Ahead of IndieWire Honors Spring 2026, Abbi Jacobson praised Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s Netflix animated series “Long Story Short,” calling it a mix of “so smart and so very dumb” humanity. Jacobson credited Bob-Waksberg’s work and the collaborative environment be
On June 4. the IndieWire Honors Spring 2026 ceremony is set to celebrate the creators and stars behind some of the year’s best television series. curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team. In the days leading up to the Los Angeles event. IndieWire is spotlighting the work with new interviews and tributes from peers.
In one of those tributes. Abbi Jacobson spoke about Raphael Bob-Waksberg and the Netflix animated series “Long Story Short.” Jacobson zeroed in on what Bob-Waksberg brings to the screen—how the writing captures humanity with a rare balance of insight and absurdity. She described his approach as “so smart and so very dumb. ” and framed it as the engine that makes the show feel vivid.
Jacobson said there’s “no one quite like Raphael. ” adding that his spirit and humor come through in everything he touches. She pointed to getting to work with him in a “much lesser capacity” on “BoJack Horseman. ” and then again on “Long Story Short. ” saying she can “say with the utmost confidence that we are better for the work he puts out into the world.”.
Her praise didn’t stay on the craft alone. She connected Bob-Waksberg’s material to the lived messiness of everyday life—saying life can be “hard and sad and complicated. ” but it’s also “hilarious and absurd.” Jacobson said relationships. family. and friendship all fit inside that world. and that Bob-Waksberg lets people “see all of the things we wrestle with. ” moving “marching side by side” with the audience so they can feel “seen.”.
She also emphasized how the show can broaden what viewers recognize and what they might not yet be familiar with. “It’s all so smart and so very dumb — my favorite combination,” Jacobson said.
For Jacobson, being an actor in the project is part of the story too. She called Bob-Waksberg “so extremely collaborative. supportive. and inclusive. ” and said he sets “an incredible tone for the show both in front of and behind the ‘camera.’” She described the experience of moving between his “real and fictitious worlds. ” and said that at the end of a hard day. watching something he’s made is something she looks forward to.
“Long Story Short” is available now on Netflix.
The thread runs straight through her comments: Bob-Waksberg’s humor lands because it’s built to hold real emotional weight, and the creative process around the series is described with the same energy—supportive, inclusive, and focused on making the work feel alive.
Abbi Jacobson Raphael Bob-Waksberg Long Story Short Netflix IndieWire Honors Spring 2026 Spark Award BoJack Horseman animated series