dave willis
I am Dave Willis, co-creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force…AMA!
Hey! It’s the last season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Ask away.
https://www.facebook.com/adultswim/posts/10153349957086745
You’ve had a lot of guest talent on the show, who is someone you never got a chance to have on the show but wanted to? Were specific characters written for specific actors? I assume Happy Time Harry was written for David Cross, obviously.
David Cross was INCREDIBLE for doing the show before anyone knew what it was. The weird guy in Circus was written for Tom Waits. I mailed him a check for $5 which has made my checking account balance off since 2001. We did reach out to Steve Martin to do the movie. That would have been something. And we asked Geddy Lee to play himself in Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary, but we were were told he was too busy recording his solo album, in his elfin wood studio north of Narnia.
Will we ever meet Jeffy?
Who?!?!?
Jeffy the garden hose? During the 57th episode ATHF talks about “Going to Jeffy’s House” for 2 minutes and he’s mentioned in the 53rd episode when they land on his house but will we ever see him?
Are you available to write the unauthorized history?
Okay, for real. Where do YOU think Master Shake sleeps? Is it in the chair? ’cause I think it’s in the chair….
He sleeps in the chair because we forgot to give him a room. True story!
My girlfriend made me this cake for my birthday. We just always wanted to see what you or anybody from adult Swim thought about it?
You just fucked up BIG TIME. Get ready to hear from my cake lawyers.
Who was your favorite guest appearance? Danzig has to be up there.
Danzig is a good one. He kept wanting to add muscles to his design, until our animator balked, insisting that it looked too ridiculous. I liked Ozzy’s guitarist, too. He was drinking Heinekens at 9:30 in the morning.
Since this isn’t the first “last” season of Aqua Teen, is this really it? Will there be no more Aqua Teen Hunger Force, even spin-offs/movies?
Never say never. But it wasn’t my call. Or Matt’s.
What is your favorite season of the show?
Fave season? Hard to say. But I think the last few have been every bit as strong as the early ones. And I really like the new ones coming out.
Will we see the return of MC Pee pants in the final season?
No! (Spoiler alert issued too late!) But MC Chris makes a cameo appearance as young Carl.
How did you not die writing the broodwich episode? I Damn near piss myself laughing every time I think of it and it’s been so long.
The Broodwich will return this season. A brief cameo.
How did Andrew WK get involved with the show?
Nick Weidenfeld was friends with him. And he seemed like the last guy you would want to hear when you got diagnosed with cancer.
What happened to Meatwad’s voice after the third or fourth season? It used to be more high pitched and then it kind of sunk into a lower tone. Was there a switch in voice actors?
No, there was a dip in Quality Control. Also, a horse stepped on my neck.
Are there any plans to reunite Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday?
He’s in this new season!
What’s your favorite punishment/mishap to happen to Carl? I loved when he was forced to play the recorder and dance in s5 e6
Oddly, my least favorite! I liked when he was ripped to shreds inside a nuclear toilet and replaced with eyeballs.
Who inspired “My dad owns a dealership”? Was his name Chad?
Ha! The roommate of a friend of mine in college told any woman within earshot that his dad owned a candle factory, as if that were the ultimate aphrodisiac. I did a google search for him, and the 1st image was of him getting blown on top of a lambroghini. The second was of him hosting his celebrity golf tournament. So now I tell people my dad owns a candle factory.
Any truth to that “Death Fighter” ATHF Movie that was brought up a few years ago? And if so, any word on when we might see it?
We have a script. Do you have 3.4 million dollars?
What made you guys decide to end the series? Did you not want to end up like The Simpsons?
We didn’t end it, it was the decision of Mike Lazzo and adult swim. He was ready to move on from it. It bums me out, and I still think the show is great – but it’s not my decision. If I owned the show, I would still make it and project it on the side of my toolshed in my backyard. Our small group of guys love making the show. We’re all very invested in it, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. And the show does well, so there’s that. As for the Simpsons, I don’t watch it much anymore. But if changing the face of television and inspiring a generation of comedy writers were something we could do, I would love to “end up” that way.
Was Adult Swim always interested in your show? Or did you have to push it quite a bit to get them to put it on the air?
There was intense boredom when we pitched the show. And even less enthusiasm after we turned in episode one. But in fairness, they let us make the show we wanted to make and let us figure it out along the way. In the end, they paid for it.
Is there any cartoon that you absolutely hate?
Yes!
Any plans to make a spin off but in the form of a porno?
I was hoping the porn industry would do that for us. With a Teen Force of legal age.
What do you like to watch on TV?
Silicon Valley and Veep are prob my two faves right now. I have not seen a frame of GoT, but I did sit across from George RR Martin on a flight once. For those of you desperate for the new book – he napped and flipped through a Sky magazine THE ENTIRE FLIGHT
Is Carl still going to give us his STONE COLD LOCKS OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK? Also, what was the most fun you’ve had on the show?
