When you are a part of a creative team, you never know when a new project opportunity will reveal itself. In the case of writer Dave Capdevielle, this came about after talking to animator Ashley Nichols. Having worked to together on such projects of Hazbin Hotel and Iron Circus Animations Lackasdaisy, they found that they creatively gelled. So, together, they collaborated on Ashley’s animated pilot, Far-Fetched. A mix of Scooby-Doo and Resident Evil (according to Ashley).
Starting yesterday, (April 7th) Capdevielle and Nichols, with the supportive help from Spike Trotman and Iron Circus, have brought their vision to Kickstarter to bring the Far–Fetched Pilot to fruition. Before their campaign had launched, we had the opportunity to talk to the talented creators about their beginnings, their former projects and their Kickstarter launch. Our conversation with animator Ashley Nichols can be found here. So, now we welcome the writing side of this duo, let’s welcome writer Dave Capdevielle to GVN Talking Comics.
Writing and Animation Beginnings
GVN: Thank you for giving us a bit of your time Dave. Since we are just getting to “sit down” for the first time, I want to start with some of your creative beginnings. When did you first take an interest in writing and animation and whose work inspired you to consider that profession?
DAVE: Thanks so much for having me! Honestly, I’ve had a huge passion for writing and animation since I was a kid watching cartoons, monster movies and listening to radio programs with my Dad. I always wanted to tell my own stories, since my imagination was constantly running around a never-ending racetrack. I would even write and draw my own comic books on looseleaf paper in middle school and try to sell them on the playground. Cartoons like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Spongebob Squarepants, and Kids Next Door had a massive influence on my adolescent cranium.
As a grew older, I became a huge horror and comedy nerd, so the Evil Dead movies, John Carpenter films, Ghostbusters, Godzilla, The Simpsons, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and eccentric comedians like Conan O’Brien and “Weird Al” Yankovic shaped my brain into the insane carnival it is today.
Early Animation Projects
GVN: You have written for a number of animated shows, beginning with Starter Squad in 2017, and Hazbin Hotel starting in 2019. How did those jobs come to you and what do you feel you learned between them that you took with you to your following projects?
DAVE: I’d been friends with Shippiddge, the creator of Starter Squad, for a couple of years, and he approached me about helping write Episode #8 of the series titled “Ooo Look at Me, I’m a Big Scary Ghost.” He knew I was a HUGE horror fan since the first thing I ever did for the internet was host my own podcast where I spoke about horror movies with other creators. So he brought me on to try to make the episode as creepy as we could! The big thing I took away from working on this episode was focusing on tension and payoff for both scares and jokes, because timing is so important in writing both comedy and horror.
Originally, I met VivziePop back at a convention called MAGFest in 2016, where we met and soon afterwards asked me about writing for a cartoon idea she had about Hell and the daughter of Lucifer trying to redeem sinners through a rehabilitation hotel. The premise really intrigued me, so I accepted the job and we ended up writing and developing the Hazbin Hotel pilot from there. I actually moved to Los Angeles for two years to see it through to the end! It was so enlightening to work on a show that established such a big cast of characters and deep lore, and as a result world-building has become one of my favorite things to do as a writer to this day.
Voice-Over Work
GVN: Besides writing, you also have done some voice acting work. Initially in the Starter Squad episode you wrote: “Ooo Look at Me, I’m a Big Scary Ghost.” How did that come about and what are the challenges of bringing an animated character to life (especially one that you yourself wrote?)
DAVE: Yes! I’ve always been interested in voice acting ever since I worked at my college’s radio station. My friend and I would do voices and bits on air, along with playing our favorite music; it was like our own version of The Dr. Demento Show, but with way more Green Day and Linkin Park.
My biggest breakthrough with voice acting was a hilarious cartoon for Gooseworx, creator of The Amazing Digital Circus, called “Ghost Of The Year”, where I played an eccentric moon-shaped host for a paranormal awards show. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to book roles for various awesome animated projects and bring lots of characters to life!
For that Starter Squad episode, I got to voice the crying tombstones and a maniacal laughing stool that Haunter uses to try and instill fear into Charmander. It was a lot of fun to be able to be so over the top for a gag I wrote, and it was so incredible of Shipp to think of me for the job.
Lackadaisy
GVN: You also have been deeply involved in writing for Tracy Butler’s Lackadaisy for Iron Circus Animations. A project that I have some affinity for since I was one of the many people who pledged to the crowdfunding campaign. What was it about this project that made you want to be a part of it?
