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Chowder (TV series)

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Chowder
File:Chowder Logo.jpg
Chowder logo
Created byC. H. Greenblatt
Written byC.H Greenblatt / William Reiss / Alex Almaguer
Directed byJuli Hashiguchi / Kris Sherwood / Eddie Houchins / Shaun Cashman
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes20
Production
Executive producerC. H. Greenblatt
ProducerLouis J. Cuck
Running time22 minutes approx. (2×11 min. episodes)
Production companiesCartoon Network Studios, Hong Ying Animation Entertainment (animation production), Screen Novelties, LLC (stop motion segments)
Original release
NetworkCartoon Network
ReleaseNovember 2, 2007 –
Present

Chowder is an American animated television series that debuted on Cartoon Network on November 2, 2007. The show was created by C. H. Greenblatt, a former storyboard artist on SpongeBob SquarePants and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. The title character is a young child named Chowder, an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal, who owns a catering company serving the fictional Marzipan City. The show combines traditional animation with stop motion animation and puppetry.[1]

Production

Examples of puppet versions of characters Chowder and Mung Daal

During his time working on SpongeBob SquarePants, Greenblatt had been sketching various characters for his own animation series concept. [1] Greenblatt originally based the premise on the idea of the sorcerer's apprentice style of story, such as The Sword in the Stone. The plot devices were modified so that the story revolves around a master chef who teaches his young apprentice how to cook. Chowder himself was developed with no specific species in mind,[2] but rather with the intentions of invoking the image of a child's soft squeeze toy.[3] Some of the inspiration comes from Richard Scarry, with other inspiration from Saturday morning cartoons.[3][4]

Shnitzel was created originally as a personal character design exercise in the late 1990s.

I was even going to try and animate him in Flash, so I did alternate pieces of him. Back then he was called "Tapiocaca." He was supposed to be sort of like a big rock tiki monster that was always on fire. I even made a cool logo for him. Well I didn't really do anything with him after that, but I still liked the design. So when I was forming the world of Chowder, he seemed like a good fit. I like to think of him as a living menhir from the Asterix comics.

— CH Greenblatt[5]

Once Greenblatt pitched the concept to Cartoon Network, it was about two years before the series was approved for production with another year in production before the pilot episode aired. Greenblatt estimates he spent about seven years working on Chowder before the show made it to air.[1]

Episodes are produced in seasons which consist of 20 half-hour episodes.[6] Each episode is produced with a 30 second puppet sequence that is meant to run over the ending credits. Cartoon Network chooses not to air these credit sequences for first-run episodes, but starting on June 5, 2008, rerun episodes began airing the puppet segments.[6] Episodes can be purchased from the iTunes store in the United States which are delivered with the sequences as are episodes which are available on Cartoon Network's VOD website also within the United States.[3][7]

One of the unique design features of the show is the patterns used on the characters' clothing or skin. The patterns are developed as a full screen image and then sent to the production house where the characters are modified to fill the patterns in over the character clothing.[8][1][3] Using this technique, when a character moves, their patterns do not follow, but display as a "static" background. A similar technique was used in several Japanese anime, such as Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.[4]

Setting

Chowder is set in the fictional Marzipan City, based loosely on New York City, where varying cultural differences coexist with each other, and where the populace takes unusual occurrences in stride. The city is vast and never-ending, with wildly different geographic locations appearing side-by-side. For the architectural style of the city, examples from Moroccan and Indian architecture were referenced.[4] The inhabitants of Marzipan City, including the show's primary cast, are composed of various strange non-human creatures, ranging from anthropomorphic animals to more abstract and surreal beings.

Within the universe of Chowder, characters and locations are named after various foods. Many food names are altered, like "grubble gum" (bubble gum), "cinnamini" (cinnamon), "shmeg" (egg) and "blutter" (butter).

