PsychicPebbles & Michael Cusack Talk Smiling Friends
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
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We’ve all waited years for this. The Create Unknown community has been following along with Smiling Friends for over 3 years, from the idea stage to its new reality. And we’ve got Zach Hadel/PsychicPebbles and Michael Cusack here to give us HOURS of Smiling Friends talk.
We start off with what we didn’t get to see in the show, and how the standards and practices oversight influences the final outcome of a series like Smiling Friends. They tend to shut down, “Anything funny or anything that’s slightly a good idea,” so it’s a lot like UA-cam. And one of the biggest problems was… Satan vaping?
The boys give us some behind-the-scenes secret about Mustard sucking “impossibly fast” and DJ Spit’s pubes, all of which we never saw. But who did grandma’s lollipop noises? And the GAGGING?
We get some leaks about the saddest place to put Pim, and Zach and Michael tell us what makes the Charlie-Pim duo work so well. Here’s a hint from Kevin: they’re NOT ‘Dumb and Dumber.’
It turns out that Mr. Frog is actually the oldest character of all. But… what did he say on Jimmy Fallon?!
The world was very, very close to seeing Chris-Chan as the grease puddle, and Zach details the process that killed our dream. Imagine the memes we missed out on… but the ones we’ve got are amazing.
Zach’s obsessed with Dan Aykroyd, and we’re obsessed with Nothing But Trouble - and in particular, a very specific nose. But not everyone loves Smiling Friends. We go line by line through a scathing review that’s disappointed that the show isn’t like Big Mouth and Rick and Morty. Was that article actually bait?!
Kevin’s favorite scene was Satan’s DoorDash experience, which is so perfectly awkward and mundane as to be elevated into something unique. Michael says he’s less and less social as he ages, so maybe the thing about hundreds of hours spent gooning is more real than we know.
Smiling Friends is full of tiny details, and the oversight from Michael and Zach throughout the series had to be fatiguing. But it resulted in a show that carried out their vision and entertained millions.
Patrons jump in to ask literally dozens of questions, and Michael and Zack stuck around for them all. What about the Rust gameplay? What’s the integration of 3D and live action do to the process? How do you stop being your worst critic? And WHERE IS SEASON 2???
Thanks to the HUNDREDS of people who joined us live, and especially to the Patrons who made this episode possible. To those of you have been around for a while and stuck with us: it means everything to us. And to the many new Patrons: tell us about your art, your creative project, your interests… that’s what makes our community great.
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#SmilingFriends #PsychicPebbles #MichaelCusack
The fact Zach is actually a very polite articulate intellectual in this and not a goblin scares me
Imagine if he didn't have his silly nasal voice
@@TheBfutgregI can't. It is inseparable from his being
@@TheBfutgregl LLP
Zach always reminded me of Mike Judge, both dudes are really smart but also great at depicting idiotic characters and humor because of it
>
I can't imagine higher praise than "This show is no Big Mouth".
Solar Opposites is good
@Anatoli Smorrin I kinda liked the wall bit.
@Anatoli Smorrin I remember liking the first season, but in hindsight I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened aside from the wall so maybe you're right
@Anatoli Smorrin it's actually good. you need to give it half of the first season, but it grows on you if you let it.
I hated big mouth
It hurts to think that Norm Macdonald could have been on Smiling Friends.
Spirit they’ve gone
I always loved hearing his voice in his animation roles when I was a kid, he would have been a great fit. Him as Pigeon in Mike Tyson Mysteries was fantastic.
they wanted chris chan too. just wanted to throw in my two cents.
@@raah7957 I think we're all glad that fell through
@@raah7957 I wish that hadn’t fallen through :/. I think we all agree it would have been amazing.
Hearing Zach refer to standards and practices as the "fun police" genuinely made me laugh.
standards and practices of taking the fun away >:(
I'm pretty sure Trey Parker called them that in the South Park documentary too lmao
i mean
pretty accurate description of them tho
It’s funny because it’s true
It Feels like a michael scott quote lol
1:19:14 I love Zach’s chuckle as he realizes he remembers the word gooning and realizes how perfect of a time it is to use it
Can’t believe that they all knew what it was too
I think Chris Chan voicing a character in Smiling Friends would've caused some kind of rift in the time space continuum, causing the real dimensional merge.
