Thurop Van Orman, Creator
Cartoon Network’s The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack

Monday, July 07, 2008
By: Ramin Zahed

Thurop Van Orman’s beautifully animated and quirky toon, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, has developed a nice following since it debuted on Cartoon Network’s Thursday night comedy lineup in June. We caught up with the talented Cal Arts grad who began his career as an intern on The Powerpuff Girls and moved up to storyboard artist on Camp Lazlo and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. We were lucky enough to catch up with the very hard-working and talented 32-year-old animator and father of a three-year-old son and four-month-old baby girl.

Animag: Your show is about the “misadventures” of a young boy, raised by a protective mother whale and his pirate friend, Captain K’Nuckles. Tell us how you came up with this premise.
Thurop Van Orman: It has a long, winding back story. When I was a kid, we lived in Panama City, Florida, and I used to fantasize about living near the dock and having adventures all the time. Then, we moved to Salt Lake City when I was 13 and I really missed the ocean. I wanted to have adventures in the wild and began reading all these adventure books and Jules Vernes novels. I dreamt about living off the land and building my own hut with my bare hands. I got a job as a janitor after school and saved up enough money for a plane ticket. My plan was live on Shell Island [an underdeveloped island between the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay, near Panama City Beach, Florida]. I brought some rice and potatoes and matches and paddled to the island on a surfboard.

Animag: And you battled the elements alone?
Thurop: Yup, I was all by myself. When I got there, I found out that it was infested with rattlesnakes. But I managed to build myself a hut. I planned to live on sea urchins and I even speared a a manta ray. But eventually I began to starve—I was all blistered and sunburnt. I had failed as an adventurer, but I got plenty of stories out of it. One summer I went to Mexico and lived in the jungles and found myself eating out of dumpsters. My perspective on life began to change. Now when bad things happened, I told myself that I was having adventures.

How did you get Cartoon Network interested in your show?
Thurop: I made a Flapjack short in 2001 and put together all my favorite things from my childhood. A lot of the visuals are inspired by etchings from old adventure books. I pitched the show in 2001 and got a lot of notes, then, I re-pitched it two years later. I put together a bible and outline and storyboard. They are pretty open about hearing pitches from anybody at Cartoon Network. I remember the first time I pitched the show to Debbie Reber at the studio, she was watching TV and looking out the window and people would walk by and she’d say, “Hey, how are you doing?” right in the middle of my pitch. I knew I needed to get some experience and work really hard to be taken seriously!

When did you realize you wanted to get into animation?
Thurop: In high school, I wanted to make my living as an adventurer. I always loved to draw and tell stories, so I was going to become a book illustrator. My first real art job was at a video game company [Zantaro], and that’s when I got really interested in animation. I took a road trip to Cal Arts and was thrilled to find out that I could actually go to a school for animation. One of my teachers at CalArts, Randy Myers, recommended me for an internship, working on The Powerpuff Girls at Cartoon Network.

What are some of the lessons you learned about creating an animated series in the past two years?
Thurop: Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for all the storyboarding. You can go to school as long as you want, but nothing prepares you for it than doing it on the spot. What I learned that you really have to throw yourself completely in the work. You have to put so much time into it, you’d better be all about making the show. Your hobby has to be doing the show. People sometimes make the mistake of wanting to get into the animation business for the wrong reasons. It can’t be about the money. The show has to be your dream.

Has anything really surprised you about the show?
Thurop: You know, to me, the stories have been really engaging. Flapjack is a storyboard-driven show, but I find myself really wanting to watch the show because of these great stories that our writers are telling. These are the best stories I’ve heard! We were also lucky to have L.A.-based Screen Novelties work on our stop-motion animation and the credits of the show.

Is it true that you put a lot of yourself in the different characters?
We are very lucky to have Roz Ryan and Brian-Doyle Murray playing Bubbie and Captain K’Nuckles. I can’t imagine the show without the Roz Ryan and Brian-Doyle Murray who do the voices of Bubbie and K’Nuckles. Flapjack’s personality is one hundred percent me. He’s oblivious to danger. K’Nuckles is the crazy direction my life could have taken, while Bubbie is the protective, maternal force—and that’s what life is, a mixture of the crazy brutality of K’Nuckles and the heartfelt warm moments with Bubbie. [Editor’s note: Actor Paul Reubens—aka Pee Wee Herman—was originally supposed to create the voice of Flapjack, but as Van Orman told The Great Falls Tribune, "Pee Wee Herman was going to come in and do Flapjack and I was a little nervous 'cause he wouldn't come in and audition or anything. Then the day of the record, he didn't show up. His manager was like 'Oh, no. He's going to come in tomorrow.' I just went in and recorded them all real fast, and we just ended up using it!"]

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network as part of the special Har Har Tharsdays comedy block.

Reader Comments

• KingTaco : Nerd : NA

  Thursday, July 10, 2008

  It\'s interesting to think of Peewee Herman providing the voice of flapjack. Things clearly worked out for the best though. No offense to Mr. Reubens or his fans.

• Oudvin Cassell : character development and storyboard art : Cartoon network

  Monday, July 14, 2008

  Sir I must say that you inspire me alot. i just graduated from College with a BFA degree. I do Comic book art, character development and oil painting. Sir what is your advice for an upcoming artist who don\'t know what to do?

• Anonymous :

  Monday, July 21, 2008

  Flapjack is an AWESOME SHOW!!!!!

