We are Barbara Pyle and Nick Boxer, Co-creators and Exec. Producers of "Captain Planet and the Planeteers." AMA!

Your show made me cut slits into those plastic, six-pack rings that would hold soda cans together, so animals wouldn't get stuck in them. I've been doing this pretty much my entire life.

Keep it up!!!

Thank you! You have undoubtedly saved lives.

Is it a coincidence that the kids from “The Magic School Bus” resemble younger versions of the five Planeteers?

That would be a yes... unless they (Magic School bus) are redesigns based on the Planeteers

Is there any chance that Captain Planet could make a comeback and be exposed to a new generation of kids? Considering how environmental awareness is even more important than it was when the show originally aired and the fact that it was an awesome part of a lot of our childhoods.

Thanks for doing an AMA :)

Turner/Time Warner holds the rights... it's their call

how do you feel that pollution has not yet been taken down to zero?

That we as Planeteers are not making our voices heard.

I don't know if pollution will ever be zero.....but we MUST work together to find alternative energy and less polluting ways to live our lives!!!!!!!! It is truly in our hands. The governments sure did not come through with the FUTURE WE WANT in Rio at the Earth Summit!!

When I was a kid I always thought "heart" was the lamest power. Now that I'm an adult I think it would definitely be the best.

Just wanted to share that, thanks for making one of the best cartoons of my childhood.

You are obviously a well adjusted individual who has a great perspective on the future.

Thank you for creating one of my favorite shows as a child!!! What was your inspiration for creating a show with the environmentally friendly theme of Captain Planet?

Ted Turner told us to make a Cartoon called Captain Planet. A lot of the characters and episodes are based on real people and real life events that we had when we were making documentaries...only spun out to cartoon scale!!! lol

We studied and worked on environmental issues for over a decade, so a lot of the inspiration comes from people we met in our travels.

I enjoy yelling "CAPTAAAAIN PLANET!" whenever recycling something, usually accompanied by slam-dunking the recyclable into the recycling bin. Do you do this?

Here at Planeteer Central, Kyle does!! lol

Kyle runs the Planeteer Website and edits the Planeteer Vids! =Awesome! He hooked us up with this Q & A

Are you kidding? We made a video with the EPA called "The Recycling Relay" where people dressed in all sorts of outfits -- chef, scuba diver, etc. -- run a relay race and at the end slam their "batons"(soda can, plastic bottle, rolled up newspaper) into recycling bins. We even have a helper dog do it.

So keep on recycling, and keep on yelling "CAPTAAAAIN PLANET!" Just avoid doing it late at night or early in the morning when you might upset your neighbors.

Did you ever laugh at how cheesy some of your dialogue is?

You betcha!! It was cheesy on purpose! A lot of CP's puns are corny things that the parents of the kids watching the show could relate to And in fact, parents did watch the show with thier kids

Yeah, of course we did. But here you are talking about it 20+ years later. And so are we.

If Captain Planet was still running today, what kind of new environmental disasters do you think the show would deal with. Specifically would the show deal with contemporary events?

Fracking would be on my list.

EARTH!

FIRE! WIND! WATER! HEART! GO PLANET!

What did you think of the Don Cheadle funny or die Captain Planet video?

And on a more serious note, I keep hearing rumors about a movie. Is that in the works?

Don Cheadle rocks!

As for the movie rumors, I keep hearing those too.

What was the deal with captain planets green mullet

Who knows!! We think it was a drop shadow in a photo of Nick.

Which one of the five elements do you think is most important?

Heart!! Heart is the combining element. without heart, we would have no interest in saving the planet!

Heart is the compassion and awareness that takes the physical powers and combines them and gives them purpose and direction.

http://imgur.com/0VSvM, this is a picture of my friend at a music festival last month, do you approve of the costume? Thanks for the AMA!

Fabulous!!

Ha, I used to sneak and watch your show because my dad would cut it off and say it was "liberal commie bullshit" if he caught me watching so naturally my question is: how do you deal with irate parents who accuse you of trying to brainwash kids? Thanks for making one of my favorite kid shows!

For every parent who was upset by the show, there were parents who loved it. The show received a "Parents Choice" award, among the many awards it received. We even had church groups support us for the positive messages and role models we provided (though some religious commentators were also critical).

Guess you can't please everyone.

Maybe some day caring for the environment will become a bi-partisan issue. It really should be. We all have to drink the same water and breathe the same air!