It would've been funny but jarring lol
Sonic in the real world dude
The dimensional merge was created by someone mentally torturing a already mentally ill person because they thought it was funny
My exact same thought process back when he was rumored to be in the show was "there's no way, he'd blab about it everywhere NDA or no NDA" good to see Zach thought the same lol
@@barrettbirks1058
Correction, multiple someones
Michael cusacks vocal range is crazy, i had no idea he voiced mr frog AND Alan
FOR REAL!! I love his voice acting so much
And he just slips effortlessly into both of them, like he has those voices in his back pocket.
I want the timestamp where he does the mr frog voice so badly
@@canopeneranimations276632:00
@@canopeneranimations2766 31:58
9:50 - the way they're so openly talking about illegally streaming cartoons, without so much as a hint of judgement because they have all done the exact same thing to other shows, is so hilarious and relatable.
Hell yeah no cable and free computer viruses
@@brandonparada9564 Who the hell still gets computer viruses from streaming?
@@dermathze700 fr
Support the show if you want it to continue
@@theendoftheworld9921 a few people pirating doesnt hurt them. it hurts no one. piracy is morally okay. poor people exist.
10:22 "her head was supposed to go up and down on ones" "The joke to us was she's sucking him impossibly fast" I fuking died here
The way zach delivers lines makes him insanely funny, even when he's not trying to be
@@UnderclockFGC The "brrrrrr" noise he made killed me.
I doubled over laughing while i was doing dishes,i had to take a moment
*moans in Hadel* BRRRRRRRRRR
I'm so glad to hear their struggling paid off with "Frowning Friends" because that ended up being my favorite episode. Lots of good gags in there.
Same here! At least it gave me the most laughs.
Dj spitz is my favorite character in that episode, must have watched his scenes hundreds of times
F I R E
@@nedthedog4574 GET OUT OF ME HEEEAD
Same. The Renaissance Men back and forth is genuinely my favorite bit in the series and to know how casually it came about is great.
I love how this feels like they're interviewing Pim and Charlie.
Hermmm wait a minute, hermmmm wait minute. Hermmm. It's almost like they voiced Pim and Charlie.
@@lemonzzz *scratches one big dandruff on my bald head
Erm, I don’t mean to be a fricken grammar nazi here but, erm, I think you mean *they’re
@@flappy_meal_3214 tip: you should include the explanation of the difference between there and they're
eg. they're can be expanded to 'they are', if 'they are' doesn't fit the sentence, then you're thinking of there
@@A_Black_Sheep94 that’s why he says this FEELS like they are
Zach talking about finding the right balance between "having a deadline" and "making your magnum opus" is really inspiring. Haven't had the motivation to animate recently and that's because I keep coming up with these grandiose ideas in my head instead of just working on smaller things here and there.
Just look at telepurte. Dude just uploads, and he's always doing random stuff
I'm the same way with scriptwriting. I keep wanting to make sure that my favorite story idea is "perfect", when I should be trying to make my 2nd and 3rd favorite ideas pretty good. Because multiple "pretty good" final products are much better than no product at all.
I'm not an animator (well I do some), but an engineering student and yeah, the feel is real. The toughest thing I've had to learn is how to constrain myself and ideas to be something manageable. Learning how to be happy with "good enough" or learning how to limit my scope has been difficult, but valuable. I'm at least lucky that uni has given me deadlines and a bit of formal instruction on how to limit myself. It's gotta be tough being an animator--especially for youtube--because you don't necessarily have something big and tangible to force you to move on.
It's brutal to have to put something out in the world that you think is imperfect, but it's the only way you can get better.
Perfect is the enemy of good enough.
Its a paralyzing situation I feel a lot of creatives have. I had it too, I eventually just started getting to work and challenging myself in increments, your magnum opus will come when it comes
“Zach Hadel is no Justin Roiland” well I would hope he’s not LMFAOOO
I hope Adult Swim releases a Blu Ray set and lots of this cut material gets to be shared this way.
Yesyesyes I was def hoping for that cause it would be the best way I could support them while being in Canada
A Blu Ray release for a season of a show that's barely over an hour long seems a bit excessive
Any uncensored blu rays ill buy
@@jmorales09 that's why you cram it with extra content
@@jmorales09 Ok
We could have had a timeline where we had 20 seasons of "Mr.Frog"
Only seasons like 4 through 17 are worth watching
@@zion9575 Did you see when Bug returned to the show in season 20 finale though?
Fans were sure things would end after Mr. Frog punched Bug's girlfriend when filming season 18 and he vowed to never be on the show again. But Bug really did show back up. Him and Mr. Frog even had a little kiss to prove they still loved each other.
