Happy American Independence Day!

For this post, I found this open letter to my Rocko staff that I started the show bible with. I felt we were doing something different in the early 90’s, and like a lot of other shows of the time, declaring our independence from the old TV cartoon wasteland. You may find it interesting. You may not. Regardless, here it is:

OPEN LETTER TO ROCKO’S STAFF 1993

 When Nickelodeon approached me to conceive an idea for a television animated series, it was important to me to do something very different. I wanted to do something with bite, warped sophistication and the feel of an independent film. Nickelodeon supported this vision, and I developed Rocko’s Modern Life.

 It is almost a necessity to “UNLEARN” old ways when approaching a style such as this. The style lends itself to a “Why can’t we try it this way” approach. Because the show is highly character driven, every quirk and subtlety must come through, uncrowded by flash. Rocko’s world was designed to make someone stumbling on it feel slightly off kilter. The “bend and squash” of every prop and background focuses on the unstable world Rocko has found himself in.

 Although the style is different, you will find some methods and processes that borrow from the old. In some cases, we have coupled the successful methods from a prior era, with new methods more adapted to today’s environment.

 We have put together this guide in an effort to communicate my vision of “Rocko”. Although it took a while to create, it may never be complete. I hope the characters keep surprising us in the places they will go, and that we continue to polish the process of producing a series such as this.

 Thank you for your commitment to this challenge. I hope you have fun with it.

 

 

Joe Murray

Creator/Producer