Upamanyu Biswas
‘The Electric State‘ is a sci-fi adventure set in an alternate 1990s reality where humans and robots are at odds against each other. The Netflix movie is told through the eyes of a young girl named Michelle, who befriends a Kid Cosmo robot while searching desperately for her brother, Christopher. As we learn through the movie, Cosmo’s bizarrely proportioned robot body is inspired by a character that used to appear on an MTV children’s program before a war broke out between humans and robots. The program used to be Michelle and Christopher’s favorite, creating a deep attachment to the show’s protagonist. Intriguingly, the cartoon-inspired Cosmo also plays an integral role throughout the narrative, which only deepens the impact of the program shown in bursts throughout the film.
Kid Cosmo is a Fictional Cartoon Meant to Enhance the Worldbuilding
While ‘The Electric State’ is built around a fantasy world, directors Anthony & Joe Russo and scriptwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wanted to ensure that parts of the narrative were grounded in elements that felt real. This extends to the Kid Cosmo character, who is at the center of the movie. Although fictional in conception, the character is inspired by Skip, the protagonist of Simon Stalenhag’s eponymous graphic novel that served as the primary basis of the project. To add more context to the character, Cosmo was imagined as the hero of a fictional 90s cartoon show by the writers and directors, capturing the hearts and minds of kids via a children’s program. “You could rent him for children’s parties,” Joe said. His popularity led to more merchandising and more Cosmo robots being served out to the public.
In many ways, Cosmo’s program resembles popular animated TV shows like ‘Astro Boy,’ created by Osamu Tezuka, which hinges on a similar premise of a robot protagonist embarking on adventures with his friends. As the movie is set during the 1990s, the Russo brothers wanted to reflect the pop culture imagery of the times, which had a distinct aesthetic. Even the addition of MTV as the program broadcaster adds to the realism the directors wanted to adopt in their otherwise fantastical exploration of a story revolving around humans versus robots. According to the film’s lore, the robots emerged after Walt Disney created them as promotional material for their Disneyland opening. However, it eventually led to a proliferation of these technological marvels and their use in the workforce labor.
During the 90s, anti-robot sentiments increased within the human population, leading to a cancellation of anything promoting robots. Eventually, Kid Cosmo’s program also caught the flak and was taken off the air. The cartoon version of Cosmo and the version that shows up at Michelle’s doorstep has a similarly proportioned body, which looks strange when not animated. However, this is part of the fanciful design that robots in animated shows often take on. The filmmakers attempted to capture that warm, fuzzy, and cute look of the cartoon Cosmo in his real-life form, allowing a greater depth to his emotional exploration. Kid Cosmo becomes a pivotal character in the plot as the narrative progresses, even adding to the bond between Michelle and Christopher. Despite his importance, he and his program remain fictional creations.
