Features of the Horror Comedy Genre in Cartoon Series for Teenagers (by the Example of "Star VS the Forces of Evil", "Amphibia", "The Owl House")

In the modern world of culture, film and animation, the horror comedy genre is becoming increasingly popular. This is due to numerous reasons, such as the evolution of the perception of horror and comedy, the hybridization of genres, and viewers' interest in new formats of entertainment. This is especially true for animated series, which are becoming more and more diverse and creative. Cartoon series creators lately are not just making drawn works, they are also trying to put deep meanings into them and attract a wider audience. The horror comedy genre permits creators to play on the edge of feeling scared and laughing, which gives the viewer a sense of sharp edge and thrill. In this paper, the author examines the horror comedy genre through the example of three animated series from Disney Television Animation, namely "Star vs. the forces of the evil', 'Amphibia', and 'The Owl House'. A full understanding of what the horror comedy genre encompasses is provided. The purposes of this study are to analyze horror comedy as a genre in the context of animated series. Such aspects are taken into consideration as: music and sound design, plot and its structure, description and characterization of the characters, visual approach from the side of light and color, and character design. The animated series 'Gravity Falls' which marked the beginning of the horror comedy genre at Disney Television Animation, is also analyzed separately. After that, by means of content analysis the common patterns that are inherent to all investigated cartoon series are identified.