Alicyn
Welcome to Alicyn's Wonderland. I'm your host, Alicyn Packard. Join us as we journey through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole into the wild and wonderful world of animation and video games. Hey, do a girl a favor, and please subscribe to this podcast and go on iTunes and leave us a good review. If you like the show, please help spread the word. It really helps us to get heard by more people. Thanks so much.
Hello, hello. Welcome to Alicyn's Wonderland, the show that takes you down the rabbit hole into the wild and wonderful world of animation video game. Tonight's guest is going to be Eric Rogers. I'm really excited to bring Eric Rogers into the show. We've never met in real life. But Eric is... he is the show creator of Skylanders Academy, which is one of my son's favorite shows, as well as being a writer on Futurama, Polly Pocket, and a ton of other shows.
So we're gonna go ahead and dive into Eric's career, some of the challenges and successes he's faced as a show creator and animation writer, and all about some of the new stuff he has on the plate. So I'm really excited to bring him onto the show.
Eric Rogers
Hello.
Alicyn
How are you?
Eric Rogers
I'm good. This is trippy.
Alicyn
Yes, I know. There's nothing like an interview where you have to actually stare at your own face for the entire time.
Eric Rogers
Well, the good news is I get I'm staring at your face because the comments are blocking mine which is for the best so...
Alicyn
Yay!
Eric Rogers
I don't have to look at me. The comments will just block me out so there you go.
Alicyn
Yes, well, I can see you. How are you doing? Eric?
Eric Rogers
I'm great post post COVID Booster today? Yeah, yesterday was the bad day. I got my I got the booster on Monday. Yesterday. What is today? Wednesday? Yeah. Booster on Monday. Tuesday was a disaster of bodily shutdown-ness, today... Today has been the doctor normal catching up on the work I ignored yesterday to take long naps and all as well. All is well.
Alicyn
Yes. So many of us are going through that right now. Like yeah, we know we're probably gonna have a down day. So let's see. See how it goes. But congratulations.
Eric Rogers
Feeling good.
Alicyn
There needs to be some kind of like rally like, "Boosted!"
Eric Rogers
Yeah, right? Some sort of branded hashtag or something. Yeah.
Alicyn
Yeah. Congratulations!
Eric Rogers
Yeah, right on. Thank you.
Alicyn
Yay. And did you have a good day so far? Just getting caught up in work and everything?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, it's been, you know, my day's, today's day was a normal day for me where I've been dabbling on a few different things a blade, so it's basically been, you know, set aside some time for this thing. Set aside some time for this thing, set aside set aside some time for this thing, set aside some time for my kid when he gets home from school, you know, do this this awesome interview. And then, you know, I'll go out and drink a glass of wine with the family and have dinner and you know, perfect, perfect end of the day.
Alicyn
Fantastic. So you're a dad, you said you have a child?
Eric Rogers
Yeah. Nine year old boy.
Alicyn
Nine. Oh, that's such a fun age.
Eric Rogers
Just turned nine over the weekend. He had a reptile petting zoo party in the backyard. So Wow. That was stellar. Yeah, super fun and incredibly inexpensive. I might - I should add, it was it was the kids that were invited. We... it was a smaller party, because you know, we're trying to just be responsible. But you know, we probably had eight or nine boys and girls and the reptile lady brought like six different snakes and lizards of all different sizes and shapes. And kids were just enthralled as heck. So it was it's perfect, perfect little celebration for kids that age and couldn't have gone better. My wife made a snake cake from scratch.
Alicyn
What?!
Eric Rogers
So she got crafty like that. Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Alicyn
How does one make a snake cake?
Eric Rogers
She just... Okay, so she found this recipe online. And it's basically bundt cakes. You need a bundt cake pan, and you make two of them. And then you cut them in half, and then you shape you know, one, you know, half going this way, half going that way, halfway this way, that way. And then you just cover it on icing cover and the scales are made of m&ms. And then you buy some googly eyes for the eyes and you use a Twizzler for the snake tongue. And you're set!
Alicyn
Oh my gosh, that's so clever now everybody's gonna be like, "What are we gonna do?"
Eric Rogers
Yeah, yeah. And you you have a son is that correct?
Alicyn
I do. I've Uh, he's almost six.
Eric Rogers
Awesome.
Alicyn
Almost six.
Eric Rogers
Great age.
Alicyn
Yeah, it's so fun. He's in there watching he was just watching some Gravity Falls which he just got his back getting turned on to but he it scares him.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, gravity. Gravity Falls is one of those where it's, it's it's right like for the six - it's for the six to 11 set but like if you're on that six year old side Things You know, it can dabble with some spooky stuff, which is great thing about the show. But yeah, I can see how the six year old to be like, "Ehhh", you know?
Alicyn
Yeah. Thrilling supernatural stuff.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alicyn
That's what nightmares are made out if we it's funny because I think that the fear factor didn't really come in until recently for a long time he wasn't fazed by a lot of things. But now, there's a little more are you afraid of the dark than before? So I think it's, I don't know, interesting development?
Eric Rogers
Absolutely.
Alicyn
Yeah. So it's so interesting, because I was doing some research and I was reading about an interesting story about somebody that inspired you to be a TV writer. I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about that. I feel that so many people, you know, might have aspirations more people have aspirations now to work in television than when we were growing up and stuff. And, and but you were kind of exposed to that early. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, well, you know, I, I, I knew I was gonna be a writer very early on I in high school, you know, the story I like to tell that that was the the path that how I got forged in onto this path was I was a sophomore and I was taking creative writing class and the the assignment was, you know, go home and write six to seven handwritten double spaced pages any story one, but it has to be you know, fictional, narrative - fictional narrative and so you know, I'm this kid who's who's grown up loving movies and you know, this is this is yeah 8...'80...'89?
So you know, Diehard just come out the previous year and I like that's one of my all time favorite films still like to this day, like, you know, like if I catch Diehard on right now, I might end this interview, and go watch it from here.
Alicyn
Bye!
Eric Rogers
So Diehard, so I wrote this. So I went home, and I wrote this diehard knockoff, and it was terrible, but it ended up I didn't stop writing until I was done with the story, which ended up being 50 pages long. Handwritten pages. And so I turned it in because as you know, as a creative you have to have and you have to embrace this a little bit as you go along. But you have to have a little arrogance about what you do. You have to believe in yourself, you know, you're not not be cocky, but be like, "Yeah, I'm, I'm pretty good at this."
