Brendon Small

For the character in the animated television series Home Movies, see Brendon Small (character).

Brendon Small
Brendon Small in July 2010.
Background information
Also known as	Donald Cock (occasional stage name)
Born	February 15, 1975 (1975-02-15) Springfield, Illinois
Genres	Comedy: Improvisational comedy, observational comedy, character comedy, satire, slapstick Music: Melodic death metal, comedy rock, hard rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Animator, comedian, television writer, musician, and voice actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming
Years active	1997–present
Website	www.brendonsmall.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Explorer Dethklok "Thunderhorse" Explorer

Brendon Small (born February 15, 1975 in Springfield, Illinois) is an American sitcom writer/producer, actor, comedian, voice actor, composer, and musician. He is best known as the creator of the animated series Home Movies and Metalocalypse and as the creator of the virtual death metal band Dethklok.

Early career

Small started learning guitar at 14 to assuage boredom after his family moved to Salinas, California. At his first public performance his hands shook so wildly that he had trouble controlling the guitar. It was another ten years before he was comfortable performing in public. He graduated from Palma High School in Salinas, California. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1997. During his music studies he concurrently took several writing and comedy classes at Emerson College. After graduating, he felt that the rock music genre was fading in popularity so decided to try his hand at comedy.

He was performing at The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square when he was spotted by Loren Bouchard, who at the time was casting for the central character for a UPN pilot produced by Tom Snyder Productions which eventually evolved into Home Movies.

Career

Media

Brendon Small was the co-creator, writer, voice actor, composer and musician for Home Movies, a cartoon initially aired on the UPN television network and then moved to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. The final episode of Home Movies aired on April 4, 2004, after running four seasons, although the show is periodically rerun on Adult Swim. In the series, he voiced the show's protagonist, 8-year-old aspiring filmmaker Brendon Small, as well as a number of other characters.

Small lent his voice to a number of other animated shows. He co-starred as Chad in the BET animated sit-com, Hey Monie!, and has voiced many supporting characters in The Venture Bros., including that show's shell shocked and drug-addicted version of Jonny Quest. Small has also had cameo roles in Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, Reno 911!, and Frisky Dingo. Small along with Scott Adsit appeared as lead characters of the Adult Swim pilot Let's Fish; the show's pilot premiered on May 13, 2007, but the series was not picked up.

In April 2005, the Sci Fi Channel announced an upcoming debut of a half-hour animated ensemble comedy show created by Small titled Barbarian Chronicles. The show, which has yet to be seen, was said to be produced by Small and Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Small has said that there are currently no plans to produce the show but that anything can happen in the future.

Small posed for a pictorial that appeared in the April 2006 issue of Playgirl magazine, as part of a humor-themed issue. Small posed naked holding a medieval flail and a strategically placed metal shield that hid his genitals. Along with comedians Ron Lynch and Craig Anton, Small has hosted the "Tomorrow Show", a weekly live comedy show at the Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles.

Small's latest television project is as co-producer, co-writer, composer, and voice actor for the Adult Swim series Metalocalypse, which premiered on August 6, 2006. The series focuses on a fictional death metal band named Dethklok, and each episode features a song "performed" by the band. In addition to all of the behind-the-scenes work he does for the series, he also provides voice talent for the characters Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles, and Nathan Explosion, three of the five members of Dethklok. Small has stated that while this is his dream job, he does not really like watching animation that much.

In 2007 and 2009, Small hosted the Guitar Superstar competition and in September 2008 he was one of the judges.

In 2010 Small directed Soundgarden's music video for "Black Rain", and The Damned Things music video for "We've Got A Situation Here".

Small's virtual band Dethklok appeared, via video, at the 2009 Golden Gods Awards. The band received the award for Best International Band. At the 2010 Golden Gods Awards, Small attended and performed with Brian Posehn's band and introduced Fear Factory's set. At the 2011 Golden Gods Awards, Small attended and introduced DevilDriver's set.

Small is currently working on the fourth season of Metalocalypse, expected to air April 29, 2012.

Music career

Small wrote all the music for the show Home Movies, and released all the songs he had written for the show on the Home Movies: Bonus CD. The CD was included with purchase of the Season 4 DVD box set.

With his new series Metalocalypse, Small continued to write all the music for the show. And in September 2007, he completed work on the Dethklok album titled The Dethalbum, in which he collaborates with Gene Hoglan to deliver an authentic melodic death metal sound while simultaneously retaining the light-hearted nature with which Small portrays the heavy metal genre. The album debuted at #21 in the Billboard 200, making it the highest-rated death metal album on the Billboard at that time.

In November 2007, Small, Hoglan, Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller performed live as Dethklok at twelve US college campuses in support of the Dethalbum. The Adult Swim-sponsored "Dethtour" featured Dethklok supporting the indie rock band …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The foursome reunited in 2008 to headline a longer "Dethtour", where they toured the U.S. in June and early July with fellow metal bands Chimaira and Soilent Green. During the tour they released the ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead/Dethklok split EP for free at the concerts.

They also performed directly before headliners Iron Maiden during the first day of the debut of the Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Canada, 2008.

The second Dethklok album, Dethalbum II was released on September 29, 2009. Dethalbum II reached number #15 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest charting death metal album in history. A tour in support of the new album began in the Fall of 2009, where Dethklok co-headlined with the band Mastodon.

