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Matt Maiellaro

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Matt Maiellaro
Matt Maiellaro at the Radical Axis WonderCon 2010 panel, San Francisco, CA
Born
Matthew Gerard Maiellaro

(1966-08-17) August 17, 1966 (age 58)
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Other namesDick Maiellaro
Occupation(s)Writer, director, voice actor, producer, musician
Years active1989–present
Known forAqua Teen Hunger Force
Perfect Hair Forever
12 oz. Mouse
Soul Quest Overdrive
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
SpouseLiz Maiellaro
Children2

Matthew Gerard Maiellaro (born August 17, 1966) is an American filmmaker, musician and voice actor. He is the co-creator and writer of the cult animated Adult Swim shows, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Perfect Hair Forever, and the creator of 12 oz. Mouse.

Prior to his work on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Maiellaro was a producer and writer for Space Ghost Coast to Coast since the show's inception in 1994. Maiellaro met friend and future writing partner, Dave Willis, when he came on as a staff writer in 1995.[1] The two have since made a few short independent films together, most notably the live-action short A Day Off, which follows a Michael Myers puppet and documents what he does on his day off from murder.

In 2000, Maiellaro and Willis created a spin-off from Space Ghost Coast to Coast – Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Seven years later, Maiellaro and Willis released a full-length Aqua Teen Hunger Force feature film on April 13, 2007.[2] His writing is characterized by surreal humour and at times, a total disregard for traditional forms of storytelling.

Early life and education

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He is a native of Pensacola, Florida, and a graduate of Pensacola Catholic High School.

Career

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One of Maiellaro's earliest jobs was answering viewer mail for TBS in the late 1980s, where he met future Adult Swim executive Mike Lazzo (who was a program administrator for TBS at the time).[3] Soon after, Maiellaro worked as a production assistant and assistant director on full-length feature horror films in the early 1990s, such as Darkman, Basket Case 3: The Progeny, Children of the Corn II and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.[1] Some non-horror films he worked on were Kleptomania, Ring of Steel, Mr. McCallister's Cigarette Holder and Ruby in Paradise.

Voice work

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Maiellaro provides the voice of Err the Mooninite,[4] the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, and other various roles on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, as well as various characters for the other Adult Swim shows he's involved with. When voice acting on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, he is sometimes credited as "The Amazing Voice of Matt Maiellaro". Maiellaro also provided the voice for Mouse Fitzgerald, the main protagonist in his series 12 oz. Mouse. Most of the time, his voice is modified through Autotune.[5]

In 2006, Maiellaro had a cameo as a cricket in the English dub of the anime Ergo Proxy.

In 2007, after the release of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, there was a fiasco between his company, the FBI and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino regarding the Boston Mooninite which caused panic in Boston due to their LED placard designs which made Boston Police Department believe that they were bombs. An Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode entitled "Boston" was produced to serve as the creator's response to the incident, but Turner Broadcasting and Cartoon Network executives canceled it to avoid further trouble. The episode was later leaked online in January 2015.[6]

In 2011, Maiellaro was making Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 which was running into its 12th season, with season 13 being announced by him that year. The same year, he also announced that he is working on the Mad Libs movie with Appian Way Productions, but it was cancelled.[7]

Music

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Around 1999, Maiellaro and longtime friend Barry Mills formed the rock band Donnell Hubbard,[8] whose music was later used in a few episodes of Sealab 2021 (notably the song "Fishin' Hole"). In the opening credits of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, graffiti can be seen that reads "Donnell Hubbard is a dead man".

Maiellaro also wrote the Squidbillies theme song, "Warrior Man". Mouse Fitzgerald, the protagonist from 12 oz. Mouse, can be seen playing metal guitar in several episodes, with Maiellaro providing the actual guitar riffs himself.[5] A caricature of Maiellaro (voiced by Maiellaro) depicted as a Chinese food delivery boy holding an electric guitar appeared in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Spacegate World". In the DVD special feature, "How To Score Big Writing For Television", he is shown with a red Stratocaster-type guitar, a Steinberger electric guitar, and a goldtop Gibson Les Paul. He has also been featured in Adult Swim promotional materials playing an Epiphone EDS-1275.

