Stone Quackers

Last updated
Stone Quackers
Stone Quackers.png
Genre Black comedy [1]
Created by Ben Jones
Developed byAngela Petrella
Ben Jones
Creative directorBen Jones
Voices of
Theme music composer
Opening theme
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
Editors
  • James Atkinson
  • Nick Reczynski
  • Nicholas Gallucci
Running time10–12 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network FXX
ReleaseOctober 27, 2014 (2014-10-27) 
July 3, 2015 (2015-07-03)

Stone Quackers is an American adult animated television series created by Ben Jones. The series premiered October 27, 2014 on FXX as part of their Animation Domination High-Def block.

Contents

Despite the Animation Domination High-Def block originally airing on Fox, Stone Quackers itself is the first original show to premiere on FXX.

Plot

Whit and Clay, as pictured in the series. Stone Quackers screenshot.jpg
Whit and Clay, as pictured in the series.

Set in the fictional island city of Cheeseburger Island, the series revolves around the surreal [2] [3] misadventures of two ducks, Whit and Clay (respectively voiced by Whitmer Thomas and Clay Tatum), along with their friends Barf (voiced by Ben Jones) and Dottie (voiced by Heather Lawless), and the incompetent Officer Barry (voiced by John C. Reilly), and neighborhood kid Bug (voiced by Budd Diaz). [4]

Production

Stone Quackers was created by Ben Jones, who also created The Problem Solverz for Cartoon Network. After leaving Cartoon Network, Jones began working with Fox Broadcasting Company on their new animation block, Animation Domination High-Def . During this endeavor, Jones pitched Stone Quackers to Fox as a program for the block. In a July 2013 interview, Jones described this series a "more pure, raw, uncut expression of the same artistic impulse" [5] :84 that manifested Alfe, a character from Solverz. Jones was only allowed to describe that "there will be feathers" in the series. [5] :84

Characters

Episodes

Note: The order and titles of episodes differ on streaming and VOD websites.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleWritten byOriginal air date
11"Stone Quackers V"
"Hurricane"
Noah Garfinkel, Ben Jones, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
January 8, 2015 (2015-01-08)
The ducks try to survive a hurricane. Meanwhile, Officer Barry deals with his family as the storm brings out the worst in them.
22"Stone Quackers II"
"Brown Bomber"
Noah Garfinkel, Ben Jones, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
January 22, 2015 (2015-01-22)
Barf goes on a rope swing; calamity ensues. Clay becomes obsessed with a photo of an ex, but is healed by the power of dance.
33"Stone Quackers I"Noah Garfinkel, Ben Jones, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
January 29, 2015 (2015-01-29)
Barry checks in on the ducks. Barf drives a tractor into the canal. The ducks go to a party and almost get an old acquaintance murdered.
44"Stone Quackers IV"
"The Runes"
Joseph Carnegie, Noah Garfinkel, Ben Jones, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
February 5, 2015 (2015-02-05)
Whit and Clay discover a new sound to get them out of trouble. Barry stops disturbance between Dottie and her ex. Barf puts snake eggs in the house.
55"Stone Quackers III"Ben Jones, Noah Garfinkel, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
February 19, 2015 (2015-02-19)
The ducks start a whirlpool vortex in Officer Barry's pool. Clay experiences perspiration issues in the summertime heat. Barf gets into trouble while eating a hot dog.
66"One Last Bad Prank"Noah Garfinkel, Ben Jones, Heather Lawless,
Sean O'Connor, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer Thomas
October 27, 2014 (2014-10-27)(sneak peek)
February 19, 2015 (2015-02-19)(official debut)
After being reprimanded by Dottie, the guys commit to one last prank before going straight. The situation quickly escalates out of control but no one knows why.
77"Blue Feathers"Ben JonesMarch 6, 2015 (2015-03-06)
A Blue Velvet parody in which Clay decides that they're going to play "bad guys" for the day and Dottie discovers evidence of a brutal crime.
88"TwentyOneTwelve"Ben JonesMarch 6, 2015 (2015-03-06)
Dottie tries to get together with Officer Barry while Clay and Whit attempt to deal with a mouse problem.
Note: This episode was originally going to be titled "Rattenstein".
99"Caress of Steel"Ben Jones and Corinne Marshall March 20, 2015 (2015-03-20)
Dottie encourages the whole household to lose weight after Barf crashes through the ceiling.
1010"Power Windows"Ben Jones, Clay Tatum, and Whitmer ThomasMarch 27, 2015 (2015-03-27)
Barry tries to make it to his yearly review, but a string of bad luck makes it difficult. Meanwhile, Whit and Clay find a briefcase full of money and fight over how to spend it.
1111"Hemispheres"Toph Eggers, Ben Jones, Sean O'Connor, and Angela PetrellaJuly 3, 2015 (2015-07-03)
When Barry is fed up with getting messed with by his fellow cops, he turns to the guys for advice.
1212"A Farewell to Kings"
"The Bug Show"
Ben Jones, Corinne Marshall, and Angela PetrellaJuly 3, 2015 (2015-07-03)
Bug falls in love with a mysterious skateboarding girl (voiced by Miley Cyrus) [6] and goes to extensive lengths to win her over.

