The Drinky Crow Show
The Drinky Crow Show is an American adult computer-animated cel-shaded animated television series created by Eric Kaplan and Tony Millionaire, based on the latter's comic strip Maakies. The pilot episode aired on Adult Swim on May 13, 2007.[1][2] The series premiered on November 23, 2008 and ended its run on January 25, 2009. The cancellation of the show was confirmed by a Maakies comic.[3]
| The Drinky Crow Show | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Black comedy Surreal humor Violence |
| Created by | Tony Millionaire Eric Kaplan |
| Based on | MAAKIES, by Tony Millionaire |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of | (See Characters) |
| Theme music composer | They Might Be Giants |
| Opening theme | "The Drinky Crow Show", performed by They Might Be Giants |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (and 1 Pilot) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Tony Millionaire Eric Kaplan |
| Producers |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 11–12 minutes |
| Production companies | Mirari Films Williams Street |
| Release | |
| Original network | Adult Swim |
| Original release | November 23, 2008 – January 25, 2009 |
Dino Stamatopoulos provided the voice of the title character and David Herman the voices of Uncle Gabby and Captain Maak. Millionaire's then-wife Becky Thyre co-starred as the voice of the Captain's Daughter and Phoebe Bird. Pamela Adlon provided the voice of Mademoiselle DeBoursay, as well as many of the other female characters. Creators Tony Millionaire and Eric Kaplan also provided additional voices. They Might Be Giants perform the show's theme song.
Setting
The show centers on Drinky Crow (an often drunk crow) and Uncle Gabby described as a drunken Irish monkey. It has a 19th-century nautical setting, where the main characters are constantly at war with the French, who are mostly alligators. It is characterized by graphic violence and surreal humor, so it normally is rated TV-MA-V for graphic violence.[4]
Production
The animation is done CGI-animated by Mirari Films's facilities in Brasov using Maya,[5] its resolution and its color palette are deliberately kept low. This gives the show a more traditional cel-animated look, reminiscent of 1950s children's TV cartoon shows.[6]
Characters
- Drinky Crow (Dino Stamatopoulos) - A desperate, depressed, tormented, romantic, suicidal, alcoholic crow.
- Uncle Gabby (David Herman) - A self-centered, stubborn, overweight Irish monkey who is only after girls and booze. He tends to only think of himself and sometimes tries to manipulate Drinky Crow.
- Phoebe Bird (Becky Thyre) - Drinky Crow's on-again, off-again, long-suffering sober seagull girlfriend. She used to date a walrus, but lost interest with him as he kept bringing his work home.
- Captain Maak (David Herman) - The brutal, lash-wielding captain of the boat Drinky Crow and Uncle Gabby work on. He is an American who does not care much for Uncle Gabby. He will only allow homosexuals near his daughter.
- Captain's Daughter (Becky Thyre) - A flirtatious, barefooted, sadistic, Betty Boop-style character who, like her title says, is the captain's daughter. Her real name is never given and the characters refer to her as "Captain's Daughter" (which is likely her real name). Her hobbies include never bathing and flossing her teeth while taking dumps.
- Lieutenant Vronchy (Dino Stamatopoulos) - An evil alligator who also is a naval captain for France.
- Mademoiselle DeBoursay (Pamela Adlon) - The French spy who works for Lieutenant Vronchy. She is able to sneak in and out mostly by seducing Uncle Gabby and Drinky Crow.
- Veteran Adult Swim voice actor George Lowe, played many background characters, but did not receive credit on any of the episodes.
Episodes
Pilot (2007)
| Title [7] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Pilot" "Mermaid" | Igor Kovalyov | Eric Kaplan | May 13, 2007 | 000 |
| While out at sea, Drinky Crow spots a mermaid, but Uncle Gabby will not believe him (thinking that Drinky Crow was drunk). | ||||
Season 1 (2008–09)
| No. | Title [7] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Beer Goggles" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan | November 23, 2008 | 101 |
|
After being dumped, Drinky Crow cuts out his eyes and replaces them with beer goggles so that he can date a hideous bar skank without being disgusted with himself. Guest appearances: Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie | |||||
| 2 | "Tunnel Girls" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan | December 28, 2008 | 102 |
|
Uncle Gabby dates a girl who is looking for a cheap thrill before her wedding night, while a harem of girls who can turn into a race car try to seduce Drinky Crow. Guest appearance: Maurice LaMarche | |||||
| 3 | "Organs" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan | December 14, 2008 | 103 |
| Drinky Crow infuriates his brain by quitting drinking, Uncle Gabby dates a sexy French spy trapped in a cage, and a young syphilis with a lot to prove fights his bladder. | |||||
| 4 | "Whale Show" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan & Mike Yank | November 30, 2008 | 104 |
| When Drinky Crow's girlfriend dies horribly, he decides to convert his grief into money at a marine theme park that specializes in sex, violence, and meta-humor. | |||||
| 5 | "Old Girlfriend" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan & Mike Yank | December 21, 2008 | 105 |
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Drinky Crow's old girlfriend comes back into his life, but is only interested in sex and slavery. Guest appearances: Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie | |||||
| 6 | "God Of Monkeys" | Matt Danner | Daniel Chun | December 7, 2008 | 106 |
| Uncle Gabby gives Drinky Crow a hernia, and feels guilt for the first time in his life, so he orders an immense Monkey God from the internet. | |||||
| 7 | "Elephant Man" | Matt Danner | Samuel Johnson | January 4, 2009 | 107 |
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Drinky Crow befriends a hideous freak with Proteus syndrome on a suicide hotline, and Uncle Gabby resolves to steal him away for himself. Guest appearance: Jonathan Slavin | |||||
| 8 | "Bar" | Matt Danner | Sam Means | January 11, 2009 | 108 |
| The sleazy Maakies bar becomes gentrified and Drinky Crow is inspired to commit many horrible and gruesome murders. | |||||
| 9 | "Aspire" | Matt Danner | Eric Kaplan | January 18, 2009 | 109 |
|
Drinky Crow must solve two mysteries — where the ship's rats are coming from and where the French spy DeBoursay is hiding her atomic reactor. The two solutions are as surprising as they are disgusting. Guest appearance: Jackie Mason. | |||||
| 10 | "Peace" | Matt Danner | Mike Yank | January 25, 2009 | 110 |
| When Peace breaks out, Drinky Crow discovers his girlfriend is expecting eggs, and joins a torture and revenge racket to make ends meet. | |||||
International broadcast
In Canada, The Drinky Crow Show previously aired on G4's Adult Digital Distraction block,[8] and on the Canadian version of Adult Swim.
Home media
All episodes, excluding the pilot, are available on iTunes. The entire series, including the pilot, has been made available for streaming on the official Adult Swim website.[9]
References
- "Drinky Crow May 13!" (Press release). The Beat. 2007-04-06. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
- McGrath, Charles (2007-05-13). "Guy Drinks. Bird Drinks. Guy Thrives. Bird Drinks". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- "Maakies".
- "The Drinky Crow Show!" (Press release). Fantagraphics Books. 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- "Maya Makes Drinky Crow Show's Boozy, 2-D World Spin". Wired.com. 2007-06-29. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- "The Drinky Crow Show Interview". ColdHardFlash. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- The Drinky Crow Show official website, archived by Wayback Machine. Adult Swim. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- "City TV". Archived from the original on 2010-01-07.
- Watch The Drinky Crow Show at Adult Swim.