So at that point, I was like, Yeah, my Diehard's... Diehard story's gonna be dope. So I turned it in, and then you know, hey, you know, you hand it to your teacher, you know, Mr. Romano, he's my teacher at that time, he goes wide eyed, and I'm like, 'Oh, crap, I totally bombed this'. Couple days goes by, you know, the whole time, I'm thinking, oh, here comes the F because I didn't do what the assignment was. And so he's handing back in class, he's handing back the assignments, but the stories and, and instead of giving me mine, he just kind of comes to, he's walking up and down the aisles. And he comes over to my desk, and he's like, just come see me after class.
And I'm like, Ah, man. Okay, so, so class, lets out. And then I walk up to his desk, and he goes, he's holding the story. And he's like, "You know, this is not what I asked for. And I'm like, I know, I know. He's like, Yeah, but but it's really great. He's like, it's really great. And I think you have a gift. And I think you need to keep going with this."
And, you know, I knew, I knew as a as a younger kid, you know, I wasn't, I wasn't an athletics or anything until more of my junior high high school years, that's when I started to fall in love with baseball, and basketball, things like that. But when I was a younger kid, I, my favorite thing to do is just spend time in my bedroom with my Star Wars figures or GI Joe figures, and, and play out stories. Make them up and you know, I was a storyteller with these action figures. So that like, part of me was like, like, it was ingrained early on.
So when you get to high school, and you're now you're taking, you know, real classes to start to hone a craft, you know, it was it was really empowering to have a teacher suddenly go, hey, you know, this is awesome. And I want to see where you go with this. So that was the first that was the first like, light bulb that went off. I went like, Okay, this, I might, I might have something here. And so I decided to you know, just keep pursuing the writing thing and keep working on it.
And, you know, I fell in love with Stephen King in high school like Stephen King is the reason I'm a writer for for sure. I devoured Stephen King books. I got lucky in the sense that I was in honors style classes as an English student. I wasn't I was terrible at math and everything else, but English was my jam. And so I you know, as... So being an English, you know, higher level English classes. You know, I had teachers that really encouraged like, they encouraged us to read anything.
So if you're telling me at this point, I'm falling love Stephen King, you're telling me I can just read anything, while I'm reading Stephen King until the cows come home. So I'm reading. And by the way, you know, I don't know if you're a big fan of Stephen King, but you know, all of his novels, especially back then in the 80s, you're talking 7-800, 1000-page opuses.
So you know, it was it was amazing because I'm reading these just massive books but like Stephen King is such a, you know, people people, obviously and rightfully so associated with with horror is such a gifted character writer and storyteller and like, you know that he's so much more than that, like he creates scenes and worlds and moments in, in a way that is, I've never, I've never liked as much as what he does, like he just he hits the spots for me so and so I'm devouring Stephen King at this point.
And I'm thinking, you know, maybe I'm gonna be a novelist, you know, or you know, the very least write some short stories and see where that goes. And so I go to college. And before I go to college, my senior year of high school, my mom worked for this gentleman who was having a retirement party, and I was my mom's plus one. And so we go to this thing. And the gentlemen she worked for has this daughter named Anne Donna, who's a very popular big time producer here in Hollywood.
Sorry, I keep clearing my throat, big time writer producer here in town and, and I meet her for the first time and she describes what she does. She's a writer, producer on China Beach. And I'm like, what, like, you write TV? That's, that's a job? Like, you get paid to do that? And she's like, Yeah, you know, and, you know, being smart about it. She wasn't like, I'm getting paid a lot. But I had no idea that like, you know, what TV writers made or anything like that, but I just like, like, another light bulb went on in my like TV writing, oh, well, that could be a thing in the future.
So I tell her, like, that's very exciting. And she goes, Listen, what I want you to do is to go to college. And when you get to your senior year of college, if this is still a passion for you, this is something you want to do. Write me a letter. This is how long ago was his write me a letter wasn't call me. It wasn't text. It wasn't shoot me an email.
Alicyn
And she gave you her address?
Eric Rogers
And she gave me her home address. And so three and a half years later -
Alicyn
I hope she didn't move.
Eric Rogers
Yes, over really? Right. So three and a half years go by and then I reached the midpoint of my senior year of college. And I'm like, Yeah, I want to move to LA and do this. I knew enough about the industry at that point. I was, I was super film nerd at that point, you know, like, I'm just drinking, you know, especially my senior year of college like 1994. And 1995 was just a banner banner year of film content with Edwood and, you know, Pulp Fiction, and just, you know, those just fantastic indie films, it just really started to, you know, show who all these these all tour directors and writers were that we're going to like, basically set the scene for the next 20 plus years. But when I was I going with my story? Yeah, so I'm thinking I want to be a film writer. And were
Alicyn
You were majoring in film at the time or was writing?
Eric Rogers
Yeah. So I went to Miami University in Ohio. And yeah, you know, and they, they didn't have a film program. So I'm, I'm a double major. I'm doing English literature, which is a garbage degree, unless you're going to be an academic, and Creative Writing degree, which is, you know, I am on I want to be a writer and so facetiously about the degree being garbage. I'm just playing.
But I write her, I write her this letter, and I say, I'd like to move to LA and pursue this. And she said, Okay, when you get here, here's, here's my phone number. Call me. And if I can help you, I'm going to help you. So you know, I graduated May, August, so that I work all summer August of that year, I load up my car, drive across the country, stupidly did not take any time, but like, I had to get here in four days, which I did. I should have just taken two weeks. I don't know why.
One of the regrets of my life is like not going hey, I'll have anywhere to be why don't I just see this country but that's another story for another day. So I jam myself out here. And I call her up and I said, Hey, it's me, and I'm ready to do my thing. And she she said, well, good timing actually, timing was great. Yeah, I there's a good thing I rush because there was a PA job open on the show called Murder one, which is a Steven Bochco drama, fresh off the heels of NYPD Blue Beam, this big hit. And pa this pa job was open. She said, I'll get you in for an interview. And she's like, that's the best I can do. And I'm like, great. Lo and behold, I got that job. So..
Alicyn
Oh my god I'm getting goosebumps! Ah!
Eric Rogers
Yeah. So two years into being in LA, I had my first job and like, you know, I knew nothing about nothing, I probably should have been fired 15 times over. I was just, I was making it up as I went along. But, you know, this job was great, because, you know, I say this a lot.
And anytime anyone wants to talk to me about my experiences, being a PA on a film or a TV set is just the best job for an entry level person because you get you have you are forced to interact with every department, you deliver scripts to every department and you get lunches for every department and you get a bird's eye view of how everybody what everybody does on a set, you know, you know, actually, you know, obviously actors are the faces of the shows and they we know what they do because we watch it, you know, but you don't you don't see what a writers room is. You don't see how a director preps you don't see what you don't know what the hell an ad is. You don't know what krafts services does.