Broadcast and reception

In December 2013, comedian Sean O'Connor revealed Stone Quackers as one of his additional projects for television. [7] Meanwhile, Fox announced in April 2014 that the Animation Domination High-Def block would cease broadcast on June 28, 2014, though its programs will continue on digital platforms. [8] As a result of this, development of the show became unknown. [9] Stone Quackers was ultimately moved to FXX, where a special preview aired at midnight on October 27, 2014. A short Vine video was also posted by the network. [10]

Dan Nadel—a former publisher of Jones [11] —of The Comics Journal called it Jones' best creation after Problem Solverz. [10]

Spin-off

On May 1, 2015, a spin-off of Stone Quackers, Gothball , was released as a 10-episode web-series that ran weekly on ADHD's YouTube channel. [12] The series stars the bicolor cat Gothball (voiced by John O'Hurley) who interacts with the other characters where he was originally called Gothfield. The series ran from May 1, 2015 to July 3, 2015.

Related Research Articles

<i>Darkwing Duck</i> American animated television series (1991–1992)

Darkwing Duck is an American animated superhero comedy television series produced by Disney Television Animation that first ran from 1991 to 1992 on both the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon and Saturday mornings on ABC. A total of ninety-one episodes were aired. It features the adventures of Darkwing Duck, who is the superheroic alter-ego of ordinary suburban duck Drake Mallard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Disney Afternoon</span> Programming block

The Disney Afternoon, sometimes abbreviated as TDA, was a created-for-syndication two-hour programming block of animated television series. It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and distributed through its syndication affiliate Buena Vista Television. Each show from the block has aired reruns on Disney Channel and Toon Disney. Disney Channel reaired four shows on "Block Party," a two-hour block that aired on weekdays in the late afternoon/early evening.

Jymn Magon is an American television and film writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animation Domination</span> Programming block of animated TV series

Animation Domination is an American animated programming block that has aired in two iterations on the Fox broadcast network, featuring a lineup solely made up of prime-time animation and adult animation carried as a majority of, or the whole of, the network's Sunday evening schedule. It originally ran from May 1, 2005, until September 21, 2014, before returning on September 29, 2019.

The Problem Solverz is an American animated television series created by Ben Jones for Cartoon Network. It follows Alfe, Roba, and Horace; a group of detectives in their troubled town, Farboro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FXX</span> U.S. pay television channel

FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and feature films for a primary demographic of men ages 18–34.

Benjamin Queair Jones is an American artist, animator, filmmaker, and voice actor. He was a co-founder and member of the art collective Paper Rad from 2001 to 2008, as well as his own studio Ben Jones Studio, Inc. in 2008. He has worked on various animated television programs and web series for Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD). Since 2017, Jones is the creative director of Bento Box Entertainment. He lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

John Pham is a cartoonist, animator, comic creator, and art director based in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Axe Cop</i> (TV series) American adult animated series

Axe Cop is an American adult animated television series based on the webcomic of the same name that was created by Ethan Nicolle and Malachai Nicolle. It premiered on Fox on July 21, 2013, as a part of the channel's Animation Domination HD programming block. The first season consists of 12 11-minute episodes. The second, broadcast in April—June 2015 on FXX consists of 10 episodes.

