Saturday, July 22, 2017

Butch Hartman Reveals How Bunsen Is A Beast! Went From Poster To Cartoon | SDCC 2017

Bleeding Cool writer Johnathan Brendle (dressed as Spider-Man) sat down with Nickelodeon veteran Butch Hartman, creator of shows like The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom, to catch up on his recent projects, including his new show, Bunsen is a Beast!


Johnathan: We want to talk about your new show, Bunsen is a Beast! I heard you conceptualized it back in 2009 but this show hadn’t premiered until January of this year…

Butch: I did, I drew this drawing of a little boy facing a beast, like they were facing each other. I was going to make it a children’s book and the name Bunsen is a Beast!, I’m not kidding, just popped into my head and it was really funny and it kind of sat in my room for a little while and I made it into a poster and I brought it to Nickelodeon and sat it in my room and one day, about four or five years later, the head of Nickelodeon came in and said “hey, what is that?”. I told him what it was and he said “let’s start developing that!” So, one thing led to another and we had ourselves a cartoon show after about two years.


Fairly OddParents

J: Is that similar to how shows like Danny Phantom or The Fairly OddParents started out for you?

B: For Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents was doing very well and the head of Nickelodeon took me to dinner and said “hey, we want to do more The Fairly OddParents” and I said, “Great!”. Then, he goes “what else do you have?” and I said “ahh, I have this new show called Danny Phantom” and he said, “let’s make it”. That’s what I want to tell everyone out there. If an opportunity presents itself, be ready. If he asked if I had anything else and I said no, Danny Phantom might not exist today. If you’re an artist or a writer out there, always have an extra idea because you never know when those times are going to come up.

J: Surely, it’s hard to draw comparisons because each of your shows are very different, but how has Bunsen is a Beast! Done in comparison to your other successful shows?

B: Well, they are very different shows but the experience is the same and the writing process is the same but the characters are different. It’s like Bunsen and Mikey, the two characters, are going to act different to a situation than Danny Phantom would or Timmy Turner would. It’s about learning the rules of your show and what works for those characters.


Danny Phantom

J: Do you develop characters for a certain voice or do you have to find the person for your character that you’ve created?

B: When you come up with the drawings of the characters first. We decide what they’re going to look like and what their style is and then we start casting the voices and find actors and sometimes, we have a really clear vision on what the voice is going to sound like and other times, somebody comes in and surprises us.

J: You went to school here in California (CalArts in Valencia, California) but came from Michigan. What sort of changes did you see in how your life influenced your work after going from one place to the other?

B: The mindset in California is way different than the mindset in Michigan, for sure. I just hang out with everybody in the entertainment industry now and that’s a very different mindset from most people in the Midwest where there’s not much of that industry. Out here, we all draw and write and that’s where we make a living.

J: Who would you say are your biggest influences as far as drawing and writing?

B: Oh wow. Walt Disney is a huge influence and I think Chuck Jones and Stan Lee, for sure. I think those three guys are three of my biggest influences.

J: Have you ever had a chance to meet Stan Lee?

B: I’ve never met Stan! I’d love to meet him.

J: Well, you’re in a good place! His influence here at San Diego Comic-Con is definitely apparent.

B: Well, I hope that maybe I’ll run into him. He’s a pretty old dude but going strong and he’s influenced a lot of my love for comics and now, comic book writing. In fact, I just came out with a comic. It’s called 3 O’Clock Club. It’s about a group of kids who go to a high school where something weird happens every day at 3 o’clock. Throughout the comic series, they learn why and how this is happening. It’s a five issue series from Lion Forge Comics.


Bunsen Is a Beast

J: I’ll definitely be checking it out! I feel like a good way to learn more about someone is to look at their recently watched list on Netflix. If I went on your Netflix, what would I find there?

B: I think you’d probably see Forrest Gump. I love it! I also just watched a Captain America 3-D CG animated movie that was just uploaded.

J: You’ve been in this for a while now. Do you still feel the magic you felt when doing The Fairly OddParents while working with newer projects?

B: I do really feel the magic. Every day I wake up, I have to deal with a blank page. I have to fill this page with something entertaining every day. Sometimes animation can feel like a job but I love to do it. If you love what you do, it’s not work.