Humor

The show is filled with puns and meta-references. One example is when Chowder is learning to write and scribbles on the screen. Gazpacho erases this, and Chowder points out the Cartoon Network screen bug. Gazpacho comments "That one doesn't come off. I've tried."[9]

Characters

File:Chowder-group.jpg
The main characters (left to right) Shnitzel, Mung Daal, Chowder and Truffles shown in a typical city scene
  • Chowder (voiced by Nicky Jones) - Chowder is a small, eccentric child who is serving as a chef's apprentice under Mung Daal. Chowder lives with Mung Daal and Mung's wife, Truffles, in a room at the top of the catering business. Chowder wants to become a great chef, but he is very impulsive, and often gives in to his urges. He is always hungry and eats anything, even a customer's order. Chowder can also regurgitate objects, and is used as a storage container by the other characters. According to Greenblatt, Chowder is a composite of a cat, a bear and a rabbit,[2] and his species was verified in at least one episode.[10]
  • Mung Daal (voiced by Dwight Schultz) - According to his Cartoon Network bio, Mung Daal is the "greatest chef in the world".[11]Whilst it is not known exactly how old he is, he has mentioned that he has cooked for at least 386 years,[12] and he celebrated 450 years of marriage.[13]
  • Shnitzel (voiced by John DiMaggio) - A rock monster and professional chef who works at Mung Daal's Catering Company. His vocabulary consists almost entirely of "Radda", although he sometimes says other simple words such as "Okay" or "Oh!".[5] Shnitzel is the "straight man" to the other more excitable characters, and is frequently agitated. He gets stuck with menial labor or cleanup duty, as well as the heavy lifting, because he is extremely strong, and is easily angered by Chowder's antic. Despite his remark, Shnitzel really has a soft spot for Chowder, as he cries when it was thought that Chowder has vanished forever.[14][5] Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Shnitzel for one episode, "The Froggy Apple Crumple Thumpkin", and was replaced at the last moment by DiMaggio due to Richardson being busy with other projects at the time.[5]
  • Truffles (voiced by Tara Strong) - Truffles is Mung Daal's wife, who handles the business side of Mung's catering business. She is a mushroom pixie. She is usually practical, but has a foul temper and easily loses patience with her husband, his staff and their customers.
  • Gazpacho (voiced by Dana Snyder) - A storekeeper who sells strange produce and ingredients. He does his best to offer advice to Chowder when needed. He lives with his overbearing mother, who never appears. Gazpacho shows no interest in moving out and improving his own life.
  • Panini (voiced by Liliana Mumy) - A girl who has a crush on Chowder, and lets him know this at every opportunity. Chowder does not return the feelings, and responds with "I'm not your boyfriend!" whenever she greets him. She is an apprentice to Ms. Endive. According to the creator, she is of the same species as Chowder.[2]
  • Ms. Endive (voiced by Mindy Sterling) - A female chef who teaches cooking to Panini with strict discipline. She is the thorn in Mung Daal's side, berating his cooking style at every turn. She is often unkind, and considers Mung Daal to be her rival. In the episode "Chowder's Girlfriend", it is revealed she despises boys and boyfriends because her fiancé did not show up on their wedding day. The creator describes her as Martha Stewart with Oompa-Loompa colors.[15]
  • Kimchi (voiced by C.H. Greenblatt) - Chowder's pet, who lives in a cage next to his bed. Kimchi is a brown-colored cloud (an anthropmorphized flatus). He likes things that smell bad, and he "talks" by making flatulent sounds.[1]

Episodes

Season 1: 2007-2008

The episodes which are listed on the official Chowder website are not in order of air dates. This list of episodes is the actual air dates given.[16] Each program is divided into two eleven-minute episodes, except for "Shnitzel Quits", which was a full twenty-two minute episode.