Other work

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Maiellaro directed the animated music video for Year Long Disaster's 2008 single "Leda Atomica",[9] and has performed live with the band in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2012, Maiellaro wrote and released his first graphic novel entitled Knowbodys, which centers around a family whose seemingly mundane life isn't all it that seems because the parents have the power to police the supernatural world (i.e. werewolves and poltergeists). This is one of Maiellaro's few projects that uses a traditional, non-absurd structure of writing.[10]

In 2022, a new film from Maiellaro entitled Pastacolypse was reported to be in the works at Bento Box Entertainment and would stream exclusively on Tubi.[11] It was released on Tubi on May 22, 2023.[12]

Filmography

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Film

Year(s) Production Role(s) Other notes
1990 Darkman Set production assistant
1992 Basket Case 3: The Progeny Second assistant director
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth First assistant director – second unit
1993 Ruby in Paradise Second assistant director
1994 Ring of Steel Second assistant director
1994 Mr. McAllister's Cigarette Holder First assistant director
1995 Cleptomania Second assistant director
2007 Busted Writer
2007 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Err, The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future, Satan Writer, director, producer, actor
2022 Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm Err, Markula Director, writer, producer, actor, executive producer
2023 Pastacolypse Writer

Television

Year(s) Production Role(s) Other notes
1994–2004 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Frylock, Various Producer, head writer, writer
1995 The Moxy & Flea Show Writer
2000 Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak Producer, writer (Two variety show specials)
2000–present Aqua Teen Hunger Force Err, The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future, Satan, Markula, various Co-creator, writer, director, producer, actor
2001 Sealab 2021 Writer
2002 The Brak Show Mr. Tickles Writer, actor
2004–2005; 2007; 2014 Perfect Hair Forever Uncle Grandfather Co-creator, writer, actor
2004 Spacecataz Err Co-creator, writer, director, producer, actor (Failed pilot)
Anime Talk Show The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future Writer, actor
2005–2007; 2018; 2020 12 oz. Mouse Mouse Fitzgerald Creator, director, writer, producer, actor
2005 Squidbillies Additional story elements
2005 Raydon Inspector Creator, director, writer, actor
2006 Ergo Proxy Cricket Actor (English version only, brief cameo)
2007 Up Close with Carrie Keagan Himself Talk show
2007 Stiff Creator, director, writer (Failed pilot)
2008 Terror Phone Himself Creator, director, writer, actor
2010 Terror Phone II: The Legend of Rakenstein Himself Creator, director, writer, actor
2011 Soul Quest Overdrive Co-creator, writer
Terror Phone III: R3-D1AL3D Himself Creator, director, writer, actor
2012 Shred Force Co-creator, writer (Failed pilot)
Riviera Co-creator, writer (Failed pilot)
2014 Chozen Consulting producer
Yoga Bro Producer
2017–2018 Welcome to the Wayne Bobby, Scott Whalien Actor
2023 Yenor Co-creator, writer, director, producer (Pilot)

Web

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Year(s) Production Role(s) Other notes
2022 Aquadonk Side Pieces Err, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, Markula Co-creator, writer, actor

Video games

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Year(s) Production Role(s) Other notes
2007 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am Err, The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future Director, writer, actor (Video game)

References

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  1. ^ a b Sheila Roberts. "Matt Maiellaro & Dave Willis Interview, Aqua Teen Hunger". Movies Online. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  2. ^ Craig J. Clark (April 12, 2007). "'Aqua Teen' on the Big Screen: Interview with Matt Maiellaro & Dave Willis". Animation World Network. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Nathan Rabin (June 14, 2005). "Matt Maiellaro & Dave Willis Interview at the AV Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  4. ^ Ashley Burns and Chloe Schildhause (August 26, 2015). "The Creators Of 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' Reflect On The Show's 13-Season Run". Uproxx. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Justin Norman. "12 oz. Mouse: An Interview with Matt Maiellaro". Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  6. ^ Dave Gonzales (April 10, 2015). "Banned Aqua Teen Hunger Force Boston episode leaks online". Geek.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  7. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Aqua Teen Hunger Force co-creator Matt Maiellaro". iFanboy. August 8, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  8. ^ "Sheila Green Productions' Barry Mills Biography". Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  9. ^ "L.A. Record article on Year Long Disaster video". Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Steve Sunu (January 27, 2012). "Matt Maiellaro on "Knowbodys" & "Aqua Teens"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  11. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 16, 2022). "Bento Box Original Animated Movies 'Pastacolypse,' 'Millennial Hunter' & 'Big Bruh' Set At Tubi – Upfronts". Deadline. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "'Pastacolypse' Now Streaming on Tubi". Animation World Network. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
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