The third season of Regular Show is out this week, with a new season currently airing on Cartoon Network. So what better time to ask series creator J.G. Quintel a few questions about Mordecai, Rigby, music, secrets, and love?
Quintel was kind enough to respond to a couple of our questions by e-mail, allowing us a peek at how the story for the Emmy-winning series has been shaping up.
FreakSugar: The characters seem to be aware that there’s a formula to their misadventures. To what extent are you playing with the format of the show beyond “guys screw things up, something crazy/awesome” happens?
J.G. Quintel: We’re definitely trying to find more stories that incorporate an emotional element so that it isn’t always the “guys screw something up” angle that we like to use. But I think we’ll always have them messing something up, whether it’s a job, or a relationship, because it makes for the most entertaining stories.
FreakSugar: You’ve talked a bit about how some of the show is autobiographical (the “Eggsellent” episode, for example). Was there anything from your own past that you had to stop short before writing into the show?
Quintel: Not yet. I think most recently we aired the episode “Bad Portrait,” where Mordecai has to repaint a portrait of Benson that he and Rigby ruined. Mordecai’s worried about what Benson will think and flashes back to a time at art school where he drew a girl and she cried. That actually happened to me! And it was my girlfriend!
FreakSugar: Romance has been a recurring subject on the show recently – are you thinking about your audience starting to question/figure out the whole dating thing?
Quintel: Not in a way where we’re trying to predict what they would like to see. We’re writing it how we’d like it to be, even if some of it gets a little too real. There’s some stuff coming up where I’ve had board artists come in and actually say that they didn’t think they should board it and we had to tell them to trust us and board it. Haha. It’s going to be intense.
FreakSugar: Mordecai & the Rigby’s never quite made it off the ground. If they were a huge super group, what would their sound be?
Quintel: Prog Rock
FreakSugar: In recent seasons, you’ve been digging into more of the characters’ back stories. Any hints on who we might learn more about in coming seasons?
Quintel: I don’t like to give away stuff like that, but there is a pretty awesome Thomas episode coming up.
Regular Show: The Complete Third Season is available now on DVD.