You know, so that opportunity I was, I was a PA for two seasons, and I just really like cemented the fact that I like, okay, writers room, writer, TV writer, that's what I want to be. So after Murder One ends, there was a there was a Bochco pilot being done at the same time. And so I was the squeaky wheel that got the grease because as pilots happened, I was like, I want to be the writers assistant on the pilot, like I, I'll do whatever it takes. And they were like, Okay, let's get back Bochco, The Bochco company was so lovely back in the day, because basically, like they had so much going on.
And like, if you were just like, I want to do something, they were like, Okay, let's give it a go. You know, and, and if you don't screw up, and you don't, you don't stink at the job, you're progressing up the ladder, right? So I got to be a writer's assistant on the pilot, and then the pilot got picked up to series.
And so again, I was, you know, very vocal, I was like, I want to be the script coordinator, because I knew but enough about that job where, you know, script coordinator is the job on the set. And you know, this, but I'll explain it to you. Thank you. Yeah, so is basically, when a writer or when the showrunner is ready to put a script out, you are the person that they give it to you proofread, number scenes, you make sure all the continuity is is in place, you know, you're an editor, basically, for the show without the cool title. So you're the last line of defense before scripts are released.
And what's great about that job as well is that that job is not even if you're working an eight or 10 hour day, you're not working eight or 10 hours, you you have tons of time to write on your own, you know, they're basically when when a script comes in is ready to be you know, the job is intensive for an hour or two. But the rest of your day, if you're a writer, it's like, oh, I can sit at this desk and get paid for my day job and work on my craft. And that's what I did. I took advantage of that, and just kept writing and writing and writing. So now I got the script coordinator job under my belt, the show gets canceled.
And then here's this small, dark period in my career for about six, seven months where I can't get a job. You know, I can't get any bites. And I start to think, okay, maybe maybe that's it, maybe I you know, maybe I wasn't meant to do this, I need to pack an animal, which is stupid for a 20 hour 25 year old, like, you know, like, Me is in my 40s Looking back on that kid. I'm like, What do you think of man, like, like I've had, I've had plenty of cold spells in the past couple of decades where it's like, It dwarfs that like six months, we'll you know, we're not working as a PA, you know, as a youngster. So but still, you know, you panic, you go, Oh, I'm not doing what I came here to do. I must be terrible.
So I started training. I just had to take a day job. I wanted to take a day job to figure out what I'm gonna do. And I started training to speak to teach English to special needs kids. And out of the blue Fox calls me and Steven bochco productions. Building is on the Fox lot. So I'll say that out of the blue, somebody from Fox calls me and says, We have your resume here. And we are looking for a writer's assistant for Matt. Greetings. New Show. You know, Matt is Oh, wow. Like, do I know who Matt is? I mean, everybody wants to be a Simpsons writer in the 90s. Right. So I'm like, yeah, yeah, I know. Matt is a really great you know, we'd love to have you come in and and interview and
Alicyn
prior to that, what was your interest level and animation? Since zero? So you were focused on live action, you get this call? Back?
Yeah. Yeah, cuz, you know, back in back then, really, the only animation writing was the fox primetime stuff. You know, we didn't have Southpark on Comedy Central. We didn't have all the I mean, you know, he had all the kids stuff on Nickelodeon, Disney, but like, that was completely foreign to me. I didn't I didn't watch that stuff. I didn't know about any of that.
So for me, it's like animation clearly just Was this the Simpsons and King of the Hill. And that it at that point, you know, I think this box is animation block and not even be really been established yet. So I go in for this interview, and I don't think I'm going to get the job because during my dark period here, I had decided I was going to dye my hair platinum blonde Eminem style. And I was shopping at second hand thrift shops. So I look like a punk. Like, just like, like, skater boy. See you later boy. And I didn't have any dress clothes.
So I went in for this interview with this crappy blonde hair and this kind of okay, secondhand shirt. And I was me. I was just myself. And you know, I've been a very eager beaver even here into my 40s. Like, I'm very, I'm as gregarious as I was back in my 20s. And something about that spoke to them. And I ended up getting the first writer's assistant job on Futurama. And that was the game changer
that changed your life. Yeah. Really? Did that change your life? Yeah. Wow. For the better, right?
Eric Rogers
Oh, yeah. I mean, that's the thing. I'll say this. I say it on Twitter every now and then to anybody who interacts with Beyond about Futurama, but I say it all the time like Futurama, it changed my life in so many ways. And it taught me so much and has given me so much and saved my butt.
So much like residual checks from Futurama sometimes have like, paid the bills and like, just like, and it's just everything I learned from those guys, I still apply to everything I do today. Even if I'm doing stuff for six to 11 year olds, like, my DNA, my Futurama, DNA is still there. If somebody is a fan of Futurama, I'm sure if they're watching what I do, they can go Oh, yeah, that's a classic Futurama, Simpsons-style joke.
Alicyn
So share with us like one or two of those tips that you learned in the writers room?
Eric Rogers
Oh, well, I mean, first and foremost, everybody, there are no bad ideas. Everybody, every you know, David Cohen was just the best showrunner boss very kind, very open to hearing everybody's ideas, you know, and, and he very early on, you know, when you're writer's assistant, you know, you're when you start out, especially back then I don't know how it is now, but you know, there's a big conference room you're in and there's a TV with the script or the notes up on it.
And there's a big conference table that all the writers sitting around, here's little Eric over in a corner with his computer, you know, tivity, tapping the notes up and just, you know, you keeping quiet and, you know, you learn pretty quickly that you don't you don't speak until they're ready to hear from you. Right. And you and you figure out what that is because there are lols and, and these long days and writers rooms where the writers just, they run out of juice, the idea an idea isn't working, a story is stuck. And they will turn to you.
And they'll be like, Hey, man, what do you think? Like, what would you do here? And you know, it's at that point you have an opportunity to turn and go, Well, what about this? So it's twofold. You keep your mind quiet until it's time to speak. But you're also over there in the corner, thinking the entire time, especially in those quiet moments where they're stuck, because they're stuck. That's the time for you to be like, Okay, this is what I would do. I'll totally do this, because like, I think that would work. I think that'd be funny.
