GUAP Meets The Cast Of Pass The Meerkat as they prepare to debut Season 3 of their Animated Web-Series. [@PassTheMeerkat]

BY Chelsea Mtada

June 9, 2021

The Cast of Youtube Animated Web-Series Pass The Meerkat Meet GUAP to Discuss Post-Lockdown plans and upcoming season [@PassTheMeerkat]

It seemed that throughout lockdown, content creators were coming out from every direction. With everyone stuck at home, boredom turned to creativity and although there were a lot of notable hits…there were also a lot of misses. So when I got an email about a brand new podcast called ‘Pass The Meerkat’ I wasn’t very excited to hear abour another generic podcast.

I’m sure like the rest of the public, I wasn’t interested to hear any more rants about the body count of women and red flags. Although I wasn’t very enthusiastic at the time, I clicked the link that led to me the YouTube page of Pass The Meerkat and to my surprise and pleasure, this was the greatest Youtube discovery I’d come across in a very long time.

Pass The Meerkat is a fantastic show. For a start, the whole show is animated. Like a child, I found myself glued to my screen. Binge watching all the episodes from Season 1 and with every episode, the jokes and stories became funnier. The animations improved and little by little, I was finding myself bonding with every individual cast member. The show merges nostalgia, comedy and real life stories to create an animated universe that is full of banterous conversation and is sure to have you hooked after just one watch.

Although slowed down by lockdown, the cast of Pass The Meerkat are coming out in full swing for the summer of 2021. I had the opportunity to meet all the members of the show and got the scoop on what we should expect for season 3. Watch the full interview here.

Tell us a little about yourself?

We are nine entertaining guys that decided to turn our group banter into digestible content. What makes us stand out is the chemistry, it’s rare to have such a large group of guys that can come together and maintain a healthy dynamic for so long.

How did you all meet? And then decide to start an animated web series together?

We all met at different stages of life – the longest friendships go back about 17 years to secondary school. Fresh Island Festival 2018 in Croatia is where we all linked up and discovered our chemistry was unique – the vibe was just sick!

Deji was watching The Ricky Gervais Show re-run and thought why don’t we do this? Our general banter is unique but we wanted to take it to the next level and incorporate animation and skits to give the audience a greater experience than just a podcast.

Tell me about launching the web series. How did you do it?

Our first step was trying to find an animator but it was difficult. We stumbled across Calvin’s work and quickly knew he was the man for the job.

We set up the “studio” in one of the guys’ living rooms and had a few recording sessions. Then we picked the funniest audio sections, added our creative direction, and refined them with Calvin. The first season we had a launch party with our close friends and family who helped us push it out to the masses. Once people saw a clip the feedback was amazing and it spurred us on to keep going!

Why did you decide to animate it?

Animation immerses you into the conversation, brings it to life, we wanted to make sure people felt like they were in the room with us. Storytelling is a big component of the show so animation really amplified our stories.

What was a specific achievement or milestone you felt most proud of in the beginning? And more recently?

The fact that we were able to get 9 men to join forces, show commitment, and determination to put this together has been an achievement itself. People often have dope ideas but fail to execute them, so we’re extremely proud that we managed to materialize our idea into a product.

The most recent and meaningful moment was when the head of the animation at Netflix emailed us to say he was already a big fan of Pass The Meerkat. Finger crossed that we collaborate and partner with them in the future.

How did lockdown affect the recording of the show?

For us, the lockdown was challenging. Although it delayed aspects of the show like recording, it forced us to think innovatively and work creatively.

Early mornings, late nights, and 3-hour zoom calls became our normality but ignited more stories and more amazing content when we recorded the upcoming season.

What is the importance of having these kinds of spaces for men to come together?

It is important for anyone to have friends they can sit with, be themselves, and not worry about being judged. When you are in the Barbershop or on a PlayStation headset it’s the funniest form of escapism from real-world pressures, even if momentary. People underestimate how therapeutic laughter can be. Banter is something men do well together and that will always serve an important function.

With the third series of Pass The Meerkat coming soon, what should your audience be expecting?

Pass the Meerkat is back with a bang! After a season of hilarious chat-up lines, outrageous sex stories, and ridiculous competitions, can season 2 be topped? We believe this is the best season yet. Expect more captivating stories, better animation aesthetics, and some comical role-play scenarios. Stay locked in and enjoy the ride.

What are your plans for the future?

We’re an extremely ambitious group, it’s safe to say we want to leave our mark in the creative industry. We would love to be an established production company with several shows that provide top-tier entertainment to our community. In the near term, we plan on developing a TV version of the YouTube Show, collaborating with other creatives and continuing our own individual ventures.