J: Well, it was wonderful talking with you, Butch.

B: Johnathan…Spider-Man, nice to meet you.

Check out his new show, Bunsen is a Beast! on Nickelodeon and his new comic, 3 O’Clock Club!

More: Butch Hartman Working On "Danny Phantom"-Like Series For YouTube!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Danny Phantom News and Highlights!

"The Loud House" Panel Set for The World Animation Celebration 2017

Things are getting into gear for The World Animation Celebration 2017, with the WAC animated short film festival judges just announced and the exciting reveal that key creatives are confirmed for a panel discussion of top-rated Nickelodeon animated series The Loud House! WAC is presented by Animation Libation Studios and Animation Magazine, and will be hosted by Sony Pictures Animation at its Culver City, CA lot on September 30 & October 1.

The Loud House Panel will feature series creator and executive producer Chris Savino, art director Amanda Rynda, production manager Sean Santka, writer Kevin Sullivan and storyboard artist Jordan Koch. Time and location details will be announced soon.


The Loud House, which is set to launch its third season this fall, relates 11-year-old Lincoln Loud’s struggles to survive the bedlam of his large family — especially being the only boy in a family with 10 sisters. With his best buddy Clyde, Lincoln always comes up with a plan to stay one step ahead of the chaos … whether that plan works is another story.

Visit www.worldanimationcelebration.com for more event info!

More Nick: Nickelodeon Announces Plans For "The Loud House" Movie!

Original source: Animation Magazine
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon, The Loud House and Welcome to the Wayne News and Highlights!

Usagi Yojimbo Creator Stan Sakai Teases New Crossovers With TMNT | SDCC 2017

Both debuting around the same time in the 1980s, the anthropomorphic martial-artist animals Usagi Yojimbo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a long-shared history. They've crossed over many times before, both in the pages of comics and even in animation, and it's something Usagi's creator Stan Sakai loves doing.


As you can see in the video below, the venerable creator sat down with SYFY WIRE at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 to talk about the latest iteration of this crossover and what makes it special.

"In this crossover with IDW, I really enjoyed it. I did the writing, I did the artwork, and it's in full color by Tom Luth," Sakai explained. "Usagi has met the Turtles before [in comics] but never this incarnation of the Turtles -- this is the Nickelodeon turtles, so they have to reestablish relationships."

Usagi Yojimbo is also guest-starring on the current TMNT animated series again, and Sakai got to actually write the first episode of that crossover!

"I did some black and white still artwork that was used for the flashbacks in the episode," he said, "it is absolutely amazing!" Fans at SDCC got to see the episode, and he said the reaction was incredible.

Check out the full interview below, and be sure to catch Usagi and the Turtles together again in brand-new episodes of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, beginning Sunday 23rd July 2017 at 9:00am ET/PT, only on Nickelodeon USA! Watch a sneak-peek now!



Stan Sakai is the legendary creator of Usagi Yojimbo, the world's most famous anthropomorphized rabbit swordsman. He gives us the deal with the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover, Usagi on TV and more.

More Nick: Playmates Toys Unveils Ghostbusters x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Toy Line!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles News and Highlights!

Funko Unveils "Hey Arnold!", "Rocko's Modern Life" And "Angry Beavers" Figures | SDCC 2017

Funko has revealed at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2017 that they'll be expanding their popular 90s Nickelodeon Pop! Animation collection with the addition of stylish vinyl figurines based on characters from Nickelodeon's hit '90s animated series Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life and Angry Beavers!


Funko's newest 90s Nickelodeon figures feature Arnold and Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold!; Rocko, Spunky and Heffer Wolfe, plus a sickly Rocko inspired by the episode "Flu-In-U-Enza" and a Trick-Or-Treat Heffer from the episode "Sugar Frosted Frights"; and beaver bros Daggett and Norbert Beaver! Check out each figures concert art above!


A release date for Funko's latest 90s Nicktoons figurines is yet to be announced, but hopefully it won't be too long!

Funko's first batch of 90s Nickelodeon Pop! Animation figures, featuring characters Rugrats, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and CatDog, and their The Ren & Stimpy Show figures, are available in stores now.

