Adventure Time: Interactive Q & A with me!

[The REAL Pendleton Ward]

Hey Adventure Time fans,

I've got some very exciting news for you all!

On THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 at 6:00pm PT (Pacific Time) I'll be stopping by Gaia Online to hang out with fans in this thread, and to answer your questions about Adventure Time in a live interview/Q & A session!

Please feel free to join me for this event, and come armed with any questions about Adventure Time you'd like to have answered! I'll try my best to answer as many of your questions as I am able for the duration of the interview/ Q & A session.

Hope to see all of you Adventure Time fans here on Thursday!
- The Real Pendleton Ward

[siskataya]

Hey everyone!

This is a special event for Adventure Time fans, and a chance to ask Mr. Ward questions about the show! You're completely welcome to discuss the show elsewhere on the forum, but please try to stick to asking questions. As usual with these interviews, anything off-topic or disrespectful will be removed.

One other note: There's only one Mr. Ward and a lot of you. He'll get to as many questions as possible in the time that he has, and we ask that you please not re-post your question repeatedly. Please also keep them as concise as possible to increase the chance he'll answer it. Thanks!

Be well and I know you'll have an exciting and fun time at this event biggrin
Sisky

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UPDATED:

Great news - Pendleton Ward is here! And he's answering your questions! Replies starting on Page 71. Keep checking here for updates on pages with replies!

- Sisky

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Question & Answer Compilation

Reply on pg.74

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Uhwahl

Any ideas for new characters in the future?
Where did you get the art concept style from?
When you came up with adventure time. Did you ever think it would be as big as it is now?

I didn't know it would be as big as it is.. I just wanted to make a quality cartoon.. the writers on the show.. we just try to make ourselves laugh.. i feel like most of the time we're just writing for ourselves.. and we all have high standards I think.. I feel like I do.. lately my mind has been shutting off in conversations that aren't funny enough.. I'll just make a super straight face.. it's a bummer.. If you're not making me laugh.. I'm sure I'm terrible to look at and talk to.. my face.. is a big bummer.. when someone's not funny..

Reply on pg.82

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Kyla_Ewens

I am a big fan of Adventure Time. Thank you so much for giving us a cartoon full of creativity and fun.
I understand if you don't have enough time for this question, but since this may be my only opportunity to ask you a question, I must know: What advice can you give to young and creative people who want to write professionally?

advice for youngins.. eh.. mm.. well.. i know looking back at my earliest work.. my student films.. and my earliest comics.. if future me was looking at that stuff.. future me would be thinking "dang that stuff is not that great.. and this kid.. is probly not gonna figure his biz out" .... heh... but i did figure my biz out... which gives me hope that other kids can figure it out too.... and i think what i had goin for me when i was younger was.. bein crazy motivated to have a show... and i wasn't attached to my work.. when I was pitching ideas.. if an executive didn't like my idea I would scrap it and start over without worrying about it.. I had an unrealistic sense of confidence... i think you need that.. if you have it.. you probably don't know you have it cause you're an egomaniac.. if you don't have it.. then i think you can fake it.. you only need bursts of it to plow through the hollywood business end of getting a show.. hrmm.. not sure this advice is.. really.. solid.. uhh.. well.. the simplest but truest advice is draw all the time.. carry a sketchbook with you and draw everything around you.. film making contests are great.. you can have a contest with your friends over a weekend if you have nothing better to do.. try animating a short cartoon over a weekend and then putting it up on youtube.. setting challenges like that are great ways to kick something creative out the door if you have trouble getting motivated.. make contests.. the prize being a film you created.. heh.. that's kind of nerdy.

Reply on pg.85

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Absinnu

Mr Ward

Thank you for coming to a public forum to take fan questions, that's really cool of you.

Without hyperbole I believe I can say Adventure Time is the best show I've ever watched. I love the characters and their growing and changing relationships, I love the themes and the scenery, and everything about it is lovely and charming and brilliant.