@@Hayatehiroyuki25i enjoyed this comment
Zach and Michael talking about how Charles Manson would be disgusted if he knew what Chris Chan did to his mother is the funniest exchange I've heard all week LOL
"we don't want to reference something for the sake of referencing something." That is such a relief to hear, and is one of the reasons I love Smiling Friends. So many adult cartoons nowadays use references as a desperate crutch for comedy. A reference in and of itself is not a joke. It has to have a setup and a punchline....
I have such huge respect for Zach and Michael as creators. They clearly know what they're doing, and have so much integrity.
I've noticed that every comedy I enjoy understands this concept. The rest...don't
It's weird that my roommate has opposite tastes lol
Hey, lois! This is just like that time wizzaroot posted on the youtube comment section of the video PsychicPebbles & Michael Cusack Talk Smiling Friends!
@@clostridiumtetani9947 *cut to Thanos playing Fortnite*
Chills being in the show though
“Number 15”
1:13:00 I love how they bring up this seemingly toxic dopamine overabundance cycle. It’s so true and relatable like yea most people wanna workout or learn piano but nah we’re in our beds watching UA-cam with a horrible sleep cycle taking hits from a vape or something. It happens so often and no one talks about it. I love how in general smiling friends addresses topics that no one talks about and makes it fucking funny.
I'm literally living it right now
I just clicked on the video and saw this and i feel personally attacked
I’m literally hitting my vape in bed right now watching this.
Get out of my frickin’ head, man.
I was hitting my pen while watching the satan scene and felt targeted lmao
But at that point they're probably watching youtube in bed to wind down from the rest of the day, and having a bad sleep cycle doesn't stop you from being productive.
I don't think those have to do with seeking an dopamine cycle. If people are struggling to workout or learn to play the piano, then they got bigger problems than just looking for quick dopamine rushes.
1:31:23 "You touched it! YOU TOUCHED IT!..."
I love when Zach inserts himself into the opposing force of a story (in this case, the rude woman at the store).
He just has this urge to take any distress and multiply it by 10.
Could be a character that shows up in Smiling Friends.
I think the type of duo Pim and Charlie are is 'The Odd Couple', they complement each other by being contrasting archetypes but they aren't solid in their gimmicks, but switch in between and take turns being the straight man or the wild card, instead of just being one note they're a responsive dynamic, once one does something there is an opposite reaction.
Yea it's like their personalities are rubbing off on eachother, like sometimes Pim's being more neurotic and critical than Charlie while Charlie's sometimes more energetic than Pim
they have pretty much the same dynamic as spongebob and squidward
I feel IASIP can also be like this as the straight man usually changes depending on the episode/scene.
Kinda reminds me of Jake and Amir.
Sounds like me and my friend
All I want is a pim plush he is so adorable and I love him
In his cowboy costume!
@@thedovah8102 OMG YES PLS
@@thedovah8102 including one of those guns that shoots a cork on a string, I'd buy it in a heartbeat
@@dinoboi7756 stopppp that makes it sound so much cuter
Made with a real human nerve ending.
I do wish there were more Allen B plots, the computer guy moment is still one of my faves
yeah but it's hard to fit a B plot in with the 11 minute time slot
@@librask3009 Well Glep had his own one in the Mr Frog episode even if short, just 1 like that would be fine but I get it
Allen is just one of the many things that really makes me want more seasons of the show
Yeah, yeah yeah
It is hard to fit in a B plot like that, and 11 minute episodes are probably better without them. The fan animatic, The Last Resort, does it really well though.
This is making me miss the Very Positive Streams a whole lot more. I would love to witness more of Michael Cusack and Zach’s dynamic.
They should just join Slightly Artistic and make it a regular thing
Jackwards Long Bump
The characters from that are in the background on the salty episode.
Completely agree. The Very Positive Stream was something really special. Rarely do I get tears by laughing out loud, but Zach and Michael found ways.
@@Beunibster this, the art Chris in particular would draw in that and doodle doods made me laugh and sweat and drool.
re, Zach's advice on "making something to fill a void"; apparently, royalty-free music mogul Kevin Macleod created things because he was frustrated that they didn't exist, there wasn't enough of it, or what was already out there was bad. In his words: "Creativity comes from a special place in your heart called hatred".
Zach “it’s a Rorschach test” Hadel
I already loved the show when I saw it, but the moment I gained max respect was because of Mip, the Hobbit reference character.
