Posted in: Cartoon Network, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim, smiling friends

Smiling Friends Offers Looks at Charlie & Pim During Pre-Season 1 Days

Check out two cool looks at Charlie and Pim from Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel's Smiling Friends during their pre-Season 1 production days.

Okay. We admit it. It's been a little more than four months since we last dropped a report on how things were going in the universe of Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel's Smiling Friends and… well… we miss it. Before anyone jumps to any assumptions, we just want to say that we want them to take whatever time they need to bring the magic back for a third season. But if the team behind the hit Adult Swim series continues to post gems like the two they did heading into the weekend, the wait for Season 3 will be a whole lot easier. First done in November 2020 during production on the first season, we have voice acting accompanying Sharpie/legal pad artwork for two mini-moments – one with Charlie and Pim and one with Pim solo.

Here's a look at what the team had to share on social media – and about Pim's vaping? We got a follow-up on social media letting us know that "Pim has been off vaping for a while now, but during lockdown, it got out of hand":

Here's a look back at the wide range of animation styles in play during the second season, followed by a look back at some thoughts that Cusack and Hadel had to share during last month's 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival:

Smiling Friends Creators Want Series to Have "Always Sunny" Vibes

During Adult Swim's presentation at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival, Hadel addressed whether viewers should expect the series to take on darker and/or more serious themes during future seasons – similar to what we've seen from other animated series that have those "special" episodes. "A lot of comedy shows, like you say, tend to get serious," Hadel shared in response to a question from an attendee. "I don't think Charlie and Pim could cry, and anybody would care. It would just be annoying. So it would probably end before it gets to that point." Hadel continued, "This show is hopefully kind of an escape. We always think about when we worked minimum-wage jobs; we would get home and just want to watch YouTube cartoons and South Park and [It's] Always Sunny [in Philadelphia]. There's something nice about being a little comedy thing, and that's it."

And there it is! Are we surprised? No – but being a diehard fan of FXX's Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson & Danny DeVito-starring It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I know that we don't always tend to go public a lot with our love for the greatest sitcom to ever grace a television screen. So when one of us does, it's nice to see – and when it's two talented folks like Cusack and Hadel, even more so.

"Something like 'South Park,' when I saw that episode when Stan gets depressed, I loved that because Trey [Parker] and Matt [Stone] are so great at that when they get serious. I just think we like keeping a continuous tone with 'Smiling Friends,' where you can tune in in any season. You don't really know where you are," Cusack added. And for those of you wondering when the season-long serialized storylines are going to kick in, Hadel makes it clear that fans shouldn't be holding their collective breath for them anytime soon. "I don't think we'll ever do serialization. It's supposed to just be popcorn. It's McDonald's of TV,' Hadel explained.

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