On January 15, 2008, C.H. Greenblatt commented that the first season has been extended to 20 half-hours, adding 7 episodes to the first season.[17]

# Title[18] Airdate
1"The Froggy Apple Crumble Thumpkin / Chowder's Girlfriend"November 2, 2007
The Froggy Apple Crumble Thumpkin - Mung, Chowder, and Shnitzel try to make the Froggy Apple Crumple Thumpkin, an advanced-level dish, for the customer, but before selling it, Chowder needs to beat it in a thumb wrestling match.
Chowder's Girlfriend - After leading her on, Chowder tries to convince Panini, the apprentice of Mung's rival Ms. Endive, that he is not her boyfriend, but Panini does not seem to get the hint.
2"Burple Nurples / Shnitzel Makes a Deposit"November 2, 2007
Burple Nurples - Mung goes on poison control after Chowder accidentally poisons a dish and tries to sell it.
Shnitzel Makes a Deposit - Shnitzel tries to deposit a paycheck, but Chowder and other people cause him to take a long time to do so.
3"Grubble Gum / The Cinnamini Monster"November 9, 2007
Grubble Gum - Chowder makes the big mistake of not sharing his gum with Truffles, and soon all of Marzipan City ends up in a very sticky situation, in which the entire planet is pulled off, parody of Katamari Damacy. [19]
The Cinnamini Monster - When Chowder bumps against a cinnamini tree, he is shrunk and is captured by a lonely cinnamini monster in the forest, and the whole gang soon has to find a way to escape from their emotionally needy new friend.
4"Certifrycation Class / The Sing Beans"November 16, 2007
Certifrycation Class - When Mung is forced to spend a day in Chef Certifrycation school, he butts heads with the instructor. Mung must decide to stay true to his instincts or swallow his pride in order to pass.
The Sing Beans - In order to cook the performing food Sing Beans, the gang has to stay up all night as the dish cooks. But Chowder takes it upon himself to finish the process with wildly musical results.
5"The Wrong Address / The Wrong Customer"November 23, 2007
The Wrong Address - Chowder and Mung go through an unfamiliar part of Marzipan City to find and give an order, a Roast Most, to the customer.
The Wrong Customer - While Chowder and Mung are away to deliver the customer his own order, an unexpected outlaw (who is just an innocent man that has extremely poor sight and hearing as well.) unwittingly uses the catering company as a hideout and drags Shnitzel and Truffles into a world of trouble.
6"Majhongg Night / Stinky Love"November 30, 2007
Majhongg Night - Chowder tries to get Truffles' Mevilled Eggs, no matter what it takes, even if it means destroying her game night.
Stinky Love - Mung makes a Clabbage Cobbler, but Kimchi falls in love with it because of its stinky smell, and takes it to the top of a building for the night, so Chowder goes up there and keeps him company.
7"The Thrice Cream Man / The Flibber-Flabber Diet"December 7, 2007
The Thrice Cream Man - Mung tries to break Chowder's Thrice Cream obsession with a living Thrice Cream man but deep down, Chowder thinks that his dream-come-true turns into a nightmare.[20]
The Flibber-Flabber Diet - When Truffles thinks she is overweight, she puts the whole company on a strict Flibber-Flabber-only diet for a month, but nobody likes it except Chowder.
8"Gazpacho Stands Up / A Taste of Marzipan"December 14, 2007
Gazpacho Stands Up - Gazpacho has a stand-up comedy gig, but no material. He asks Chowder to write down his jokes in a book called "Comedy Gold", but things go wrong when Chowder's handwriting is unreadable.
A Taste of Marzipan - An all-out war ensues when Mung Daal and Endive clash after they realize they made the same dish at the city's annual street fair.
9"The Puckerberry Overlords / The Elemelons"January 18, 2008
Puckerberry Overlords - Chowder eats a sour fruit and ends up having a bizarre quest in his mouth, with his wisdom tooth narrating the story.
The Elemelons - When Truffles' behavior cause the Elemelons to go on strike, Mung Daal forces her to solve the problem.
10"Sniffleball / Mung on the Rocks"March 6, 2008
Sniffleball - Feeling that Chowder has been spending too much time in the kitchen, Mung forces him to play sports with the other kids. Upset by Panini's kisses and Gorgonzola's meanness, Chowder has to figure out a way to escape the game and get back home.
Mung on the Rocks - After Mung forgets his and Truffles' anniversary, Truffles starts to give him the cold shoulder which affects his cooking, leaving Chowder to help them out.
11"The Moldy Touch / The Heavy Sleeper"April 3, 2008
The Moldy Touch - After accidentally letting a mold creature out of its bottle, everything Chowder touches turns to mold. After realizing what has happened, Mung tries to stop Chowder before the entire city becomes moldy.
The Heavy Sleeper - Chowder goes to great lengths to wake up Mung, who has fallen into a very deep sleep.
12"At Your Service / Chowder and Mr. Fugu"May 1, 2008
At Your Sevice - Mung and Chowder work for Ms. Endive in order to get a rare fruit from her.
Chowder and Mr. Fugu - Chowder meets a customer who can eat more than he does, and who does not share his food. George Takei makes a guest appearance as Foie Gras, the "Lucky Cat".
13"The Vacation / The Sleep Eater"June 5, 2008
The Vacation - Chowder, Mung and Shnitzel accidentally lock themselves in the restroom when they are about to go on a vacation.
The Sleep Eater - Chowder must stay a full food-free night to realign his internal clock.
14"The Bruised Bluenana / Shnitzel and the Lead Farfel"June 12, 2008
The Bruised Bluenana - Chowder nurses an injured bluenana back to good health to avoid a clingy Panini.
Shnitzel and the Lead Farfel - Shnitzel trains to revive his muscles and lift the heaviest object around, The Lead Farfel.
15"The Thousand Pound Cake / The Rat Sandwich"June 19, 2008
The Thousand Pound Cake - Chowder and Shnitzel race against the clock when delivering an order to a heavy giant.
The Rat Sandwich - The gang tries to get rid of Reuben, who is extorting the company.
16"Chowder Loses His Hat / Brain Grub"June 26, 2008
Chowder Loses His Hat - Chowder chases his lost hat.
Brain Grub - Chowder becomes smarter after Mung tries to change his scatterbrained nature. This leads Chowder to understand that he is living in a cartoon and uses his knowledge to turn it into a boring "veggie show".
17"Shnitzel Quits"July 3, 2008
Shnitzel Quits - Shnitzel quits the catering company and joins Endive.
18"The Broken Part / The Meach Harvest"July 10, 2008
The Broken Part - Chowder accidentally breaks a machine, and has to repair it.
The Meach Harvest - Mung faces a fruit that he fears.
19"Banned From The Stand / Creme Puff Hands"July 17, 2008
Banned From The Stand - Gazpacho drives his friends away as his ego swells.
Creme Puff Hands - Chowder's hands inflate, and soon become a liability.
20"The Apprentice Games"July 24, 2008
The Apprentice Games - Chowder and Gorgonzola team up for the Apprentice Games, and have great results.

