You’ve probably heard the story by now. Two brothers from Canada decide to make a video game. They have zero experience. They quit their jobs, remortgage their homes, and basically bet their entire lives on a cartoon character with a cup for a head. It sounds like the kind of reckless "follow your dreams" advice that usually ends in bankruptcy.
But for Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, it actually worked.
When Cuphead exploded onto the scene in 2017, it wasn't just another indie hit. It was a cultural phenomenon. People were obsessed with the "rubber hose" animation that looked like a lost 1930s Disney reel. Honestly, the game is punishingly hard. It’s the kind of difficulty that makes you want to throw your controller across the room. Yet, millions of people kept playing.
The Regina Beginnings
The brothers grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. It wasn’t exactly a hotbed for game development back then. Chad was working in marketing and web design. Jared was doing construction. They were regular guys with a shared obsession: vintage cartoons from Fleischer Studios and Disney. We’re talking the weird, surreal stuff like The Old Man of the Mountain or Bimbo's Initiation.
They didn't start Studio MDHR because they wanted to be "disruptors" in the tech industry. They just really loved the aesthetic of the 1930s. They wanted to see if they could make a game that looked like those old films—imperfections and all.
Why the risk was actually terrifying
A lot of people think the "remortgaging the house" story is just good PR. It wasn't. Around 2015, after showing a tiny teaser at E3, the reaction was so massive that the brothers realized their original "boss rush" concept wasn't enough. People wanted a full game.
To give the fans what they wanted, Chad and Jared Moldenhauer had to go all-in.
- They expanded the team from 3 people to over 20.
- They quit their stable day jobs.
- They literally put their homes on the line to fund the production.
If Cuphead had flopped, they wouldn't just have been "unemployed developers." They would have been homeless. Jared once described the early days as a "Groundhog Day" routine of working construction by day to pay bills and animating by night. It’s a level of grit most people can’t wrap their heads around.
How Chad and Jared Moldenhauer Reclaimed the 1930s
The secret sauce of their success was authenticity. In an era where 3D graphics were getting more realistic every year, Studio MDHR went backward. They used traditional hand-drawn cel animation. Every single frame of Cuphead was drawn on paper with a pencil.
Then it was inked.
Then it was colored digitally.
This process is agonizingly slow. For a single second of animation, you need 24 individual drawings. When you consider that the game has hundreds of bosses and characters, the workload is mind-numbing. They even used watercolor backgrounds to capture that grainy, soft-edge look of early animation.
The family dynamic
It wasn't just the brothers. Marija Moldenhauer, Chad’s wife, was a massive part of the engine. She was the Lead Inking Artist and Executive Producer. During development, she gave birth to their first child and basically didn't take a maternity leave. She stepped in as Project Manager because the project was growing too big for just two guys to handle.
Beyond the Game: The Netflix Era
The success of Cuphead wasn't a one-off. It led to The Delicious Last Course (DLC) in 2022 and eventually The Cuphead Show! on Netflix. The brothers served as executive producers on the show.
Watching their creation turn into an actual Saturday morning cartoon was a full-circle moment. They had spent their childhoods watching these styles, and now they were the ones creating them for a new generation. It’s rare to see an indie IP successfully jump from a PC screen to a major streaming platform without losing its soul, but they managed it.
What most people get wrong
People often think Chad and Jared are just "the art guys." While Chad is the Art Director, Jared is the Lead Game Designer. He’s the one responsible for making sure the game isn't just pretty, but actually fun to play. He pulled inspiration from "run and gun" classics like Contra and Gunstar Heroes.
The difficulty isn't a mistake. It’s a feature. They wanted to capture the "quarter-munching" feel of old arcade cabinets. It forces you to learn patterns. It rewards muscle memory.
Looking Ahead for Studio MDHR
So, what’s next? As of early 2026, the brothers are famously quiet about their next project. They've dropped hints that they would love to do something in a different art style, maybe even a 30s-style Zelda-like game. But whatever they do, you can bet it won't be rushed.
They’ve proven that "slow and steady" actually wins if the quality is high enough. They don't care about annual release cycles. They care about making something they are proud of.
Takeaways for Aspiring Creators:
- Authenticity beats trends. Everyone was doing 3D; they did hand-drawn 2D.
- Calculated risk is necessary. You don't have to remortgage your house, but you do have to commit fully.
- Find your "Magnetic North." For Chad and Jared, it was Fleischer Studios. Know what inspires you and lean into it.
- Vary your workflow. Don't be afraid to use modern tools (like Photoshop for coloring) to support traditional techniques.
The story of Chad and Jared Moldenhauer is a reminder that the gaming industry still has room for weird, obsessive, and wildly creative projects. It just takes a lot of paper—and maybe a little bit of a gamble.
💡 You might also like: FaZe Clan Counter-Strike Global Offensive: What Most People Get Wrong
To better understand their design philosophy, you can research the history of "Rubber Hose Animation" or study the level design of 1980s arcade shooters like Mega Man. Analyzing the frame-by-frame breakdown of a Cuphead boss fight is also a great way to see the sheer volume of work they put into every second of gameplay.