And like, you know, I don't know, if they're going to ask me what my, you know, my opinion is, but they do, I have to be brave enough to throw it out there. So I got that opportunity with David. You know, David was, was very just just very generous about being like, okay, you know, everybody's in this room together, who's got what you know, and it's at that point that I started to establish that I wasn't terrible at what we were doing on the show.
And so at the end of season two out of the blue, David calls me one night after work and says, Hey, you know, you've been doing a great job. I'd love to have you co write the finale with me and Ken Keeler, and then you know, that's that again. Yeah, it's just another level of your life. Now I'm gonna have my first production TV credit. And then yeah, and then really, you know, it's funny, because, you know, I'm working in animation now.
And, you know, I started writing comic books at that time, too, you know, because we're, you know, Matt's comic book companies just down the hall. And they, you know, they asked me to write some Simpsons, and I got the right feature Rama comics, number one. So, you know, I'm deeply entrenched in this world, but there's still part of me, that's like asking, you know, maybe, maybe, maybe I'll still try, you know, live action. And maybe I'll keep right. I kept writing films on the side of really bad movie scripts. But you know, like, but, but I think that if I shifted my attention more just being like, dude, do the animation. My career would move quicker, faster, into being a full time animation guy and just going like, Dude, this is it. So where was I at that point? Oh, okay.
So, season three is coming. I just wrote the season finale of season two with Kevin David. I didn't get promoted to a staff writer job. So my wife, who's Australian, I met her the year before we met on a bus in England and sat down next to each other. And, you know, the rest is history. Wow. Yeah, she was moving over from Australia to be with me and to see what we had. Because we had this long distance relationship. And we had to see if it was a real world thing, you know? Yeah. And so I didn't get the promotion in season three.
And I was like, Yeah, you know what? She's coming over. I really want to spend some quality time with her, the writer's assistant's job is a grind. I'm gonna I'm gonna step away from the show, you know, I'm just gonna, I'll just keep writing comics, and spend some time with my girlfriend. And you know, we'll see what happens. So, you know, like, two months later, I asked her to marry me, and she said, Yes.
And at that point, oh, yeah, exactly. But at that point, also an adult, Eric goes, oh, I need insurance and I need to take care of this person. So another lucky break happens where NYPD Blue calls out of the blue and says, Hey, we need a script coordinator and we love you and would you be interested in Like Hell, yes. Yeah, so I went back to Bochco and I was the script coordinator in NY for the last five seasons of that show. And, you know, again, taking advantage of the script coordinator job where you don't work the entire time you have time to write. So I was, here I am, side hustling comic books, and putting money in the bank and, and, you know, working on the bochco show was great.
And, you know, they gave me a freelance script, and that being debt that didn't go so well. When that happened, you know, that was the point where I was like, Okay, maybe drama, being a TV hour long drama writers is not for me, you know, maybe that's because I have a really weird sense of humor, bariatric and just kind of off kilter and those like that, yeah, shows like that are as good as they are as exceptional as they are as dramas, there's just no space for funniness and work. So, you know, that part of me was always just like, Man, I can, you know, do that more full time.
So then after NY, I bounced around a few shows not really sticking in any place and Futurama got brought back to Comedy Central. And the day that it happened I'll soon as I saw it in the trades, you know, the good old days. And when you see something in the trades, as opposed to a deadline, calm email, I see it in the trades, and my eyes go bigger saucers. And I had David's number David Cohen's number in my block cell phone. Beep bop boop him and I'm like, David, dude, I'll do anything to come back.
And he was like, lol. And he's like, Well, it's a little late in the game, because I staff this show. But I would love to have you back as a writer's assistant. And I'll give you the script. If you come back. And I'm like, boom, done. So I do that. So it's such a wonderful experience. And the script that I wrote ended up being nominated for a Writers Guild Award, the year after it came out.
Alicyn
Boom!
Eric Rogers
That's so and then David promoted me to staff writer full time after that, so and that really is like that was that was when I there was no looking back as like animation. You know, whatever form it takes, like, this is my thing. This is what I love, you know, and then I dabbled in some other adult animation work on Brickell, Berry, but mostly, it's been good since then, creating Skylanders for Netflix and a show for Hasbro that I couldn't have around and net. But I'm also now working on a series for Amazon that I can't talk about. But hopefully the Amazon show gets announced real soon because that's, that's going exceptionally well.
Alicyn
Secret, secret!
Eric Rogers
Exactly.
Alicyn
That's amazing. And so with all this writing for cartoons and animation, I heard that you didn't actually watch television until college. Is that true?
Eric Rogers
So when I was a young kid, like little little kid, you know, I, you know, I'm talking seven, eight years old, I liked Dukes of Hazzard, I liked A-Team, I liked all those like, you know, Gradius American heroes those kind of like actually quirky you know, dramas on ABC and NBC, you know, all the all those, you know, they were they were great, but it was It wasn't like I grew up loving, intelligent.
Like if I were like, if you asked me what my favorite show is, was growing up, it was Three's Company like John Ritter's physical comedy like that show just that was like the only must see show for me. So as I as I, as I get older, I become a sports nut. And I wasn't good at sports. But the thing I watched religiously was Major League Baseball, and NBA television. So the TV, the crappy little TV, I had in my room, dedicated full time to NBA games and baseball, like, I didn't even watch football, like didn't care. Like just it was like the TV wasn't on unless it was NBA or baseball.
So, so I'm not watching anything, you know, during the BS, these late 80s, early 90s years, and it's funny, I'll talk to some of my peers at this point. They're like, Oh, didn't you love Doug? And, you know, Rugrats, and I'm like, what? Like, I didn't watch any of that. But I still, I still watch movies. I love movies, like movies, like, just because we grew up in the house we grew up in my dad was a movie night. And you just we were we were the family that went to Blockbuster on a Friday night and brought home six films for the weekend.
Alicyn
You know, family?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, right.
Alicyn
The popcorn you go through and get like the popcorn and like the movies, theaters, sites, like, like gummy bears, or you know?
Eric Rogers
There you go. But yeah, so that that was the reason why I just I didn't watch anything because I I just was either watching a movie or I was I was watching sports. And then in college, I again, it was just sports or nothing, you know, or movies like movies. I still went religiously, but like, uh, you know, early 90s television, you know, Northern Exposure, or, you know, Seinfeld and you know, like, like, I caught up on those things a little bit later, like my senior year of college. I had a good buddy, who we would do the ER Thursday or the Thursday night NBC plus MTV thing.