If you look closely, you can see a light grey shadow along the border of the character, calling back to the OG 1977 film, when the characters would cast a shadow from the cell's position on the background because it was a physical frame.
No other character has that detail, and it's so subtle and intentional, it cements just how much these two loved this show & love animation.
Yeah, and Mip’s oddly uncanny movements are mimicking the rotoscoping from the 77 film.
Realistically, if Chris Chan voiced grease, the show may never be greenlit for a second season
If he was a recurring character maybe but as a tiny cameo with 2 lines I doubt it
Zach sounds so excited and happy about having a show it's so infectious
Man it was so much fun to sit through this live and see all the memes people were posting
I really wish I did
I was taken completely off guard when your donation came through and your name was read. I must know what the Sandman is!
It's heart-braking hearing that Zach wanted Norm to do the narrator for that episode. I would have loved to see that.
You have no idea how much I want them to base an episode on the accidental lore crossover of the peanut guy poisoning Charlie’s grandma.
One of the most impressive things to me as an animator was how they made Mip look like a real cel with the shadow and muted colours of poster paint. Such an amazing little touch that literally no one except extreme nerds will notice.
yo I like the sgt frog pfp that made me do a double take
Of course Harry Partridge was the one who did it lol, he's the goat online animator
Smiling Friends really is the true spiritual successor to Aqua Teen Hunger Force with the whole cartoon characters acting like real people idea.
That or either Home Movies which Zach mentioned as an inspiration
@@islandboy9381 there's even a little fella in prison in the murder mystery episode that kinda looks like brendan
Coupled with the juxtaposition of the amount of non-human characters outnumbering the human ones. It's what makes shows like this, ATHF, Regular show and others so interesting.
Meatwad is pim and Shake is Charlie
@@ohianaw carl is alan... or mr boss idk lol
2:33:56 I’m saving this time stamp for myself cause the bit where psychicpebbles talks about the Russian guy shooting himself and his friend just saying “good grief” had me crying with laughter.
"Oh brother!"
“Dyeah shplid”
I need the link or title of this video pls and thank you
@The Wool Buttons
The soldier’s name was Aleksey Nikolaevich Sayenko and he was Ukrainian. The video is on deadhouse.
@@Circuitssmith Is it the rifle guy?
I've just had the realisation - that I hope a sufficient amount of animators watching this will share - that, because Zach & Michael chose to use basically their normal voices for Charlie & Pim, people can now make fan animations of Charlie & Pim doing stuff from any recording of Zach & Michael talking together, like podcasts and streams. I'm looking forward to this.
My favourite joke in the show is the moment where the devil, the DEVIL, angrily corrects the uber eats guy with “Merry Christmas!”. It’s so quick and so so incredibly stupid and it caught me off guard so much that it made me laugh for basically the rest of the whole episode. the people I was watching it with didn’t even catch it.
I mean too its almost like him saying "i didnt defy god and get thrown into this icey hellscape for u douchebags to not believe in either of us"
it's so petty, especially the way zach voices the line lmao
I’m glad to hear he still talks with Chris and the gang I’ve been watching/hearing these guys for years!!!! Glad Zach got what he wanted. I remembered in a sleepy cast he wanted to make a show even if it was just one season!
Oh yeah Zach is a semi-regular member in Oney Plays now.
@@youreboy526 that’s right I’m stupid I literally still watch oneyplays 😂😂
Same, I've been a fan of Chris since 2008 and Zach since 2010 and seeing how far they've all come over the years is inspiring.
Too bad what happened with stamper, would have loved him on the show.
@@jonttopia Our guy literally became dj spits
All I ask for season 2 is we hear Charlie laugh really hard for a long time, for like 3 minutes
the way michael looks like a prettyboy in the thumbnail and zach drew himself like an eldritch horror like whats up with that
Been a fan of Zach and Cusack for years, but for some reason I only just now listened to this interview. These two are such fun interviewees, and the interviewers were great with letting them trail off into a natural conversation instead of reigning everything back towards dry question and answers.
This podcast would benefit massively if you had pictures on the screen for the topics you are referencing. There are several times where specific pictures are brought up and discussed and no description is given to the audience. Would be a nice addition, to the people watching the video at least.
I was playing a Switch game and kept looking over to see if they'd put the image on-screen
and it took too long to actually start the interview that if i didn't care about zach or the smiling friends i would just give up and turn it off
@@gegahertz7142 nah the intro was phenomenal
This is huge, additions like that elevate this kind of media incredibly.
