Recently, I opened for stand-up comedian Kyle Kinane. He is a hilarious new face in the world of comedy. It was one of the best days of my life, better than the day I lost my virginity (I’m guessing, I’ll let you know when I make the sex). It was an amazing, sold-out show. But I mention all of that because we started the show with the world premiere of Bastard Road.
Bastard Road is a post-apocalyptic buddy comedy – sort of like The Road Warrior meets Futurama meets The Itchy & Scratchy Show. Kyle Kinane provides the voice for Bastard, and fellow comedian Brian Posehn voices Farel. Bastard Road was created in OKC by artist Dave Curd and writer Brian Winkeler. Dave designs video games up in Madison, WI these days, so I sat down with Brian and chatted about this amazing cartoon that will be picked up by a TV network (fingers crossed, it’s really funny).
Spence: Bastard Road actually started out as a comic book, how did this turn into an animated series starring famous comedians?
Winkeler: Through the Bastard Road stories that have appeared in the comics anthology POPGUN volumes 2-4, we connected with L.A.-based animation studio Six Point Harness to collaborate on a series pitch. They brought in Merrill Hagan, an amazing and disturbed writer for shows like Harvey Birdman and Stroker and Hoop, to work with us on it. Six Point had produced the animated short Bunnies for Kyle’s album and recruited him to be the voice of Bastard. Brian Posehn was always at the top of our list to voice Farel so our jaws dropped when we found out they’d landed him for the pitch short as well.
Spence: Tell me about the characters.
Winkeler: Bastard is like an oversexed, redneck Hulk – he just wants to punch dudes and make it with chicks. Farel is like the “feral boy” from The Road Warrior, but a grown up slacker who just wants to hang out and smoke weed, though he’s got skills with his razor-sharp boomerang when the going gets tough.
Spence: What networks have, or are, looking at it?
Winkeler: We’ve pitched the series to Spike TV and they want to hear more. We’re pitching to Comedy Central and Adult Swim within the next month or so and I’m hoping FX and maybe HBO or Showtime after. We’ve just learned that FOX has recruited a top guy from Adult Swim to start a Saturday night animation block so they’re on our radar now, too.
Spence: Is there a link or clip we can show the animated short to TLO regulars?
Winkeler: Unfortunately, no. It’s owned by the studio. We’re keeping it under wraps while we pitch. Kyle’s show was the one and only planned public viewing nationwide. Though I’m pretty sure that it will make its way online once we gain traction with it or once the project is dead.
Spence: Be positive! The short was hilarious. If it were on TV, I’d watch it. One last question: When it gets picked-up, can you create a reoccurring character that is perhaps gangly, red-headed and isn’t very manly? I’m talking about me.
Winkeler: We’ve actually got a ginger character in our developing character list – a survivalist who lives in an underground bunker with a bevy of nubile co-eds. He’s like a combination of Archie, Danny Bonaduce and G. Gordon Liddy. (picture below)
Spence: That looks just like me, only with a larger groin! Can I go ahead and call “dibs” on being his voice?
Winkeler: I make no promises. Other people have been humping my leg for a voice gig, too. We gotta sell the damn thing first. ; )
Spence: Well played, sir.
-
Below is a picture of Brian with Kyle Kinane after the show. Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianWinkeler. And me: @SpencerLenox.
