As part of his Q&A, C.H. Greenblatt shared some fantastic information about working on "Harvey Beaks", "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Chowder", including what fans can expect to see in "Harvey Beaks" season two, including that the opening titles for "Harvey Beaks" season two will feature new scenes, we'll get to meet Harvey's grandparents, and that the crew are working on a "Harvey Beaks" Christmas special! C.H. Greenblatt also hinted that a upcoming episode may explore the origins of Harvey's best friends, Fee and Foo, and revealed the upcoming episode "Double Digits" be about Harvey's tenth birthday!
Check out highlights from C.H. Greenblatt's Facebook AMA below!
I love your show chowder and Harvey beaks is was awesome did you like my letter and i have a question what be awesome to have a crossover with Chowder oh and I'm not your boyfriend . From Juwan chandler
C.H. Greenblatt: Juwan! I loved your letter and the paintings you did! Thank you so much for sending them. I've been promising myself I'd send you a letter in return and I will make myself do it!
Most memorable Mario Kart moment?
CHB: Blasting a blue shell with the horn box thingie.
Favorite Mario Kart Powerup?
CHB: I'm a fan of red shells.
do you watch youtube
CHB: Doesn't everyone? I don't watch a ton. I have a few things that I like, but I don't spend a lot of time browsing.
what your favorite show
CHB: I dunno about favorites. Right now I'm powering through Blacklist. It's super fun!
Do you like any videogames?
CHB: I do! I played a lot of PS1, PS2 and Xbox.
What's your favorite board game?
CHB: So many! King of Tokyo will always be special.
Why is Burbank so hot and sunny?
CHB: Because it's the armpit of LA.
how Harvey met fee and foo
CHB: On jdate.
do you watch sillysuperpop
CHB: I have no idea what that is.
*patrick star voice* i love you
CHB: *Blush*
prove you're not a robot!
CHB: Beep Boop you found me out!
How can I become a puppet like you?
CHB: 100 Pushups!! 100 Situps! Run 1 mile everyday!!!
what got you into animation?
CHB: The door! (rimshot) Seriously I spent years drawing my own comics. Those got me my first job on SpongeBob.
which character you like the most
CHB: Harvey. And Fred.
Who do you think would win in an contest for being the most annoying: Fred Fredburger or Princess?
CHB: Princess is obnoxious. Fred is annoying. But I'd probably rather spend time around Fred than Princess.
How hard is it to get onto the animation industry?
CHB: It's challenging but not impossible. You just have to spend a lot of time really honing your craft and putting your work out there. Then It's a mix of good timing and perseverance. There are only so many positions and lots of artists, so you'll need to be as good or better than the others.
Have you done the voices for any characters in your shows?
CHB: I voice Dade, Jeremy, and other random dudes. On Chowder I did the voice of Kimchi and a few others.
Why does The Spitting Tree look more similar to A Tail of Les Squirrels than any other episode?
CHB: Because those were the first two episodes we made. The look of the show was still being locked down at the point.
What inspired you to make Chowder and Harvey Beaks?
CHB: Chowder comes from how cool I think cooking is. It was a show that was meant to capture the surreal-ness and fun of animation. Both Chowder and Harvey represent big chunks of my personality. I wanted Harvey Beaks to show a more hopeful and sweet vibe of childhood.
Which animators inspire your art and designs?
CHB: Artists I really like William Steig, Miyzaki, Chuck Jones, Akira Toriyama, and other folks I can't remember right now.
Will season two have a new opening intro or will it be the same?
CHB: The intro was created to be modular, like what we did with Halloween. So yes there will be new images in the opening of Season 2.
What Was Harvey And His Friends Doing Something For Fun?
CHB: They like to explore the woods and play games.
What is your favorite part of creating an episode and why?
CHB: At the very beginning when a story is nothing but potential.
When will the last five half hours of season 1 air?
CHB: We don't have a schedule for that yet. But we typically announce what airs a week or so before.