This 100 percent. I was constantly waiting for them to pull the image up on the screen but they never did.
I think a big reason im personally really enjoying smiling friends is that it contrasts with a lot of the more drama driven cartoons currently. Not that there is anything wrong with them, cause I do enjoy shows like that, but i feel like there's been almost an oversaturation of them currently. Its a breath of fresh air seeing a show were the stakes are low and it can just be silly and dumb.
agreed, even some comedy shows out there gets solemn and drama covered at points, not just 10000% comedy like this show
This and the new ATHF season nail this feeling as of late.
51:07 - 51:11 extremely rare footage of Zachs voice not having any nasal flare to it. Creepy as fuck
He still has a really distinct voice regardless.
The first word was the only one that didn't seem nasally to me
Do you genuinely think it's creepy?
audio is not footage
Hell yeah dude boognish profile pic!
i know the show is just supposed to be funny, and at first that’s all i thought about it, but i’m halfway through the podcast and really i just feel more inspired than anything. Zach and Michael really don’t open up online like this, and to hear them describe the very same struggles i currently face or have before just lit a fire under my ass. Life has not been particularly easy, and the “being lazy because you’re stuck” bit reminded me i really won’t get anywhere if i don’t at least try to do something. Thanks guys.
Zach and his friends drop all sorts of little nuggets like this on the Sleepy Cabin Podcast
@@cynical8330 i miss sleepycabin
only zach and michael could talk about a guy dying violently on camera and make it the funniest part of the podcast.
*small voice* "dyeah shplid...."
Yeah that part was hilarious
2:34:20 time stamp 4 anyone wanting to skip to it
"Michael, I gotta tell you if I was ever in the barracks with you and you were resting your automatic weapon beneath your chin and you shot yourself in the head ten times and then went like this "EUUUGHH..." I wouldn't go "dyeah shplid" I'd go...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The giggle gets me every time
I love that Zach is trying his hardest to be serious explaining that movie, and no one will take him seriously lol
I feel like we all have that one movie lol
The Renaissance Men being a result of Zach trying to gaslight his friends is very... well, Zach.
Who are the renaissance-men?
@@TerrorTerrosit just says they’re coming to town
@@Ampher03like a rennesaince faire?
it was so surreal knowing exactly what zack was talking about at 2:34:44 that video is horrific and sad and im happy i havent seen it again anywhere, iirc the comments claimed the actual context of the video was that the guy was saying he was going to kill himself and his bunkmates thought he was joking.
The guy writing that article about smiling friends is literally reason it's entire concept exists. Someone who can't let go of political discourse or social issues for even a half a second.
Not everything is political, not everything is satire or meant to poke fun at some ideology or group. It's just funny. And that's why it's great.
I don't even know how you can possibly compare this show to that dumpster fire Bigmouth
I mean, it's basically impossible to be a-political, weather they intended it or not, smiling friends has episodes about cancel culture, nihilism, fast food places moving to healthier food, these are all technically political things no matter how silly it makes them, and it does make statements about this stuff. It's easy to say a peice of media contains no inherent political views, but much like the Devs of call of duty, the actual media usually says differently
@@allypearlman5569 I mean ..then it's not political anymore that's just mundane life, if you start seeing everything as political then nothing is anymore
@@Mattriix nah, I think it just means everything in life is political. The syndrome principal doesn't really work here.
bUt eVerYtHinG iS pOliTiCaL
I love listening to this just imagining that your actually interviewing Pim and Charlie as actors in the show and not just Zach and Michael.
The frowning friends story is pretty insane, it's either my num 1 or 2 faveorite episode too! I can honestly relate to it a lot in how I do things last minute in an improvised way but somehow it ends up better.
The renaissance men was my faveorite moment from the show too, just amazing how it turned up this way
I'm going to rewatch this entire podcast whenever I feel burned out because Zach and Michael are such a great and inspiring duo.
00:00 🎙 Charlie and Pim in "Smiling Friends" are a unique comedy duo, not following the traditional "dumb and dumber" trope.
02:11 📈 Hype and anticipation can be delicate, as seen with "Smiling Friends" and other creative projects.
03:20 🐬 Some scenes, like the one with dead dolphins on the beach, had to be cut from "Smiling Friends" due to various reasons.
07:07 🚬 Standards and practices, not just networks, can impact what is shown in animation, even regarding minor details like the color of smoke in vaping scenes.
