SDCC 2012: ROBOT CHICKEN Attacks San Diego, DC Comics
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A panel that answered questions and introduced clips included executive producers Seth Green and Mathew Senreich, actor and writer Breckin Meyer, writer Matthew Beans, co-head writer and executive producer Tom Root, DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and VP of Production for Adult Swim and panel moderator Keith Crofford.
Clips from the sixth season were action packed, flipping the shows intro on its ear, by showing Robot Chicken fighting just about everyone – including the mad scientist. Tits, E.T. and Go Go Gadget stripping all made an appearance and the age old questions, how does a Spiderman urinate and why does the Starbucks logo look like a slutty mermaid were, of course, addressed.
“Stick to the old classics,” Senreich said when asked if it’s difficult to continue coming up with content.
Several modern-day stars will make a guest appearance next season, including John Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg (who will revisit her role in The Color Purple), Sam Elliot, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jason Sudeikis, Aaron Hill, Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Hiddleston, Stanley Tucci, Steven Tyler and Elizabeth Banks.
“We work in this constant state of panic,” Root said. “I don’t know if you’ve had this experience, but when you’re under pressure you come up with great things. I also watch a lot of crappy TV. “Big Brother” just started, we’re really excited about that.”
Season Six begins September 16, just one week after the DC Comics special airs on September 9.
“A few years ago DC Comics would have never let them (write a show with DC characters),” Root said. “But I did, and we made as much fun of DC as we could.”
Clips of the special showed classic DC characters, such as the Justice League, having sleepovers, playing pranks, celebrating birthdays and debating ironic superhero dilemmas, all to a 1970s disco style sound track.
“It’s all in fun and love of DC,” Green added.
Half of the Robot Chicken team knew DC Comics well, some didn’t, Senreich said. All the DC books sat on their desks, but the characters are so part of our culture they didn’t need to research them much, he added.
During a Q&A audience members asked about the possibility of a similar collaboration with Marvel, Dr. Who or Adult Swim, and the panel was responsive to the ideas.
“If there’s anything that’s ripe for parody, it’s the Boondocks,” Green said, as the audience laughed.
“It’d be fun to do a mash up, but you have to woow this guy,” Green added, nodding to Crofford.
“I didn’t know our audience was the soundtrack from “Married With Children”, did Kelly Bundy just walk in?” Green remarked.
Other Q&A questions included:
Q. Does an actor ever show up and say f**k no?
A. Usually actors choose the writer before getting to the studio or proofread the work, unless you’re Ke$ha who’s never read anything, Senreich and Green laughed.
Q. Who have you asked to be on the show that declined and you were surprised about?
A. We called up Julia Roberts and asked if she’d be a shark princess that eats farts, we couldn’t believe she said no, Green said. Joking aside, Green was actually surprised when Roger Lodge, the host of “Blind Date”, declined to play himself.
“A lot of times actors decline playing roles they once played.”
Q. Who came up with the name Robot Chicken?
A. “It was me,” Beans said. “That’s why I’m fifth down in the panel and bought everyone coffee beforehand.”
Green added that the group had submitted about 100 titles and all were rejected before they arrived at Robot Chicken. “ADD TV” or “Junk in the Trunk” were their original choices.
“That’s where it came from, sheer frustration and absolute necessity.”
“We all liked it after reading all that other crap,” Crofford added.
Q. What are your individual favorite characters?
Senreich: Bitch Puddin’
Root: The gummy bear
Green: “The Nerd, we can put him anywhere and he just feels like us. The nerd is the pure fan, the most passionate, fearless, silly, really deep in it and always having fun.”
Beans: “I guess that leaves me with Humping Robot, I’ll take it.”
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