The wild designs of Genndy Tartakovsky

The creator of 'Primal', 'Samurai Jack' and 'Dexter's Laboratory' is one of the most influential figures in animation today

- Aditya Mani Jha

The Russian-American animator Genndy Tartakovsky's action horror series Primal aired its most recent episode (Feast of Flesh, the ongoing third season's third instalment) last week on Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block.

This largely wordless animated show is set in a fantasy version of ancient history where Jurassic-era dinosaurs co exist with Neanderthals, Iron Age humans, hominids, Ice Age mammals and an assortment of creatures from different parts of the prehistoric timeline. The overall aesthetic is informed by the drawings of the prolific American fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta and the fantasy writer Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. We follow the adventures of a brutally strong and fierce Neanderthal man called Spear and an unusually smart, resourceful female T-Rex called Fang. Forced into an odd-couple pairing following the losses of their respective families, they eventually become inseparable, hunting as a team, fighting off extreme weather and prehistoric predators.