25 Years of Nickelodeon Animation

 NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #40: Inside The Loud House Writers’ Room

The Loud House is the brainchild of creator Chris Savino and one of the most popular cartoons on television. But what goes into writing this smash hit week after week?  On this epic season 2 finale of the podcast, Hector learns the behind-the-scene details when he takes our crew out of the recording studio, across the Nickelodeon campus, and into animation offices of this beloved series.  We're unpacking all the secrets with writers Mike Rubiner, Karla Sakas Shropshire, Kevin Sullivan, Whitney Wetta, Sammie Crowley, and the main Loud-man himself, Chris Savino.  So join the gang and learn what it takes to tell hilarious stories straight from the heart.  

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Many thanks to Mike, Karla, Kevin, Whitney and Sammie for joining us! Follow The Loud Writers on Twitter to see some hilarious “overheard in the writers’ room” tweets and stay updated on all the Loud Crowd news.

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #39: How SpongeBob Gets His SquarePants

“Are you ready kids?! I can’t hear you!”  SpongeBob SquarePants is cartoon royalty and adored worldwide, but what goes into making our favorite sponge fresh, hysterical and a fan favorite year after year? This week supervising producers Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli break it all the way down to Bikini Bottom.  The series vets provide krusty insights on how the team cracks a story, collaborates, brings visual life to the written word, and relies on the incomparable brilliance of many artists until each episode is grilled to Krabby Patty perfection.  It's no surprise why Team Hillenburg has mined comedy gold for almost two decades, and why Patchy’s pirate chest will be filled for eons to come!

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Big thanks to Vincent and Marc for joining us! You can follow Vincent on Instagram & Twitter!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #38: Paul Germain

Rugrats co-creator Paul Germain belongs in the Animation Hall of Awesomeness for his work on the seminal Nickelodeon show. And then there’s that little thing called The Simpsons that he developed as shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show. Then there’s Recess. And Lloyd In Space. You want more? How about getting his first job after college on the Academy Award-winning movie Terms of Endearment and giving Cameron Crow the idea for the graduation speech in Say Anything? Paul joins Hector in the studio for a lively talk about his incredible career and breaks it down for aspiring writers, producers, and animation buffs.  So listen up and learn from one of the masters of the Hollywood trade!

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Many thanks to Paul for joining us! 

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #37: Margaret Dean

When your cartoon career includes Snoopy, Scooby-Doo and Stimpy you really have run with the BIG DOGS of animation.  Veteran producer Margaret Dean (Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Mattel, Stoopid Buddy Studios) and co-president of W.I.A. (Women in Animation), brings her incredible insight to this week's podcast.  Join us as she discusses equality in the industry, the changing landscape of animation, and what the impacts and opportunities are for anyone with the drive to create.

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Many thanks to Margeret for joining us! Follow her organization, Women in Animation, on Twitter and Instagram!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #36: "Bunsen is a Beast” Cast & Creator

Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, T.U.F.F. Puppy) has created another MONSTER hit series, Bunsen is a Beast!  This week the legendary creator stops by the studio with the show’s stars Jeremy Rowley (Bunsen), Ben Giroux (Mikey), and Kari Wahlgren (Amanda) to discuss how this new toon is made, developing the “voice” of a character and just how hard a hard-working actor works. (Hint: REALLY HARD!)  It’s a beastly cartoon world out there and we're thrilled that this talented trio and their fearless leader is bringing Nick's next hit to life!

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Huge thanks to Butch, Jeremy, Ben and Kari for joining us! Don’t miss a beat from this team and follow Butch (Twitter, Instagram) Jeremy (Twitter, Instagram), Ben (Twitter, Instagram) and Kari (Twitter, Instagram)!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #35: Rob Paulsen

HELLOOOO PODCAST!  This week living legend Rob Paulsen is in the studio!  The voice of your cartoon favorites Yakko Warner (Animaniacs), Raphael (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1987), Pinky (Pinky and the Brain), Jack Fenton (Danny Phantom), Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 2012) takes us through his 30+ year career in animation.  Did Rob almost sabotage his chance to play tech turtle, Donnie? Which of his characters is a fan favorite with the ladies?  Will he sing the “Nations of the World” song!?!  We get ZANY TO THE MAX answering these questions and so many more!

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Many thanks to Rob for joining us! For updates on his work ahead, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #34: Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz

Shimmer and Shine creator/genie Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz cut her teeth in post-production at Nickelodeon, learning all she could from My Life As A Teenage Robot, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego, Go and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan before creating magic on her own hit series. Farnaz doesn't just walk she runs us through her career journey, explaining how she broke through the boxes that people tried to put her in, and the misconception that preschool animation is "easy."  Get ready for a shot of animation energy and inspiration by this amazing talent and self-proclaimed spontaneous planner.