Additional source: Rocko's Modern Life Wiki.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Summer on Nickelodeon and NickSplat News and Highlights!

Nickelodeon At Comic-Con International: San Diego 2017 News Round-Up | Day 3

Welcome to the third part of NickALive!'s special Nickelodeon at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 News Round-Up! In celebration of Nickelodeon attending Comic-Con International: San Diego 2017, below is a selection of news and highlights from the third day of Nick at SDCC '17, plus a few extras! Enjoy!

SDCC 'SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom' Sneak Peek | Halloween Special | Nickelodeon

COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVE! First look at Nickelodeon's brand-new, stop-motion special, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom!:



Check out an exclusive sneak peek of the SpongeBob SquarePants Halloween Special SpongeBob: Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom showcased at San Diego Comic Con! Catch more SpongeBob on Nick!

Nickelodeon will take viewers on a spooky Halloween adventure throughout Bikini Bottom with the brand-new, stop-motion special, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom. In the visual style of classic stop-motion animation TV specials, The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom tells the story of the Flying Dutchman (Brian Doyle Murray) who wants to make sure everyone in town is scared, especially SpongeBob, who thinks scary things are funny. The special will premiere in October 2017 on Nickelodeon.


Bikini Bottom is decked out for Halloween and features Sandy’s treedome as a mad scientist’s lab, including a giant remotely operated Acorn Monster; Mr. Krabs’ restaurant as “The Horrors of the Chum Bucket,” displaying scenes of Plankton torturing food; and Plankton’s restaurant as “The Horrors of the Krusty Krab,” telling the story of Mr. Krabs turning customers into Krabby Patties and more.


(L-R) SpongeBob and Patrick in Nickelodeon's Halloween Stop-Motion Special, "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom."

The characters don Halloween costumes, with SpongeBob as a flower, Patrick as a knight, Sandy as a mad scientist, Mr. Krabs as a dollar bill, Plankton as a devil, Squidward as himself, and Karen as a cat. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom features an original song, "The Scare Song," written by Mr. Lawrence, music by Eban Schletter and performed by the Flying Dutchman’s crew of pirate ghosts.

The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom is being produced at Screen Novelties, a Los Angeles-based stop-motion animation production company, where miniature puppets and sets bring Bikini Bottom to life in three dimensions. The production features 27 unique sets, across five stages, where 15 boxes of breakfast cereal were used to create texture on Bikini Bottom's coral reefs; eight pounds of glitter were used to decorate SpongeBob’s Halloween pineapple house; hundreds of popsicle sticks created the planks of the rollercoaster track that Patrick and SpongeBob ride; and “black lights” were used to create a fluorescent glow across the puppets and sets.



Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller are the supervising producers on SpongeBob SquarePants. The special was written by Mr. Lawrence, with Brian Morante serving as the storyboard director. The special is being directed by Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh, and produced by Chris Finnegan of Screen Novelties.



This is the second time Nickelodeon has partnered with Screen Novelties on a SpongeBob SquarePants stop-motion episode. SpongeBob SquarePants: It’s a SpongeBob Christmas! debuted December 2012 and featured Plankton turning everybody in Bikini Bottom from nice to naughty.

SpongeBob SquarePants is voiced by Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants, an incurably optimistic sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea; Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star, SpongeBob's silly best friend; Roger Bumpass as Squidward, an aloof cashier of The Krusty Krab and SpongeBob’s neighbor; Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob's boss and greedy owner of The Krusty Krab; Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks, Bikini Bottom's only resident rodent aquanaut and scientist; and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket and chief rival of Mr. Krabs.

SpongeBob SquarePants is executive produced by creator Stephen Hillenburg, who previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeon’s animated series Rocko’s Modern Life. Hillenburg graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a master’s degree in experimental animation and studied marine biology and art as an undergraduate. Hillenburg created and executive produced his first feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which debuted Nov. 19, 2004 and his second theatrical, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, hit theaters Feb. 6, 2015. The series is produced at Nickelodeon in Burbank.

Nickelodeon Video Round-Up - Issue 93: Global Edition

As today has been another very busy news day due to Nickelodeon @ SDCC 2017, I'm putting the majority of today's videos clips in one round-up post. Hope you enjoy! :)


More Nick: SDCC 'Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie' Sneak Peek | The Legend of Arnold | Nickelodeon!

