ROCKO’S MODERN LIFE: RETURN TO LIFE! (Thursday – 6A) – Well, well, well, fellow geeks and geekettes. Look who made it out to the great state of California, and the biggest marketing/advertising/pop culture event on the planet. Yep. This guy. “El Sacerdote”. I came out to this years’ San Diego Comic Con in hopes of enjoying some pop culture paraphernalia and celebration, drink a lot, and meet/ get an autograph from R.L. Stine, not necessariily in that order. Well, since I apparently need tickets cor autographs of any type, and they can’t just be bought, I sought solace visiting my first panel.
In 2018, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling — a 44-minute long special — airs. It picks up right where the previous series ended: with the titular characters returning from their rocket, it having blasted them into space. Original cast members Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko, and coincidentally celebrating his birthday today); Tom Kenny (Heffer); Doug Lawrence (Filburt); and Charlie Adler (the Bigheads) joined director Cosmo Segurson and show creator Joe Murray on stage. The new special examines and satirizes our modern culture, specifically our obsession with nostalgia and instant gratification; specifically, Rocko returns from space to discover his favorite show “The Fatheads” has been cancelled, and endeavors to get it back on the air. Sound familiar?
With the banter, it was clear the actors very clearly love each other’s company and they have a great rapport. They kept the panel fast and loose, joking around and often slipping into their character’s voices, and stating over and over how the special wouldn’t have happened if no one thought there would be nothing new to do with the characters. About 3-minutes of the new show (specifically the opening credits) then played, and it looks and feels exactly like the old model, only with the addition of drones, oPhones, and Buzzbucks coffee. They answered fan questions, asked a trivia question, and gave away a signed original animation cell as a prize. It was a light, breezy way to start a hectic day. 4/5 Bibles.
Let’s see what the rest of the week may bring.