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Tremendous thanks to Farnaz for joining us! Follow Farnaz on her Instagram and Twitter for lots more Shimmer and Shine!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #33: Pete Docter

Pete Docter was just 21 when he joined Pixar and since then he’s been the creative force behind some of the most influential animated films of all time like Inside Out, Up, Wall-E, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story. His films are modern animated classics, with characters and stories that break new ground, thrilling generations of cartoon fans, and that is exactly what we celebrate on the Nickelodeon Animation Podcast. Pete shares with Hector what it was like to be one of the first animators at Pixar, how constraints can elevate storytelling, and he even drops a few hints at what's next for him and the animation wizards of Pixar.

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Many thanks to Pete for joining us! Follow along with him and his inspiring work on Instagram!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #32: Danny Phantom Cast

We're GOING GHOST!  Get ready to enter the Phantom fan dimension as Danny Phantom cast members David Kaufman (Danny), Grey Griffin (Sam), Rickey D’Shon Collins (Tucker), and Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Jazz) join Hector in the ghost portal.  The cast talks about their favorite Phantom fan theories, the chemistry between Danny and Sam, and recently reuniting to record the “The Fairly Odd Phantom" an animated short that combines all of the iconic Nick characters from the world of Butch Hartman. So prepare to start singing, “Gonna catch 'em all, 'cause he's Danny Phantom!”

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Many thanks to David, Grey, Rickey and Colleen for joining us! “Catch ‘em all” and follow David, Grey and Colleen on Twitter and David, Grey and Colleen on Instagram! 

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #31: E.G. Daily

A podcast's gotta do what a podcast's gotta do, and this week we're talking toons with the incomparable E.G. Daily.  Known worldwide as the voice of Tommy Pickles, one of the most iconic characters in Nickelodeon history, E.G. has also given life to Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls), Mocking Bird (The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes), and Baby Mumble (Happy Feet).  Hector gets the scoop on how and why E.G. does what she’s gotta do, including working with everyone from Rob Zombie and Pee-wee Herman ("Dottie!?") to making her own music and being a finalist on The Voice.  E.G is living proof that listening to the voice inside yourself can be the greatest asset to your career.

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Many thanks to E.G. for joining us! Follow along with her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! 

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #30: JEREMY ZUCKERMAN & BRYAN KONIETZKO

The music for Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are two of the most daringly brilliant TV soundtracks ever. Composer Jeremy Zuckerman and series co-creator Bryan Konietzko visit the studio to discuss their decade-long musical collaboration. Hector guides the duo song by song through a selection of inspired and memorable tracks, discovering how and why they created musical magic worthy of the epic Avatar universe.

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Many thanks to Jeremy and Bryan for joining! Don’t miss a beat and follow Jeremy on Twitter and Bryan on Tumblr. 

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #29: WEIRD AL YANKOVIC

Buckle up, because the podcast gets “white and nerdy” when Weird Al Yankovic visits the studio. Everyone knows that the Almighty Weird One is a legendary songwriter and pop culture satirist, but did you know that he’s an animation geek who has done voices on The Simpsons, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Adventure Time, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Teen Titans Go!, Gravity Falls, Wallykazam!, and Milo Murphy's Law?  Weird Al talks with Hector about his craft, his upcoming projects, and getting the white-glove thumbs up from none other than Michael Jackson.

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Tremendous thanks to Weird Al for joining! Follow him on Twitter and Instagram to catch his next moves!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #28: ROB RENZETTI

MY LIFE AS A TEENAGE ROBOT creator Rob Renzetti has worked with some of the most legendary names in animation: Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Samurai Jack, Harvey Birdman, the Powerpuff Girls, and some guy named Dexter who had a laboratory. Rob tells Hector that he's lucky to have come up during a new renaissance in TV animation, but with the resume of Rob Renzetti, it's clear that he's a massive talent of his own who never stopped working his cartoon butt off.

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Great big thanks to Rob for joining! Stay updated with Rob on Twitter.

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #27: INVADER ZIM CAST FT. RICHARD HORVITZ, RIKKI SIMONS AND MELISSA FAHN

Let’s kick off the insanely unpredictable world of 2017 with the most insanely unpredictable cartoon cast of all time! Yes, INVADER ZIM!  Richard Horvitz (Zim), Rikki Simons (Gir), and Melissa Fahn (Gaz) reminisce, talk shop, and break into musical numbers while discussing the iconic series. What was it like working for the legendary Jhonen Vasquez? What is Zim's favorite episode? And, why was there bacon in the soap, Gir?! SILENCE! Zim's empire of podcast doom begins NOW!

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Tremendous thanks to the cast of Invader Zim for joining us! Follow along with Richard, Rikki, and Melissa on Twitter!

NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

EPISODE #26: FRED SEIBERT

To call Fred Seibert "a producer" is like calling Steve Hillenburg "a guy who drew a sponge.”  A visionary force in the early days of Nickelodeon, the former president of Hanna-Barbera, and the current big cheese behind Frederator, Fred has produced cartoon classics such as The FairlyOddparents, Adventure Time, Fanboy and Chum Chum, and Bee And Puppy Cat, to name a few. To us, he’s a legendary animation entrepreneur, even though Fred calls himself a professional fan.

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Tremendous thanks to Fred for joining us! Follow along with him on Twitter.