Rusty Rivets Countdown - 2 Weeks til Toys!! | Spin Master Toys

Three more weeks until Rusty Rivets arrive at Toys R Us! Stay tuned for our creative countdown and watch Rusty and Ruby save the day!



For more Rusty Rivets, visit our website: http://rustyrivets.com/

More Nick: Rusty Rivets Inspires Imaginative Play with Exclusive Toys"R"Us Toy Line!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Preschool, Nick Jr. and Rusty Rivets News and Highlights!

Mr. Hyunh Sings "The Simple Things" | Hey Arnold! | The Good, The Splat, And The Ugly | NickSplat

Sing a long with Mr. Hyunh as he sings his county hit "The Simple Things" to his crowd of fans!:



Clip from Hey Arnold! episode "Mr. Hyunh Goes Country".

Trivis: Mr. Hyunh's singing voice is provided by American country singer Randy Travis, who guest appears (as a cartoon, but still voiced by Travis) as Travis Randall.

"The Simple Things" lyrics:

You can offer me a diamond-plated pearl.
You can send me all the riches in the world.
You can tempt me with the palaces of kings.
I'd give 'em back in a big ol' sack and keep The Simple Things.

I've got The Simple Things; I've got the rain in spring,
Got spicy chicken wings, and French-fried onion rings.

You can line me up a mile of limousines.
For me it don't add up to a hill o' beans.
I got no hankerin' for grabbin' your brass ring.
It's crystal clear I'll stay right here and keep The Simple Things.

I've got the summer breeze, got sixteen cans of peas.
A two-speed window fan when it's ninety-three degrees.
So forgive me for not grabbin' your brass ring.
It's crystal clear I'll stay right here and keep The Simple Things.
It's crystal clear I'll stay right here and keep The Simple Things.

"The Simple Things" lyrics via Hey Arnold Wiki.

More Nick: SDCC 'Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie' Sneak Peek | The Legend of Arnold | Nickelodeon!

Watch all your '90s Nickelodeon favorites on NickSplat, your late-night destination for your favorite childhood Nickelodeon cartoons and live-action shows! NickSplat doesn't question football-shaped heads, but embrace them - along with Reptar bars, a Big Ear of Corn, orange soda, and even slime for Pete (and Pete's) sake. Make your slime-covered Nickelodeon childhood dreams come true every night at 10pm ET/PT, only on TeenNick USA! #NickSplat!

More Nick: Nickelodeon Brings O-Town, Hillwood, Bikini Bottom, and More to Life at Comic-Con International: San Diego July 20-23, 2017!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Summer on Nickelodeon and NickSplat News and Highlights!

Hey Arnold Coloring Page | Hey Arnold | Nickelodeon Animation

In preparation for Comic-Con, Nickelodeon Animation colored some of our favorite characters, Arnold and Gerald! If you'll be attending Comic-Con, be sure to stop by the Nickelodeon booth and say hi!:



"This weekend's gonna be one of those that memories are made of." - Arnold

More Nick: Nickelodeon Brings O-Town, Hillwood, Bikini Bottom, and More to Life at Comic-Con International: San Diego July 20-23, 2017!

Check out the Nickelodeon Animation Studio on their other sites:
Official NAS Website: http://nickanimationstudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickAnimation
Tumblr: http://nickanimationstudio.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickAnimation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickanimation/

More Nick: SDCC 'Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie' Sneak Peek | The Legend of Arnold | Nickelodeon!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie News and Highlights!

Where's Walter...In The Beginning (a prequel) | #WheresWalter

We find out what drove poor Walter to go missing! Keep a look out for cameos from many stars from Drake & Josh and Devon Werkheiser from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide!:



Curse Bruce Winchell and his beautiful hair! :(

More Drake & Josh: Drake & Josh's Father Is 'Missing' And They Need Your Help To Find Him!

Additional source: Orlando Calderon.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Drake & Josh News and Highlights!

Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom & T.U.F.F. Puppy drawn to LIFE! | Butch Hartman

Butch Hartman takes on some drawings challenges, using Pix2Pix and Google Quick Draw!:



Check out Butch's brand-new comic The 3 O'Clock Club from Lion Forge Comics, and be sure to like, subscribe, and follow everything of Butch's below:

Facebook: /butch.hartman1
Instagram: @butchhartman, @butchhartmansketchpad & @noognetwork
Twitter: @realhartman & @noognetwork
Snapchat: @realhartman & @noognetwork
YouTube: Butch Hartman
butchhartman.tumblr.com
noognetwork.tumblr.com
Pinterest: /butchhartman/ & /butchhartman/noog-network/
www.noognetwork.com

More Nick: Danny Phantom 10 Years Later PART 2 | Butch Hartman!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Danny Phantom News and Highlights!

Hey Arnold! Creator Craig Bartlett Reads Almost Every Fan Theory - And They’re All Wrong

In Nickelodeon’s press suite at San Diego Comic-Con, various recognizable voices from beloved Nickelodeon series like Rugrats and Hey Arnold! can be heard echoing around the room, Craig Bartlett is in his happy place.


The Hey Arnold! creator is sporting a navy blue golf shirt that includes a miniature, smirking Arnold creeping off to the side. Sitting down with Polygon to discuss his upcoming movie, Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie, Bartlett is ready to talk about the future of the football-headed titular character, Arnold’s “will they, won’t they” relationship with Helga and, above all else, fan theories.

From the most outrageous theories (like Pigeon Man committing suicide in one particular episode) to some of the more logical (perhaps Arnold’s real parents were the people we were told are his grandparents), Bartlett wants to set the record straight: They’re all wrong.

Part of the issue that Bartlett dealt with was Paramount not allowing him and his team to release The Jungle Movie following the release of the first Hey Arnold! movie, Hey Arnold! The Movie, in 2004. Bartlett wanted to use the cliffhanger in the series finale of Hey Arnold!, "The Journal," as a way to address some of the show’s biggest questions, like whatever happened to Arnold’s parents and would he ever profess his love to Helga.

When he didn’t receive the go-ahead from Paramount to continue, Bartlett said he didn’t think the team would ever get the chance to return to finish the story.

“I remember saying years ago that ‘I don’t know, kids can make up their own ending. Decide what happened,’” Bartlett told Polygon.

Fans have listened. Over the years, there have been a number of theories about various characters. The most recent one, posted on a Creepypasta forum, suggested that Arnold received his football-shaped ahead as a complication at birth. The theory alleges that Arnold’s grandparents were actually his parents — a very popular, ongoing sentiment among Hey Arnold! theorists — and because they had him so late in life, his head turned out malformed.

When asked whether he had heard about the latest theory, Bartlett laughed, throwing his hands up and jokingly yelling, “I’ve heard them all by now!”


“I hate that one so much,” Bartlett said. “Even thinking about them, I have to just shake my head. The one I get the most is still that Pigeon Man jumped off the building in the episode we wrote. People suggest that Arnold was so traumatized by it that he had to imagine Pigeon Man flew away. No he wasn’t!

“I put Pigeon Man specifically in The Jungle Movie so people could point to him and say ‘there he is!’ and hopefully put this entire thing to rest.”


Bartlett said one of the only regrets he has about the show now is how it left fans hanging. If it the finale felt abrupt to audiences, Bartlett said the show’s producers were even more shocked by it. Not giving the creative team a chance to answer all of the biggest questions audiences had, he believes, led to the outpouring of theories.

It was a story without a proper ending.

“There I was, ready to reveal what happened to his parents, and the show got canceled,” Bartlett said. “Me ending the movie with ‘Grandma, Grandpa I found a map!’ was me throwing down a dare directed at Paramount. I dare you to cancel this movie. Look, he found the map. How could we not make this movie?”

The answer, like most things in the film industry, was money. Bartlett said he remembers the studio set up Hey Arnold! The Movie to go up against Lilo and Stitch. Having it marketed as an episodic, “this should have been a made-for-TV movie” also hurt the movie. Hey Arnold! The Movie simply didn’t make enough money for Paramount to see any use in green lighting a sequel, leaving the answers to a number of Hey Arnold! questions unanswered.