Small has done guest vocal work on the Zimmers Hole song "The Vowel Song". Small also contributed guitar work to the songs "Devils Teeth" from Exodus' album Exhibit B: The Human Condition, as well as "More Metal than You" from comedian Brian Posehn's album Fart and Wiener Jokes. Small also did a "Murder Mix" of the song "Liar" by Emilie Autumn from the Liar/Dead Is the New Alive EP. Small performed the solo for the song "Give Up" (Van Halen cover) on Sylencers debut album A Lethal Dose of Truth.

In early 2011, Small introduced the Dethklok "Thunderhorse" Explorer from Gibson, a guitar made to his own specifications.

Dethklok played in San Bernardino on July 9, 2011 at the opening day of Mayhem Festival in place of Megadeth.

Small has currently finished work on his solo album which is to be titled Brendon Small's Galaktikon, which is expected to be released in April 2012. The album will feature Dethklok members Bryan Beller on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums. Small described the album as a "high-stakes, intergalactic, extreme rock album" and said it would be similar to Dethklok but with more melodic vocals. On the album Small uses Carvin Legacy amps.

Ulrich Wild stated that Small performs on the upcoming album by the Sex Slaves.

Personal life

Brendon Small currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his dog, Ernie. Small is of Lithuanian decent.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
2011	Jon Benjamin Has a Van	Musician	*Episode: Smoking *Composed the song "Christ Pipe" *Composed the theme music *TV Series
2011	Bob's Burgers	Animal Control Guy	*Voice Actor *Episode: Sacred Cow *Animated Series
2010	Last Call with Carson Daly	Himself	*Air date: October 5, 2010
2007	Let's Fish	Kevin	*Actor *Executive Producer *TV pilot
2006–2010	Aqua Teen Hunger Force	Rice Mascot	*Voice Actor *Episodes: Hands on a Hamburger, Dickesode *Animated Series *Credited as Donald Cock
2006	Frisky Dingo	Brent & Trent	*Voice actor *Episode: Meet Killface *Animated series *Credited as Donald Cock
2006–present	Metalocalypse	Nathan Explosion Pickles Skwisgaar Skwigelf Charles Foster Ofdensen Various characters	*Creator *Executive Producer *Writer *Director *Voice Actor *Composer *Animated Series
2006–present	The Venture Bros.	Action Johnny Plastic Surgeon Hector Swifty Agent Hauser Sgt. Hatred (1 episode) Various Characters	*Voice actor (10 episodes) *Animated series
2006	Ergo Proxy	Po	*Voice actor *Episode: Shôjo sumairu (English dub) *Animated series
2005–present	Squidbillies	Dr. Jerry Devil	*Voice actor (1 episode) *Episodes: Family Trouble (voice actor), Mephistopheles Traveled Below to a Southern State Whose Motto Is 'Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation (composer) *Animated series *Composer (1 episode) *Credited as Donald Cock
2005	Lucy: The Daughter of the Devil	Classmate	*Voice Actor *Episode: He's Not the Messiah, He's a DJ *Composed the song Maneater *Animated Series *Uncredited
2004-2007	Perfect Hair Forever	N/A	*Composed theme music
2004	Reno 911	Priest	*Actor *Episodes: Raineesha X, Not Without My Mustache *Composer *TV Series
2003	Hey Monie	Chad	*Voice actor *Animated series
2000	New Apartment	New Tenant	*Actor *Short film
1999–2004	Home Movies	Brendon Small Duane Perry Junior Adelberg Ken Adelberg Various characters	*Creator *Writer *Producer *Voice Actor *Composer *Animated series

Discography

Solo

• 2012: Brendon Small's Galaktikon

Dethklok

• 2007: Dethklok - The Dethalbum
• 2007: Dethklok - Adult Swim Presents: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on Tour with Dethklok (with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead)
• 2009: Dethklok - Dethalbum II

Soundtrack

• 2004: Songs Brendon's Not Allowed To Name (Also known as web) -- Free online download, comprising songs from Home Movies.
• 2006: Home Movies: Bonus CD (released with the Home Movies Season 4 Boxset)
• 2006: Saw III Soundtrack (European version) (featured Dethklok song "Hatredcopter"; credited as Brendon Small)

Guest work

• 2006: Emilie Autumn - Liar/Dead Is the New Alive ("Murder Mix" of the song Liar)
• 2008: Zimmers Hole - When You Were Shouting at the Devil... We Were in League with Satan (guest vocals on The Vowel Song)
• 2010: Brian Posehn - Fart and Wiener Jokes (guitar work on More Metal Than You)
• 2010: Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (guitar solo on Devils Teeth)
• 2012: Sylencer - A Lethal Dose Of Truth (guitar solo on Get Up)(Van Halen cover)

External links

• Official website
• Brendon Small at the Internet Movie Database
• Brendon's Myspace
• Brendon's Twitter
• Brendon Small's Berklee Alumni profile
• Songs Brendon's not allowed to name - brendonsmall.com
• SCI FI Reveals New Series, including Barbarian Chronicles
• Brendon Small interview (2008)
• Scene Missing Magazine Interviews Brendon Small
• Interview with Brendon Small at Lambgoat.com
• Interview with Brendon Small at Metalunderground.com