Zapata and Burro’ block color design is appropriate for children’s broadcast (ages 4 – 8), each have a highly saturated, bright color palette, making them easily distinguished and noticeable for a young audience.
However their environment and certain features of the characters are not deemed appropriate for this audience. The environment of the Wild West cannot be envisioned without guns, this feature displays a level of violence unsuitable for children; it’s for this reason that Zapata and Burro cannot achieve a ‘U’ rating.
Another problem concerns Zapata’ facial hair (moustache). Studies have found that children are not fond of facial hair, and commonly associate it with bad character, such as villains. Curtis Jobling made this same mistake when he first pitched the design for Bob, from ‘Bob The Builder’. The original design for Bob featured him with a moustache, but his employers told him to erase it, as they didn’t want children to label him as a villain.
Zapata is an anti-hero, and it is for this reason that his moustache, also servicing as a cultural identifier, will remain.

‘PG’ (ages 8 and over) allows for mild gun violence and by this age, children can understand more complex characters. Zapata and Burro’ target audience is rationally suitable for those in their late childhood to early teens (12-14). This would allow for mild gun violence, mild bad language, and vague references to sex and drugs. This rating however doesn’t constitute any gore; blood must be kept at a minim. Drugs cannot be glamorized, and illegal or anti-social activity must not be presented as acceptable.
Zapata and Burro can be produced with this degree of censorship as long as violence is kept crude, with no detail given to the death of any character. Zapata would also have to be punished for his crimes or at least be perceived as a bad character for it, he would serve as an example to avoid, pity or bring to justice.

’15-18’ rating would allow Zapata and Burro to be produced in the real/gritty Wild West. Explicit violence would allow for enhanced fight scenes and more gore. References could also be made to the true nature of drugs in the Wild West, such as the use of cocaine, marijuana and morphine as a medicine. Trade routes within the environment could also feature ‘Opium Dens’, a common service for traders to invest in. Glamorized sex would work to the benefit saloon performers, allowing for scenes of seduction and bribery. The perception and presentation of Zapata would also be more complex, focusing not on his good or bad deeds, but his purpose and goals. This would allow for more honest dialogue, expressing political and cultural views from his point of view.