In the Future DVDs Will Fly
I'm feeling a bit melancholy today. I think it's partially the weather. The sky is slate grey, but it's still in the 90's. I can taste the ashes of Malibu in the air, and everything smells like burnt plastic. I learned a few days ago that Disney really is making a movie out of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars", which has always been on my mental back-burner as something I'd like to work on someday when I had enough clout. I can only hope Disney doesn't butcher it, but it's weird to think that it's totally off the menu. Stranger still, today I got my copy of the Billy & Mandy Season 1 DVD and that made me really realize that Billy & Mandy is over.
I know the DVD's been out a while, but I hadn't seen the finished product until now. Despite the fact that I was blocked from working on any of the packaging and someone misspelled the name of Big Boogey Adventure on the insert ad, the whole thing came out pretty well.
I can actually see when the show got cancelled, but the wavering art quality of the early years doesn't bother me as much as it used to. And some of the stories I used to hate aren't quite as hate-able as I remember. And, of course, some still are. But all-in-all, it's the real deal. Even with all the rough edges it's still a really weird, funny show that beat the odds, got made, and stayed alive for 78 half hours and a DVD movie. They're not all gems, but there's some great stuff in there and I'm pretty proud of it.
I can actually see when the show got cancelled, but the wavering art quality of the early years doesn't bother me as much as it used to. And some of the stories I used to hate aren't quite as hate-able as I remember. And, of course, some still are. But all-in-all, it's the real deal. Even with all the rough edges it's still a really weird, funny show that beat the odds, got made, and stayed alive for 78 half hours and a DVD movie. They're not all gems, but there's some great stuff in there and I'm pretty proud of it.
If any of you have watched the extras... yeah, I really am that much of a dork. It's true. I still really dig the Virtual Mr. Snuggles. If only we could've gotten him to sit still so we could put a little party hat on him.
I can't say I'll miss the cancellations or the inexplicable dramas or the late nights working on two or three massive projects at one time, but I will miss the crew. Billy & Mandy was a very collaborative show, and a lot of great people cut their teeth on it. I can only hope they go on to make something of their own that they can be proud of. Hopefully I will too, though I have no idea what it might be. That's actually sort of exciting. And hopefully whenever I do do whatever it is i'm going to do, you'll be there to join me for a few laughs.
Now for the answers to some questions I've been getting:
There is no such episode as "Billy & Mandy Ends". In fact, CN gave me explicit instructions not to "end" the series. Which also doesn't mean it'll be coming back.
I have no idea if CN plans to release Season 2 or beyond. Buying Season 1 and/or writing letters might increase the chances.
Underfist does indeed air next Halloween. It's coming out even better than I'd hoped. you will like it. YOU WILL.
Finally, here is a photo of a stairwell at CN Atlanta:
posted by Maxwell Atoms at 4:11 PM
44 Comments:
Ah, melancholia.... it's an epidemic! If I still lived in LA, I'd offer to buy you a drink to cheer you up (but what goes with ash and burnt plastic?)
Seriously, though, you should be very proud of B&M, each and every episode. It's a classic show. I force all of my friends to try watching it, and they all like it. In ten years, the young cartoonists will all be citing B&M as one of their major influences.
There must not be a huge rivalry with Disney, since someone wrote in Disney font. Or maybe it was tongue-in-cheek, considering what they wrote...
Sadly, I wish I could've seen the show more often. Missed a lot of good episodes and specials. Here's to the next seasons dvds flying to my mailbox...
will these stairs be on eBay by any chance......hmmm?
*weeep*, *weeeeep*....
it's a bit sad, but B&M really lasted for a long time. Congratulations bout a job well done; you've got a lot of fans all over the world and the stairs rock!
i'll link it!
I already got my copy of season 1 and it's fantastic. I really REALLY hope that they put the rest of the seasons on DVD. DON'T MAKE ME ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD THE REST OF THE SERIES, CARTOON NETWORK!!! 'CAUSE I'LL DO IT IF YOU PUSH ME!!! BLEEAARRRGGHHH!!!!
Ahem.
Good luck in all your future endeavors, Mr. Maxxy Max.
Those are the coolest effin' stairs I've ever seen.