11:29 🍭 A lollipop is seen differently than a more explicit act, allowing it to pass censorship in "Smiling Friends."
20:29 🎙 The creation of characters in "Smiling Friends," like the Renaissance Men, often came from organic and late-night conversations.
21:25 📝 The episode with the Renaissance Men was a nightmare to produce, and they had to come up with an ending under extreme time pressure, but it turned out well.
22:56 🕒 The stress and pressure during the production of "Smiling Friends" episodes often led to more interesting and creative results.
26:14 🎭 Some scenes and jokes in "Smiling Friends" were born out of the stress and improvisation during production.
33:00 🐸 The dialogue of Mr. Frog in "Smiling Friends" is intentionally left ambiguous, allowing viewers to interpret it in their own way.
38:28 🎬 Discussing moral arguments against using a man and Charles Manson.
39:08 🤔 Reflecting on the unpredictability of the conversation.
39:37 🌲 Questioning the name "Pim" in Smiling Friends' Enchanted Forest episode.
41:01 😆 Speculating on what could have happened if Nip had survived in Smiling Friends.
42:14 🎨 Appreciating the creativity of Smiling Friends memes and fan art.
01:13:08 🤣 Favorite scene: Awkward food delivery interaction in Satan's office, showcasing hyper-realistic awkward humor.
The show aims for realism in mundane, relatable situations, like cluttered rooms and multitasking with vices.
The humor in these scenes comes from capturing the everyday struggles and quirks of modern life.
01:17:00 🍔 The show "Smiling Friends" reflects the mundane reality of ordering food and working from home, embracing the everyday experiences.
01:18:21 📺 The show doesn't glamorize laziness but highlights the negative aspects of a sedentary lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of a balanced life.
01:19:06 🍔 Overindulging in fast food or excessive screen time can lead to unhappiness and health issues, similar to overeating or other unhealthy habits.
01:21:08 🌍 Modern life, characterized by overabundance and technological distractions, poses new challenges for mental and physical well-being.
01:25:35 🤪 The lockdown period resulted in a shift in online content, with memes and comedy becoming increasingly surreal and strange.
01:36:51 🎬 The creators discuss the challenging animation process with a small budget for "Smiling Friends."
01:37:06 💡 They aimed to push the limits of what they could achieve with their budget on Adult Swim.
01:37:19 🚀 Despite the difficulties, they believed that their vision for the show would make it worthwhile.
01:37:33 🎨 The creators emphasized the importance of maintaining motivation among the animation team.
01:38:16 📝 They approved every aspect of the show's production, ensuring a consistent vision.
01:54:33 🎨 The design of 3D Squintin in Smiling Friends started as a simple drawing and evolved with the help of talented artists.
01:55:00 🌟 Collaboration and feedback from artists led to the creation of a funnier and more detailed version of 3D Squintin.
01:56:15 💡 The decision to animate 3D Squintin using "pose to pose" animation without in-betweens added to the character's humor.
01:57:12 📽 Smiling Friends aimed to integrate different mediums like 3D animation and live action to create a unique mixed-media vibe.
02:00:21 🚀 Refining your skills, collaborating, and being open to feedback are essential when pitching a show or project.
02:12:18 📺 The creators are proud of achieving high-quality animation on a low budget for "Smiling Friends."
02:13:12 🎨 The attention to detail and care put into the show's animation, even the smallest elements, is impressive.
02:14:07 📺 The show stands out because it doesn't settle for mediocre parodies or imitations of other content.
02:14:35 🎥 Stop-motion animation in the show is praised, with a mention of the artist's dedication.
02:15:45 💻 The idea for the "In Loving Memory" segments at the end of episodes likely came from humorous Photoshop edits of the creators.
02:30:35 📺 Michael and PsychicPebbles discuss the length of TV show seasons, citing examples like "The Simpsons" with 11 seasons and "Andy Griffith" with 8 seasons.
02:31:22 🎮 They briefly mention the legend of Polybius, a video game urban legend, but admit they don't know much about it.
02:32:45 🤣 They humorously describe what a kiss on the cheek from Pim would feel like.
02:33:53 📺 When asked about their favorite weird or sick online video, they mention a disturbing video involving a Russian soldier accidentally shooting himself in the head with an automatic weapon.
02:39:09 🎨 For animators trying to stand out, they recommend creating content inspired by their unique personal experiences and not just following trends.
