Robot Chicken

[SwimMod_Luuv]

Post your questions and comments for Douglas Goldstein here!

Douglas Goldstein is a writer, producer, and director who is co-head writer for Robot Chicken and a writer/producer for all three Robot Chicken Star Wars Specials.  He also developed the pilot the Neighborhood for Fox, and the game show Head Games, and has helped launch magazines including Anime Insider and ToyFare.

from Wikipedia:

Douglas Goldstein (born 12 September 1971) is an American screenwriter, television producer and director, primarily known for his work as co-Head Writer on the late night animated series Robot Chicken. He has twice been co-nominated for an Emmy Award for episodes of Robot Chicken and has won one Annie Award for writing on "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II".

As one of the founding members of the "Robot Chicken" show, Doug Goldstein was also a writer and associate producer on the predecessor show Sweet J Presents, a series of 12 animated shorts which ran from 2001-2002 on Sony Entertainment's Screenblast.com.

Goldstein has written the half-hour animated pilot The Neighborhood for Fox Studios and developed the game show Head Games with Wild Brain. He is a writer for the Electronic Arts Spore: Galactic Adventures video game.

Douglas Goldstein was a founding member of Wizard Entertainment Group, the leading collectibles and entertainment magazine publisher with over 3 million monthly readers worldwide. Goldstein wore many hats at his 13 years at Wizard Entertainment, including Editor, Senior Editor and VP of Special Projects. He conceptualized, launched and oversaw projects involving every aspect of youth entertainment, including the publications Anime Insider, Toy Wishes, ToyFare, Toons, Sci-Fi Invasion, and numerous custom publishing works on Hollywood films and entertainment properties.

Goldstein has been an editor and writer of the popular humor strip Twisted ToyFare Theater, read by hundreds of thousands of fans since its inception in 1997. It has been compiled into several collected volumes.

[SwimMod_Luuv]

Back in your magazine days, could you ever see yourself in a tux at the Emmys?

[4-HBabe]

So, when you guys are thinking up new episodes of Robot Chicken do you just all sit on the floor around a big toy box filled with action figures and pull them out at random to make them fight epic battles?

Cuz that's how it happens in my head. 

[CGPee]

Are there any action figures that you absolutely refuse to use, but still own?

[NOTdubbed]

Dead Mr. Goldstein,

How do you and others at Robot Chicken HQ feel about the Star Wars prequels? It's pretty clear SOMEONE over there has got an interest in Star Wars, but as a die hard fan, I consider the prequels pretty goddamn terrible. What's your take?

[lupinfan83]

Who's idea was it to rape Snuggle on Robot Chicken? Are there company mascots out there that wouldn't be funny to rape?

[stonergoth187]

Okay okay, I can't help but ask; what's with all the fart jokes?

[Pyro_Metal]

Do you think you'd ever do a skit on MLP: FiM?

[DouglasGoldstein]

Hey everybody, thanks for coming to the board and saying hello!  I'll try to get onto the board as often as I can to answer questions and say hello back, so I'll be here at least a few times a day.

Okay, first question, did I ever see myself in a tux at the Emmys back when I worked at Wizard magazine?  The only way I saw myself at the Emmys was stuck in traffic on the way to Taco Bell, cursing out all the damn limos in the way. Seriously, when we started doing the show we were just doing it to have fun and tell the jokes we've all had in our heads our whole lives -- it's still that way actually.  I remember our first review -- Entertainment Weekly gave us an A. I thought I was in bizarro world, I so wasn't expecting that. When we were up on the stage at the Emmys accepting the award, all I could say over and over again was "Holy S**t" -- I think that's why I'm cut out of the frame most of the time!

[poisonbella]

Hello Douglas,

welcome! i have a question or two.......do you or any of the robot chicken people ever come here on the boards to see what we have to say about the show? my friend keeps tellng me he can get me an interview at robot chicken. of course that would be great, but what are the requirements to actually get a job there? what is your favorite part of your job? can you explain a day? thank you!

[duzitickle]

Hi, Mr G.
thanks for taking the time to come answer our questions!
=^____^=

Do you have the puppet of yourself (from the bedroom scene)?
And did they run that skit by you or just toss it in there?

Do y'all accept toy donations and if so, where should we send them?
free toys, free toys, free toys.

[DouglasGoldstein]

4-HBabe asked: "So, when you guys are thinking up new episodes of Robot Chicken do you just all sit on the floor around a big toy box filled with action figures and pull them out at random to make them fight epic battles?

Cuz that's how it happens in my head. "


Believe it or not, yes, sometimes that's how it happens. We can get pretty loopy in the writers room, just sitting there trying to be funny, eating ding dongs and drinking sprite all day. It's inevitable that someone will grab an action figure and have them start talking to people. In fact if you search for "Captain Stubing's Bad Day" on youtube you might get an inside look for yerself.

[poisonbella]

hi again, hate to sound stupid by asking, but i have to ask, was that "dont drink poison' skit for me???

[CommonDeer]

Quick question, I've noticed quite a few deer related skits on "Robot Chicken".

Is there a unique fascination with them?

[DouglasGoldstein]

CGPee asked: "Are there any action figures that you absolutely refuse to use, but still own?"