And that's when I really started to get back into television because I would go to her place and we would eat pizza and then it was like, Oh, er man this this is fantastic and you know, FRIENDS was being FRIENDS, you know, but and then you know, and I remember my senior pelage, too, we watched, we watched some of NYPD Blue I wasn't, wasn't that into it didn't it didn't have its hooks in me until later.
But you know, it was like, something we would be hanging out in there. It was on TV. And really, so it wasn't till I came out here. And, you know, it was working in this industry that it occurred to me, I was like, oh, I should know more about television. So yeah, at that point, it was like watch TV. Rogers. So yeah.
Alicyn
So then you're working on Futurama, you're working in adult animated television? How do you make the transition to work in children's TV?
Eric Rogers
It was interesting, because I know that you were going to ask me about this. And this is a question I really like being asked. Because it's, I think it speaks to how things have changed. Over the years, kids TV has become more sophisticated, the storytelling has more stakes, the writing has risen to the kids level, as opposed to dumbing it down.
You know, like kids these days, they, they have so much more access to information, and that they're just infinitely smarter than than we were back in the day because they're exposed more, you know, it was just instinctively their their, their minds are like, Oh, no, I know what you're talking about. Like, oh, I know. I know what life and death is. And I you know, I'm and maybe like, I know that my dog scruffy didn't go to heaven. You know, like, whatever it is, right?
Alicyn
My son was just asking me tonight. You or me, mommy, who do you want to die?
Eric Rogers
Neither of us, neither of us, neither.
Alicyn
Yeah, we're gone forever.
Eric Rogers
And yeah, there you go. Yeah, but kids television, you know that the shift that was made was that the content, the networks and the studios, they wanted creators to come in and do stuff that was more sophisticated and story forward than it had been in the past. So coming from primetime animation, where that's just you know, what, you're that's what you're writing. You know, it wasn't such a hard transition. The hardest transition you seek writing for six to 11 wasn't wasn't that hard. It isn't that hard, in my opinion, in that respect, at all.
The hardest thing I've found of late is that I've been doing a lot more preschool and bridge. And that is tougher for me. Because you still do have to keep that tone down and simple. And you have to have the theme of the day and the lesson learned in the moral of the story. Like that, like leaning into the whimsy. And yeah, yeah, it's like they, they want jokes, but you can't be too you can't be too you can you mean borderline crass?
Or, like, you know, you know, I, I always enjoyed when I was writing Skylanders like, we slipped in a few great like cheeky jokes that know that Netflix and Activision never made us take out and, and I always thought, you know, like, Oh, of course, they're gonna make us take that out, you know, even if it's for six to 11, you know, but they the jokes got past them. So happy?
Alicyn
Yes, well, there is, you know, that line between, you know, kids and then family and seems like more and more shows are, are coming out that are appealing to both to everybody they want the kid that's gonna plop in front of the TV, they want the teenage daughter, and then they want both the millennial parents. So it feels like we're seeing more of that.
Eric Rogers
Yeah. And I you know, it's funny, when I pitch a show, or when I'm, you know, developing something with a network or executives, you know, they say those things that you just said, we're like, well, we want all of these types in front of the TV. And I'm like, Yeah, great. I want $2 million for the script that I'm about to write for you.
You know, like that. The trick is to you know, write great character that people want to watch every week and one to one time they want to see these your heroes succeed, you know, and that they fail. How do they learn from that? And, and, and, you know, grow as people and you know, and I'm not saying they have to be perfect, they should be flawed, you know, because because we're flawed, you know, and audiences want Well, other
Alicyn
people are flawed. Hey, guys, this is Alison Packard. Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that if you like the show, please, please, please remember to subscribe to this podcast, and leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps us to get heard by more people. Thanks so much.
Eric Rogers
Most people are flawed, not the people in this call. But you know, people want to see that and in the reflection of the content they're watching, so you know it I always you know, it's just it's always the funniest asked for me when when the executives in studios want that because I'm just like, we'll get there but you got to trust me that I'm going to get you there. You know, like, even in the if you're not hearing it in the pitch right now. Like, if you love the idea, you love this world, like we'll get you to where you we can get everybody sitting down in front of you. Yeah, and the show and you know, ticking those boxes but you know, it's it's a process
Alicyn
And so then what was your first child children's show that you wrote for?
Eric Rogers
First one was an episode of was a Teen Titans Go. I think Teen Titans Go was the first episode first freelance. And then I did an episode of Kick Buttowski That never end? Yeah, did a handful of Littlest Pet Shop wrote an episode of wander over yonder? Yeah, those were those were the first, you know, a little bit of a little bit of trial by fire there, you know, figuring out how the six to 11 world works.
You know, it's, you know, it's one of those things where, you know, you need to work, you need to pay your bills. So, if a primetime animation job is sitting there, and you know, ready for you to rock it, you know, you go okay, well, I'm an animation writer, I know how to do this, but how do I transition into this? So I can take care of my family, you know?
Alicyn
So that was the motivation, then it wasn't necessarily like, I think this was my new passion. It was sort of just like, let's look at opportunities that exist.
Eric Rogers
Yeah. Yeah. Because the mistake I made, and this is the, you know, it was almost a fatal flaw was, you know, I'm on Futurama. And you know, those final two seasons. And arrogantly I'm sitting there think I was looking for work, knowing the show is going to end knowing like we there was no talk of, after this final episode is written, Comedy Central, bringing us back, like, David Cohen is like, we are not, we're done, like everybody go in their separate ways.
I was sitting there, thinking, Well, I've, I've got a Writer's Guild Award nomination, and I'm working on Futurama. I'll take a couple months off, and then people gonna be like, Hey, here's money Rogers, go do your thing. That absolutely did not happen. I went a whole year doing piecemeal work, and I just had a baby at that point. And yeah, and it was, it was like, you know, your hair starts to turn white real fast at that point, you know, yeah.
And you're trying you got a mortgage and a baby and, you know, spouse to take care of, and, you know, so it was a, it was a bit of out of necessity, or was like, I you know, and at that point, I had done a hey, you know, here and there some freelance in the 611 world, but, you know, I was like, I, I can't just be looking for prime times job jobs, I need to be looking for full time six to 11 preschool jobs.
And so it was that, that necessity of like, I gotta take care of my family. And then once I got into six to 11, full time, I was like, Oh, I really, you know, I really love this world. I love like, love working in this world. I love I love working with the characters on the shows and and you know, and then that's when the...
Alicyn
And that coincides with you that's you having a child too, so -
Eric Rogers
Absolutely.
Alicyn
Watching thing with on the air, what's not on the air?
