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Metalocalypse

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Metalocalypse
File:Dethklok2.jpg
The members of Dethklok shown in a promotional poster. From left to right: William Murderface, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Nathan Explosion, Pickles and Toki Wartooth.
Created byBrendon Small
Tommy Blacha
Directed byJon Schnepp
Chris Prynoski
Mark Brooks
Voices ofBrendon Small
Tommy Blacha
Mark Hamill
Victor Brandt
Malcolm McDowell
Theme music composerDethklok
Opening themeDeththeme
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes49 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBrendon Small
Tommy Blacha
Keith Crofford
Nick Weidenfeld
ProducerKeith Fay
Running time11 minutes
(2006–2008; 2011–present)[1]
21 minutes (2009–2010)
Production companiesTitmouse, Inc.
Williams Street
Original release
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseAugust 6, 2006 (2006-08-06) –
present

Metalocalypse is an American animated television series, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, which premiered on August 6, 2006 on Adult Swim. The television program centers around the larger than life death metal band Dethklok and often portrays dark and macabre content, including such subjects as violence, death, and the drawbacks of fame, with extremely hyperbolic black humor and often gets a TV-MA V rating. The show can be seen as both a parody and celebration of heavy metal culture.

The music is written by guitarist/creator Brendon Small, is credited to the band, and is featured in most of the episodes. The animation is often carefully synced to the music, with the chord positions and fingering of the guitar parts shown in some detail.

Overview

In the series, Dethklok is a death metal band which enjoys a popularity level unheard of in reality, ranking as the seventh largest economy on Earth by the end of the second season. The fictional band members are Nathan Explosion, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles The Drummer, William Murderface, and Toki Wartooth. Their manager is Charles Foster Offdensen.

If Dethklok endorses a product or service, competitors are quickly driven out of business. Organizations worldwide, ranging from governments to businesses, go out of their way to avoid hindering Dethklok, to the point that the band is allowed to maintain its own police force and can get away with any crime imaginable with virtually no repercussions, although the band is often too ignorant to even notice that they are committing illegal acts.

The members of Dethklok tend to cause disaster wherever they travel, and anything remotely associated with them likewise attracts chaos. Dethklok concerts are so notoriously dangerous that those attending are required to sign "pain waivers" at the entrance, releasing the band from legal liability in the very likely case attendees are killed or maimed. The band is shown to have a callous disregard for their fans' safety, as shown in the first episode where they pour scalding hot coffee over concertgoers.

The band's popularity is such that impressionable fans will do anything for them, even if that means death, which is usually the case. In the episode "Dethgov", fans of Dethklok murder the governor of Florida after he refuses to establish a holiday for lead singer Nathan Explosion (to be named "Nathan Explosion Day"), whom they then proceed to elect governor in a landslide write-in victory.

The band's unnatural popularity and trail of destruction has attracted the attention of an Illuminati-style group, known as The Tribunal, dedicated to monitoring Dethklok's activity and plans. Typically, episodes involve the Tribunal attempting to maintain and perpetuate public ignorance and rampant consumerism whenever Dethklok's antics inadvertently threaten to upset the status quo. The Tribunal, led by a mysterious character named "Mr. Selatcia", works off the premise that Dethklok's unusual powers are the result of an ancient Sumerian prophecy about an "Apocalypse of Metal". General Crozier, the military leader in the anti-Dethklok group, appears to desire either the death of the band's members or the dismantlement of the band itself, but Mr. Selatcia consistently overrules him to prevent this from happening. Most episodes show the Tribunal attempting to covertly thwart the band by calling in various "specialists", such as "military pharmaceutical psychotropic drug manufacturers", "celebrity depression experts", or various legally compromised characters who attempt to infiltrate the group.