My first question comes from my friend, I ask in his stead: Aside from being creator of the series, we don't see things like a writer credit on the episodes. How much of your personal input goes into each episode, do you control much of the story?

Second is a little more complicated.

It believe it was made clear that Susan Strong is a human; Finn felt inside her hood and he smiled, if he felt something other than human ears he probably would have been sad and grossed out. So this leads me to wonder 1) Did the remaining humans start to wear animal hoods to evade predation from creatures like rainicorns? and 2) Susan Strong and Finn both have blonde hair, they are strong and have a pretty fantastic set of morals: Is it possible that Susan Strong is Finn's mother? If 1 is true, then that would explain why baby Finn is found wearing an animal hood as opposed to it just being a cute part of character design.

O: I'm so excited

Also, really looking forward to more Flame Princess!

yeah.. the first season i wrote.. so much of it.. but when it came time to doll out credits.. eh.. i don't know.. i didn't want to put my name all over it.. i don't care.. my name's on the front of each show.. that's plenty of name.. but i have a hand in every episode.. some more than others.. tell me what jokes and lines are your favorites and i'll try to tell you who wrote them.. i may have written some of them..

Reply on pg.88

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Grawrface

Bleh. This is going to turn into a list.
1. Can you tell us more about the Mushroom War/When will more episodes that reveal stuff be airing?
2. What are the chances the Huntress Wizard will make a return?
3. What are your thoughts on the insane popularity of Marshal Lee, regardless of his SUPER brief appearance?
4. Who are your top three favorite actors that you've gotten to work with on the show?
5. If you were to make an Adventure Time movie, what would you want it to be about?
6. Are there plans to release any more AT toys? I've seen plenty of shirts, but it would be cool to see more stuff like Finn's sword and the Finn and Jake action figures.
7. What inspired the snail that you put into each episode?
8. When might we see the return of Me-Mow? If there was a gender bent counter part to Me-Mow, what would you name it?
9. What, if any, conventions have you gone to representing AT? I work for an anime convention in Spokane, WA, and I know that a ton of our attendees love the show.
10. What are your thoughts on the incredible success of the AT comic? Or, for that matter, how much of a success do you see the comic as?
11. Have you ever thought about making an AT encyclopedia? Like, a guide to the creatures, notable figures, etc. Maybe an article that includes some different phrases that they use (i.e. mathematical, blue balooby, wagglesags, blop dumps, etc.).

Not to hound you with questions or anything.

For #1:

oh the mushroom war... the mushroom war.. i talked a little bit about this at wondercon.. ... well i saw some clip of adventure time on youtube the other day and under it one of the comments said something like "if adventure time ever shows what happened in the past.. how the land of Ooo came to be.. it's going to be really really sad". eh.. which is true.. i don't really want to delve into the mushroom war too much.. we'll continue to show glimpses of it.. you'll see a bunch of glimpses of it in the finale to season four... but.. finn and jake don't care about history.. they live in the now.. like Buddha.

Reply on pg.93

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Kimi-inufan2011

(sorry for the repeat of my question...) WHEEEEEEEEE!!! (I'm super hyper, and happy that you're here!) would you EVER be willing to use someone else's ideas if they gave you permission? And would you be willing to take suggestions for your show? and would you be willing to use any avi's on here in your show? whee

well.. i'm not interested in using ideas from anyone outside of my show.. i hired all these cray-cray creative people that I'm cray-cray for.. super brilliant minds that I am fans of.. and I like turning to them for ideas. all of the writers on the show are so funny and talented.. each episode is a rare experience.. i want them to be able to write whatever they'd like to write.. come up with ideas that they're interested in exploring.. that's my main goal.. i think it's rad though that people are writing fan-fics around the show.. i think that's super cool really. i like hearing about them all. .. but as far as giving permission.. it's not as simple as that.. you can't give me permission to use your ideas.. lawyers need to be involved.. especially if your a minor.. stuff like that.. anyway.. like i said.. i'm really just stoked to pull ideas from my crew.. my cray-cray brilliant crew. and y'all love my crew too. they make the show that y'all love. cray.

