New at Reason
Dave Weigel interviews the man behind the Venture Brothers animated series.
Comments to "New at Reason":
Treacherous Cretin | April 17, 2007, 12:54pm | #
Dr. Girlfriend FTWlunchstealer | April 17, 2007, 1:10pm | #
I always felt like The Tick was the intellectual father of all the Adult Swim stuff, although to some extent that's also The Simpsons and Futurama. And I've got to say that while I love a lot of the early SG:CtC spinoffs (especially ATHF, Sealab, and Harvey Birdman) I'm glad to see that they're also keeping some of the 30 minute stuff, a la Venture Brothers and Home Movies. Sealab/ATHF/Birdman all ended up devolving into absurdist non-sequitur humor as their primary driving force. Venture Brothers was always mining a little richer vein of human misery, rather than simple misanthropy.Oh, and while I'm at it, who exactly thought that The Oblongs were funny?
My favorite episode was the one with Race Bannon. It was great to see the source material and the satire side by side.
The Venture Brothers is some of the most brilliant comedy I've ever watched.
NeonCat | April 17, 2007, 1:25pm | #
@lunchstealer: You know, I didn't like the Oblongs when if first came on, but I eventually watched the whole series, I believe. I think it tried too hard to be social commentary and not hard enough to be funny. But it did have its moments.The thing about Adult Swim now, I just don't think a lot of what's on there is all that good. Squidbillies, Saul of the Mole Men, whatever crap Tim and Eric are putting out… no. No, no, no. The last new shows I really liked on AS were Metalocalpyse and Frisky Dingo, and I lost track of FD and was left… disinterested.
I just don't get these guys. I've watched just about all their programs, but can never sit through a whole episode. ATHF is totally beyond me, not watchable for more than 38 seconds.
SugarFree | April 17, 2007, 1:43pm | #
"My pants are haunted! My pants are haunted!"norbizness | April 17, 2007, 1:47pm | #
They just shipped out Season 2 to my humble fortress today... I think it actually has a story arc so I kind of avoided watching it after missing the first couple new episodes.I am a bit wary of the ATHF movie, mainly because the writers ran out of ideas about 2 years ago and couldn't fill 10 minutes of time, much less 80. Ditto The Simpsons and their cinematic enterprise.
Jesse Walker | April 17, 2007, 2:02pm | #
Ditto The Simpsons and their cinematic enterprise.I don't know if the Simpsons movie will be any good -- the ads I've seen haven't been very impressive -- but the show is in the midst of its strongest season since the mid-'90s.
ed | April 17, 2007, 2:03pm | #
It's about...the optimism of the space race, and the baby boomers' beloved, indulged idea that they could achieve anything they wanted. These were ideas that satirized themselves. Forty years later the boomers have disappointed no one as much as they've disappointed themselves, buckling in to watch movies about how great their parents were as they pop pills and build their Dennis Hopper-endorsed "Dream Books."Nothing personal, David, really, but -- assuming you're at least half-serious -- you and some of the other boomer-bashers here are really full of shit sometimes.
The Venture Brothers and Robot Chicken are the only truly funny, interesting productions the Cartoon Network has on offer. The rest is just pop culture detritus. OK, so The Venture Brothers and Robot Chicken are also pop culture detritus, but it's the GOOD kind.
FinFangFoom | April 17, 2007, 2:19pm | #
My Season 2 DVD awaits me on my porch as we speak!mike_twincities | April 17, 2007, 4:01pm | #
Dr. Girlfriend as Princess Etheria, FTW.Venture Bros. has got to be one of my favorites. I can't wait to get my hands on the season 2 DVDs.
Oh, and by the way, Doc is an awesome painter, check his DeviantArt site.
Charlie Mike...
tarran | April 17, 2007, 5:01pm | #
Hah, the best show on adult swim is Ghost in the Shellhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0itu3poQ8M
mk | April 17, 2007, 5:07pm | #
There is a palpable sense of comic fanboy self-loathing in The Venture Bros.. It's one of the reasons why I like it so much.I mean, why else would they have a character like Brock on the show. He's the guy who screwed that girl you liked in college and he made you wait outside the dorm room while he did it.