DAVE: Lackadaisy is a project that I have always thought had incredible writing, both in the original comic and the absolutely beautiful animated pilot. I actually wasn’t involved in the show at all until after the Season 1 crowdfund had finished, when I was then contacted by Fable, the director of the series, to see if I was interested in being a story editor for the season. I guess they liked my work with them on the shorts and episode scripts enough that they instead brought me on as a full-fledged writer for the series.
Tracy is an incredible storyteller and to be able to work under her wing has been both a blessing and a challenge in the absolute best way, because I’ve learned and grown so much as a writer since working on the project under her and Fable. So excited for everyone to see what we’ve cooked up for the first season!
Support of Spike Trotman
GVN: Working on this project put you in connection with the hard driving founder of Iron Circus, Spike Trotman who is supporting you in your own animated project “Far-Fetched” with Ashley Nichols. What are the advantages of having someone like Spike in your corner? (If Iron Circus has proven anything, it’s they know how to put together a crowdfunding campaign.)
DAVE: Very true! Spike has been an incredible source of guidance for us while developing this Kickstarter and helped us tremendously with shaping our project to be rock solid. As someone who has never run a crowdfund like this before, it was truly eye-opening to see just how involved of a process it is and to learn so many tips from someone like Spike with a proven track record. One of the big things they assisted us with was helping to come up with exciting rewards, including the Far-Fetched comic/art book! Someone with that much experience showing us the ropes really gives us an internal sigh of relief that we’ll be able to come out on top with this campaign.
Far-Fetched with Ashley Nichols
GVN: You are working with your animation partner Ashley Nichols on “Far-Fetched.” Someone you have known since your Hotel Hazbin days. How did this project come about, and what were the dynamics that brought Ashley aboard? Also, for our readers, what is the show’s premise?
DAVE: Back when we were putting the finishing touches on the Hazbin pilot, Ashley reached out to me about writing the script for a short she wanted to do starring the characters that would become Rue and Kira for Far-Fetched. At the time it was called Hell Puppy, and we worked together to create the short, turned proof of concept, “Night Of The Cute Feast.” After that, I actually moved back home to work at my eight-year long butcher job again, when I decided to message Ashley one July afternoon about expanding upon the short we had made. Working together for the past few years, we developed Far-Fetched into the crazy show that it is now.
Ashley and I have always had a fun dynamic playing off each other, and our particular interests have always clashed in the best of ways. She’s always had a love of the cute and cryptic aesthetic, and I’ve always been a huge horror, sci-fi and music freak. We’ve been able to take all those personal loves and throw them into a blender to create something I truly feel is exciting and unique.
Far-Fetched is the story of Rue, a down on her luck and extremely anxious girl, who accidentally releases her own sparkle dog creature named Kira into the real world. Lost in life without direction and her new monstrous responsibility, her arrogant childhood friend Quinn drags her into his band Sesamoid, with fellow misfit members Piper, Warren and Griff. Trying to make it big with nothing but their friendships and an ancient ice cream truck to travel in, the band soon discover their hometown of Veilport is far more than meets the eye, and become unwilling participants in a battle between science and the supernatural. We’re aiming for the feel of a 1980’s horror comedy set during the height of mid-2000’s gothic nerd culture, with lots of monsters, music, and mayhem!
Kickstarter Campaign
GVN: You are bringing “Far-Fetched” to Kickstarter for crowd-funding purposes. What will fans find when they visit your campaign?
We’re really excited for people to fall in love with our crazy band of characters, as well as experience lots of beautiful and colorful animation, laughs, scares, crazy action, creepy creatures, rockin’ tunes, and just a splash of nostalgia for the cartoons we grew up with! There are also tons of really awesome rewards that you can get your flesh digits on if you support the campaign, like exclusive animatic and music downloads, sticker packs, the pre-mentioned art/comic book, special credits and much more! We hope you’ll really sink your teeth into our Kickstarter, pun absolutely intended.
Current and Future Projects
GVN: Thank you again Dave. Before I let you go, remind us all about the campaign and perhaps any other projects you would like to tell us about.
DAVE: It would really mean the world if you all checked out the Kickstarter for the Far-Fetched pilot. Whether through donations or word of mouth, getting the word out there so we can bring this show to life is the ultimate blessing and helps us out so much. I’m so excited about focusing this year on the production of both Far-Fetched and Lackadaisy, as well as some various voice roles and a personal project I’m slowly cooking up. Thanks so much again for having me!
Ashley Nichols and Dave Capdevielle’s Far-Fetched is now on Kickstarter. If you are a fan of indie animation and want to support their creative efforts, be sure to check out their campaign. You will find it here.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