Reply on pg.94

The REAL Pendleton Ward

LadyUsagiMoon

yum_puddi yum_strawberry yum_puddi yum_strawberry yum_puddi yum_strawberry yum_puddi yum_strawberry yum_puddi yum_strawberry

The REAL Pendleton Ward

*gives a COOKIE* As you can see I am a humancorn, and humancorns like me have many questions...... so I was wondering If you could be any creature on adventure time, what would you be and why?

BTW I MADE SOME FAN ART
-Fan Art-

oh man.. any creature on the show.. dang.. well.. obvs i'd be.. ancient psychic tandem war elephant.. that elephant has mad power.. i suppose i'd need to psychic link with someone though to use it... so maybe that's not the best idea.. hrmm.. eh.. maybe i'd be the ice king.. he pretty much leads the life that i do now.. sitting in his apartment.. scrolling around on the internet.. using his ice magic for crafts.. mad crafts..

Reply on pg.96

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Rein_Carnation

First off I'll say your show has been quite the highlight for me. So thank you for making something entertaining and enjoyable.

Will there be anymore further adventures with Fiona and Cake by chance?

New Fionna and Cake? Yes, there'll be another episode down the line starring Marshall Lee. It's awesome.. Rebecca Sugar and Cole Sanchez wrote it.. it's super funny and super sweet and has really nice songs in it that Rebecca wrote. I hope y'all like it.

Reply on pg.98

The REAL Pendleton Ward

DarkSune

Any chance of Meemaw appearing in another AT episode? Will anymore fan submissions appear in AT?

yeah, I need to bring that up with the crew.. we do need to do the return of Me-Mow cause we left it hangin.. check out that assassins guild a little more

Reply on pg.103

The REAL Pendleton Ward

BlinkingBlah

What cartoons are you a fan of?

I'm nuts for Bob's Burgers.. I am.. NUTS FOR IT. I am so NUTS for it.. my intensity for it.. is so.. nuts.. that.. i can barely think.. when Bob's Burgers enters into my mind.. all I can do is shout BOB'S BURGERS over and over and over in my mind.. and all other thought is lost.. it's hard for me to even watch the show cause I like it so much.. I was watching it last Sunday and.. I choked on my own spit because I was so intense while watching it.. I couldn't follow the story cause I kept thinking "that line of dialog was brilliant.. that line of dialog was brilliant.. that line of dialog was brilliant" .. aw man.. aw

Reply on pg.106

The REAL Pendleton Ward

OV8ION

(asked on page 13 but I don't think Pen saw it)

It seems to me that AT is teetering on the edge of a darker vision. Would it be dark if it weren't supposed to be a kids' show?

Are you a Homestuck fan? AT fans claimed to have caught references to Andrew Hussie's Homestuck, including such vague references like "Document 413." Is it or isn't it?

Is AT really Finn's dreamworld, and not a real place at all?

No.. I like teetering.. Dark Comedies are my favorite genre.. because the emotions are in conflict with each other.. it makes me feel awesome.. watching movies like American Werewolf in London.. when I'm on the edge of my seat in suspense but laughing at the same time... it's like.. forcing yourself.. to roleplay.. as Doctor Who.. My intentions were to make a kids show that had dark moments.. that's what I'm all about. Trying to payback.. what Ren and Stimpy was to me as a kid. Ren and Stimpy blew my brains apart as a kid.

Reply on pg.114

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Lanzer

Hello Mr Ward,

Many of us here working at Gaia love the show and think that you're a creative genius. Our art team has a question for you:

What was the first most memorable drawing that you ever did? Maybe something that let you find out that you're different or more creative than the average person?

First drawings that I remember.. I used to draw pictures of The Simpsons on lined rulebook paper and sell them to my classmates in first grade for five cents a piece..

