Adult Swim Experiments with The Venture Brothers

Venture to have your sides hurt from laughing in Cartoon Network’s new late night offering for its Adult Swim block, THE VENTURE BROTHERS. Back by popular demand since the pilot aired Feb. 16, 2004. The series, created by Jackson Publick III and produced by Noodlesoup Prods. in New York City, premiered as a series Aug. 7 and now has it’s own weekly timeslot on Saturdays at 11:00 pm.

A true spoof on the old Hanna-Barbera JONNY QUEST series of the mid-sixties with some SCOOBY-DOO, SPACE GHOST and THE ARCHIES animated styling and gags the comedy/mystery plots feature the famous Dr. Venture toiling over some truly peculiar, and probably completely unnecessary, experiments, in a secret, high-tech laboratory. Outside, his two dimwitted sons, fraternal twins Hank and Dean, insult each other and ride around on their motorized scooters. And an impossibly muscle-bound man, Brock Samson, dreams of killing people and having sex with women – at the same time – if that’s possible.

Hank, elder son by six minutes, considers himself to be the duo’s “jock.” The truth is, he’s not particularly athletic. Dean, an avid reader, thinks he’s the duo’s “brains.” The two barely add up to one average brain.

Always together, they treat even the most mundane experience as a bold new adventure or a curious mystery. Their banter, filled with phrases like “golly gee” and “gosh darnit,” is so completely annoying that everyone, their father and their frequent kidnappers included, can’t wait to get away from them.

Sniveling super-genius Dr. Venture is, frankly, pretty embarrassed by his kids. The son of a world-famous super-scientist, the young Rusty Venture traveled the world. But now, he’s literally haunted by the spirit of his dead father, constantly reminded that he has driven the family business, Venture Industries, into the ground. Once a science prodigy, Dr. Venture has become a bald hack with serious cash flow problems, a dated wardrobe and two completely annoying kids.

Brock is the kind of man Dr. Venture would love to be – strong, violent and catnip to the ladies. An operative of a shadowy government agency, Brock was assigned to protect the Venture family years ago. Then the agency forgot about him. Now he handles all the “man’s work” on behalf of Venture Industries – piloting the Venture Jet, “neutralizing” threats and rescuing the boys since Doc Venture’s work takes them everywhere from a space station to the Bermuda Triangle and the back alleys of Tijuana.

Dr. Venture’s enemies include the Monarch, a megalomaniac with a cumbersome set of wings, a loyal army of soldiers in butterfly costumes and a serious grudge against Dr. Venture. The Monarch is even more irate that Dr. Venture doesn’t even seem to acknowledge him as his mortal enemy. He also has a shapely accomplice, Dr. Girlfriend, who looks voluptuously feminine in a see-through baby doll nightie, but speaks with a deep, masculine voice.

Dr. Baron Ünderbheit was scarred as a youth but now wears a menacing head-to-toe suit of armor, which sports a pronounced, and deadly, underbite. He wants to take over the world, or at least get back at Dr. Venture for something that happened when they were college roommates. Then there are the Phantom Limb, Molotov Cocktease and the Orange County Liberation Army.

The humor is especially geared toward men, irreverent, seemingly disconnected with sardonic asides and salacious, oftentimes gross observations or bits of business. The comedic spots are so layered that the hilarious bits and asides are tucked throughout each episode easily missed without multiple viewings. The color palette and designs are reminiscent of THE ARCHIES and the Scooby-Doo Mystery Gang. This truly belongs in late night viewing.

THE VENTURE BREOTHERS stars the voices of:

James Urbaniak is Dr. Venture, The Phantom Limb
Patrick Warburton is Brock Samson
Michael Sinterniklaas is Dean Venture
Chris McCulloch is Hank Venture, The Monarch, Mr. White
Doc Hammer is Dr. Girlfriend, Master Billy Quizboy
Steven Rattazzi is Dr. Orpheus
T. Ryder Smith is Baron Ünderbheit
Paul Boocock is Dr. Jonas Venture
Mia Barron is Molotov Cocktease
Lisa Hammer is Triana Orpheus
SOUL-BOT is H.E.L.P.eR.

The series was created and directed by Publick, who also writes it with Doc Hammer and they double up on some of the voices as well.

The bio on Publick reads: Having exhausted his trust fund some time in the early ‘90s, and lacking any other marketable skills (despite being a few credits shy of achieving degrees in geology, biology and super-physics), the younger Jackson put his propensity for doodling and lying (ironically the causes for his dismissal from several east coast private schools) to good use and entered the fast-paced world of television animation. Working under the pseudonym Christopher McCulloch to avoid being accused of trying to cash in on his father’s name, he left his mark on such animated fare as THE TICK, KING OF THE HILL and SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY.

However, by 2002 his penchant for quality bedding and bespoke suits prompted Jackson to reconsider cashing in after all. He came to grips with his creative legacy and reclaiming his name, updated the characters his father and grandfather originated – emboldening them with his own style and sensibility to create THE VENTURE BROTHERS, a new Venture family saga for the new medium of television and new generation of youngsters-at-heart to enjoy. When in the United States, Jackson resides in the legendary Penthouse C (“the jewel of the East Village” – HOUSE AND HOME MAGAZINE), high above New York City.
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Jeffrey Nodelman is on board is supervising producer, David Lipson is producer and Rachel Simon is assoc. producer.

Character and prop design supervisor is Mike Foran while Freya Tanz is background design supervisor. Storyboard supervisor is Bill Presing, storyboard revision supervisor is Douglas Lovelace and animation direction supervisor is Miguel Martinez-Joffre. Marina Dominis-Dunnigan is color supervisor while Heather Austin heads character and prop color key.

Post-production audio services are by Goldcrest Post Production Ltd. Dave Paterson is supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer. Astrobase—Go! Did the tile sequence. Music is by J.G. Thirlwell

Hammer also edits the series and takes care of special visual effects.

Additional production services Digital Emation Inc. with Steven S.H. Yoon as exec producer and Ki-Yong Bai as supervising director.

Execs in charge of production for Cartoon Network are Keith Crofford and Mike Lazzo.