Thursday, December 17, 2015

Paul Rugg and I Were Hired at Warner Bros.


And I Have the Video to Prove It

Yesterday,  December 16, marked 24 years since Paul Rugg and I were offered jobs at Warner Brothers TV Animation. We were over at Paul's house watching Zontar: Thing From Venus, drinking coffee, eating chocolate donuts, and smoking. We'd just turned in scripts for some new show called Animaniacs. (Mine was "Draculee, Draculaa.") Paul's wife was off earning money as a social worker, while my future wife was still employed at the magazine I'd quit two months earlier. Rugg and I were performing improv and sketch comedy at the Acme Comedy Theatre. (Along with cast member Adam Carolla.) Money was very tight. The payment for one script would really help out my Christmas. 

Then Kathy Page, Tom Ruegger's assistant, called to offer us staff jobs and the trajectory of our lives veered sharply into an unexplored cosmos.

We were amazed, stunned, numb. Walking outside, we smoked more and talked it over. Should we take the jobs or would they pollute our comedy pureness by turning it commercial? We would accept the work immediately. 

Now it all seems opaque. If it weren't for the Web and talking to Paul Rugg yesterday, I'd swear the whole experience never happened. But I'm glad it did. (Paul, too.)  So thanks to Tom and Sherri Stoner. (And her husband, M.D. Sweeney, our Acme director, who recommended us.) In honor of that day, here is "Draculee, Draculaa."


5 comments:

Authors 4 Characters said...

I'm so glad you took those jobs!!! Animaniacs, et al are high marks to have on any writer's resume! "Didn't you used to teach math on Sesame Street?" "Does Batman know you're wearing his cape? (Really badly)." And MY favorite... Dracula (played by Dan Castalenetta) opens his casket to find Yakko, Wakko and Dot sitting in it and hacking away. "Pardon me. Mightst thou have some Coughin/coffin drops?"

The comedy is TIMELESS!

JP Mac said...

Bless you, Gillian.

A delight to write.

Unknown said...

24 years! Crazy to think it's been that long, that's almost as long as I have been alive! ;)

Glad you all were hired though! Animaniacs and Freakazoid made my childhood all that much brighter and more enjoyable and I adore them still to this day!

Cheers! =D

(Also, Mr Rugg needs to use his blog more! ;))

JP Mac said...

You made my day, Dexter. Thank you.

Paul is, indeed, a tardy man when it comes to blogging.

Antman said...

My favorite part was Dot was going to sleep while Dracula tries to bite her. Until Yakko appeared and asked him if he was going to bite her. Then when she went back to sleep, Dracula tried to bite her again but this time, Wakko had dressed up as a dentist and had pulled out all his teeth. I'll never forget that scene. Not to mention how I liked it when she stretched and yawned.

Featured Post

John P. McCann Sizzle Page

'Twas suggested I post a few episodes of my work in a pleasant spot. I've chosen here. Sadly, not everything I've written has y...