Reply on pg.118

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Argenti

What is it like working with Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny, and John DiMaggio? Do you ever get requests from Zack Shada to do some more work with you guys?

How did you feel about the cancellation of Flapjack and how was the transition from that to Adventure Time? Was it an easy transition? I was really disappointed when Flapjack was cancelled.

aww yeah.. everyone from Flapjack misses Flapjack a whole bunch.. I think if most of us from the Flapjack crew could go back to that time, we'd do it in a heart beat. Those were the salad days. Flapjack was a great learning time for me.. that's were my drawings evolved.. because I was forced to draw out major amounts of drawings for that show.. drawing crazy amounts every day.. just jams you up the experience level super quick.. my drawings were so high-school style until I started working on that show.. I had to learn pretty quickly... also Thurop Van Orman was an amazing boss. I used to ask Thurop if I could.. be involved in different parts of the production of my episodes and he'd say "Of course, friend. This is a fun factory, friend!" So that's what I try to do with Adventure Time.. I try to do a fun factory friend..

Reply on pg.119

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Nishido_Satsunoyama

Do you and your crew ever cruise in front of the Nickelodeon's headquarters on a party limousine?

. my crew and I don't ride in limousines.. most of the Adventure Time crew ride bikes cause they don't own cars.. which is nuts in Los Angeles.. my crew.. so nuts.. so cray-cray..

[kiIIers]

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Hey Adventure Time fans,

I've got some very exciting news for you all!

On THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 at 6:00pm PT (Pacific Time) I'll be stopping by Gaia Online to hang out with fans in this thread, and to answer your questions about Adventure Time in a live interview/Q & A session!

Please feel free to join me for this event, and come armed with any questions about Adventure Time you'd like to have answered! I'll try my best to answer as many of your questions as I am able for the duration of the interview/ Q & A session.

Hope to see all of you Adventure Time fans here on Thursday!
- The Real Pendleton Ward

yay!

[AoyagiRitsukaChu]

I i`m wondering if you will make another girl version of finn and drake?

[Bailo]

Just wanted to say I luv your avi heart

[I am Black Rock Shooter]

biggrin

[Kimiko Doll]

how did you think up the characters?

[Undead Spectrum]

Are you guys ever going to make any more episodes with Fiona and Cake?

As an artist, what made you want to draw? Have you ever had any troubles trying to achieve what you have achieved so far? And do you have any words of wisdom for any new aspiring artist?

[4L0VE]

Hi.

So my question is: Will there be more love and couples?

I like shows that have relationships and love and stuff. Alot of shows don't have it and I think it's annoying. Adventure Time has a bit and I think it's kool!

I'm a new viewer so I hope to enjoy more soon! Thanks!

[holocause]

redface I'm in-lesbian with you.. Sooo much.

My question: Will you please have my mind children?

The REAL Pendleton Ward

First page, <3.

[Madame Leota Tombs]

We love Hot Dog Knights!!!

Any new and crazy characters on the way?

[zwaa]

I really want to know whats with the waving snail in every episode.

[I Tears l]

The REAL Pendleton Ward

Hey Adventure Time fans,

I've got some very exciting news for you all!

On THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 at 6:00pm PT (Pacific Time) I'll be stopping by Gaia Online to hang out with fans in this thread, and to answer your questions about Adventure Time in a live interview/Q & A session!

Please feel free to join me for this event, and come armed with any questions about Adventure Time you'd like to have answered! I'll try my best to answer as many of your questions as I am able for the duration of the interview/ Q & A session.

Hope to see all of you Adventure Time fans here on Thursday!
- The Real Pendleton Ward

heart

[mynx the sacred one]

woohoooooo yayy my fav show ever

[Fateful Fears]

The girl version of finn and jake is cool ^^
cake and fiona~SOADORABLE!

Just came to say I love your show,
Keep doing as you do ^^
Ill still be your loyal fan *-*