IamA Tom Ruegger creator of "Animaniacs" AMA!

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I think so, Copps, but I'm an autumn and you're a spring, it'll never work.

Everyone who watched Animaniacs is familiar with the amount of innuendos that was put into the show - I was curious if there are any that Warner Bros. didn't allow?

It would be the Fox censor and perhaps someone at Amblin who might object to a joke here and there. At one point, Steven put a kibosh on fat jokes, which proved smart. There's a pretty good cartoon about the censors in Tiny Toons and Bully for Skippy is all about the FCC.

How did you get away with the "Finger Prince" joke? Did the censors just not notice it?

Yes...it looked innocent on paper. It was funny in the board so we let it go to animation, then when it came back, the footage made us laugh so hard that we kept it in, and then when no one objected, it went on the air. Yikes!

Currently binging through the Animaniacs on Netflix and reliving my childhood. Thank you so much for all of the laughs and even some learning (Yakko's World)! Do you have any plans to bring the Animaniacs back in any capacity in the future?

No immediate plans but that would be a great goal. Glad you watched!

Would you consider updating The Nations of the World?

Randy Rogel, writer of that song, has done so. Rob Paulsen sings it on his podcast.

Rob Paulsen's podcast, btw, is called Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen, in case anyone was curious and wanted to lend an ear!

Which ep does he sing it in?

I think he sings it in all the eps.

My favorite, albeit shorter and less frequent, part was Good Idea/Bad Idea.

What are some Good Idea/Bad Ideas that didn't make it onto the show?

Good idea: airing on the Fox Kids Network.

Bad Idea: airing on Kids WB

So, how does it feel to be the creator of my top 4 favorite animated shows? Even before they were on Netflix I watched Animaniac's regularly as I own all 4 volumes on DVD, add in Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toons and Freakazoid, you basically animated my middle and high school years!

Glad to have been a positive influence. Hope you laughed a lot and are still laughing.

I just turned it on Netflix this past week-end, and having not seen it since it last aired, I was shocked, SHOCKED, that I remembered the name "Randy Beaman" before Colin says it.

Colin was played by Deanna Oliver's son Colin Wells and Deanna and Colin came up with all the Randy Beaman stories.

Was there actually Bologna in their slacks?

Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. On Tuesday and Thursdays, it was pimento loaf.

Oh man. I love your shows! I always thought Histeria in particular was underappreciated. What's the biggest difference working with Disney as opposed to working with WB?

We made Animaniacs for everyone, a general audience...today, television is niche programming so we're making "The 7D" for a very specific younger audience.

Thanks to Histeria, I will never forget how to say "the elephant is gray and large" in spanish.

el elephante es grise y grande!!!

Cody came home with this!

My kids watched Animaniacs religiously as children. Today, my daughter has a 2 year old who just found the show and loves it. My daughter has just realized there's a lot of education involved in the episodes. Was that the intention all along or are the Animaniacs just for fun?

Made for entertainment purposes for anyone who wants to watch. There's the song "The Nations of the World" for everyone, then there the song "Lake Titicaca" for the sophomoric in each of us.

How involved was Spielberg with the Animaniacs if at all other than his name at the top?

Steven was more involved with "Tiny Toons" than "Animaniacs." But we pitched all the different Animaniac show franchises to him, and he picked out the ones he liked best -- like Yakko, Wakko and Dot, Pinky and the Brain, Slappy, etc. Others were tossed aside. Steven was making a lot of movies (Schindler's List, etc) while we were making Animaniacs. But he always made time for us to go over casting, to review boards and to watch footage when he was available.

How did you come up with Pinky and the Brain?

Tiny Toon writers Tom Minton and Eddie Fitzgerald were in the next office over from me and it sounded like they were plotting to take over the world. They became the inspiration.

Will Freakazoid get a reboot? I feel like an internet superhero would go really well in this day and age.

I totally agree. Would like to make this happen.

With all these new superhero movies coming out, do you think there will be a Freakazoid movie/remake down the line? Ed Asner was my favorite!

This seems like a great idea, especially since Freakazoid and Deadpool have a rivalry.

What was your favorite joke that made it past the censors?

