You will believe a wallaby can talk
Joe Murray wasn't too excited when Nickelodeon executives suggested in the early '90s that he create an animated TV series. He was skittish about the cookie-cutter nature of cartoons at the time.
Assured by execs that they "wanted to try something new," Murray created "Rocko's Modern Life," the animated story of an Australian wallaby and his bovine buddy who face the world with a calm, unorthodox approach. The first season of the show was released by Shout! Factory last month.
Animated series have featured cats, dogs, mice and even a seasick sea serpent. Making a wallaby the central figure was definitely something new.
"I was at a zoo and there was this wallaby pen in midst of all the chaos. There were all these obnoxious animals around and yet the wallaby was just keeping to himself. It kind of clicked," Murray says. "Rocko would be at the center of the hurricane of everything swirling around him. He'd be like the everyman who's affected by the dramatic personalities around him."
Murray wanted a script smart enough to entertain kids and their parents. He put this character in a world visually influenced by everything from Looney Tunes to underground comics. He also went a different route casting voice talent, choosing newcomers like Tom Kenny.
Kenny, a much sought-after voice talent these days, voiced the character of Heffer Wolfe. "I based the voice on a nephew of mine who was a teenager at the time," Kenny said. "I was so elated when I got the part because Joe had such a clear vision of what he wanted."
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