I can’t tell if this was an insane amount of effort or if this is just a new AI
THANK YOU YOU LEGEND
You fed a transcript into ChatGPT
You are a legend for this
This is an AI making this comment
I want the hadel cut of the final episode where satan has a 12 hour goon session.
Gotta say, Charlie falling in lowkey love with Mip is easily one of my favorite Smiling Friends episodes.
They answered my question at 2:33:04 and I feel very satisfied with the answer.
Also: Nothing But Trouble is exactly the kind of art we should all be inspired by.
can you DM me a picture of your nose
@@thecreateunknown what a bizarre yet strangely fitting question
I am you but 3d
@@booleah6357 You're much more frightening than the other one
@@A_Black_Sheep94 that's what calcium does for you. Makes you big and scary. Also 3 dimensional
It's amazing that Zach has had Mike Stoklasa voice Desmond, but not know that RLM reviewed Nothing But Trouble and shares a love for Dan Aykroyd. I would love to see Zach and Michael end up on RLM somehow.
A best of the worst panel with zach using a muppet like he did with the game jam would be amazing
1:06:00 it’s nauseating to hear big mouth mentioned in a list of “wonderful shows”
Same with Solar Opposites
Does anyone even care about this show???
@@furfixer the reason I didn’t mention that one is cause I’ve never even heard of it, sounds awful from the title though
@@furfixer I dunno, I don't think it was bad, just meh
@@furfixer the sub plot is pretty good. the main characters have their moments as well
I realized that Charlie was supposed to use a vape when re-watching, it's still next to his laptop if you look closely in the beginning, he just never touches it.
"The show isn't trying to change the world it's just trying to be funny." ironically that might be why it's going to change the animation industry for the better.
It’s nice when the creators go through not only their thought process but also just the fun inspirations that made up those scenes
Good lord I missed this little homunculus.
I’m really happy for these guys. They’ve worked so hard for so long.
frowning friends was one of my favorite episodes. the scene of the boss losing his mind and running up with a gun and barking at the guy made me laugh so hard
Please have them on again once season 2 is aired! I listened to this twice it’s so good.
9:52 Lol Zach knows his audience.
I definitely watched it on a totally legal site because I'm not gonna pay adultswim to watch one show.
BUT now that it's out on HBO Max I watched it legally. They deserve all the money they can get from this show.
I too totally watched it on a legal site because im not an American.
@@haiya123456789 I encouraged a couple of my UK buddies to watch it on a definitely legal site before I knew it was coming to HBO .
Hopefully by the time season 2 rolls around, I can watch it through adultswim .
he literally said the exact site i used to watch it before it was on streaming haha
@@s--b which one did he say again?
I use thewatchcartoononline or something like that
You can watch it for free on the website if you’re logged into your cable provider, that’s what I did atleast.
I need my Zach fill, because Chris is still out in the wild singing roads of Ireland.
He should let Zach, Tomar and Lyle do some episodes
Chris did the opening music and the 3D animation
@@wontonsoup5266 when I saw the 3D devil in that Christmas episode I was genuinely surprised. Dude is mad talented
@@sr.365 He didn't make the devil tough, he just made concept art for him
@@furfixer ah well, still a pretty pog design 👌
I really hope to see David firth more often as a voice. he's super iconic.
actually I'd also love if somehow smiling friends got Cyriak to make some batshit nutty animation segment for the show
David firth is such a legend
I've been waiting for a post season 1 discussion, thank you for doing this
Zach mentioned that he was only about 19 years old when he first pitched hellbenders to adult swim I thought he was way older like 23 or 24 when he pitched it he's way younger than I believed then I thought he was in his early 30's right now
Listening to this made the last 3 hours of work tolerable. I could've listened to these guys talk for another 3, honestly.
Same
It was super interesting to get the behind the scenes of Smiling Friends, but I think I learned more about these two from the tangents that the convo went on
It's funny when they mentioned the show not really going that deep when they put in real situations, but for the Satan on the computer scene Zach went on an entire sociological/psychological thesis of modern living about it and it totally fits lol
I literally was ashamed to see Satan’s setup looking just like mine with the mic on the thing
The vaping thing is hilarious because if you show the devil enjoying vapes is there really any better way to show 'this is harmful'?
Never in my life did I think I'd hear the phrase "mustard blowjobs" in a casual conversation
One thing I really love about this show is the fact that a lot of things are left up for interpretation. Fans can make of this show whatever the hell they want, and that makes it that much more enjoyable to me. It's also definitely nice to have a show that's not trying to teach you something for once. Though there is definitely still a good amount of thought put into the show with the light continuity, dopamine cycle theme, and Mip being who Pim wished he was, etc.