Now, Bartlett and his team are finally going to answer every question fans have had over the years — and hopefully put the remaining theories to bed.

Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie will premiere on Nov. 23 on Nickelodeon on Nickelodeon USA.

Old School Meets New for “Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie” | SDCC 2017 | Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon Nostalgia is in full swing at Comic Con this year. Everywhere you go you see reminders of Nickelodeon’s past. Besides yesterday’s Rocko’s Modern Life panel and reveal, nothing has been anticipated more than the return of Hey Arnold! The path towards this anticipation has been one of frustration and hope for countless fans. Back in 2004, when Hey Arnold! initially ended its run, the show left viewers on a cliffhanger, the crux of which depended on the titular Arnold finally discovering the fate of his long-lost parents, who were mostly absent from the series. That episode— “The Journal”—was intended to be the lead-in to a second Arnold film, one that never materialized. But now that resolution is finally around the corner. And with more than a decade of build-up, the interest and high expectations of Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie are reaching their apotheosis.


It’s not an unwarranted feeling. For a certain generation, Hey Arnold! resonated in a way that other cartoons simply did not. There was a pathos to it. Every character, while presented as goofy or eccentric on the outside, hid deep neuroses and levels of emotional pain. Here was an animated series that wasn’t afraid to look at real issues and tribulations facing kids as they made their way in the world. And for the voice actors of the original series—Lane Toran and Jamil Walker Smith (Arnold and Gerald, respectively)—their memories of the show remains a positive part of their personal history.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Toran, “The show means the same to us as it does to the fans, and we’re fans of the show ourselves.” During their brief conversation with The Beat AJ Frost, there were a lot of back and forth remembrances between Smith and Toran about recording the voices for the show: “The best after-school program ever,” chuckles Smith, with a Gerald plush doll hanging out of his back pocket. Frost wondered if bringing the show back was strange for them seeing as it’s been nearly two decades since the show began. In a moment of deep reflection, Smith said, “There was a deepness to it. You have to credit Craig [Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!] and the writers for creating real stories.”


Seeing the old school and the new school meet was a fascinating contrast of generations, but not of style. Toran and Smith flanked Mason Vale Cotton and Benjamin “Lil’ P-Nut” Flores, Jr, the new voices of Arnold and Gerald, an event that could be dubbed “The once and future Arnold.” Both Cotton and Flores weren’t around during the majority of the original run, and by the time they were old enough to see it, regular reruns weren’t playing. Nonetheless, preparing for their roles meant going back to the old episodes; they were eager to absorb what had come before. “The most important episode for me was the ‘The Journal,’” Cotton told Frost. “It’s the basis for what we’re doing now. It was important to get that right.” Further, as during the original run, Cotton and Flores recorded their lines together (“In about four hours!” exclaimed Cotton, about the initial recording session). “I was happy we did it together.”

“It’s a part of living history,” said Flores, when asked about what excited him most about working on this project. “We’re making people happy.” Indeed, both Cotton and Flores were energetic and enthusiastic about being part of the Hey Arnold revival. And when the inevitable question came up about continuing the show even after the film premieres later this year, both young actors were game.

“It’s not every day that you get to be part of a project that you honestly believe,” said Smith, when prompted by the question of what Hey Arnold! means to him today. “I’d love for my kids to see it.”

“The fandom is not misplaced,” said Toran.

Check out the new footage below:



Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie premieres Fall 2017.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie News and Highlights!

How The Rocko's Modern Life Revival Happened | SDCC 2017 | #NickSDCC

Nickelodeon popular '90s Nicktoons series Rocko’s Modern Life is headed back to television for a brand-new TV movie, and to celebrate, the network held a special panel, "Rocko’s Modern Life: Return to Earth!", at SDCC 2017, in which the cast and crew of the series and movie talked about bringing Rocko, Heffer and Filburt and their O-Town friends (and enemies) back after more than 20 years off the air!


Bringing the beloved wallaby and his friends into the 21st century, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling is one big way Nickelodeon is honoring the older animated series that turned the channel into a juggernaut. Creator Joe Murray, writer/star Mr. Lawrence, star Tom Kenny and more were gloriously on hand for this year's Comic-Con, where everyone shared how the highly anticipated project came together. Here's how Murray put it during the panel.