Eric Rogers
Oh, yeah. Yeah, you have the best. When you have a kid, our kids ages, it's, it's the best because they are sitting there watching all sorts of content. And they are telling me in law and real time, I don't love this, I love this. And so I me, as a student of writing an animation storytelling, I'm, I'm going okay, this is what's ticking his boxes, this is what's ticking his friends boxes, you know, learn from this and applied this to what you're doing so you can be more successful and hopefully keep the show on the air for more than six episodes around one season or, you know, whatever it is.
Alicyn
Yeah. Wow, that's so amazing. So then do you feel that that the differences in how you approach writing an episode is different from adult to child?
Eric Rogers
It is, is because you the risks you can take with adult animation are just infinitely, they're infinitely more, you know, like, you know, you can you can you can do some clever, crass jokes, you know, you can, you can do some more adult themed type things. You know, I've, I've certainly had a handful of situations where a studio working on the 6/11 says, had to pull me back and be like, dude, like this, this ain't this, this thing and this outline you that's not gonna fly, you got to, and it's always funny because, like, they'll give you that note and you're like, Okay, that's fine. It's like, I'll dial it back, you know, like, it's not the end of the world. I can, we can make it happen, you know, but but on the executive side, they're like, oh, no, what's he thinking? Has he totally lost his path and like, it's fine, it's fine.
Alicyn
Going to the dark side!
Eric Rogers
Yeah, exactly what's wrong with this guy?
Alicyn
So how did it come about that you helped create with Activision Skylanders Academy, which, if any does that he does know is based on a video game series. How did you develop you know, a more narrow character development within this video? This video game series into a full grown animated series?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, so Activision Blizzard helped me out in the sense that you know, they call it my agent at the time and they were looking for another writer they were looking for takes on the show, and they call the agency look Another writer, my agent at the time, God love him. He said, No, no, no, you don't want that guy. Bring my guy in - me.
I got this general meeting. And you know, the executive board at the time. They were like, here's what the show is based on, here are the characters, we want it to center, here's where we want it to take place. You know, it's like it's gonna take place in an academy. It's gonna be like Professor, Professor X's school for mutants, and it's going to be this Action, Comedy, you know, romp. And I was like, Okay, cool, you've given me guardrails. I can take, take this thing now go and go home and the man, that's what they said, you know, go home for a couple weeks, you know, and percolate.
And so you know, the game of the games that gave me the figures. And so I'm sitting here in my home office, like, you know, just looking at these little figures and going well, who do I think that guy is? Who do I think she is? And what connection do they all have together? And so I came back and I using the figures I walked into the room I put it down -
Alicyn
What like, the actual like, toy?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, the game - the game pieces. Yeah. And I started like, kind of acting out how how I envisioned these these characters interacting, like, so spire was like this, and he's kind of got this attitude, but seltos Over here. She's super cool. Like, you know, she's like a boys, man. They're so silly. And like, Master eon, he's, he's, he's like, you know, he's like, Oh, I'm, you know, Professor Dumbledore. But I've got a secret. And it's has to do with Spyro.
And like, so. The performer side of me is like coming out as I do this. But that was good. Because they liked what I had to say, they liked my approach. They like my energy. And you know, a couple weeks later, they're like, hey, we want you to come and write a Bible and write a pilot and see what happens. Yeah, exactly.
Alicyn
Wow.
Eric Rogers
Yeah.
Alicyn
And so, how were you feeling at that time? Were you just so excited?
Eric Rogers
Oh, through the roof. I mean, you know, because I, I, I knew I could, I knew I could run a show. I learned enough from David Cohen. And, you know, some of the show runners that I interacted with, at Bochco's his camp.
You know, I was I was a good student of watching how they, you're trying to apply, trying to learn what works for them and what didn't work for them into my own experience. So now I'm doing this Skylanders Academy job. And you know, that was even a, it was an interesting experience, because the people that were around me had never done animation before. And so there was a lot of, there was a lot more hand holding for me and my writers than I thought was necessary.
Because they because they didn't know what we they didn't know the world we had worked in. Yeah, they felt like they had to hold our hands that we we were constantly nicely trying to say, you don't need to do that, we know what we're doing. And then then another boss was brought in who just like when Netflix bought the show, they completely fell in love this idea that it had to be serialized. And then we had to go in and revamp a bunch of stuff.
And so, you know, show ultimately did not become... it took a turn where it wasn't the show that I sold to them, it wasn't the idea that I loved. And you know, after suit two seasons of it, I took my lessons learned, you know, as a new showrunner and I and I went off to Hasbro to do the show that shall not be named.
Alicyn
Coming soon!
Eric Rogers
Yeah, God before I die, I hope. Yes. Geez, that would be wonderful. But but that show? I you know, I know. I can't say what it is. But that show. One of the one of the things that bums me out so much about it not being announced yet and not airing yet is that it's been done. It's been finished since January of 2020. And it's there's 52 episodes sitting just sitting in a drawer somewhere.
Alicyn
Wow.
Eric Rogers
It is completely and utterly my DNA. It's like, it is the first show that I can point to and go. That is absolutely the showrunner I am. That is the storyteller I am. And I'm so excited for the world to see it. But I also understand, you know, Hasbro is going to do what they're going to do to launch an IP and the way they're going to do it. So I just have to sit and like, you know, bite my knuckles and not talk.
Alicyn
It's related to a toy brand. It's Hasbro...
Eric Rogers
It is related to ...
Alicyn
Lot of cooks in the kitchen with kneading, the stars are aligned.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, there's there's a lot of planning, I guess on their side. So, you know, I thought when a pandemic hit, if you had 52 episodes or something, it'd be a no brainer to go here's content, but eh, what do I know? All I know is this, Alicyn, all I know is this is the show is spectacular. And I can't wait for everybody see it, it's so good.
Alicyn
And Eric It's so interesting, because, you know, we're, so many of us look at your career and think oh my goodness, like WGA award, you know, nomination and created his own show at this hip property and all these accolades and credits that you have, but then 2020! You know, maybe that was a bit of a bummer year with the global pandemic and the show. And, you know, so that I as we as we look beneath the surface and connect the dots of people's careers, we see that things are never what, what we see when we just read the headlines.
Eric Rogers
Absolutely. I mean, there's so many zigs and zags. It's it's a, you know, I know you know this, but like, anytime there's an overnight success, you're like, "Nah, no, that person that person's been doing this for years". Maybe a 12 year old who came out of nowhere and did home alone isn't overnight success, like you know.
Alicyn
But you know, their parents have been working in the business or right, taking them to auditions. Even that is five years. auditions.