<i>High School USA!</i> 2013 American TV series or program

High School USA! is an American adult animated television series produced by Friends Night and Animation Domination High-Def Studios. The series was created and written by Dino Stamatopoulos. Nick Weidenfeld, Hend Baghdady and Stamatopoulos executive produced the series.

Animation Domination High-Def was a late-night programming block broadcast by Fox. Originally premiering on July 21, 2013 as a spin-off of Animation Domination, the block originally focused on new, original adult animation series—similarly in style to Adult Swim. The ninety-minute block and its content were primarily produced by Friends Night, a television animation studio headed by Adult Swim alumni Nick Weidenfeld, Hend Baghdady, and creative director Ben Jones —including its programs, along with interstitials and other content featured during its programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beck Bennett</span> American actor and comedian (born 1984)

Beck Bennett is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, joining the show for its 39th season in 2013, and leaving at the end of its 46th season in 2021. Prior to SNL, he performed in AT&T's "It's Not Complicated" commercials, in which he interviewed children, and produced sketch videos with the comedy group Good Neighbor.

Heather Lawless is an American actress, comedian, and voice actress.

<i>Lucas Bros. Moving Co.</i> American adult animated television series

Lucas Bros. Moving Co. is an American adult animated television series created by The Lucas Brothers. It originally premiered on Fox on November 23, 2013 as part of Animation Domination High-Def, and was renewed for two additional seasons on FXX. The show was cancelled on June 4, 2015.

<i>Major Lazer</i> (TV series) American adult animation series

Major Lazer is an American adult animated television series based on the electronic music group of the same name, created by DJ and record producer Diplo with Ferry Gouw and Kevin Kusatsu. It premiered on FXX on April 16, 2015, as part of their Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD) block. After Stone Quackers, Major Lazer is the second ADHD original series to be aired on the channel after FOX had stopped its broadcast of the block itself.

ADHD Shorts is an interstitial program that is part of the Animation Domination High-Def block.

The Adventures of OG Sherlock Kush is an American adult animated comedy series that aired on FXX. The character is created by Joseph Carnegie and was first introduced on October 27, 2014, in a Season 2 episode of Lucas Bros Moving Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Weidenfeld</span> American television producer

Nicholas Rabb Weidenfeld is an American television producer and executive who led program development for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and Fox's Animation Domination High-Def programming blocks. He won producing Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2013 for the series Childrens Hospital. Since 2016, he has been the president of programming for television channel Viceland.

Whitmer Alexander Thomas is an American comedian, actor and musician.

<i>Saturday Morning All Star Hits!</i> TV series

Saturday Morning All Star Hits! (S.M.A.S.H.!) is an American adult animated television series created by Kyle Mooney and Ben Jones. Produced by Universal Television, the show is a parody of Saturday-morning cartoon programming blocks from the 1980s and early 1990s, including a mix of live-action and animation segments. It was released on Netflix on December 10, 2021.

References

  1. "Shows A-Z - stone quackers on fxx - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  2. "Understanding the Hushed Beauty of Ben Jones' Duck Stoner Series, 'Stone Quackers' - Splitsider". splitsider.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  3. "Artist Interview: Ben Jones Jams About Painting, Sculpture And Stone Quackers - Beautiful/Decay". beautifuldecay.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  4. Blabber, John (October 28, 2014). "Review: Stone Quackers 'Halloween Episode'". Bubbleblabber. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Hannah Stouffer (July 2013). "Ben Jones". Juxtapoz. 20 (150). High Speed Productions: 78–87. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  6. "Miley Cyrus cameos as a skateboarding heartthrob on Stone Quackers | EW.com". ew.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  7. Staff writer (December 11, 2013). "Comic O'Connor to record live show at Comedy Attic". Indiana Daily Student. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  8. Keveney, Bill (April 17, 2014). "Fox time-shifts its Animation Domination focus". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on May 11, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  9. MacDonald, Heidi (May 2, 2014). "Kibbles 'n' Bits 5/2/2014: No More ADHD". Comics Beat. The Beat. Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Nadel, Dan (October 24, 2014). "Inhale Exhale". Comics Journal. Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  11. Nadel, Dan (April 4, 2011). "Artistic Modern Funnies: Ben Jones' Problem Solverz". Comics Journal. Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on April 7, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  12. "GOTHBALL TRAILER - YouTube". youtube.com. 24 April 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015.