On March 1, 2024, the “Vardavar!” episode of Mickey Mouse Funhouse went live, heralding the first instance of Armenian cultural representation in Disney programming and mainstream children’s television media at large. The episode centered on the ancient Armenian festival of Vardavar, with many cultural references including Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Armenian garb (called a taraz), Armenia’s oldest temple, Garni, and a character named Astghik after an ancient Armenian goddess from the pre-Christian period. “Vardavar!” was met with an extraordinary outpouring of support and commendation from the global Armenian diaspora, reinforcing just how important media representation can be to oft-underrepresented communities.

My good friend, Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan (and former roommate at UCLA, where we were both English majors, go figure!), a Staff Writer for the show, was the creative force responsible for bringing this vision to the television screen, and I got to ask her a few questions about her process as a writer and the deeper implications of media representation in regards to cultural literacy for children. As a mixed Latina, Kathleen had previously penned the premise for a Día de los Muertos episode for Mickey Mouse Funhouse, and as the wife of an Armenian-American husband, Manvel Kapukchyan, and the mother of a mixed-heritage toddler, she wanted to showcase all of the cultural richness of her multi-cultural home. Read on to learn more about how Kathleen approaches her craft as a writer and how the celebrated “Vardavar!” episode came to fruition.

*Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan, photographed by Manvel Kapukchyan.*

You have been cultivating your craft as a creative writer for a long time. How has it evolved throughout the years, and how do you channel it into your work for Mickey Mouse Funhouse?

I always wanted to be a writer; when I was in college, I wrote a lot of short films with my now husband, Manvel Kapukchyan. A lot of the films were made with friends and our will to create stories. They were super low budget, but the stories and the messages were still great. We even submitted a script to have a chance to film on the Warner Brothers Lot for the AT&T Shape Create-a-thon. It was a fantastic experience that taught me and my husband how to run a whole production team. I also did a lot of documentary work in college; my husband and I wrote the Los Angeles Drought Documentary and it was featured on UCTV and even Germany’s climate march. UCLA then recruited us to write a Tibetan Plateau Documentary and I got to work with amazing professors. Those experiences gave me the discipline to write stories and make it accessible to the audience, especially now writing for preschoolers. The storylines on Mickey Mouse Funhouse include everyday situations for children, but in an environment that is filled with lots of fun and adventure.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity, to me, is creating new fun and not the same story copied and pasted. I think the audience craves something fresh and new. Creativity is something that should be cultivated and harnessed within the entertainment industry. Creatives are what make stories great and they bring their whole heart and experiences to it. Creativity is something that cannot be replicated and I think Walt Disney was a visionary that pushed to be different and strived to respect his artists and cultivate their talent. Creativity is respecting the artist and knowing they are not replaceable.

What does your writing process generally look like for an episode?

My process of writing is to draw on my own experiences or lessons from my life. When I write, I can usually play the whole story in my head before even typing it out. I map out who is the protagonist and what is their motivation, what lessons do they learn, and how can I make sure the lesson is at the forefront of what I write. After I think of those ideas, I write down my idea into a springboard and send it to my story editor, Mark Drop, to pitch to the network executives. After the executives approve it we go through premises, outlines and scripts and make revisions and adjustments along the way.

*Stills from the “Vardavar!” episode of* Mickey Mouse Funhouse, *courtesy of Disney Junior.*

The “Vardavar!” episode garnered the attention of the global Armenian community, heralding the first time we’ve seen Armenian representation targeted to an audience of children on mainstream television. Why does cultural representation matter to you, and why is it important for children to see representation in media as they learn and develop?
Cultural representation matters to me because it teaches children new cultures and traditions that they may have never been exposed to otherwise. Armenians are a small minority in the world and they hardly ever have any mainstream representation, even though they have some of the most magical stories and traditions I have ever seen. When children see themselves on television they feel a sense of pride and connection to the character, and that is super important in cultivating viewers for life.

“When children see themselves on television they feel a sense of pride and connection to the character, and that is super important in cultivating viewers for life.”

— Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan

Your own cultural background involves multiple identities, as does that of your son, who will primarily grow up as an Armenian-Hispanic-American. How do you conceive of your own multiple identities, and how do you plan to approach this in raising your son?
Growing up as a mixed Latina woman, I wanted my son’s cultures and languages represented on mainstream television. I wrote a Día de los Muertos episode that showcased my son’s Mexican heritage, but I also knew how important it was for him to be proud of his Armenian background, so I also wrote a Vardavar episode for him not knowing how impactful it would be not only to my family, but to families all around the world. My son is spoken to in three languages at home, English, Armenian and Spanish. He understands all three and it is important that he is exposed to his multiple cultures and languages because it would benefit him in the future. Having multiple identities can be fun, and I want him to take pride in his multiple cultural backgrounds.

Left: Kathleen with her husband, Manvel Kapukchyan, at Garni Temple in Armenia.
Right: Kathleen and Manvel with their son, Joseph. Photographs by Manvel Kapukchyan.

How do you think the artistic elements of culture, like film, television, literature, music, and so forth, impact children? How did it impact you?
I remember seeing artwork from Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo all over growing up as a Latina girl and feeling a sense of pride knowing that they were Mexican and that I, too, can become a great artist one day. I remember my abuelitos would blast Vicente Fernández and the beautiful Mexican melody and poetic lyrics that were played inspired me to one day represent my heritage, too. Especially Guillermo del Toro, knowing that he was from the same part of Mexico as my family gave me a sense of hope that if he could strive for greatness, I can, too. I even read a lot of William Saroyan: his book, My Name is Aram, and the effects of the Armenian diaspora on a child growing up. It exposed me to different cultures and the importance of diversity in stories and artwork. It made me who I am today as a storyteller, and these are some of the people who have inspired me and I hope my son will find artists who inspire him, too.

“I remember seeing artwork from Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo all over growing up as a Latina girl and feeling a sense of pride knowing that they were Mexican and that I, too, can become a great artist one day. I remember my abuelitos would blast Vicente Fernández and the beautiful Mexican melody and poetic lyrics that were played inspired me to one day represent my heritage, too. Especially Guillermo del Toro, knowing that he was from the same part of Mexico as my family gave me a sense of hope that if he could strive for greatness, I can, too.”

— Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan

What changes would you like to see in the future of television and media programming targeted to children in the next five, ten, or fifteen years?
I want there to be more unique stories and not the same stories repeated over and over again. I think children are smarter than we think and showing them fun, new stories will really capture their attention. I think the media should focus on what the viewers want – stories with heart and creativity. I also hope that they keep and cultivate creatives and talent because they are the heart of the show. Walt Disney really leaned on the artist, and I think that is important in creating wonderfully unique children’s stories.

Anything exciting you’re working on that people should keep an eye out for?
My husband, Manvel Kapukchyan, and I are creating a new self-funded show that embraces the diversity of Los Angeles. I hope you stay tuned because we are going to create something fresh and different. We believe in new stories and ideas and if all these wonderful artists can make something great, then I think we can, too!

That you definitely can do, Kathleen! Thank you so much to Kathleen for the interview, and for Disney Junior in supplying stills from the “Vardavar!” episode. If you’d like to view the episode, you can find it on Disney Now. You can also keep up to tabs with Kathleen via her Instagram account.