Eric Rogers
Exactly. Right. Like, if you look at River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix's as family and you know, they, they moved out, that, those parents moved to LA to make to get those kids into this business as little little kids, you know, and then River and Joaquin obviously have been, you know, River was successful at a very early age, but, you know, that they the parents were like, focused and we're like, we're gonna make these children stars and and that's what they did. You know, and then, you know, to your point, it's like, it didn't take one. It didn't take one month, it took several years. So yeah, yeah.
Alicyn
Wow, and you have I know that you're attached to the upcoming SMASH! with an exclamation point. Sorry, HBO Max show that's coming out in 2022. SMASH! All caps and an exclamation point. So I was just wondering, can you tell us a little bit about that series?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, I can. So that is from 41 Entertainment, who did super monsters which is on Netflix? They There you go. So they they basically smashed together two concepts they would have you took superheroes and they put put them at summer camp and what are the high jinks they get into and you know what up the across the lake is there is the the villain who's always trying to get those darn campers out of that camp because they're too noisy and they're bothering his peace.
So that was that show was a bit of a lifesaver for me during the pandemic because they just kept feeding me freelance and, and writing 16 episodes out of there. 52 Wow. Yeah, it was a lot of work. A lot of not a lot of work. Like it was fun work. But it was a lot of cotton volume, it wasvolume work. So So yeah, it was pretty preschool bridge. Yeah.
Alicyn
Preschool bridge?
Eric Rogers
Yeah.
Alicyn
Yeah. I'm actually not familiar with that term. Is that we bridging from preschool though six to 11.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, exactly. Right. You nailed it. It's, it's, yeah, yeah. It's what was I gonna say about it? No, that was that was one of the that was one of the big learning experiences me because I had done I had hardly done any pre school. I'd written a pilot for 41 with another writer Josh Haber from My Little Pony, we wrote a pilot for them. And they liked us both so they both brought us both on to do a bunch of freelance on this show.
And but it was it was hardcore preschool bridge so there was there was there was some learning curve there because I had never never really done that before. But by the time I was done with it, like it was just you know, said like another muscle you're just you've trained it and it toned and you're you they say here's the story and you're like good let's go so yeah.
Alicyn
Cute. Fun. It was all that I mean, I haven't done a ton of writing for a preschool just on the Barbie Dreamtopia show but we were always are in the writers room. And now to be on it having that experience in a pandemic Are you guys then breaking story on Zoom?
Eric Rogers
So smash was interesting. So Polly Pocket I did Polly Pocket last year as well right on Yes, Polly Pocket was was writers rooms on Zoom, very traditional in the sense that everybody is working together and pitching ideas and you know, all that good stuff. Smash was fascinating, because they didn't have a dedicated Story Editor.
So they have a bunch of freelancers who are who are coming up with premises and sending a bunch of those in and then the executives are going we like this, that and the and the other. And then they say, okay, so you go off and write the outline. And you it wasn't a room breaking anything you were on your own.
So you know that that was that was daunting, might be too strong of a word. But at the beginning it was it was weird, because, you know, it was like, who's gonna check me on this? You know, usually with these shows, you have the story editor, showrunner who's going no, no, like, you got close. But let me let me tell you what's not right about this. And then if I need to fix it, I'll fix it as the showrunner.
There was none of that it was basically like the executives like notes on the premise, notes on the outline notes on the script, you know? And somehow, some way I did a decent enough job where they kept bringing me back. But it was it was, that was, that was a fascinating experience. But yeah, I personally wouldn't do a show like that. But whatever works for them is, is super cool because they kept hiring me.
Alicyn
Well, perhaps your experience as a show creator, kind of naturally led to being able to
Eric Rogers
I think there was a lot of overlap.
Alicyn
Understand the world enough too.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, I think because it because my buddy Josh just mentioned he, he was a story editor.
My Little Pony?
Yeah on My Little Pony. Yeah, he's a story editor on My Little Pony so I think they entrusted us more than one might with just a general freelancer because we had that experience of knowing you know how to take notes and you know how to decipher them and how to, you know, fight for what we want without being rude or you know, obnoxious about it. And yeah, I think that show runners Story Editor experience definitely helped out.
Alicyn
That's amazing. I know that there were there was two or three questions that people had dropped early in advance in my Q&A that are not popping up right now because I think I responded to them earlier didn't write them down. So if you guys have them again, go ahead and drop them in the question box.
Okay, this question I did see come up. Similar to hunters, I'm going to reword your question Hunter, to coincide with somebody else's question. Oh, no, that's not the question. That's saying something nice to me. Okay.
Would make no, hold on Hunter at this one. What character do you relate to the most for all this stuff you work on? And why? And then to dovetail about them... Or maybe do you have a favorite character that you like to write for?
Eric Rogers
So that's a very interesting question. I loved I loved writing, I related so much to fry on Futurama, because there was this nostalgia factor with that, because I was 25 when I got that writer's assistant job, and Fry's a 25 year old who's wakes up in the future. So I was also... I also like to say that writers room if Futurama was the most educated, degreed room of all time, like these doctorates and you know and physics and science and math and all that so I was the dumbest guy in the room and I, and I'm proud to say it.
So there was a lot of like, I phrase a dumb dumb guy but but in such a lovely way like I was just like, Yeah, you know, what's wrong with being the dumb guy if you're not doing anybody any harm? So Fry was always near and dear to me.
As time went on with Futurama, Zoidberg became my favorite to write because he's a lovable loser in a different way. Like Willie Briggs just can't catch a break. And, you know, eventually, towards the end of the show, we you know, he had the episode where he fell in love with the girl who can't smell because he smells like garbage. So she because she can't smell like she he finally finds a love of his life. So that was just so awesome. I loved, I loved that. But Zoidberg was always great, because you could just he was money with like, his one liners about being poor, or about being terrible at being a doctor and all that so Zoidberg was my favorite to write a Futurama, you know, I, I find that there's, there's this weird thing that my one of my reps pointed out to me not too long ago that in the stuff I create the stuff that I think I, that I write the best.
There's always father son conflict. So you might might the younger that the son in the in those pieces always seems to be the strongest characters and the ones I love the most because my father and I did not get along. And you know that I think I'm slowly but surely working out my issues in front of the world on TV, with TV animated content.
Alicyn
Relatable content!
Exactly. But it's been it's been something that's popped up a lot through my work. And I did not. I did not know it. It wasn't it wasn't obvious to me until somebody said, you know, you do this quite a bit. And I'm like, Oh, shoot. Okay. Yeah, I guess I do. So, I hope that answers the question, you know, the specifics will feature on and then the general sort of, like, you know, the characters I gravitate to and like writing the most.