Could you ever go back to writing for spongebob?
CHB: Never say never.
What's it take to break into the business? How did you start out?
CHB: I started as a storyboard revisionist on SprongeBob. I didn't have any animation training, but I did have experience making commercials and comics.
No questions. I just wanted to say hi and thank you for making such a sweet show [smile emoticon]
CHB: Thanks!
Most hyped upcoming episode of season 1?
CHB: Alone! I'm biased because I boarded it.
Is this the Krusty Krab?
CHB: No it's the Peach Pit.
If you were on an island with Harvey...without food. Who would eat who?
CHB: I'd eat that bird like I was at KFC!!
What was the show going to be like back when Foo was the main character?
CHB: A bit crazier. He would've been more mischievous.
Do you have any favorite TV shows you like to watch in your free time?
CHB: I really liked One Punch Man. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Fargo is good. Youtube boardgame reviews.
will you attend the kids choice awards and what is jdate
CHB: No I won't be there. Jdate is a dating site for Jewish people. That answer was meant as a joke.
will there there be an animated you on Harvey beaks in the future
CHB: Nope.
Wil Double Digits be about Harvey's tenth birthday?
CHB: Yup!
Is there any specific character that you enjoy boarding for the most?
CHB: I like boarding Harvey. He's easy to draw and I feel the strongest affinity to him.
Who's your favorite writer from Alabama?
CHB: Vern. He's really cool.
Are you wearing pants?
CHB: How did you know!? I'm currently sporting Hip-hop dancepants!
Why are you always dancing shirtless in your office?
CHB: Because I know that you will walk by and see me. Kiss!
Who decides in which studio and which voices are going to be the ones for the dubbing of a cartoon in other countries? You know Chowder was dubbed in Mexico and Harvey Beaks in Venezuela.
CHB: That is up to each individual country. I believe they have a meeting with the president/parliament and a resolution is passed saying who gets to do the voices.
When creating a show, who's responsible for hiring the crew (writers, story board artists, bacground painters ect) the creator or the network?
CHB: Usually the creator. The network may have input and suggestions. If you're a green creator, they sometimes put an Executive Producer on the show to help you.
If you'll recall, you held a poll a while back on tumblr asing us to vote on what we want to see in season 2 (options being some crossover with chowder, Dade comming out, and Technobear having 3 moms or something), I was wondering which one won?
CHB: I think the ice cream social won!
Why does Fear of a Krabby Patty look different (personally even better) than the other season 4 episodes and episodes you boarded beforehand?
CHB: I don't know. Maybe I became a better drawing person by then. Maybe the studio that animated it got better.
What do you think of all the fan art of people make of Harvey Beaks? Do you enjoy when people make fan art of things you've created?
CHB: Fan art is great! I love it.
HEY I KNOW YOU! YOU'RE THE GUY WHO DID CHOWDER! YOU'RE C.H. GREENBLATT!
CHB: Yes I am.
If Harvey, Fee, and Foo met chowder, what would happen?
CHB: I feel like they would get along. Chowder would bond easiest with Harvey.
What is the meaning of life
CHB: It's a great movie by Monty Python.
Are fee and foo orphans? If so, for how long have they been orphaned?
CHB: That's a good question. Perhaps there might be answer in the near future...
What's your favorite music to listen to while creating?
CHB: Muse keeps me going when I'm boarding late at night. Lots of Sufjan Stevens helps as well.
Will there be a Christmas special in season 2 ?
CHB: We're working it right now!! It's gonna be really different.
Who is the mastermind that is in control of the Harvey beaks writers Twitter page ?
CHB: Carson Montgomery! Although mastermind is giving him way too much credit. Maybe apprenticemind is better...
what makes you so awesome and creative?
CHB: MSG!
Any ideas of crossovers with other Nick shows yet?
CHB: No we're not popular enough for that.
How is the new Nickelodeon building in Olive Ave. going on?
CHB: It's been great except for the haunting. We shouldn't have built it on an Native American burial ground.
What's your favorite thing about your job?
CHB: Getting to work with lots of talented people and make something that gets shown occasionally on tv!
I wonder if there is an episode of Harvey Beaks where the 3 main characters have dreams of being giant monsters?
CHB: Naw, they're gonna stay pre-pubescent. Except maybe Kratz. He might age.
As someone who worked on all 3 networks (Nick Disney & Cartoon Network) , what do you say was the biggest difference between the three?
CHB: They're very similar. The show itself really dictates the differences more than the studio.
Which rights in a animated TV series belong to the creator and which ones to the company? ((If you can say of course)
CHB: All rights belong to the company, assuming it wasn't a pre-existing property. They own it all and you are work for hire.
What was your process for brainstorming show concepts/stories? What was the pitching process like for your shows? Thanks [smile emoticon]
CHB: A show idea is a pretty gradual process for me. I'll spend a lot of time with a character slowly building out their world and relationships. Once I feel like I have the core figured out, then I feel confident enough to share it.
Pitching is about condensing your idea into a memorable, processable chunk. I usually put together a small packet that outlines the main characters, their relationships, their world, and a few simple story ideas.
are you self-aware that miriam and fee are really similar characters (wow am i the only one who loves harveys parents or...)
CHB: Yeah, Miriam sees a lot of herself in Fee.
What kind of tips or advice would you suggest for someone thats trying to break into the industry? I'd love to be a storyboard artist any advice for building a portfolio?
CHB: Board out lots of simple shorts. Don't get too ambitious with making them super long. Break down movies and shows you like to understand the shot compositions and rhythm of cuts. Another tip is use your phone to take shots for board reference. It will help you learn to draw perspective.
I'd love to see more Nickelodeon, but sadly I have no cable tv no more, and so just out of curiosity what channel is Nickelodeon on if I wanna see it via HD antenna because that all I have at the moment?
CHB: I don't think it's on HD antenna. You can stream shows from Nick.com.
what episode will miriam and irving's backstory be revealed in? also, i think that irving's dad hates him/sees him as a wimp based off of the little we know of him. is this true?
CHB: This is an astute comment. Irving's dad doesn't hate him at all, but there is a communication gulf between the two. We'll learn a lot more about Irving and Miriam, as well as meet their parents, in season 2.
Is the episode Alone going to be kinda like the Spongebob episode Gone?
CHB: I haven't seen Gone so I have no idea.
I'm sorry if this question is weird or something or if you're allowed to answer or not but does Dade's character have a crush on Harvey? It's just something I've sort of picked up on because there are many moments he gets flustered/drops hints on screen when talking to or about Harvey. I think it's really sweet and cute but I'm not sure if I'm just reading too much into things or not. So much media between last year and this year have become so much more inclusive/progressive with LGBT representation so I was just curious if that's something that was intentional. It's ok if you don't want to answer or not. It was just something I was wondering about. Thanks!
CHB: I wouldn't really call it a crush as more of an obsession. Harvey is very special to Dade. I'll leave it up the audience to decide what they want him to be.
Why do you tell stories? And why particularly animated ones?
CHB: That was meant to be ironic. I guess I have a point of view on the world that I feel is worth sharing. Animation let's me do it a way that puts a more metaphorical and fun spin on it.
Same creator as Chowder? I swear I've seen that puppet somewhere.
CHB: Yes it's me!
Who would win in a pie eating contest between Rooter and Mrs. Beaks?
CHB: Don't mess with Mrs. Beaks. She will cut you.
CHB: papercut I mean...
CHB: Wow guys, I'm wiped, thanks so much for joining me today! Make sure to watch a brand new Harvey Beaks this Friday night at 8p/7c. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap.
###
Catch brand-new episodes of "Harvey Beaks" every Friday at 8:00pm (ET/PT), only on Nickelodeon USA!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Harvey Beaks News and Highlights!