Who do you want to cast in the new movie? How did you get whoopi Goldberg and other celebrities to do the show?

We just asked!! All the stars loved being part of the world's first Eco Hero!

Celebrities were into working on Captain Planet because they knew it was for an important cause... Protecting the planet for future generations is essential.

As for casting... that will be up to the producers of the movie, however, I would want great actors who also believe in the cause.

I liked how you incorporated different ethnicities from around the world to embody the 5 Planeteers. Have fans from other countries shown their appreciation for the show?

The Planeteer Movement has fans from 140 countries!! It is huge! The Planeteer Movement is huge in Ghana.

And Australia is over the top for Captain Planet! It is popular all over the world.

How much influence did Ted Turner have over this show?

He came up with the show idea and the name and he picked Captain Planet's face (which just so happens to be our very own Nick Boxer!!..check out the photo!) He did not get involved with day to day production. That is his style. He picks people that he trusts.

He wanted it made and he put up the money -- but he didn't pick the subject matter, or deal with the creative... though we did get him to do the voice of Fred Learner in a CP episode called "Who's Running the Show?" (he was also the model for the character).

Just wanted to say thanks a bunch. I always watched the show as a kid growing up. Might have had an impact since I ended up taking a graduate degree in environmental management.

A little piece of me died when I was teaching a first year class and none of the students had seen Captain Planet (though a few had heard of it at least). Would love to see the show back on the air for this next generation of kids to have some exposure to environmental issues.

We would love to see it back too! We will have a little good news on that front soon.

Has anyone ever looked at you and said something like, "He looks like Captain Planet!!!" and how often?

All the time. If I wear a CP t-shirt or carry a CP bag, people invariably ask where I got them, or simply start singing the theme song.

If they don't make the connection on their own, I tell them look at his face... now look at mine...

Then they freak out!

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The Power is Yours!

Thank you! I am a great believer that we can do well and do good. We did it... and you are a living embodiment of that philosophy. I make an effort not to work on anything I don't believe in.

I don't mean to sound glib, but did you really think that Captain Planet would create social change in terms of how we view the environment?

That is not glib. The answer is YES! And in fact it did. In the last few years, we have met thousands of grown up Planeteers who report that their career paths and daily decisions have been impacted by the show!!

If you had only primitive weapons, and had to fight a dinosaur to the death in a "Dinosaur Death Match", what is the biggest dinosaur you think you could defeat? You don't have to give a specific dinosaur, just give us a general size. Also you can't set traps.

Captain Planet could defeat a dinosaur probably about as big as a horse sized duck.

What was up with the episode where Wheeler was fighting Hitler?

Good Bomb is Hard to Find..which was about preventing nuclear war.

I will be checking back in too!! The Power is Yours!

Was there an AIDS episode, or did I dream it?

Didn't dream it... We did an episode about HIV. It was called, "A Formula for Hate," and featured guest stars Elizabeth Taylor and Neil Patrick Harris.

The Belfast episode - what the fuck?

There is religious and tribal conflict all over the world.

People have to learn to get along without resorting to violence.

Violence = intolerance.

Were there ever any story lines or voice actors that got canned due to controversy?

NO!

Hey all -- I'll be checking back later to answer more questions. Thanks to all the Planeteers out there!

If you could be one of the Planeteers which one would you be?

I relate to wheeler, 'cause I'm from New Yawk... but I pick Ma-ti, because he's the only one who's power can't be replaced by technology.

Telepathy with humans and animals is pretty cool!

I would be Ma-ti, because without "heart" e.g. compassion, empathy then we would not have the will or interest in saving the planet!

Riddle me this guys, Everyone keeps giving Mati crap about his power of heart but in his defense, if heart never existed, Captain Planet would become a huge douchebag. Am I right?

Not exactly the word I would use, but heart is the power that guides Captain Planet... just as hate was the power that guided his alter-ego Captain Pollution

Why 'heart'? Why not some sort of other element/power? Where did the decision to pick heart come from?

Sunderlal Bahaghuna, who was a leader and teacher working in the Himalayas, said, "people act with Head, Hands and Heart... but that in the modern world, there is too much Head and Hands, but not enough Heart!"

Heart is the perfect force to wield great power with integrity. Heart is essential to our Planet's future.

Wow, wasn't expecting a response. Thanks so much!

. He led the Chipko Movement...these women actually stood in front to tress to prevent them from being logged. Very interesting. You may wish to Google that!