Best of luck in the future! If you make something half as good as billy and mandy I'd be a happy viewer.
you should have a replica of that staircase made for your house.... your house with no stairs.
I don't know when the DVD was released, but I think I got it either on or really close to its release date. I went to a Hot Topic two days in a row...because I happened to be there and I look for geeky video game shirts and stuff. The first day, there was no DVD (not that I was expecting one). The following day, I saw it propped up on a shelf and immediately bought it. I loved the behind the scenes feature, it was hilarious. That's the kind of thing I would love to do if I somehow...made it into the animation business, got my own cartoon and it became popular enough to be put on DVD. But I really did think that was hilarious, and also just exciting to see. I love that some Evil Con Carne episodes were included too. I didn't know the DVD was rated PG (my version says not rated, actually). I guess that's because of the extra content? Anyway, it's great, and I will bother Cartoon Network until they release more.
It has been a month since it came out and you just know got it. Wow!
I like the staircase. And also when is the Billy and Mandy/KND crossover suppose to happen. It was suppose to air last friday but it didn't. So is it November 11 or what?
I've wondered why CN and Nickelodeon don't like to "end" their series. That's why Angry Beavers went off the air...hm. It's odd.
I just finished re-watching Big Boogey Adventure again after the other hundreds of times I’ve watched it. I watched it on the night it premiered on cartoon network with my then boyfriend because it was my exciting idea of a date. Other emotional memories aside, I can watch it so many times because there’s so many layers in each scene and I always pick up some little clipping I missed the previous time.
Billy and Mandy is one of my all time favorite shows because of the obvious reasons—the dynamic between the characters/voice actors, the humor etc… There’s something about the humor that was somehow unexpectedly intimate, like someone knew which obscure references I would exactly laugh at. There was always something excitable about the fact that it actually was a children’s show and yet all of these incendiary mechanics seemed to continue on somehow. That this show existed seemed like some type of undeserved gift to me, and for some reason I just felt like letting you know.
I hope you don’t think I sound like a sociopath or something. Or worse, that I sound EMOOOTIONALLLL.
I’m sure whatever you decide to do will have this kind of singular power. I know I’ll be there to watch it.
yeah... I guess it is pretty sad that Billy and Mandy is really over... *sigh* will anything ever fill the void? Well I'll be sitting here... waiting for the next big thing...
The Season One DVD is awesome by the way...I Loved it! especially the special features ;) You should be proud of what you have brought to tons of kids (and adults) around the world!!
Those stairs are pretty cool. Kind of reminded me of Stuff I painted on my bedroom walls.
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/2573
/andreaandherwallartpp3.jpg
ooooh, I just had an idea - it should be an escalator - imagine it, it wil just keep going and going "destroiasol, destroiasol, destroiasol, destroiasol, ailtek dachikan..." and so on :D lol
that would rock :D
Heres to you sir, one of the greats. I look forward to your next masterpiece.
I laughed when I saw "Destroy us all" in the Disney font.
Ah, I know Disney is working on a 2D animated movie "The Princess and the Frog" (No idea if that will actually be finished, since there's already been a huge drama fest over its name, the character's names, and the inter-racial couple thing.) Though knowing Disney, there's a good (or bad) chance that they'll butcher it.
It is sad that the show has ended, but it'll always be my favorite. I really hope they release the other seasons, bah.
Anyway, good luck with your future endeavours, I'll be looking forward to them!
were there ever unaired evil con carne episodes? tv.com lists two: "past" and "skarrina". if there was, is there anyway to get them? dvd for fans only perhapse? :)
http://www.tv.com/evil-con-carne/show/20438/episode_listings.html?season=0&tag=nav_bar;all
i really cant believe how funny evil con carne got. dare i say superior to b&m.
next question.
what age group is 'chowder' for? the previews make it look like spongebob type humor.
play the billy and mandy drinking game! every time you hear a fart sound effect, take a drink! two drinks if its from a girl character!
email me at patriotact@gmail.com thanks!
I tried to go tobarns nd nobles to buy it because i saw it online and they said they don't carry dvd's...ughh. I'll get it sometime, soon hopfully.