Crew

  • Supervising Director - Eddy Houchins
  • Production Coordinators - Megan Brain and Pietro "Pappy" Piumetti
  • Production Assistant - Leilah Behrmann
  • Character Designers - Serapio Calm and Phil Rynda
  • Model Clean-Up - Frank Homiski and Laura A. Dalesandro
  • Prop Designers - Mark Bachand and Tara N. Whitaker
  • Storyboard Revisionist - Peter Browngardt
  • Background Designers - Bill Flores and Rebecca Ramos
  • Color Stylists - Brian Smith and Roger Webb
  • Background Painters - Joe Binggeli and Anna Chambers
  • Casting/Recording Director - Collette Sunderman
  • Recording Studio Manager - Karie Gima Pham
  • Recording Engineer - Robert Serda
  • Animation Checking - Sandy Benenati
  • Track Reading - Slightly-Off Track
  • Stop Motion/Puppet Sequences - Screen Novelties
  • Picture Editor/On-Line Editor - John Barbera
  • Dialog Editor - Jim Hearn
  • Digital Effects - Chris Staples
  • Animatic Editor - Suzie Vleck
  • Animatic Scanner - Erick Aragon
  • Direction Production Technology - Antonio Gonella
  • Music - Dan Boer and Zac Pike
  • Storyboards - William Reiss, Alex Almaguer, Tom King, Clayton Morrow, Maxwell Atoms(Guest Artist) and C.H Greenblatt
  • Art Director - Dan Krall
  • Directors - Kris Sherwood, Eddie Houchins, Juli Hashiguchi, Shaun Cashman