The only problem with Smiling Friends is that we only got cameos from the Carrot Concept, but not an actual episode dedicated to his struggles with male pattern baldness. Shrimp x Shrew, too.
I just realize I typed an x instead of a + but I’m gonna leave it like that, it makes it sound like a badass anime
honestly I feel betrayed. The Carrot Concept was my white whale, what can I do now...
spider adam spider adam spider adam
@@biggrocc19 dude you don’t even know what I’ve been through - the Carrot Concept was my rock, my lifeline, my role model. This is heartbreaking honestly and my thoughts and prayers go out to all the families affected
@@RobuttRandy he is FHUCKING Spoooider ADM
I love Zach's characterization of our generation's battle with vices and exposure to overabundance. Not as present in the "conversation" as it should be, and I hope they "go go go" with this. The jungle we're living in these days is one in which we are no longer eaten by tigers, but by Cheeseburgers. To the creators, congrats on the success, look after yourselves and all the luck in this world.
Zach is so hyped to talk in this, it sounds like he got into Mr. Frogs stash.
I doubt chris would have agreed to be a grease puddle without having complete control or a big bag of cash and toys lol
Nice
Just pay him in funkopops. I'm dead.
Nah Chris's want to have even thst ounce of being on real media would make him do it. Chris getting to be on a cartoon on the same channel as adult swim and cartoon network would totally make him go on
I have huge love for Zach and I have been watching his work for many years. This show was like a gift for me and I came to love his and Michael Cusacks work even more.
PS: The fact that Zach mentions kimcartoon is a creator loving his fans
Legit caught me off guard lol
i remember watching the frowning friends episode and thinking the renaissance men weren't period accurate and the dialog between pim and charlie following their appearance validated me completely. love the show and really hope for more
It might sound kinda silly, but the whole scene with Satan in Smiling Friends felt really cathartic. Knowing that these two guys, whose work I admire and who have gone on to do great things, also struggle with overcoming that lizard part of your brain gives me a bit of hope.
My favourite episode from the show so far would be the one with the inbred Shrimp voiced by the guy from Salad Fingers. The scene at the gym where Mick voices the nice old guy giving advice being the reason.
I would say the kid that designed the peanut character went more nuts than he did bananas, but that's just me
The frowning friends was my favorite.
Especially Mr. Boss with his iconic M16a1 assault rifle.
Zach mentioned that he's been in the cycle of laziness before. He's so successful. This gives me hope for myself, but changes must be made
58:52 That was me. I seen a clip a while ago with the guy in the wall. Then buy happen stance I just came across the "GET OUT OF MY CAR" video by PsychicPebbles today and realized this was all the same guy. So yeah I'm coming as a complete outsider to PsychicPebbles, Smiling Friends and even this channel. It's been an interesting deep dive.
2:37:15 "...because it was NOT TV, and to see them try to make it like TV makes my belly hurt"
yet another person making this connection. thank you for pointing this out as well
I love that they made this show. I ended up buying it on UA-cam knowing all the cool people who were part of it. Worth it.
41:40 I adore how they just improv the dialogue there so perfectly
I totally want another podcast episode with these two. Absolutely had me dying.
You should check out their Very Positive Streams on Zach’s channel, if you haven’t already
thanks to Zach & Michael for the live leak substitute, I've been looking for one for years
Happy to hear we're getting a Season 2 of Smiling Friends. Hope there's more laughs to come.
Couldn’t wait for this video. Almost three hours, this is gonna be great.
Zach is such a funny dude. I love this wacky world theyve made and I really hope they make more.
Ive been itching so bad to get these insane guy’s full thoughts on making the show
I feel what they were talking about with the devil in his room scene. My days are just sad. I don’t mean that in a “Emo” “no one understands me” way, but i just haven’t felt happy in years. And i know how to do it too but every time i try i keep falling in the same habits over and over again. smoking,always laying in bed, eating unhealthily, and gooning off 10 times a day.
I love listening to them talk about the show. They're so intimately familiar with every little detail. It's refreshing to see that after consuming so much media in the internet age.
2:32:40 Hey! Glad to support you guys and i hope there’s plenty more TCU to enjoy in the future, love the community and the people I’ve met so far, this has been a great experience already, I’ve learned so much as a creator and i recommend everyone to listen to the big creators and their advice, it’s gonna help you a lot :)