Metalocalypse Punishes 'Toon Landscape

A cartoon revolving around a dysfunctional extreme metal band dubbed Dethklok may sound ridiculous, but thanks to the wisdom and enthusiasm of creators Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, Metalocalypse is a massive hit. Throngs tune in to Teletoon to watch the dim-witted quintet bumble their way through world domination via heavy metal. The show has garnered adoration from metal heavyweights such as Arch Enemy and Metallica, all of whom have lent their voices to the show.

How did this crazy idea come to light?
Brendon Small: We’re victims of circumstance. We knew each other from the comedy scene. Not many people in Hollywood are metal fans. Tommy and I were the only ones sitting there going, “You wanna go see Cannibal Corpse with me this weekend?” It started as an onstage skit with us doing the singer of Cannibal Corpse appearing in Glengarry Glen Ross and we loved doing it, so we just tweaked it into a full-on show.

How did you pitch the premise and have it fly?
BS: I have no idea. The original pitch was just me telling them, “I have a great plan for a show about an extreme metal band. Half of them are from Scandinavia and half from the U.S. You can’t understand what anyone says, but there will be metal, murder and comedy.” He said, “That sounds great... green light."

What happened after that?
Tommy Blacha: We just wrote the theme song. We came up with a crazy song that had to be totally metal but with a comic book element. It took about 20 minutes to write the song and design the characters. Everything was done on instinct.

How do the bands you approach to contribute react?
TB: They all have a blast with it. They start thanking us for letting them be a part of it. We’ve had some of them ask for us to sign their script. We’re like, “Really? We wanted you to sign ours!"
BS: They get really excited because it’s something new for them to do. They get to act and we never have them appear as themselves. There’s nothing worse than watching a cartoon and going, “Oh look... it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers being themselves. How unique. “

There seems to be an underlying element behind the silly characters and general craziness.
BS: This show isn’t about metal. It’s about celebrity, the horrors of the media in our country, how bad celebrities and America can be. We channel that through something we love — extreme metal. I think that a metal fan realizes that we’re poking fun at something we love and know the intricacies of.

What’s the best part about realizing Metalocalypse?
BS: I’m a musician and I write all of the songs for Dethklok. The best part is finally having endorsement deals with gear companies. I had to start a fake band to get free gear.

This feature article is from the October 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. You can purchase the issue in the Chart Shop.