We did a documentary in India....Nick is telling that tale now.

Amazing! I can't immediately think of a question, but thank you for enriching my childhood. I'm pretty sure I still have all the action figures and even the planeteer submarine tucked away in a box in my basement somewhere.

Better tell me you recycle and turn off the water when you brush your teeth!

Which planeteer is your favorite character?

How do you pick a favorite child?

Why were your villains so obnoxiously one dimensional? I remember being around 6 or 7 and disliking the show because the villains always had such silly reason for wanting to pollute. What I mean is that they never seemed to be any benefit to them for causing environmental damage. They pig-guy wouldn't say "Let's burn down this forest fro so and so reason to make money." It would always be something like, "Let's just dump this sludge in a lake to kill the fish for fun."

I understand it was a kids show, but I was a little kid and never could get behind the messages in the show because they seemed so obviously one-sided. No one pollutes just for fun, people do it for personal gains or laziness, but your show didn't have Capt. Planet fighting those people.

Why not?

A lot of the time villains did do it for money/personal gain. But the villains also symbolized the problem, not merely individuals. Our goal was not to attack business, so the villains had to be over the top. We never wanted a child to say "my dad/mom works in that business" and feel bad as a result.

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Love your ideas for future super heroes! Wish were still making 'toons. Ted's nickname when he won the Americas Cup was Captain Courageous. That might have something to do with it.

Who's your editor? He does great work!

Our Planeteer Editor is Kyle King!! He rocks!!

Is there any possible way that Captain Planet is going to comeback, either remakes or reruns or possibly another series?

This was my favorite show as a kid, I was up at 5 every morning to watch it!

Would love to see a new series some day... but in the meantime, it's a shame that the series doesn't still run. Every day I get asked this question.

Do you think the outlook for environmental causes is better or worse than it was when you were making the show? My highly unscientific perception is that people typically are less concerned with the planet's health than they were in the 90s.

A lot of young people who grew up with the show are very concerned about the environment, and we are making some progress in renewable energy, and other environmental efforts...but sheer numbers are overwhelming the world environment, so it is critical that people and governments recognize the huge damage that 7 billion people are capable of causing. We have to do more... and soon, before damage becomes irreversible.

When I was a kid, I had a crush on captain planet. Thank you for creating a great show!

In the 90s, was it true that producers were forced to create characters with differing backgrounds (race, ethnic, cultural, etc) as to appeal to a broader audience?

Absolutelyl Not!! We were not forced..in fact, it was our idea! The Planeteers are based on real people that we either met in our documentary production or work with.

We weren't "forced" to do anything. Saving the Planet is a mission that cuts across race, ethnicity, culture, gender and economics... among enlightened peoples

Why did the show ended? I miss the days when cartoons were educational and fun.

Because too much emphasis is placed on selling toys, and not enough on doing right by our children.

Which episode is your favorite/are you most proud of?

I loved Captain Planet as a kid. My sister and our neighbors used to pretend we were the various characters, and even went to an Captain Planet event at the SJ Arena.

I love GORILLAS WILL BE MISSED and TWELVE ANGRY ANIMALS

I always felt Captain Planet was a bit anti-technology with Dr. Blight, Mal and Harm. Did you ever try to actively incorporate themes that were pro green-tech into the show (apart from the solar powered aircraft)?

Absolutely. Many shows were about positive technology -- "Bottom Line Green," "Disoriented Express," "Smog Hog," and "Isle of Solar Energy.

We are very pro science and technology -- we are also very pro business -- we just believe in responsible/ethical science and business. Too often these disciplines can be exploited to the detriment of society.

Is there really gonna be a captain planet movie?

Probably... some day

Did you catch that Robot Chicken sketch featuring Ted Turner as Captain Planet? Thoughts?

I saw it a long time ago, but remember thinking that is was "Very funny"!

Which environmental issues would a "new" show focus on? Any thoughts of new bad guys and other characters? Which from the series seem redundant to you now?

Do you work for Time-Warner? I can't give that information away for free

Sorry to say that none of the issues that the show dealt with are out of our face yet...so not redundant.

How did you come up with the names for the Planeteers?

Trial and error.

Captain Planet is one of the best shows ever. It's not only one of my favorites, but has influenced me in more ways than one. Not only has it opened my eyes to environmental concerns, but also about working together, and that prejudices about culture and language do not matter. It's influenced my writing as well.

You are a great Planeteer!