| Grass Roots | |
|---|---|
 From left to right: Phineas T. Phreakears, Freewheelin' Franklin Freek, and Fat Freddy Freekowtski | |
| Directed by | Dave Borthwick |
| Written by | Gilbert Shelton Paul B. Davies |
| Produced by | David Lascelles Bruce Higham Andy Leighton |
| Cinematography | Dave Alex Riddett |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
Grass Roots is a proposed British-American adult clay film based on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers underground comic strip created by Gilbert Shelton.
The government develops genetically modified marijuana as part of the War on Drugs, and Norbert the Nark accidentally gives the prototype to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. With the government on their trail, Phineas T. Phreakears, Freewheelin' Franklin Freek, and Fat Freddy Freekowtski are forced to leave town, acquiring a remote plot of land in order to fulfill their dream of retiring to grow marijuana in the country. Three women join the Freak Brothers' commune, but because gender politics have changed since the 1970s, they do not see eye to eye with the Brothers' free love philosophy. [1]
Prior to Grass Roots, there had been several attempts to film the stories. There was even an unauthorized pornographic film titled Up in Flames , which "ripped off the Freak Brothers, Mr. Natural all in one go." [2]
In 1979, Rip Off Press received $250,000 from Universal Pictures for a five-year option on a live-action film based on the characters. [2] [3] Although a script was written, the film was never done. It was rumored that Universal bought the rights in order to prevent competition against the Cheech & Chong franchise. [2] Over the next 25 years there were several more options taken on film rights, but none of them went to production. [4]
In 2006, Celluloid Dreams, in association with bolexbrothers and X Filme, [1] [4] [5] began production on an animated film based on the Freak Brothers comics. Grass Roots was going to be directed by Dave Borthwick, whose previous credits include The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and The Magic Roundabout . Cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett previously worked as the cinematographer on several Aardman Animations productions, including the Wallace and Gromit shorts and feature film, and Chicken Run . [6] Test animation was released through Celluloid Dreams' official website. [5] [6] As of 2012, the film was still in pre-production limbo, with the producers still unable to raise the necessary budget; they are reportedly adapting the story into a stage musical.[ citation needed ]
In 2019, it was announced that a Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers animated television series was being developed. It was retitled as Freak Brothers. Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon serve as executive producers, while Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland are the showrunners. The first season consists of eight 22-minute episodes. [7] The series was released on Tubi on November 14, 2021.
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality, and violence. They were most popular in the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s, and in the United Kingdom in the 1970s.
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers is an underground comic about a fictional trio of stoner characters, created by the American artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in The Rag, an underground newspaper published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968, and were regularly reprinted in underground papers around the United States and in other parts of the world. Later their adventures were published in a series of comic books.
Courtney Solomon is a film producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has been involved with production, marketing, and distribution of over 80 movies. In 2000, at the age of 29, he produced and directed the critically panned Dungeons & Dragons film.
Gilbert Shelton is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, and Wonder Wart-Hog.
Fat Freddy's Cat is a fictional orange Tabby cat, nominally belonging to Fat Freddy Freekowtski, one of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, a trio featured in Gilbert Shelton's underground comix.
Paul Mavrides is an American artist, best known for his critique-laden comics, cartoons, paintings, graphics, performances and writings that encompass a disturbing yet humorous catalog of the social ills and shortcomings of human civilization. Mavrides worked with underground comix pioneer Gilbert Shelton on The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers from 1978 to 1992. Mavrides has been noted for "adding new dimensions to the political comic" in the underground comix press of the 1970s and '80s.
Panama red, known as Panamanian red, or P.R. is a pure cultivar of Cannabis sativa, popular among cannabis users of the 1960s and 1970s, and renowned for its potency. The typically high THC levels associated with the variety are thought to be dependent on the particular cultivar, rather than the Panamanian climate. It induces a mellow cerebral high, slight body relaxation, characterized by euphoria and increase in energy, boosts creativity. It can cause anxiety and paranoia in some users.
Knockabout Comics is a UK publisher and distributor of underground and alternative books and comics. They have a long-standing relationship with underground comix pioneer Gilbert Shelton.
Nicola Cuti, known as Nick Cuti, was an American artist and comic book writer-editor, science-fiction novelist; he was the co-creator of E-Man and Moonchild, Captain Cosmos, and Starflake the Cosmic Sprite. He also worked as an animation background designer, magazine illustrator and screenwriter.
Wonder Wart-Hog is an underground comic book character, a porcine parody of Superman, created by Gilbert Shelton and first published in 1962. Over the years, Shelton has worked on the strip in collaboration with various writers and artists, including fellow UT Austin alums Tony Bell, Bill Killeen, and Joe E. Brown Jr.
Grass roots may refer to:
Rip Off Press Inc. is a comic book mail order retailer and distributor, better known as the former publisher of adult-themed series like The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Rip Off Comix, as well as many other seminal publications from the underground comix era. Founded in 1969 in San Francisco by four friends from Austin, Texas — cartoonists Gilbert Shelton and Jack Jackson, and Fred Todd and Dave Moriaty — Rip Off Press is now run in Auburn, California, by Todd.
Henry Alan Gilroy is an American film and television screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Rip Off Comix was an underground comix anthology published between 1977 and 1991 by Rip Off Press. As time passed, the sensibility of the anthology changed from underground to alternative comics.
Up in Flames is a 1978 pornographic film and unauthorized adaptation of the underground comix The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Gilbert Shelton and Mr. Natural by Robert Crumb. The film's title also parodies the contemporarenous Cheech & Chong movie Up in Smoke.
Dave Sheridan was an American cartoonist and underground comix artist. He was the creator of Dealer McDope and collaborated with Gilbert Shelton and Paul Mavrides on The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. As creative partner with fellow underground creator Fred Schrier, using the name "Overland Vegetable Stagecoach," they worked on Mother's Oats Funnies, published by Rip Off Press from 1970 to 1976.
Adam Patrick DeVine is an American actor, comedian, singer, screenwriter, and producer. He is one of the stars and co-creators of the Comedy Central comedy television series Workaholics and Adam DeVine's House Party.
Theodore Richards was an American web designer and cartoonist, best known for his underground comix.
Universal Animation Studios LLC is an American animation studio and a division of Universal Pictures, which is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast. It has produced direct-to-video sequels to Universal-released feature films, such as The Land Before Time, An American Tail, Balto, and Curious George, as well as other films and television series.
The Freak Brothers is an American adult animated sitcom based on the underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Gilbert Shelton. The first season aired from November 14 to December 26, 2021 on the streaming service Tubi and features the voices of Pete Davidson, Woody Harrelson, and John Goodman as the titular Freak Brothers. Tiffany Haddish voices the brothers' cat. In May 2022, the show was renewed for a second season which aired on June 25, 2023.