• K :

  Monday, July 21, 2008

  Yeah it really is

• Anonymous :

  Wednesday, July 23, 2008

  Yeah, Flapjack is an awsome show. Is there a way I can contact Mr. Van Orman, lke does he have a blog or something, or does he want this to be kept secret? Oh, and i saw a picture of his son. he\'s cute

• Anonymous :

  Wednesday, July 23, 2008

  Yeah, Flapjack is an awsome show. Is there a way I can contact Mr. Van Orman, lke does he have a blog or something, or does he want this to be kept secret? Oh, and i saw a picture of his son. he\\\'s cute

• Anonymous :

  Friday, July 25, 2008

  This show is pretty cool. I like it alot. It makes me laugh but it kinda makes me think that the creator who made it was having a really bad acid trip. Like.. It is so crazy and wierd but it\'s like the guy was tripping. Haha.

• llama :

  Saturday, July 26, 2008

  i am hooked on your show! Flapjack is so cute and your show has an odd hilarious kind of comedy style. I want to be a cartoonist when I\'m older. I hope your show stays on the air FOREVER! :)

• Anonymous :

  Thursday, July 31, 2008

  i have a new idea for the show and want to know if it could be aired on tv, i love the show because of how some of the charecters look sqishy. lol

• Mackenzie Kurtz : high school senior :

  Friday, August 01, 2008

  The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack is a source of inspiration to me. I just love the humor, and the animation is so different from anything I have ever seen. The mixed media approach is just great! Flapjack is a feast to watch, and I love every minute of it! I have never, in all my years being an avid cartoon watcher, loved a show more than I love Flapjack!
  
  Thankyou so much Mr. Van Orman!
  
  -Mackenzie Kurtz

• Anonymous :

  Sunday, August 10, 2008

  how old is flapjack? i love the show i was wondering if you can make a character that is the same form as flapjack only its a girl. flapjack girlfriend forever. please?

• BDAWG :

  Monday, August 11, 2008

  Hey Roz Ryan who does the voice for Bubbie, is this the same Roz Ryan from the late 80\\\'s t.v. show, \\\"AMEN\\\"

• flapjack\\\'s #1 fan :

  Monday, August 11, 2008

  flapjack! hey, flapjack! come with me, we\\\'ll go and see a place called candied island! who needs candied island? it\\\'s safer at the docks. but there ain\\\'t no streams of sodie pop to drippin down the rocks. it\\\'s dangerous and risky! but adventerous and free! adventure that\\\'s the life for me! theres lollipop trees and a lemonade sea! doesn\\\'t sound very good to me. the misadventures of... FLAPJACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Anonymous :

  Monday, August 11, 2008

  hi

• Pikapika :

  Wednesday, August 13, 2008

  flapjack is awsome show. What was the first episode like? there should be like a Lost episode when they meet and another when they go to Candied island.

• Pikapika :

  Wednesday, August 13, 2008

  I Like the theme song of flapjack~~
  Captin Knuckles:Flapjack!Hey flapjack wake upand come with me to a place called Candied island!
  Bubbie:Who needs candied island? Its safer @ the docks.
  Captin Knuckles:But there anit streets of sodie pop triklin down the rocks!
  Bubbie:Its dangerous and risky!
  Captin knuckles:But adventures and free!
  Flapjack:Thats the life for me!!
  Captin knuckles:Theres Lolilpop trees and and a lemanade sea!
  Bubbie:Dosnt sound very good to me......THE MIS ADVENTURES OF FLAP JACK!!!!!

• Pikapika :

  Wednesday, August 13, 2008

  Why is flapjack named after a Pancake?........Its weird....

• Mimi Huynh : freelance : lovemyhusband@hotmail.com

  Friday, August 15, 2008

  I\'m a 41yr old kid and still love to watch cartoons. This one is the funniest I\'ve seen in years!! Mr Van Orman is an incredibly gifted voice actor as well...the emotional nuances he adds to Flapjack\'s voice CRACK ME UP!!! I can hear him bursting with joy, melting with heartbreak or searing with anger and bubbling with anticipation or riveted by curiosity just by his voice. V/A is my dream, I\'d be great at it! Please help me if you read this, Mr. T V O!

• LL : Music Composer : Lucille Lorraine Music

  Sunday, August 24, 2008

  I\'m a 47 year old musician who composed shows for BET and MTV. I must say your show keeps me laughing, upbeat and inspired . The cast is so likable and please keeps those nuances from Flap coming!!

• Junberkt :

  Friday, September 12, 2008

  I really enjoy the show, and I\'m 41-years old and my daughter who is 3-years old loves it too. She knows which episodes she wants to watch, and we tape and watch and re-watch the shows. What I really like is that Flapjack is always teary up and crying.

• J@V@_J@KE :

  Friday, September 12, 2008

  Flapjack is awsome!!!!!!!Ive been watching it for awile and its my favorite show.ever.im 12 and i really enjoy it.it really suck that it was rejected the first 2 times.but its still awesome.thanks

• someguy : a job : some random compony

  Sunday, September 21, 2008

  flapjack rules captain k\'nuckles\' k\'nuckles are awsome i have 12 episodes on my ipod.my friends think its stupid but i beg to differ.
  
  -thanks Mr.Orman!!

• Anonymous :

  Sunday, September 21, 2008

  flapjack i soooo cool but i would llike to know how capn k\'nuckles met flapjack.

• ALex :

  Saturday, September 27, 2008

  I love flapjack. I am 22 and my girlfriend thinks im immature for loving any kind of cartoon. thats when i tell her to Shutup. HA!
  
  Flapjacks style is very unique and the stories are very well written.
  
  the random dark scenes such as vivid close ups and the candy wife remind me alot of ren and stimpys intensity wich is usually rare in most new shows.
  
  Over all i just hope the cartoon stays on air for good amount of time, it really does makes me laugh loudly