Jonathan C. Hohensee | April 17, 2007, 5:20pm | #
This might come off as a bit of a hyperbole, but Venture Brothers is one of the best, most signifigant, not to mention intelligent television shows in the past couple of years.lunchstealer | April 17, 2007, 5:42pm | #
tarran | April 17, 2007, 5:01pm | #Hah, the best show on adult swim is Ghost in the Shell
I tend to hold the anime apart from the US-produced comedy stuff they do on Sunday nights.
Jonathan C. Hohensee | April 17, 2007, 5:20pm | #
This might come off as a bit of a hyperbole, but Venture Brothers is one of the best, most signifigant, not to mention intelligent television shows in the past couple of years.
It's certainly up there with the best. I'd say it's only significant comedy competition has been Arrested Development.
Jim Bob | April 17, 2007, 6:31pm | #
This interview is full of win. Venture Bros. is, imho, probably the best show ever (along with MST3K).I keep trying to convince people I know to watch, but when they do the humor seems to fly over their heads and they proclaim it "slow" or "not HAHA funny." Their loss, I suppose.
Good work, Mr. Weigel.
Bradford C. | April 17, 2007, 6:58pm | #
The Venture Brothers is a pretty great show. Adult Swim's viewership is definitely going to increase once new episodes start airing, though I do have to admit I have a certain spot for Saul of the Molemen.IGNORE ME!
Just another frog in the chorus: it's one of the best, sharpest things on TV and I go through several chickens each week for voodoo to try to keep the show running for many more seasons.
Russell | April 17, 2007, 7:54pm | #
I can't speak for New Haven , But ATHF has won strange new respect for Mayor Menino by actually having Bombed in Boston:http://adamant.typepad.com/seitz/2007/04/a_message_to_bo.html
Frank_A | April 17, 2007, 10:44pm | #
Mr. Weigel,I know I've been critical of you in the past, but this interview has better what was a very long, soul-crushing day of being a med student in my surgery rotation.
Thank you, very, very much.
And yes, Venture Bros. is probably one of THE BEST damn tv shows out there.
Period.
Jonathan Hohensee | April 17, 2007, 11:12pm | #
It's certainly up there with the best. I'd say it's only significant comedy competition has been Arrested Development.And it's not exactly like it's the tallest midget either; in a period of time where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting intelligent, quality television, Venture Brothers raises above that.
Deus | April 18, 2007, 1:44am | #
[The thing about Adult Swim now, I just don't think a lot of what's on there is all that good. Squidbillies, Saul of the Mole Men, whatever crap Tim and Eric are putting out… no. ].I'm shocked that Tom Goes to the Mayor isn't a bigger hit with the libertarian crowd. It's the perfect satire on government: the mayor is an incompetent boob who never lets his lack of knowledge prevent him from making policy, the city council is a bureaucratic joke too weak to oppose the mayor's wishes, and the only person who takes the whole process earnestly always gets screwed in the end!
Nash | April 18, 2007, 2:55am | #
My season 2 disks are sitting right here, happily awaiting a break so I can sit down and watch more.I enjoyed season 1 a great deal when it was on, and I was quite pleased when the show was renewed, but these guys completely outdid themselves with season 2. The second season of a good show is generally better than the first, but this particular show just went well beyond.
For those who haven't already stumbled into it, Todd Alcott generally does some really good episode analysis. He did most of season 2 as it aired. (Starting in July of last year).
http://toddalcott.livejournal.com/40762.html
megs | April 18, 2007, 10:43am | #
Because Tom Goes to the Mayor is sort of illegible. It hurts the eyes to watch it. Part of what works so well for Venture Bros. is that even if you're not quite into it yet, you'll still watch it because it's such good design and animation. We're still watching reruns, trying to figure out season two because Teletoon does not actually like cartoons, and a friend who's been kinda half watching finally saw the episode that made the show click for her and now she lives it. We've never given TGttM a chance, because it hurts the eyes and the voice acting sucks.Thankfully our dvds will be here today. Go team Venture!
Egon | April 18, 2007, 11:55am | #
You're all wrong. Or right. It's all subjective so it's all pointless. (Because of my love/hate relationship with Hanna-Barbera, I'm partial to Harvey Birdman.)That said, I watched one full episode of TVB and let's just say it didn't make my DVR recording list. But that doesn't mean anything; I generally don't get into animated series right away. (I didn't appreciate "Family Guy" until I'd watched several episodes on DVD.) This interview makes TVB sound like the greatest show since "Jason of Star Command," which is why I'm putting TVB at the top of my Netflix queue.
God help you all if I don't like it.
Mad Scientist | April 18, 2007, 1:29pm | #
Boobytraps! Cockpits! What's not to love?VB fangirl | April 18, 2007, 3:13pm | #
Best part of the article:Reason: Do you think you've succeeded in creating characters and a universe that lives up to other sci-fi or superhero shows? Is there Venture Brothers fanfiction?
JP: There is, and most of it involves Master Billy Quizboy and Pete White [two incompetent allies of the Venture team] having sex with each other.
bill | April 18, 2007, 3:45pm | #
What happened to Korgoth?!!!! The pilot was AWESOME! They pushed the hell out of it and then it just disappeared.Akira MacKenzie | April 18, 2007, 4:19pm | #
Dave posts an interview with Jackson Publick about my favorite animated TV show and I don't catch it until NOW??? I must be slipping.bill,
Yeah, I was wondering that too. Korgoth rocked! I hate to say it, but Adult Swim has to be the most incompetently (or insanely?) run subsidiary of the of Time/Warner empire.
Vantigan | April 19, 2007, 4:45pm | #
I'm waiting for another show that only aired one episode.Lucy, the daughter of the devil.
Micheal Turner | April 20, 2007, 5:58pm | #
This interview does a great job exploring the thinking behind The Venture Brothers. Dave Weigel's only mistake was not asking about a possible Season Three.Doctor SnOZface the disgruntled poolboy | April 24, 2007, 8:34pm | #
"It's not the breakout hit of the AS lineup. That would be Aqua Teen Hunger Force"WHAT!?!?!?! Even ATHF's best episodes cant compare to Ven's slowest 15 minutes ... maybe I am biased ... but ... which show had the better time slot when both shows were running new episodes? Although, ATHF had better ratings, it wasn't aired at the same time as Conan O'Brian
Good interview ... shoulda asked 'bout sea. 3
I hope that Adult Swim isn't trying to bury this show... This DVD (season 2) had little to no press about it in the mainstream media (commercials, Entertainment Weekly, Best Buy ads). Yeah, the ATHF movie is getting the biggest push, but why won't the Venture Brother's get their share? It seems like Adult Swim is treating this like GM treats its electric car.
Luke | April 25, 2007, 9:25am | #
Awesome detailed interview! It's nice to see an interview where the guy knows what to talk about with either Jackson or Doc. Has anyone else noticed how many times Doc has just been sort of...annoyed and ignored a lot of interviewers? Maybe I haven't seen enough.Onto [as] shows. Venture Bros. IS the best thing the [as] block has going on right now. It has the most thought, the best dialogue, and the snappiest animation of pretty much all the comedy shows. To other shows, I give a nod to the people at the Swim for giving a lot of young artists and writers a chance to buff up on stuff. I think Matt Thompson and Adam Reed are a testament to guys who were able to step it up (from Sealab to Dingo).
It seems there are just a lot of flavors out there for anybody willing to get into the Swim. There are some shows I think are genius, and some that are think are total shit but the fact that all of them are able to get out there to people is really cool.
I'll stop ranting.
The_Love_Machine | April 25, 2007, 8:40pm | #
What happened to Korgoth?!!!! The pilot was AWESOME! They pushed the hell out of it and then it just disappeared.New episodes are being made, but obviously it takes awhile for an entire season to be made.
I'm waiting for another show that only aired one episode.
Lucy, the daughter of the devil.
I've been anxiously awaiting this show. They've promised it by the end of the year. It was originally supposed to be spring or summer.
As for The Venture Bros., it's been renewed for 26 new episodes, most likely produced in two seasons. And for the record, I'm a huge fan of Tom Goes to the Mayor. One of my favorite shows in recent years. The Tim & Eric Awesome show is great as well.