Very cool and then yes, we didn't quite talk about also on Skylanders Academy, you were the voice of Crash Bandicoot so can you tell us the story of how that came about? Also, I just want to check in because I've been in words one minute before and I know you have dinner so
Yeah, we can go a couple minutes later. Yes. So so this Spyro, oh no, Crash was was interesting because we had so we're writing the show and we're getting to the points with with the episode that Spyro she's spiral crash appears in Firstly, he we had not cast that role yet and as you know, with the the the cavalcade of stars that were on Skylanders you know, I think the goal initially was to find a name actor you know name Australian I and you know, I get asked this a lot why like, Why did Crash have an Australian accent? Well, bandicoots are Australian so for me it was like of course he has an Australian and whatever.
Sorry. Just to ask he never in any of his games spoke?
Eric Rogers
No.
Alicyn
There was no established...
Eric Rogers
Yeah.
Alicyn
Established voice.
Eric Rogers
Always just like, you know, like voices. So we're gonna have Crash speak. And I at first like if that was that was a surprise to me because I was like, well, he doesn't speak at the games, but I guess they want him to talk. So so we're getting to the point where we have to we we have to get the record track locked so that we can get the show to the animators so they can do the animatic. And so there's a thing in our industry called scratch track where you lay something down just so you have the timing of a thing done. Right. So I...
Alicyn
Usually it's the writer, you know?
Eric Rogers
Yeah, it's usually the writer.
Alicyn
Somebody who's not that excited.
Yeah, exactly. So, me and my infinite wisdom, whatever, I decided to do this scratch track in an Australian accent, because I'm like, well, school crashes, Australian, you know, so. So I'm doing this, I'm doing the scratch track. And I'm performing like, I'm not just mailing it in. I'm like, oh, extreme appearance, or whatever the hell line is. And so a few weeks go by a couple months go by and now there's a screening of this animatic we still have not cast cast an actor for this role. We have time now, because the show's timed out.
Eric Rogers
And we can find somebody come in and just do it, you know, deal with the animatic or whatever. But a couple of producers on the show watching the animatic, and they're hearing that voice at a crash, and they're like, well, who's that? And I was like, oh, that's me? And they're like, well, you should do the roll. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, like, let's let's just go hire like, let's go find your main comment, or you know, like, and I know, he's a kiwi, but like, just somebody from that part of the world. And like, you know, look, can we do that? And they're like, no, no, no, you do it.
Like, okay, are you sure I gave him so many opportunities to say no. And they didn't say no. So I'm like, fine. Let's go. I'm gonna have fun with this. Get back in the booth. And I'm going to dust off my actor's chops and live, we're going to do this thing up.
Alicyn
So why we are so good at an Australian accent?
My wife was from Australia. So I've been I've had that accent in my ear for 20 plus years now. So you know, I'm sitting there and I'm trying to apply what I think an Australian would say in this part of the script. I'm doing a terrible job now. But so I went in for it. And they we they they brought Crash back for another episode of like, okay, fine. So the tell it all, that's all it all came about. And I gotten the sag off of it. So yeah, I'm part of SAG AFTA now.
Nice. Every show you do.
I might have, I might have put myself in the Hasbro show. I can talk about a little tiny, tiny one liner character who pops up here and there. But yes.
That is so fun. That's so dumb. It's so dumb. Now. What about are there any passion projects that you're working on? Or upcoming future things? You mentioned things you can't mention?
Yeah, I mean, I still I still write. So there's two couple things. I have a series that I'm developing for Amazon right now based on another IP, just extremely excited about going very well. It's luckily, not an IP that's dependent on something else to come out before it.
And what are you in for that? What stage are you in?
So we've got a show Bible and four scripts written all by me all ready to go. I'm writing the first episode. Now. The idea is a short season launch of the show in 2023 with those first six episodes, so if people love it, great. I did something good. If people hate it, it's all on me.
Eric Rogers
And then you know, I still write I still write films. So I've been I've been I've got an animated Paul Bunyan project that is out in the world right now. Like brand new, you know, I got a producer that's taking it out and trying to set that up. It's a modern day take on Paul Bunyan got a Christmas Story Christmas tree based animated feature that I that I love is near and dear to me.
That's, that's... it's basically, you know, what if what if a pine tree in the forest discovered that the Rockefeller - he could be the tree that stands in front of Rockefeller Center? And his dream, his dream is to become that tree. So he takes an epic adventure from the forest to the city to make that dream come true.
Alicyn
Oh my gosh.
Eric Rogers
So those are my two animated features that are floating out in the ether right now. I would I wouldn't mention the stories if I didn't have it all locked down and had my producers evolved and all that but since
Alicyn
Oh, no, you know...
Eric Rogers
Yeah, yeah, nobody's stealing. So yeah, so and, you know, I like I said the earlier like, I just been dabbling with other things just to stay busy and do do different things. And, you know, it's it's never a dull moment.
Alicyn
Are you still writing comic books?
No, comic books went away when I was done with Bongo. Yeah, it's something that I wouldn't say no to at all. But you know, that that really was a part of my career that was deeply tied to my Futurama days and that group of people that I was working with, so you know, like I said, I wouldn't say no, but but I think that think that ship has sailed.
Wow, oh Eric, I know we are going in I know you have a special dinner with your lovely family, I won't keep you a minute longer. But it has been just such a delight to chat with you.
Eric Rogers
Yeah, it's been great.
Alicyn
And I'm so grateful that you came on the show. So -
Eric Rogers
Yeah, thank you for having me.
Alicyn
You guys for anybody that is going to tune in next week. It's Thanksgiving. It's the night before Thanksgiving. So enjoy that time with your family. If I can just jump on to say hi, I will. If not, I'll see you in two weeks for a duo. Sharon Muthu and Noshir Dalal are going to be a doubleheader, boyfriend, girl - or husband and wife now, she's, I've known them for a while. So they're going to be on the show. So tune in for that.
Thank you guys so much. And Eric, thank you have a lovely evening with your family.
Eric Rogers
Bye, everybody.
Alicyn
Bye everybody.
Eric Rogers
Thanks again!
Alicyn
Thank you. Bye!
Thanks for tuning in to Alison's Wonderland, where we explore the wild and wonderful world of animation and video games. Please remember to subscribe and leave us a review. For more episodes of Alicyn's Wonderland. Please visit us at www.alicynpackard.com. See you next week.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai