Viewers may want to camp out in from of their TV sets this summer with Cartoon Networks new offering, CAMP LAZLO, a 30-minute animated comedy from creator Joe Murray, which premiered July 8, 2005 at 8:00 pm. The series chronicles the odd and happy camping life of colorfully crazy critters, featuring a Bean Scout named Lazlo and his bunkmates at Camp Kidney.
Lazlo is an optimistic, high-energy Brazilian monkey who gets into silly, fun adventures with his two best friends: Raj, a wise and compulsive Indian elephant, and Clam, an eccentric and highly intelligent albino pygmy Rhino.
They bunk together at Camp Kidney, located in the Pimpleback Mountains next to Leakey Lake, complete with rustic cabins named after all the famous beans (such as soy, garbanzo, jumping and cocoa); a beach and boat dock for aquatic fun; an outdoor amphitheater and campfire pit; a loudspeaker for blasting announcements and a mess hall. Bean Scouts come to Camp Kidney to practice knots and learn to obey the Bean Scout Laws, taught by Scoutmaster Algonquin C. Lumpus, a thin-skinned and frustrated moose, and his ever-present assistant Slinkman, a banana slug.
Lazlo, Raj and Clam, who live together in Jelly Cabin, have upset the serious structure imposed by Scoutmaster Lumpus. This fun-loving crew has a rebellious, non-conformist and optimistic nature which clashes profoundly with the neurotic moose and all the other compulsive campers, including dung beetles, a platypus and lemmings.
Stirring things up cross the lake is camp full of Squirrel Scout girls at Acorn Flats, including a very cute moongoose named Patsy Smiles, a devoted sci fi geek giraffe, Nina Neckerly, and an ever-hungry alligator, Gretchen. Jane Doe is their perky deer Den Mother while her colleague, Miss Mucas protects the girls with her gruff, prison guard attitude. Perky Patsy has an insatiable crush on Lazlo who is too busy clowning around with his buddies to notice.
Murray, creator/exec producer of CAMP LAZLO, is an author of several childrens books and his first animated series, ROCKOS MODERN LIFE, enjoyed great critical and popular success. The series, about a wallaby from Australia who immigrates to the U.S. and learns to cope with the absurdity and difficulty of everyday existence, premiered in 1993 and enjoyed a 52-episode run.
Art director Sue Mondt pays homage to YOGI BEAR and many Hanna-Barbera series of the late fifties in the style and color palette of the show while the characters have a COW AND CHICKEN influence from model designer C Raggio IV. Much of the crew and cast are from ROCKOS MODERN LIFE.
Solid voice performances, cast and directed by Collette Sunderman, are performed by Carlos Alazraqui (Lazlo, Clam), Tom Kenny (Scoutmaster Lumpus, Slinkman), Jeff Glen Bennett (Raj, Samson), Jodi Benson (Patsy, Jane Doe, Almondine), Jill Talley (Nina, Gretchen, Miss Mucus), Steve Little (Skip, Chip, Lemmings) and Mr. Lawrence (Edward, Nurse Leslie, Ping Pong, Dave). Murray said he likes to use voice talent who are stand-up comics, sketch actors and improv actors for their good comedic timing.
Each critter character is a sort of a social caricature, where Murry tried to match the personality of the character to various animals.
CAMP LAZLO offers great characters, well-timed comedy and cartoony action with nostalgic design appeal lifts up it up from the flurry of new animation offerings this summer.
The series is produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. Supervising producer is Mark O'Hare, supervising director is Brian Sheesley and Shareena Carlson serves as producer. The veteran crew of animation directors consists of Russell Calabrese, Lindsey Pollard and Swinton O. Scott III. Story editor is Merriwether Williams.
Music is by Andy Paley, music editor is Nick Carr and Murray wrote the main title lyrics. Post-production sound services are by Hacienda Post with supervising sound editors Jeff Hutchins and Timothy J. Borquez, MPSE. Sound effects editors Keith Dickens and Tony Orozco provide plenty of HB sound library sounds.
Rough Draft Studios Inc. in Seoul does the overseas animation with overseas animation directors Jong Ho Kim, Doo Seok Lee, Hyung Doo Lim and Dong Kun Won.
Executive producer for Cartoon Network Studios is Brian A. Miller, supervising producer for the studio is Jennifer Pelphrey and execs in charge of production for Cartoon Network are Andrea Lopez and Khaki Jones.
