‘Robot Chicken’ Discusses New Season, Macaulay Culkin Shows Up [NYCC]
Fans who attended the "Robot Chicken" panel at New York Comic Con got an answer to the question, "Where's Macaulay Culkin been?" Culkin, who strode into the panel wearing sunglasses and what looked to be an Uglydoll on his head, joined co-creator Seth Green, co-creator Matthew Senreich, and Seth's wife Clare Grant to discuss the upcoming fifth season of the hit Adult Swim series. (Green dubbed the foursome "the silly hat club" due to the fact that they were all wearing silly hats for some reason.) In addition to a montage of clips from season five (which premieres in January), fans were given a sneak peek of both "Robot Chicken Star Wars III" and the upcoming Christmas special.First up were clips from the Christmas special. If you were hoping for a sketch where Superman and Santa race to determine who is the fastest, well, then you should tune in when the special premieres on December 10. "G.I. Joe" also gets some holiday lampooning (no one wants to sing carols with Golobulus), while Batman and Robin make kids smell their armpits in what we can safely assume is a play on the classic "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" carol. The highlight of the holiday special clip reel was a "Home Alone" spoof where young Kevin McCallister (voiced by Culkin) becomes the victim of his own nefarious deathtraps.
Next up was some rough footage from the one-hour "Star Wars" special, starring Billy Dee Williams and Zac Efron. "Are guys anti-Zac Efron? That's like being anti-kettle corn," Green said after hearing the audience's lackluster reaction to the star of "Charlie St. Cloud." Green said the special hits everything from before "Phantom Menace" up to "Return of the Jedi," with one segment showing the day-to-day drudgery on the Death Star through the eyes of Emperor Palpatine. Other gags feature Admiral Ackbar having some sexy bathtime and Darth Vader's suit emitting fart noises. Needless to say, that segment ends with the Sith Lord getting his cape stuck in a toilet. Green confirmed that Geoff Johns contributed a Yoda sketch to the new special.
Sketches from season five (which will bring the show up to 100 episodes) include a "Tron" parody, Gallagher forcing Teddy Ruxpin to play one of his comedy tapes, Kermit getting a proctology exam, and a subtle commentary on the uncomfortable racial politics of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." (Arabic robots turn into cabs.) Oh, and Batman beats Joker to a bloody pulp in a clip that the crowd went crazy for. Because it wouldn't be "Robot Chicken" without tons of random violence.
The panelists then launched into an informal Q&A session. Some highlights include:
- Season five will feature not one but two "Twilight" parodies, including one that plays on the fact that Edward is like a bajillion years old and dating a teenager.
- A fan asked why the show favors parodies of DC characters over Marvel. "It's not so much about the universe but where we have funny jokes," Green said. Senreich added that season five will feature a Captain American sketch.
- Green's fellow "Buffy the Vampire the Slayer" alum Alyson Hannigan lends her voice this season. "She's really talented. Just my opinion, guys," Green added.
- Senreich just turned in an outline to Adult Swim for a half-hour "Titan Maximum" series. "We love it and hopefully we'll get back to it," he added.
- Culkin commented on his brother Kieran's "Scott Pilgrim" success. "I thought he was fantastic. He was a scene stealer." Green then promptly showed off his "Scott Pilgrim" tee.
- "Avatar" will be parodied in Green's favorite sketch of the season. "We recorded a sweet R&B jam about the Na'vi people," Green said. The song is called "Blue Rabbits F**king," and is performed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump.
- Green loved voicing "Joker" in "Mass Effect 2" and would definitely reprise the role. "My favorite thing [about the game] is that thousands of gamers are having an intimate experience with me that I'm not sharing firsthand."
- Another fan asked the ol' "what's your favorite sketch?" chestnut. "That's like asking who your favorite child is," Senreich said. Green always goes back to the Voltron sketch. "It was a revelation when we realized we could make robots dance."
- A fan wondered where Culkin's been since his turn in "Saved." "Hiding under a rock somewhere," the actor replied. Green added, "The best thing about Mac is that he had a better career by the time he was 14 than most of us have in our whole lives. If he spends four years, six years, not doing anything, he'll still be more relevant than anyone here." Pushing the awkwardness even further, another fan wanted to know when "Party Monster 2" is coming out. Green told Culkin, "I'll work with you anytime, we just don't have to dress in drag."
- Todd Casey, a writer for the new "Thundercats" CGI show, asked about upcoming projects. "I heard I might get to do something on that new Thundercats," Green joked, before launching into a spot-on Lion-O impression. Senreich and Green hope to be able to show something from a top-secret animated project they're working on for Lucasfilm in the next couple of years.
- Green lamented the recent demise of MTV's "Warren the Ape." "It's the sixth time an iteration of 'Greg the Bunny' has been canceled."
- A fan asked if they've ever gotten a negative response from a celebrity they've poked fun at. "The only thing negative we've gotten is from Stevie Wonder's people," Green said. "We got a letter that was like, 'That wasn't cool, dude.'" Green feels bad about it, but added, "We're pretty sure nobody showed it to him." Senreich added, "People usually call after the fact and say they wish they had done their own voice."
- The topic of an inevitable "Jersey Shore" parody was broached. Green claimed to have never watched the show, while Senreich counts it as a guilty pleasure. "To do a parody of a show like that, you've got to go really out there. We haven't really made fun of it because, isn't that what it is already doing every day on television?"
- Will Culkin reprise his "bad seed" role in "The Good Son 2?" "I think I died," Culkin said. When prompted further, he added, "I'll make a few phone calls."