Development

As Home Movies had ended its run in 2004, Brendon Small started hanging out with writer friend Tommy Blacha. They went to metal shows around the same time they were both trying to pitch shows to different networks. This was how they came up with the idea of doing a show about a metal band that was 100 times more popular than The Beatles. They came up with the storyline, wrote a theme song and had friend Jon Schnepp design the characters. The series was originally called Deathclock, but the name could not be used due to an existing trademark. The show and the main characters' band were then renamed Dethklok. The show's title was then extended to Dethklok Metalocalypse, although the starring band still retained the name Dethklok. The title was finally shortened to Metalocalypse because the extended show title was too complicated. They pitched the show to Adult Swim, which greenlit it in 2005 with a 20-episode contract.[2][3][4]

Broadcast history

The show's first season consists of 20 11-minute episodes, the first of which premiered on the Adult Swim Video on August 4, 2006 and on Adult Swim proper the following Sunday. Metalocalypse was renewed for a second season consisting of 20 episodes which began airing September 23, 2007, two days before the CD release of The Dethalbum. An updated version of the Deththeme was featured in the second season as well. The Metalocalypse premiere was the #1 rated show in its time slot among males aged 18–34, and earned the network's best premiere delivery and ratings in 2006. Among the top ad-supported basic cable programs of the week, Metalocalypse ranked #12 among men 18-34 and #6 among men 18-24. The series premiere ranked #30 for the week among adults 18-34.[5]

At San Diego Comic Con 2008, Tommy Blacha confirmed that the show would be renewed for a third season[6] which premiered on November 8, 2009.[7] The episodes of season three are 21 minutes long (30 minutes including commercials).[8]

The show has been picked up for a fourth season.[9] For season four the show will be returning to the original 11 minute run-time. According to an Adult Swim schedule bump, season four is expected to air April 15, 2012, and will consist of 12 episodes.[10]

Characters

Main article: List of Metalocalypse characters

Voice cast

Main cast members
File:VictorBrandt.jpg
Brendon Small Tommy Blacha Mark Hamill Victor Brandt Malcolm McDowell
Nathan Explosion, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles the Drummer, Charles Foster Offdensen, Various Toki Wartooth, William Murderface, Dr. Rockzo, Various Senator Stampingston, Mr. Selatcia, Jean-Pierre, News Anchor, Various General Crozier, Cardinal Ravenwood, News Anchor, Various Vater Orlaag, News Anchor, Various

Episodes

Main article: List of Metalocalypse episodes

Music

The show includes music written under the name Dethklok by Brendon Small, often in the form of incidental music, and songs about the subjects of the episode in which they are featured, although two albums have since been released compiling full songs from the show.

The Dethalbum

Main article: The Dethalbum

The Dethalbum was released on September 25, 2007, in both standard and deluxe editions. The album is a combination of full length tracks from the series and completely new songs. The album debuted at #21 on the Billboard 200 chart with nearly 34,000 copies sold in its first week.[11]The Dethalbum was also streamed 45,000 times when it went live on AOL Music during the week of its release.

Dethalbum II

Main article: Dethalbum II

Dethalbum II was released September 29, 2009, in both standard and deluxe editions. The album includes many songs from the second season of the series and completely new songs. The deluxe version includes a DVD containing music videos for all the songs played during Dethklok's 2008 tour with Soilent Green and Chimaira.

Endorsements

Dethklok, the in-show band, also endorses several real-world music products, including Marshall Amplification, Gibson guitars, EMG pickups, David Eden Amplification, Universal Audio, M-Audio, Dunlop Manufacturing/MXR, and Line 6 gear. According to the official Dethklok MySpace, the Gibson Guitar Corporation was also planning on making a Dethklok signature guitar. During the 2008 NAMM Convention, a special edition Epiphone Explorer was unveiled to a select few. Pictures of show creator Brendon Small holding the guitar can be seen on the internet. Small later confirmed that Gibson, not Epiphone, would be releasing a Dethklok Explorer.

In 2007, Shocker Toys produced a limited run of statues of William Murderface and Nathan Explosion. In 2008 and again in 2009, Shocker Toys made a boxed set of vinyl figures with limited articulation of all 5 of the band members.[12] Kid Robot produced unarticulated figures of Murderface and Toki as part of an Adult Swim blind boxed mini figure line.[13] The song "Thunderhorse" is featured in the game Guitar Hero II by Harmonix and Red Octane as a bonus song.

