On Tuesday afternoon, Ivy Film Festival welcomed Raphael Bob-Waksberg — creator of the hit show “BoJack Horseman” — for a conversation about the series and his other projects, including “Long Story Short,” an upcoming animated comedy at Netflix.
Known for its witty tragicomedy and absurdist sensibilities, “BoJack Horseman” follows an anthropomorphic horse of the same name as he tries to make a comeback in Hollywood while battling addiction and other mental health challenges. The animated, six-season show premiered on Netflix in 2014, and the final episodes were released in 2020.
Tuesday’s talk — which was facilitated by Gabriella Wrighten ’25, co-director of IFF and a current Herald senior staff writer — opened with a discussion about Bob-Waksberg’s time at Bard College, where he studied theater.
At Bard, he was a founding member of campus sketch comedy group “Olde English.” He said during the talk that the group’s “goofy short sketches” — alongside the “very pretentious plays” he read in class, such as works by Anton Chekhov and Caryl Churchill — were integral to his artistic development.
Bob-Waksberg fostered a comedic, lighthearted tone throughout the event, requesting attendees to rate his responses on a scale from one to 10.
Early in the talk, the screenwriter discussed professional differences between working in Los Angeles and New York, two cities known for their respective arts scenes. As a native Californian, he described the latter city as being “hard, famously,” but he noted that his time there was befitting for his early 20s.
The discussion then turned to “BoJack Horseman” and its fanbase. Reflecting on some of the show’s more intense themes, Bob-Waksberg joked that he “wasn’t designing the show to fuck people up.” He acknowledged that the series can sometimes strike an emotional chord with viewers, but he emphasized that despite the show’s darker material, it is an ultimately hopeful series.
Bob-Waksberg also discussed the importance of accountability in storytelling, especially given BoJack’s antiheroic actions and story arc throughout the show. In early seasons, Bob-Waksberg tried to be “edgy” and “push the envelope,” expecting that someone else would keep him in check, he told attendees. But as the show developed, Bob-Waksberg quickly realized this responsibility would fall on himself.
The discussion ultimately opened up to audience questions. Some questions touched on broader subjects such as narrative structure and creative collaboration, while others asked about fan theories — such as whether “BoJack” character Vincent Adultman was actually an adult, or just three kids in a trenchcoat.
Near the end of the talk, Bob-Waksberg addressed the importance of staying true to oneself when screenwriting: “Write for yourself, edit for the audience,” he told attendees.