From "King Yakko." Princess Hello Hurse says to Yakko: Sire?
Yakko: Maybe later.

Miss Flameeel: Yakko do you know how to conjugate. Yakko: Now, I haven't ever kissed a girl.

How lenient were WB on using their other properties/characters in your show?

We were free to use anything and anyone from Looney Tunes.

Hi Tom!

A couple of years ago I messaged you to answer questions for a university paper I was writing on the educational aspects of Animaniacs.

I just wanted to thank you for your help, along with Paul Rugg and Randy Rogel (who had an hour-long Skype conversation with me, and for that I am forever grateful,) because that was probably the most fun I had writing an academic assignment. I never ended up finding out how I did on it, but I'd give it an A.

My question is: What was your favourite Hanna-Barbera property to work on, and how did you make the transition from Writer to Showrunner?

A Pup Named Scooby Doo -- gave me the chance to re-imagine the series. I was a writer up till then. Jenny Trias of the ABC network asked Hanna-Barbera to make me the show runner and producer of the new Scooby franchise -- that was the transition.

Hellooooooooooooo Tom!

1) Would you rather fight one hundred Wakko-sized horses, or one horse-sized wakko?

2) WHat's on the Wheel of Morality today? What lesson should we learn?

3) Do you think the modern public is ready to comprehend the orignal Yakko, Wakko and Dot Shorts?

4) Which character out of the ensemble do you most identify with?

5) Were there any jokes that you tried to slip into the cartoons that were "too edgy"?

I'm so glad that it made its way to Netflix, my dvds are all scratched up, and now my kids are hooked on it too!

1. one horse-sized Wakko is much easier to animate than a hundred little ones. I think I would lose to either choice, since they all have mallets.
   
2. If you have nothing nice to say, Tweet about it.
3. I want to see these. Seriously.
   
4. The Brain.
5. We a actually have two cartoons that are filled with swear words and other blue material...the voice actors went nuts. Someday we need to share these two gems.

I push the button, you don't push the button!

Tell me you wrote that episode (and reply)?

My favorite cartoon episode ever. Where did you get the idea for that episode? If you didn't write it, my backup question will be ... what episode did you think turned out just as you envisioned it?

This cartoon comes from reality. Third son Cody Ruegger was obsessed with "elelators" and all the dialog from Baby Plucky in all of baby Plucky's cartoons came from Cody. "Water go down the hole."

I always sort of had a crush on Dot. I think she may be the reason I was always attracted to psychotic women.

Anyways, what's Dot been up to these days? She seeing anyone? You think you could get me her number?

Get in line. She has a male harem. She appears regularly at a popular Las Vegas Lounge -- doesn't perform, just shows up and starts drinking.

Batman: The Animated Series is one of the greatest cartoon series ever made. Would you agree? What did the 'bible' for the show look like? How was the terrific and ultimately very consistent look and feel set up so well ahead of time?

Definitely agree. I wrote an early version of the bible. Used a Tom Joad quote in it, from "Grapes of Wrath" -- "wherever there injustice, I'll be there." Eric Radomski painted ALL the BGs on black paper which gave the sensation that the show is always taking place at night. And Bruce Timm's character designs are consistently brilliant. The two of them as art directors on the show make a huge impact.

How did the show come up with such amazing and catchy educational songs?

Smart writers like Rogel and McCann and Minton and Hastings and Rugg and Oliver and Stoner and Hollander with lots of ideas in their heads that need to get out.

Will you ever do a spin off or start making new episodes? I loved your show growing up btw.

If Warner Bros. sends out the call, most of us would be happy to give it another run.

Hey, Tom, I just want to start off by saying Tiny Toons and Animaniacs are two of my all-time favorite cartoons!

My first question's a humdinger. What are your favorite episodes of Tiny Toons and Animaniacs respectively?

very tough question -- different eps for different characters. Tiny Toons: particularly like "Anvil Chorus." Animaniacs YW&D: "Hooked On A Ceiling," King Yakko, too many to list. Many others.

Where did you gain inspiration for the Animaniacs characters? Are there people like this in your childhood/life, or did you just come up with the wackiest characters possible? Thank you for making my childhood fantastic :) I still have Nations of the World memorized.