Hey! you should be more than proud, Billy & Mandy is an amazing achievement and an awesome show! I can say that i will be buying any and all series on dvd that i can lay my hands on- as will many others i'm sure. You have deffo earned my respect, as king of the cartoon!
You're one of my favorite dorks.
-A dork
Tis a depressing day when Billy & Mandy don't get a proper farewell.
And any ideas on when El dia del los Muertos Estupidos / Heartburn is gonna air in the US? Last I read is that it aired in the UK already.
Speaking Frankly, the First Season DVD of Billy and Mandy (as well as Foster's second season) was damn hard to find in my area (Houston, Southeastern Texas). The Wal-Marts didn't stock it, The Targets didn't stock it, The Circuit Cities DEFINITELY didn't stock it. I had to go to a Best Buy miles out of my area to get a copy three weeks after release.
In contrast, there were a bajillion copies of the latest Ben 10 DVD in every store that didn't carry Billy and Mandy.
Since CN doesn't have Any DVD's planned for the rest of the year, I'm frankly concerned for not just Grim, but all of the CN shows that could very well be left incomplete on DVD.
The DVD itself, I got it and enjoyed it. The earlier Billy and Mandy, while not up to the par it would reach later, is still great entertainment, and as someone who had watched since Meet the Reaper, seeing the older ones again was a treat.
They should have made the DVD set cursed like the Ring: after watching all the episodes, Grim comes to take you away.
Not sure where the chowder blog is, so I'll post here. I thought the storylines were a little silly and childish, but the design and look of the show and the bizarre humor and imaginativeness have me hooked.
"Princess of Mars" is being done by Pixar. I believe Andrew Stanton is directing. It's their first live action film.
Don't be sad Max, Billy and Mandy was one of the greatest cartoons ever! And you have great talent. If you do make a new series, make it a sci-fi like B&M and Evil Con Carne, stay on that track.
Billy and Mandy has finally come to an end...will you be making a new cartoon?
That's some tiny writing dude!!
I can't wait for the dvd to come out in New Zealand, sadly it may be some time!! Love it, Love it!!
Hey, I just saw "The Grim Adventures of the KND". I gotta say, I liked it. At first, I had all sorts of worries about the styles of the two shows coming together. It looked great and the story was awesome too.
As a big Mandy fan, I got all sorts of awesome moments. Mandy slapping the crap out of Numbuh One, Mandy dressed as Numbuh One, Mandy taking over KND, Giant Robot Mandy, and Reaper Mandy. Mandytastic.
Billy's dad's pants are awesome.
Hey UK Bakosi, he's making a new special called UnderFist which is a spin-off of Billy and Mandy. Mr. Atoms claims this will just be a one time thing but I hope it becomes a series.
I saw The Grim Adventures of the KND and it's fantastic! (Not a word I use a lot) but I just don't like how Mandy took over the way she did.
As a fan of the show, I'd like to say a few things;
It was good while it lasted, and it'll go up with other cartoon classics. It also managed to do something other cartoons (that shall remain nameless) just fail at doing: engage the audience.
I'd just like to thank you guys for such a great ride through the years. B&M has been a highlight on my list of favorite modern cartoons for years. I'll patiently wait for Underfist. :)
T_T
Been there.. Anyway, i'm planning to make an online signature recollection just to see your show again!!
And i'm planning to steal those stairs too XD
Adeus
Sounds like standard procedure for most children's networks. It's been a long-standing policy at Nickelodeon to NEVER bring closure to any canceled cartoon, so they can air the episodes in perpetuity.
However, there is hope. A few animators managed to bring their shows to an end by working around Sumner's rules. Jhonen Vasquez ended Invader Zim in a comic, while the guy who created The Angry Beavers recorded a voice-over session with Nick Bakay and Richard Horvitz that both wrapped up the series and cast Nick's programming executives in an unflattering light. Now that's multitasking!
If you wanted to put the dot on the end of Billy and Mandy's sentence, I'm sure you could find a sneaky way to do it. It wouldn't ever be shown on Cartoon Network, but it could still be canonical.
Dear Mr. Atoms...
I am still geeking out about actually finding your blog. You are probably thinking, how could you have trouble finding it? In actuality my mind still lives in a horrible, distressing place where famous people who have cool names and I admire live very very far away from me and cannot communicate with me in any way. But now, thanks to the internet, all is possible. Except resurrecting the dead.