Reviews

After its premiere, the show was given mixed reviews by most newspapers and online animation websites. Some of the reviews are positive[21][22][23], two raising questions as to whether Chowder can entertain with its occasional bathroom style humor[24], or sometimes recycled material.[25]

Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter thinks that the show will appeal to both children and adults alike, using exotic artwork, unusual settings, and a zany cast of characters.[21] On Toon Zone, Ed Liu expands on the animation and crazy antics of the characters, pointing that the humor of the show is kid-friendly without being juvenile. Liu reminds his readers that Chowder is still in its early phases, and with just a little more time to develop, he feels that the show will be successful.[22] Aaron H. Bynum on Animation Insider also mentions the animation, settings and crazy characters of the show, ending with the comment that Chowder is one of the biggest projects Cartoon Network has undertaken in recent times.[23]

The New York Times agrees with the stylistic animation, but gives question to the physical humor of the show, using the character of Kimchi as an example. Mike Hale feels that the writing is bland.[24] Robert Rich at The Daily Texan opinions that some of the unoriginality of the show is due to Greenblatt's involvement with successful shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Spongebob Squarepants. Chowder's eating habits are a source of concern, given the social concerns of obesity in children. Rich also feels Chowder is unoriginal and full of cliché, with nothing to set it apart from the current generation of cartoons.[25]

Nominations

Chowder was nominated for two categories in the 35th Annie Awards:[26]

  • Best Animated Television Production for Children
  • Writing in an Animated Television Production, C.H. Greenblatt and William Reiss for the episode "Burple Nurples"

See also

C.H. Greenblatt has also worked on the following cartoons as a writer and story-board artist:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Ed Liu (2007-10-30). "Toon Zone Interviews C.H. Greenblatt on Crafting "Chowder"". Toon Zone. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  2. ^ a b c ""What is Chowder?"". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2007-11-12.
  3. ^ a b c d Joe Meyer (08-02-2008). "Interview: C.H. Greenblatt". Kitty Sneezes.com. Retrieved 2008-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Steve Fritz. "Meet the Master Chef – C.H Greenblatt". Animated Shorts. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  5. ^ a b c d "Nerd Armada: Shnitzel FAQ". Nerd Armada. C.H. Greenblatt. 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2008-04-07. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Nerd Armada:Let the New Chowders Begin!!". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  7. ^ "Nerd Armada: More Puppets". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  8. ^ "Nerd Armada: Chowder Patterns". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  9. ^ "Gazpacho Stands Up". Chowder. 2007-12-14.
  10. ^ "The Puckerberry Overlords". Chowder. 2008-01-18.
  11. ^ "Chowder". Cartoon Network.
  12. ^ "Certifrycation Class". Chowder. 2007-11-16.
  13. ^ "Mung on the Rocks". Chowder. 2008-03-06.
  14. ^ "Nerd Armada: Just Two Weeks Until Chowder Premiere". Nerd Armada. C.H. Greenblatt. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  15. ^ "Nerd Armada: Ms. Endive". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2007-04-19. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  16. ^ "Chowder". Cartoon Network. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  17. ^ "Nerd Armada: New Chowder This Week". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  18. ^ "Chowder Episode Guide - Chowder Season Episodes - TV.com". Retrieved 2008-07-11. {{cite web}}: Text "TV.com" ignored (help)
  19. ^ "Nerd Armada: I Got Red Ringed!". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  20. ^ "Nerd Armada: Thrice Cream Man". Nerd Armada. C.H Greenblatt. 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  21. ^ a b Barry Garron. "Chowder" (PDF). The Hollywood Reporter.
  22. ^ a b Ed Liu (2007-11-02). ""Chowder" is Satisfying Comfort Food". Toon Zone.
  23. ^ a b Aaron H. Bynum (2007-10-24). "New 'Chowder' Animation Ready to Serve". Animation Insider.
  24. ^ a b Mike Hale (2007-11-02). "In the Kitchen With Blobs and a Cloud". The New York Times.
  25. ^ a b Robert Rich (2007-11-05). "'Chowder' debuts on TV". The Daily Texan.
  26. ^ "35th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2007)". The Annie Awards. 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-03-04.

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