My three sons influenced the creation of Yakko Wakko and Dot. Pinky and the Brain were based on Eddie Fitzgerald and Tom Minton. Slappy is based on a Sherri Stoner-created Groundling character. Mindy is based on a neighbor of Deanna Oliver's.

What are we gonna do tonight, Tom?

The same thing I do every night, Crimson Pig, try to take over the TV remote control at my house.

Where did you get the idea to create such a clever show?

Necessity: Tiny Toons was a hit and Steven and Warners Bros said -- make another hit.

Hi, welcome!
Was pinky the genius?

According to the visuals in the main title, Pinky is in a straight-jacket and Brain is wearing a mortar board like a college grad. But here's my point of view. At a pub quiz, I'll take Brain on my team, you can have Pinky on your team.

What's a matter with Chicken Boo lately?

He is the CEO of Disney -- tell no one.

Who is the greatest VO actor?

Mel Blanc Then there's Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker, Rob Paulsen, Maurice LaMarche, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jess Harnell OMG there are so many that are so good...

How do you think Animaniacs would fate in today's children's television market? Everyone passes around the adult humor that was snuck in, but even beyond that, the comedy was often very witty without dumbing down for children.

I watch shows with my nephew from time to time and I just don't see the same quality. Granted, I don't watch every show marketed to 8-12 year olds.

What do you think?

Our show was made for the whole family. Today's kid shows seem to be directed at very narrow demographic. 4 to 6, 6 to 11. Which is odd since movies like Zootopia are made for the whole family and are huge hits. Animaniacs could work today but would need to be scheduled to attract a family audience.

Hey Tom. I'm a little bit interested in your opinion, but I am more interested in Pinky and the Brain's opinion on this.

Is a hamburger a sandwich?

I think so, Brain, but is a Filet O' Fish a Sea Witch?

Tom,

Thanks for doing the AMA, and thanks for creating so many great shows; Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain especially are my favorites. My family regularly watched the latter together when my brother and I were teenagers.

I realize just because you're the creator, you may not know, but I'd welcome any insight you have: How is it that "Animaniacs" was added to Netflix's offerings, but "Pinky and the Brain" was not?

It just seems to me like any content provider that wants "Animaniacs" would also want "Pinky and the Brain," and that an IP holder who's willing to license the former would certainly be willing to license the latter.

It was surprising to see one and not both.

I suspect they will roll out the other shows once Netflix and Warner Bros. Animation establish a rapport.

Do you prefer wooden or plastic cutting boards and why?

I like plastic for vegetables and wood for when I cut the cheese.

So who came up with the concept for the character "Candlejack"? Because I always tho

Writers Paul Rugg and John McCann and producer Mitch Schauer

Who was responsible for getting the They Might Be Giants songs into Tiny Toons? They're my favourite band and I'd love to hear the story behind that!

Director Art Vitello wanted that to happen and it did.

Satirizing Orson Welles "Frozen Peas" rant is one of my favorite moments from P&B. What made you think, "We have to do this"?

Maurice LaMarche, voice of the Brain, had used that Orson Welles rant as his warm-up exercise pre-recording for the previous five years. It was an inevitable cartoon.

Who's your favourite animaniac?

Yakko -- the Brain -- and Slappy

How did Hello Nurse come about?

Wrote that line "Hello Nurse" for Buster Bunny in "Tiny Toons" as his catch phrase homage to Bugs Bunny's "What's up, Doc." But it never quite worked coming out of Buster's mouth. Saved it for Animaniacs where it really works well!

Marx Brothers or Three Stooges?

Duck Soup is one of my top five movies of all time. Spent more time watching Stooges as a kid. Prefer the Curlies. Came to appreciate the Marx Brothers in high school.

How was it working with Spielberg?

A great experience. He is a fountain of ideas. At meetings, he would probably offer up 10 ideas a minute, minimum. He loves cartoons and loved where we took Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. And he protected us from meddling by the network!

In Animaniacs, was it difficult to get the adult innuendo jokes past Standards?

Clearly they weren't paying attention, so, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, no. Also, when there were objections from anyone, we would just say, "Hey Steven likes it," so they usually left us alone.

