SYFY’s TZGZ lineup just got hotter with Season 2 of the adult animated series Hell Den. It premieres this Saturday November 7th at Midnight. Showrunner Neil Garguilo and the show’s fellow EPs, writers and voice actors Justin Ware and Sean Cowhig (all from the Dr. God comedy troupe) preview what to expect. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A.)

Jackson Murphy: Hell Den is one of the most unique animated show concepts of the moment. What’s its genesis?

Neil Garguilo (voice of Andrew): That’s very nice of you to say. We’ve been working with Shout Factory for a number of years to try and find a unique outlet for some of our favorite old, weird videos. Our backgrounds are in improv and sketch comedy so when we landed on this format it seemed like the perfect extension of what we do on stage.

JM: You were nominated for a WEBBY last year in the ‘Weird’ Online Film & Video category. ‘Weird’ is a good thing in this case, right?!

Justin Ware (voice of BET-C): If it’s good enough for Al, it’s good enough for us.

Sean Cowhig (voice of Fleek): Weird is my brand, so all the pieces are falling into place.

JM: Getting acquired by SYFY for their red-hot TZGZ lineup is a big deal. What was that transition and development process like heading into Season 2?

NG: It’s the greatest thing that could have happened to this show. TZGZ is the best home we could have found and we really didn’t see it coming because we came up with this show about 5 years before TZGZ existed. It’s as if the folks at SYFY created the perfect platform for us and then invited us to join. We’re very fortunate.

JM: How do you choose which old animation clips you’re going to use and poke fun at through the commentary?

JW: It’s a process. We start with a TON of ideas, and then pitch them, and then write sketches if people think it’s funny, and then gradually whittle it down. Usually it’s something we just spark to, and we don’t always even know what the sketch is, but we know there’s something. A good sign is when we all independently write sketches for the same piece of footage — it means there’s something there. Sometimes there are several iterations before we find the actual sketch, though.

SC: I watch clips – sometimes with the volume off – and look for something weird to happen. Then I review the weirdness over and over and try to figure out how I can parody that weirdness. For instance, my recurring director character, Chad, all started when an old animated short began with a “directed by Chad” card. That just tickled me and now Chad has been featured in a handful of sketches.

NG: To piggyback on Justin, it’s amazing how we all land on the same footage sometimes. There are 1000s of hours of footage. We don’t have a research team. The chances that we’re all landing in the same spots really speaks to the group mind.

JM: What specific goals did you have in mind for your characters for this season?

JW: We just wanted to flesh out their world a little more. We meet Andrew’s sister, and we go into the basement, and we learn BET-C had a one-night-stand and boned the house. You know, the usual.

NG: Having fun, dynamic guest stars was a big goal as well. We have so many
funny people in our lives, we wanted to get them into the den.

JM: You all wear so many hats on this show. Do you think people realize how much effort goes into 11-minute animated comedy shows?

JW: We’re sure they don’t, and that’s probably for the best. You don’t want people thinking a comedy group is too motivated – it ruins the rep.

NG: It’s a massive amount of time and it requires the ability to shift gears 5-10x a day. But we do the work with a smile. You said it yourself, TZGZ’s lineup is a big deal and we’re happy to grind to be a part of it.

SC: My favorite thing to do is to make people laugh. So no amount of work is too much work if I can do that.

JM: Matthew Lillard is a friend of mine. Very funny and talented guy who appears as Ghoulie in one of the episodes. Did he know right away the kind of voice he wanted to give the character, or was it more of a collaboration?

NG: He’s our friend, too!!

JW: We thought of Ghoulie and then immediately wanted Matt to do it, so the character never had a voice in our heads other than his. We gave him some general thoughts but we didn’t give him much direction, we just let him do his thing. He’s forgotten more about cartoon VO than we’ll ever know, so we basically gave him free rein and he crushed it, as we knew he would.

SC: Matt is so damn funny and so damn talented. I look up to him so much. He’s a pro… I mean, he’s Shaggy! Come on!! You just put that dude in front of a mic and let him go.

JM: I love the look of Ghoulie, too, especially the eyes. What was the design process, and what were the methods behind his character moving the way he does and playing to the camera in a sense?

NG: We wanted to do something a little different with Ghoulie. We all agreed on the overall look, but the eyes were something Matt Kiel had been toying with while prepping an updated look for Season 2. After some discussion, we felt they were a good fit for this basement weirdo. And the thought to speak outward was something Matt and I thought would be nice considering the character background. This creature sits around and talks to himself all the time. He’s no stranger to the lonely monologue.

JM: What are some of the benefits you’ve seen of this successful adult animated programming era we’re in?

JW: It’s such an exciting time to be doing this, we’re honestly thrilled to be a part of it. The main benefit, for us at least, is the chance to push the envelope of what “animated programming” means, and to go down some truly weird rabbit holes. And to work out our personal issues. It’s like our therapy.

JM: This concept allows for the show to continue on for years and years. What does the future of Hell Den look like?

NG: When I was seven, The Simpsons premiered. When I was a sophomore in high school, South Park premiered. I have watched those shows expand their world in such an inspiring way for the majority of my life. If we have the opportunity to expand outside of the house, I want to visit Hell immediately.

SC: I hope to be able to expand the universe of Hell Den. In Season 2, we get to the basement. I’d love to continue to explore other locations in Andrew’s house… and, for me, the dream is to finally get to the Liquorama down the street and see what’s going on there.

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Jackson Murphy

Jackson Murphy is a movie critic and entertainment columnist. He is the creator of the website Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.

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