades for animation stood a woman few might recognize; a woman to whom we owe our adoration and feelings of nostalgia, and that’s Brynne Chandler. I spoke with Brynne about what went on behind the scenes, the joy of writing, and the legacy these shows leave behind. Black Nerd Problems: Your writer credits include He-Man, She-Ra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Animated Series, and Gargoyles — some of the most iconic shows for an entire generation of millennials. Which program was the most fun for you to write? Which are you most proud of having been a part of? Brynne Chandler: I had the most fun on Phantom: 2040. The story editors, Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens, gave me incredibly detailed outlines to work from and that freed me to focus on the characters. It was the first time I knowingly wrote for Jeff Bennett. And Mark Hamill was amazing as Dr. Jak. Having superb voice actors makes writing dialogue even more fun.

I’m probably proud…