In 2009, Brendon Small and Dethklok became endorsed by Marshall Amplification, dropping Krank.[14] In January 2010, Laser Canon Deth Sentence became a downloadable song for Guitar Hero 5. "Bloodlines" is on the main setlist in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Dethklok was featured in Soundgarden's video for "Black Rain", which Small directed. Dethklok's 2009 tour with Mastodon was sponsored by Brütal Legend and the song "Murmaider" was featured in the game.

There are guitar tablature books for both Dethklok albums, which were released through Alfred Publishing.[15][16] A bass tab anthology containing tabs from both albums was also released through Alfred Publishing.[17] The production of these books has subsequently led to the removal of all Dethklok tabs from websites such as Ultimate Guitar.[18]

A Dethklok "Thunderhorse" explorer has been released by Gibson.

Touring history

Dethklok does have a touring band, although there are no actual human counterparts to the characters on the show. The band consists of show co-creator, vocalist/guitarist Brendon Small, who writes and sings most of the music for the show, alongside drummer Gene Hoglan, bassist Bryan Beller, and second guitarist Mike Keneally.

In late 2007, Adult Swim organized a promotional tour featuring Dethklok and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The tour comprised performances at twelve college campuses, with tickets available to students only (except for 50 tickets set aside for the UCLA show in the Los Angeles area).

Dethklok toured with Chimaira and Soilent Green during June and July 2008.

Dethklok toured with co-headliner Mastodon, High on Fire, and Converge during October and November 2009.

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

Home media release

DVDs Release date
(region 1)		 Ep # Special Features
Season 1 October 2, 2007
 20

Disc One

  • Murderface's bass solo (extended scene)
  • The Skwisgaar Skwigelf Advanced Fast Hand Finger Wizard Master Class Instructional Video
  • Ravenwood learning from Skwisgaar Skwigelf Advanced Fast Hand Finger Wizard Master Class
  • Thunderhorse — Skwisgaar's Music Video Outtakes
  • Nathan's Hamlet recital (extended scene)
  • Murderface plays "Wheelchair Bound" (extended scene)

Disc Two

Main menu

  • 9 band interviews
  • Mordhaus tour
  • Untitled compilation music video (includes an unreleased song, Dethfam and Sewn Back Together Wrong)

Episodes menu

  • Toki's codpiece (Murdering Outside the Box uncensored scene)
  • Selatcia teaser
  • Burzum's food menu
  • Nathan's Groupies (Girlfriendklok uncensored scene)
  • Pickles' "Scourge of Drugs"

Season 2		 December 2, 2008[19] 19[20]

Disc One

  • Dethklok playing band naming game
  • News report on Klokateers
  • Toki playing arcade game (P.R Klok deleted scene)
  • Murderface goes to the opera
  • Offdensen talking about his job
  • Mordhaus things
  • Klokateers clearing Dethboat for landing (Dethcarraldo extended scene)
  • Dethboat being pulled over mountain (Dethcarraldo extended scene)
  • Murmaider music video

Disc Two

  • Nathan's reading of Titus Andronicus
  • Dr. Gibbons editing Murderface visual
  • Edgar Jomfru swim training
  • The band watching NASCAR (Dethrace deleted scene)
  • Fans on fans (Black Fire Upon Us deleted scene)
  • Offdensen parties with the band (Dethsources deleted scene)
  • Klokateers: In Memoriam
  • Knubler interviews Murderface and Toki about the song "Takin' It Easy"
  • Bloodrocuted music video

Season 3		 November 9, 2010[21] 10

Disc One

  • General Crozier/Falconback teaser
  • Whack-a-Clown (Dethzazz extended scene)

Disc Two

  • Nathan and Skwisgaar ordering from the drive-through
  • Murderface calls an escort (Fertilityklok extended scene)
  • Pickles drunk at the amusement park (DethHealth extended scene)
  • Facebones talks about places
  • Klokateer recruitment videos 1-4
  • Toki in charge of snacks (Renovationklok extended scene)
  • "TWO SWEDISH FATHERS!" (Fatherklok extended scene)
  • Murderface dance sequence
  • Tribunal janitor
  • Offdensen palling around

Blu-ray Exclusives:

  • Nathan Explosion reading William Shakespeare's "Othello"
  • Music Videos of:
    • Bloodlines
    • Dethsupport
    • The Gears
    • Burn the Earth
    • Black Fire Upon Us

Video game

A video game based on the series, titled Metalocalypse: Dethgame, was revealed at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. The game was to be published by Konami and be available for download on both the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network and Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace.[22] Players would have played as one of the band's roadies, and the game was to be set in Mordhaus, where the player would fight mutant fans. The game would have included music taken from Dethklok's albums. The game has been canceled, because "the creative direction of the game would not live up to the high standards...set for the project".[23]

Comic book

On July 23, 2009, Dark Horse Comics released the following statement, via Previews: "Following the release of the highly anticipated Dethklok vs. The Goon, Dark Horse Comics and Adult Swim announce a brand-new comics series based on the immensely popular animated show Metalocalypse. Dethklok will be featured in a full publishing program created by series co-creator Brendon Small and a collaborative team of Metalocalypse and Dark Horse artists and writers."

  • Metalocalypse #1 was released October 6, 2010.[26][27] Written by Brendon Small, Jon Schnepp and Jeremy Barlow.
  • Metalocalypse #2 was released December 15, 2010.[28][29] Written by Brendon Small, Jon Schnepp and Jeremy Barlow.
  • Metalocalypse #3 was released February 23, 2011.[30][31] Written by Brendon Small, Jon Schnepp and Jeremy Barlow.
  • A deluxe hardcover containing all four comics was released June 15, 2011.[32]

All four comics have variant cover arts by Eric Powell and Jon Schnepp. Brendon Small and Jon Schnepp have stated that there will be more comics in the future.[33]


References

  1. ^ Interview with Brendon Small from Dethklok
  2. ^ "Dethklok's Brendon Small: 'This Show Is For Guitar Geeks'". Ultimate-Guitar.Com. October 27, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  3. ^ "Tommy Blacha Interview". Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  4. ^ "Metal Edge TV Interview With Brendon Small". Dethklok.org. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  5. ^ Turner Broadcasting ratings information[dead link]
  6. ^ Keller, Richard (July 25, 2008). "Comedy Central's TV Funhouse - Comic-Con Report". TV Squad. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  7. ^ "2009 Intended Premieres". [bump worthy]. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  8. ^ "Dethalbum II Update". [bump worthy]. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  9. ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/19/adult-swim-announces-new-programming-line-up-for-2011-12-season/93273/
  10. ^ http://www.bumpworthy.com/bumps/4078
  11. ^ "DETHKLOK Creator Comments On 'Dethalbum' First-Week Chart Success". October 9, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  12. ^ "Dethklok SDCC exclusive box sets still available". October, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Kidrobot Adult Swim Mini-series[dead link]
  14. ^ "Brendon Small: The Man Behind Metalocalypse". October, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Dethklok: Dethalbum II". Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  16. ^ "Dethklok: The Dethalbum". Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  17. ^ "Dethklok: Bass Anthology". Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  18. ^ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1236095
  19. ^ "Metalocalypse - 2nd Season Release Date Announced". Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  20. ^ http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35865/metalocalypse-season-2/
  21. ^ "Metalocalypse - Season 3". Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  22. ^ "Konami and Adult Swim announce Metalocalypse: Dethgame for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network". Turner Broadcasting System. July 22, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
  23. ^ "'Metalocalypse' Game Officially Cancelled". July 29, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  24. ^ "Dethklok vs. The Goon (Eric Powell cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  25. ^ "Dethklok vs. The Goon (Jon Schnepp cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  26. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #1 (Eric Powell cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  27. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #1 (Jon Schnepp cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  28. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #2 (Jon Schnepp cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved 2010-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #2 (Eric Powell cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved 2010-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #3 (John Schnepp cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved 2010-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "Metalocalypse/Dethklok #3 (Eric Powell cover)". Dark Horse. Retrieved 2010-12-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ "Dethklok HC". Dark Horse. Retrieved 2011-9-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  33. ^ Blair Marnell. "Brendon Small on 'Metalocalypse' Season 3 DVD".

External links

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