I hope to keep the locks coming. All depends on SVP. Most fun? Foleying Meatwad sound effects. Smearing 10 lbs of raw hamburger onto a Meumann mic
What was your inspiration for Carl? I feel like his character is in some way taken from someone you know and I’ve always wondered
My dad’s buddies from Long Island. My uncle Skip. My college roommate from Toms River, Dolla Bill $orrentino. And Space Ghost briefly had a neighbor in his condo complex, Dominic. Never made the show, but those were the kernels.
Dumber Dolls is my favorite episode of all time, been watching since the very beginning of the show from episode one and I’ve loved every minute of it. Which episode is your favorite to watch? Which was your favorite to create?
The first Mooninites episode was where we started to figure out how to make the show. That one always seems like a marvel to me. Before that one, we didn’t know what we were doing. My favorite to watch? All of them. I just get a big tub of ice cream and pop in the DVDs every night. And masturbate vigorously. To how I spent my thirties.
Did you get bitched at when the “Boston” episode leaked?
No – it wasn’t my fault, and whoever leaked it is a dick. Whatever that was, it was half-done, if that. We had a GREAT script – and we were going to complete it for this run of 10 eps – but then weren’t allowed to finish it. And then this leaked. I was hoping we could always have one completed episode that no one was ever going to get to see, and then 40 years from now, Betty White’s emaciated titanium exoskeleton could open the Williams Street vaults to view the lost episode on TV Land. It would have been fitting. But the internet won’t let you have nice things.
A titanium skeleton can’t be emaciated. Shit. My brain is getting droopy.
What are the chances of a feature length movie based on Ignignot, my favorite cartoon character?
Dimmer than the dark side of the lunar empire (said in the voice)
How awesome is Dana Snyder?
Very. I will work with him forever – as long as he has a tongue and lips.
How did you feel about the Sears Tower being renamed after you?
Honored. Deeply honored. I cherish the good people of Chicago, and I will rule them with great humility, but also with massive wisdom and super-bitchin’ strength. Tithe to me your first-born, central Illinois, so that I might prepare my armies of the night!
What’s the chances of a hand banana / carl reunion?
Very good, but you must watch every episode to unlock the mystery. Will they or won’t they?
Are you currently work on any pilots for Adult Swim? You and I are both Atlanta Braves fans. Are you satisfied with their performance this year given all the trades?
Just Squids and YPF right now. Braves: Beyond Satisfied. No prima donnas on this team, much more excitement. That said, they haven’t played a tough schedule thus far. My brian understands the Gattis and Kimbrell trades, but my heart still feels betrayed. El Oso Blanco! And whoops, this pen is not so good.
Was the character Zucotti Manicotti a reference to Zuccotti Park of Occupy Wall Street fame, which was in the news at the time the show was being aired? And, if not, what was the origin of the character’s name?
Yes, it is based on that, but not for any underlying political reasons. It just seemed like a silly word. What an incredible story!
Is the series Finale real or is it that bullshit where you change the name every season?
REAL. We only changed the name to get people to write about the show. Unsuccessfully, I might add.
What influences your work the most? What inspired the show?
Influences? At this point, other writer/producers at adult swim. I got to watch Too Many Cooks explode from the ground floor. Maiellaro, Fortier, Chris Kelly and Harrigan are some of the funniest people on the planet. And I’m not saying this because they will read this tomorrow. But they will. What inspired the show? Boredom with Space Ghost.
Did you get to work with MF Doom on The Mouse and the Mask? If so, how did that come about and what was it like working with him?
I don’t know how that happened, but I’m glad I got to be a part of it. I never actually worked with him on that. He used to come into Williams Street, drink a half-gallon of Patron and knock out some voiceover. Never slurred once. Then again, that might have switched the mask with someone sober, post-tequilla. I may never know who read those lines.
Favorite David Bowie song?
Five Years
Have you worked with Brendon Small before? Would you like to see Dethklok show up in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force?
Brendon is great, he’s been on Squids a few times. But, speaking for Brendon here, if Dethklok and Aqua Teen do a crossover episode, murder us both in a grisly public beheading.
What are your plans after ATHF?
Making more stuff. I still have Squidbillies rolling with Jim Fortier. And Casper Kelly and I are releasing new eps of Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell in mid-July.
Are you happy it’s over? Have any regrets? Would you do anything differently? 12oz mouse?
Bittersweet, definitely. I’ll always be proud of it. It changed my life. It was exciting to see our work take off with people, before hating became the way of the internet. Looking at you, chuckleCuck! 12 oz mouse? Sure. Matt killed my character, Rhoda, violently with a sword. Snakes emerged from my corpse. But if he can resurrect Rhoda, I am down.
How did you get involved with Scott Van Pelt and getting Carl to do football picks every week?
He kept saying “Number One in the Hood, G” on SportsCenter, so I sent him a truckload of crap, and we’ve been friendly ever since.
What advice would you give to an aspiring TV writer trying to find representation?
Keep making, keep writing, keep working. Representation will find you.
What’s yer favorite bar in Atlanta?
Manuel’s because it’s close. Yacht Club because I lived there, briefly in my twenties. I really like the Imperial down in Decatur. $2 draft!