How did you break in the entertainment industry?

With a ball-peen hammer. Bill Hanna gave me my first job as an assistant animator at Hanna-Barbera, worked at that, then became an animator, a writer, story editor, producer, show runner, etc.

One of my favorite cartoons of all time was Histeria. I still remember the Cleopatra and Napoleon skit like yesterday. It also helped me retain information, because whatever material I learned in school, was oddly enough being used on the show. Then one day it was never seen again; hardly any reruns. Any plans on adding that to the Netflix list?

Please contact Netflix! And Warner Bros. owns it. It's collecting dust. Get it streaming!

Hey, Tom! I used to watch Animaniacs and Pinky & the Brain when I was younger and now I'm an animation major in film school. My question to you is what are your thoughts on the switch from traditional 2D animation to digital 3D animation and which do you prefer?

I'm fine with both. In 2D the characters can do anything and move anyway the animator wants. You can change costumes easily. Not so with CGI. But with a good budget CGI can look beautiful.

What was Spielberg's favorite character from Tiny Toons or Animaniacs?

He liked most everything, but had a soft spot for Plucky .. and he thought Pinky & the Brain should spin off into their own series.

Would you like to see a movie staring George Wendt?

Side note: Thank you for this. My sister and I have been quoting it for the better part of the past 20 years. Heck, we didn't even know who George Wendt was back then.

Yes I would like to see a picture of George Wendt eating beans.

What kind of Good Idea/Bad Ideas do you think Mr. Skeleton would be caught up in 2016?

Mr. Skull head was drawn/created by Sherri Stoner.

Good idea: voting for a candidate for president. Bad idea: Voting for any of the current candidates for president.

Which Animaniac had the biggest ego off the set?

Wakko. He was always rushing off because he had a "date." Getting him to do a second take was impossible.

Have any of the celebrities you satirized on Animaniacs given you positive/negative reactions to how they were portrayed?

Richard Lewis's office justifiably objected when we used his likeness and some of this act when we cast him as Noah in Noah's Lark.

What advice would you have to someone who would be interested in starting to voice act?

Take a class -- get an agent -- make a reel and send it out

Where was Animaniacs animated?

Japan, Taiwan, Seoul, Manila, New Zealand

Of all the shows you've created, what is your favourite scene/moment?

very tough. For great action and animation, maybe the Von Suppe overture section of "Wakko's Wish" when all the characters flee from the avalanche. A section directed by Greg Reyna. Then again, I do love The Great Wakkorotti, Little Drummer Warners, Critical Condition, Puppet Rulers...too many...sorry.

Can you remember who wrote the song Schnitzelbank in Animaniacs? Love that one.

Paul Rugg -- who is a genius at writing the Warners, among other genius things he does.

Was there anything you thought leaving any of your shows where you went "If I had one more episode left I would do ____"?

Oh yes. Sherri Stoner calls frequently saying she'd like to see Slappy dealing with some of the modern cultural events, like OJ and the Kardashians. And the Warners need to have a visit with Trump.

What (if any) was the role of computers in the animation of Animaniacs?

very little. we were still hand-drawing on paper and painting on cells back then

I'm a big fan of your work. What was your favorite project/episode to work on?

Animaniacs -- freedom, comedy, lots of segments, great characters, great writers, directors, artists, musicians and voice actors -- bliss.

Whatever happened to Rita and Runt? As a kid, their bits were my favorites, and Rita's solos introduced me to a lot of new music, but as the show went on they seemed to disappear.

We were enjoying the comedy of the Warners, Slappy and Pinky and the Brain and we were having trouble milking the laughs out of Rita and Runt. Also, Bernadette Peters lived in New York so at times it was tricky getting her out to LA to record. But the best of Rita and Runt cartoons, like "Les Miseranimals," are among the best segments of "Animaniacs."

What do you think of Don Bluth's work?

I love the first Land Before Time -- the voice work was brilliant. BTW "I'm Mad" played in movie theaters in front of Bluth's "Thumbelina."

Be honest, is Donald Trump's campaign actually being secretly masterminded by the Brain?