"I actually had to pick myself up off the floor when I got a call from them saying they wanted to bring it back. I actually didn't know whether we wanted to mess with it or not, and we were just hoping it would be good to do. I was really happy with the 52 episodes we did. And I had to think about it. I called Doug [Lawrence], and I called Martin Olsen, and we started riffing on stuff. It turned out to be a good move, and I'm glad I did it."

Joe Murray was definitely being cheeky there with that last sentiment, but the cheering crowd probably proved that he should absolutely be glad that decision was made. While the entire lineup of Nicktoons definitely deserves a comeback in some form or fashion, Rocko's Modern Life is the kind of project that CAN make a bizarre return after 20 years without having to worry about the characters' ages (like Rugrats) or having to necessarily wrap up important narrative points (like the Hey Arnold movie). Rocko, Heffer and Filburt -- not to mention the plethora of fantastic side-characters -- can inexplicably reappear in 2017/2018 for more satirical and slightly curmudgeonly antics, and it immediately works.

Mr. Lawrence, who voices Filburt and others, talked more during the panel about what the mindset was as Joe Murray gathered the creative team together to discuss the potential future for Rocko's Modern Life. And it sounds like a total blast.

"When Joe called me, he didn't tell me what it was about. He just said, 'Do you wanna have lunch?' And so when I came over there and started talking about it, I think his main thing was, 'Should we do this? Is there a point to this, to do this again? Let's not do it just because we were asked. Let's do it because there's a purpose to it.' You know, that we wanted to see it come back. As soon as we started taking anything that was of today that wasn't around in the '90s and put it next to those characters, it wrote itself. We were coming up with so many funny things just at that lunch. It lent itself to everything."

The first footage from Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, below, was revealed during the Comic-Con panel, and was subsequently released online, showing fans just how hardcore the upcoming special dove into modern society. Particularly when it comes to consumables like coffee and food truck fare. It must have been a blast, and also mildly overwhelming, for everyone to realize just how different life is now.



Cinema Blend had the absolute pleasure of talking to both Mr. Lawrence and voice actor extraordinaire Tom "Heffer and also SpongeBob" Kenny ahead of the panel, and Lawrence revealed the very first gag they came up with for Rocko's return. (Even though it won't actually get seen by anyone.)

"I called Joe two days [after the initial lunch], and I said, 'I got the joke for us to do with Rocko.' It was the first gag we wrote down. It's not in the [TV movie] at all. It was something that we were thinking about, it was just [Rocko] dealing with a cell phone and him trying to get it to work properly, to do what he wanted it to do. And the Hippo Lady was going to keep popping up on his phone, and eventually smack him through the phone. Like her hand was going to come out of the phone and pelt him. And so the end of the whole thing was Rocko going out into the back yard to bury the phone. And there's still the light, you can see it coming out of the dirt, and Spunky going around and barking at it. And it was just about him saying, 'I'm done with it.'"

That sounds so brilliantly in tune with Rocko's Modern Life, and we did see an extension of that concept in the footage, with both Heffer and Filburt going crazy over getting the new O-Phones. Of course, Heffer goes crazy over everything, but Filburt's excitement was fun to watch.

If this early clip and creation stories are any indication, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling will be exactly what fans have been hoping for during the past two decades. And we'll all get to see it in its full glory when it premieres on Nickelodeon at some point in 2018!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Rocko's Modern Life News and Highlights!

"Yojimbo" Sneak Peek | Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | #TMNT | Nickelodeon USA

To celebrate Nickelodeon USA premiering the brand-new Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode "Yojimbo" on Sunday 23rd July 2017 at 9:00am ET/PT, kicking off a all-new TMNT story arc, Nick USA has unveiled a Turtley Awesome sneak peek preview from the brand-new TMNT season five special, which you can watch in the fantastic online streaming video clip here on Nick.com! Booyakasha!


In the brand-new Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode "Yojimbo" (#515), the Turtles are transported to an alternate dimension where they meet the rabbit samurai, Miyamoto Usagi! In Nick's super sneak-peek, "Turtles are Summoned", the Turtles have been summoned! But where have they ended up? Was Donnie messing with a portal experiment?