Good lord, NONE of what you see on the show is anything from my personal collection. We got a team of talented folks who work hard to build everything you see in the show. I think I ONCE let them have an action figure for its spare parts but only because they promised to replace it.
If you meant to ask if there's anything I love enough to own, but wouldn't want to see parodied on the show, I'd say hell no. Nothing is sacred!

[DouglasGoldstein]

NOTdubbed asked: "How do you and others at Robot Chicken HQ feel about the Star Wars prequels? It's pretty clear SOMEONE over there has got an interest in Star Wars, but as a die hard fan, I consider the prequels pretty goddamn terrible. What's your take?"


Everyone at Lucasfilm is very nice.

[DouglasGoldstein]

lupinfan83 asked: "Who's idea was it to rape Snuggle on Robot Chicken? Are there company mascots out there that wouldn't be funny to rape?"


I think if you look closely, that wasn't actually Snuggle, but a different bear. But it was Tom Root who wrote that. He has issues.
I can't think of any mascots that wouldn't be funny to rape. Mr Peanut's been asking for it actually.

[DouglasGoldstein]

stonergoth187 asked: "Okay okay, I can't help but ask; what's with all the fart jokes?"


Are you serious? Farting is funny! Maybe not the way YOU do it...

[DouglasGoldstein]

Pyro_Metal asked: "Do you think you'd ever do a skit on MLP: FiM?"


Oh man curse you for making me Google what the hell that even was. We've done at least one My Little Pony sketch called Apocalypse Ponies -- which would make for awesome toys, if you asked me!

[DouglasGoldstein]

poisonbella said: "welcome! i have a question or two.......do you or any of the robot chicken people ever come here on the boards to see what we have to say about the show? my friend keeps tellng me he can get me an interview at robot chicken. of course that would be great, but what are the requirements to actually get a job there? what is your favorite part of your job? can you explain a day? thank you!"


Good lord, you're asking me to write a book here.

1. We do come to the boards pretty often to see what people are saying about the show. We're insecure that way I guess. It's a bummer when all people say are "that was cool" or "that sucked" or whatever. Can you imagine working on something for a year and all a guy's gonna post on it was "funny"? My ego needs more.

2. Depends on the kind of job you're looking for. Do you have experience in that field? Set builders gotta know how to build sets and stuff like that. Whatchu got?

3. My favorite part of the job is all the free ring dings. Unwrapping the foil in just the way that it keeps the shape of the ring ding is pure joy!!

4. A day is 24 hours.

[DouglasGoldstein]

duzitickle asked: "Do you have the puppet of yourself (from the bedroom scene)?
And did they run that skit by you or just toss it in there?

Do y'all accept toy donations and if so, where should we send them?
free toys, free toys, free toys."


I have the head of that toy -- that's all there is that's officially me, the sculpted head. The body you see on TV is in much better shae than my own body.
And which bedroom scene are you talking about? As co-head writer I see and go over everything, so if you see a sketch where I'm being made fun of it's not gonna be a surprise for me. (Yes, the Time Share stuff is a true story). But sometimes they use my head on a toy without my knowing and it's usually for a pervert character. Dunno why...

Free toys? No no, send us ring dings!!

[DouglasGoldstein]

poisonbella asked: "hi again, hate to sound stupid by asking, but i have to ask, was that "dont drink poison' skit for me???"

Yes, so now you owe me a ring ding.

[DouglasGoldstein]

commondeer asked: "Quick question, I've noticed quite a few deer related skits on "Robot Chicken".
Is there a unique fascination with them?"

A DEER KILLED MY AUNTIE

[MusketBoned]

---

DouglasGoldstein wrote:
NOTdubbed asked: "How do you and others at Robot Chicken HQ feel about the Star Wars prequels? It's pretty clear SOMEONE over there has got an interest in Star Wars, but as a die hard fan, I consider the prequels pretty goddamn terrible. What's your take?"


Everyone at Lucasfilm is very nice.

---

This is an incredible answer.


Since you launched an anime mag, what type of anime do you enjoy the most (sci-fi, horror, whatever), and do you have a particular favorite that AS has yet to air?

[duzitickle]

---

DouglasGoldstein wrote:
duzitickle asked: "Do you have the puppet of yourself (from the bedroom scene)?
And did they run that skit by you or just toss it in there?

Do y'all accept toy donations and if so, where should we send them?
free toys, free toys, free toys."


I have the head of that toy -- that's all there is that's officially me, the sculpted head. The body you see on TV is in much better shae than my own body.  do you reuse the head if/when theres a scene for it?
And which bedroom scene are you talking about? As co-head writer I see and go over everything, so if you see a sketch where I'm being made fun of it's not gonna be a surprise for me. (Yes, the Time Share stuff is a true story). But sometimes they use my head on a toy without my knowing and it's usually for a pervert character. Dunno why...
this bedroom scene (1:07)
Free toys? No no, send us ring dings!!

---

dude.
youre talking to people who sent mike lazzo spinach, hamid got the teabags and merrill got the ant farms.
what would you do if y'all started getting ring dings in the mail?
cuz... youre probably gonna get some now.


what do you guys do with your old props?
is there a site where we can buy them?
(cheap little stuff for the poor people, man)