I cannot reveal that classified information. i do know that from 200 to 2008, Brian spent a lot of time inside a Dick Cheney suit.

Anything you werent allowed to include or had to "pull" last minute from any of your cartoons?

almost had to pull Monkey Song on the premiere episode because Warners Legal didn't clear the song rights until THE DAY BEFORE THE BROADCAST!

What caused the end of these WB cartoons? Did Steven Spielberg or the WB decide not to be involved anymore?

Kids WB was handed Pokemon for free and it pulled down big numbers -- so then they wanted everything for free.

Was there an ending to "Freakazoid!"? WB stations changed affiliation I think 3 times in our area during its run, and I never did see all of the episodes in order. How was it supposed to end?

I love your work. Seriously. Those are the facts.

In the final ep, the cast sang a farewell song from the stage of the Hollywood Bowl. No plot ending...just the hope for more episodes that didn't happen.

So is it true Pinky is the Genius and Brain is the insane (megalomaniac) one? Because pinkly always seems to mess up just enough to save the world.

Keep in mind that Brain's plans to take over the world have a benevolent goal. He firmly believes the world needs taking over and only his firm hand can handle the job. His love for Pinky often gets in the way of his end goal.

Hello! I credit both Freakazoid and Animaniacs with helping develop my sense of humor as a kid, which has continued to be somewhat silly as an adult. Thank you so much for creating these! (And Histeria was FANTASTIC!! "This Old Sacrificial Well" is a classic.)

How has the way you write for children changed over the decades? I was re-watching Animaniacs and seeing things like Hello Nurse had me thinking, "That would never fly now."

Thanks for the AMA and the great childhood memories!

We had no brakes back then. We wrote what made us laugh, the directors made cartoons that made us laugh, and no one said "stop." A rule we had was to never say "kids won't get it." Kids get almost everything on some level. Today, kids television has a lot of rules.

To this day I'll often quip, "Pfft...you're such a weenie." and often receive the reply, "I am not a weenie, you are the weenie!" Great stuff. Tell me, do you often or ever find yourself using jokes or quotes from your shows in everyday speech?

Yes, always!

Are there any tips you can give to an aspiring artist like me? I wish to work in animation one day.

Work hard and long, build up a big portfolio -- all of it and all the knowledge learned will come in handy.

Hey! Thanks for doing this. My question is "what are we going to do tonight?"

The same thing we do every night, Berrybeak, try to come up with a new user name for you.

Animaniacs and The 7D are both really good and funny shows, Do you have any advice for people who want to write good comedy?

Write a lot. Write often. Write daily. Give yourself assignments. Every day, write a joke that you think a comic could use in his monologue. In weeks, you will have bunch of material.

Were there any Good Idea Bad Idea segments that didn't make it to air?

Good Idea: Writing a lot of funny Good Idea/Bad Idea segments. Bad Idea: Not using them.

In terms of advancing a career in Hollywood, is there anything more important than who you know?

Talent. Perseverance.

What set Pixar's so, so far apart from other CG animated films of the last 20 years?

MY pov: great story and great appealing design. The Incredibles was a lesson is great CGI design. By the way Zootopia is a very good non-Pixar CGI feature.

Favorite character from Shirt tales?

Digger

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Sausage and mushroom --

Just a quick question. I really loved the episode "Baloney and Kids" (as many of us did due to Barney hate etc.) However, I always thought that you made that episode because of how Barney himself had handed you your Emmy for Tiny Toons at the 1993 Daytime Emmy Awards. Was that the case, or was it something different?

Actually, Animaniacs writer/producer Peter Hastings had little kids and he was witnessing the Barney show first hand and he needed to respond.

Any talks of bringing any of your other creations to Netflix? Tiny Toon Adventures, perhaps?

Warner Bros. and Netflix make those decisions.

Hey Tom, I'm roommates with your assistant, tell him I say hi! Also we have a cockroach problem at our apartment, any suggestions? What would Brain do?

Yes. I too have a cockroach problem and I'm very curious what your solution is. Would Brain make them his minions to take over the world?

Yes, please equip all the cockroaches with tiny GPS systems and program them to go directly to Acme Labs where Brain is waiting with a new ingenious plan to take over the world