I have been enjoying your series for a very long time now, and you'll be proud to know that is has further unhinged my mind. I always loved Evil conCarne, but thank goodness you were able to squeeze in a bit of General Scar into the odd Billy and Mandy episode.
I have just come on line after watching four episodes of B&M in a row without breathing, believe it or not and I can no longer see in colour.
I enjoyed the Evil dead references (doomstick, New Jersey Book of the Dead, Hoss Delgado's chainsaw hand, Grim dreaming about swallowing people's souls..etc...etc), the Harry potter mockings, the wonderfully evil geniusy tones of David Warner as Nergal, the odd spattering of Greek mythology, maming, screaming, burning, and a cupful of sugar every day, and the swelling is sure to go down eventually.
Now please stop writing to my sister. She's been getting the vapours an awful lot lately.
And now, as I smack myself on the head and thus reactivate my brain, I express my heartfelt condolances and weep with you. But the weeping hides joy! for you should be proud of every single episode you ever created! And of the millions of poor witless fools you have brainwashed into inserting various objects into their nostrils and sacrificing hamsters!
THE KEY TO ETERNAL DARK POWER!
yes.
As I say, it is an honour to write you some patronising junk that you will probably never read, Mr. Maxwell, sir!
Hoping you are feeling better and that you will perhaps bless my own blog with a comment of badassness,
Yours
Doctor Thomas A(for aaaaaaarrrggghhh) Smoke.
P.s. democritus says hi.
P.P.S.
Looking forward to next halloween and Underfist.
LONG LIVE JEFF AND HOSS.
my geeking out is finished now.
...
what's that?
...
sigh...yes I'll clean it up...
what?
YES I'LL USE SOAP!
guh...
...
...
Hi, I'm a big fan of B&M, this show along with others has inspired me to animate, and I want to become a storyboard artist when I grow up, and I owe it all to you, Mr.Atom. You're my hero.
Hey Maxwell,
I'm really sorry to hear the news. B&M was a great show, I've been there since the first episode. I still haven't been able to buy the dvd, maybe I'll put it on my X-mas list.
Anyway's can't wait to see Underfist and your next show!
Von Kreep
I just watched Billy and Mandy Save Christmas and I saw a sign that was in Greek letters. It said Sigma Phi Mu O Nu. I think in European letters it says Sfmon. Is this a clue to your new pilot or an in-joke?
you need some new posts !
So, Has anyone heard anything about a possible Billy and Mandy Season 2. A Season 3 for Ben 10 has been announced for march but other than that, nothing's been suggested.
whens i grows up i wants to be a cartoonerator liked you max
seriously just got my season 1 dvd fan@#%!ingtastic sir. Great show, keep going on. Do you need a coffee lackey or sandwich stooge?
I finally found the season 1 on DVD, and you're right, some duds, but all in all a great season and it really makes you fondly remember the show's beginnings. I live in Canada and I couldn't find the DVD anywhere but eventually went for a "vacation" to Michigan and found it at a Hot Topic
I love Billy and Mandy show and from all the show on CN they are showing in my country I only like Billy & Mandy. Show made quite an influence on me as a person. I hope that new episodes will continue to air soon. I also watched Big Bogey Adventure and I really really loved it ! I hope that people from CN will see how good show is and how big quality it is. I also like the music from the show, everything is sooooo perfect about it, I don't see why its canceled. They sould cancel Dexter or DORKS Next Door if you ask me :(
I love B&M and spent about a month now just surfing trough the internet searching for every bit of information I can find. Hmmm... In kinda hoped to do something greater with my life though. Universe domination would be a fine goal (until I find something bigger, of course). Anyway, You should be a lot more proud of your show, 'cause as soon as I watched each episode movie or whatever, I'll be needing to beg for more, and you wouln't like me if my wishes are held away from me...
By the way: The stairs are priceless! (Are you a big chicken fan? I usually tend more to chicken wings... and pizza... with lemon ice cream and mentos... but never ever all mixed up.)
PS: Do you have any clue of where I could order the dvd these days over in the philippines?
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