First, Last, Everything David X Cohen, Co-Creator of Futurama
Sep 23, 2025
David X. Cohen, an Emmy-winning writer and co-creator of Futurama, shares his journey from The Simpsons to groundbreaking animated comedy. He reflects on his tech-infused childhood, early gaming experiences, and academic pursuits in computer science. The conversation dives into the balance of comedy and scientific plausibility in Futurama, the impact of AI on the entertainment industry, and memorable robots from the series. Cohen also discusses his current obsession with driverless cars and the potential of AI in medicine, blending humor with profound insights on technology.
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Characters Trump Hard Sci‑Fi
- Futurama prioritizes comedy and human characters above technical accuracy when designing its world.
- The show uses winks to the audience to justify sci-fi shortcuts and keep stories emotionally accessible.
Funny Worlds Need Failing Tech
- Futurama intentionally makes futuristic tech unreliable or absurd to create comedic tension.
- Groening's guiding idea: with each tech advance there's often a decrease in quality, which the show leverages for jokes.
Invest Early In Time‑Saving Tools
- Invest in production tech when it saves recurring effort or unlocks new workflows even if it costs more upfront.
- Cohen says moving to digital drawing and desktop sound mixing paid off by simplifying repeated tasks.