Reddit AMA Recap: Common Side Effects

Recently during a Reddit AMA, with Steve Hely, Joe Bennett, and animation legend Mike Judge, co-creators and executive producer of Common Side Effects on Adult Swim. As they answer questions about inspirations, ideas, concepts and how human and relatable they tend to make their characters in outlandish worlds & scenarios.


On how they came up with the idea of a mushroom that could heal everything?

Joe: It started as a thought experiment- what would happen if a natural medicine was discovered that could heal everything and what would the repercussions be if someone like Marshal tried to give it to the world for free. Then we went from there!

What is a critical decision you made in your career which set you in the place to have two of your own shows back-to-back after ripping straight shorts the entire time? What’s something you learnt throughout this journey that would be a cheat code to your younger self?

Joe: Thank you so much! Making shorts for me was essential to making the shows. It helped me craft my style and develop the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. I would suggest you focus on your own projects and tune out the noise.Get into the habit of finishing the shorts you’ve started. I believe if will pay off eventually.


On the inspiration for Copano and Harrington?

Steve: We were interested in characters who would be in love but not in a romantic way. Best friends, co-workers who were unlikely but really depend on each other and care about each other. So much of an investigation like this for the law enforcement people is waiting around. We talked to a retired DEA agent who told us how much time they spend just waiting, watching. We thought it would be fun to have characters who talk about everything BUT the case. Martha Kelly was a cool voice and person we knew, and Joseph Lee Anderson, who played Copano, worked with my wife on the show Young Rock and we thought he’d be great. The two of them have such fun chemistry.

What was the process of creating Marshall as a character?

Joe: Marshal was inspired by a bunch of different things. Off the top of my head, the voice of Marshal played by Dave King heavily influenced the look. We also talked a lot about John Laroche who is a well known horticulturist. You should read the Orchid Thief!

Do any of the writers have particular experiences that inspired the show? And what was the purpose of choosing a mushroom with psychedelic capabilities vs something like a fruit, is Marshall inspired from Paul Stamets?

Steve: Aw man, that sounds like a struggle, wishing you well. Pretty much everyone has had frustrating experiences with insurance, health care, etc. Both Joe and I went through some annoying experiences dealing with that while we had loved ones going through medical events of one kind or another. Paul Stamets is one of many mycologists and out there scientists we were interested in. As for a fruit vs mushroom, mushrooms are just extra mysterious, surprising, interesting. They’re in a whole other category of plants, probably even predating plants on Earth. All that is interesting, it might be why mushrooms show up in so much folklore and fairytales.

How much did Terrence mckenna play a roll for you in the writing of this show and did you talk to any mycologist to make sure they show was as genuine as it could be?

Steve: Yes, he was one of many inspirations, we watched a lot of his videos and read a lot of his writings. We also spoke to a couple mycologists. We feel the exciting out there stuff plays better when the show is as real and true to life as possible.

What was the extent of scientific research you did for the show? What was the extent of scientific research you did for the show? Did you find yourself delving into any mycology or biology papers/research to inform how you wanted the mushroom to function and affect characters in the show? And, on kind of a similar note, was there any real-world inspiration for the characters or events in the show?

Steve: Yes, we read as much as we could about mycology, botany. We spoke to a mycologist and visited a mushroom farm. A few books that were particularly useful: One River by Wade Davis, Radical Mycology, The Witching Herbs, Hallucinogens and Shamanism, Plants of the Gods by Shultes. Too many to name.

Is there any improv or is it mostly scripted?

Mike: For myself, I don’t think I’ve done one improv the entire season. It’s all been 100% scripted. It’s just really great writing.

What would you tell someone to get them interested in watching Common Side Effects?

Joe: There are no fart jokes

On Mike Judges biggest inspiration to join the show as a producer?

Mike: Watching Joe’s shorts. We all thought they were just incredible and wanted to help him take it to the next level.

What is the pre-production process like? Is there a storyboard and or animatic? How long does an episode take to make?

Joe: First we start with making thumbnails, then we refine them into storyboards. Then an editor will put it all together with scratch voice over and music. Then it’s all refining from there! A few months per episode.


On any possible pushback in regards to making the show so serious? like people trying to get you to inject jokes into scenes where it otherwise wouldn’t have made sense?

Steve: We were definitely going for a blend of genres, a show that’s both thrilling and funny, not exactly just a comedy and not exactly just a drama. That can be hard for people to wrap their heads around, but ultimately our executives at Max and Adult Swim got it and were super supportive. We really didn’t want to add any jokes that seemed fake or written, we wanted the show to feel really natural.


I wish you had longer episodes because episodes are SO DENSE in terms of plot, was the episode length an Adult Swim mandate or your decision?

Steve: Yes, we originally developed the show just for streaming, where the episodes can be a little longer. It moved over to Adult Swim, which airs the episodes on cable TV where they have to be a specific length and have room for commercial breaks. Keeping them within that limitation is a good discipline, it forces us to make tough choices in editing that probably make the show more exciting and impactful.


From what I seen, its shown that you believe that these groups seem to focus more on profits over helping people, as shown by Jonas trying to shut down the mushroom before it can spread, but in other areas showcase that sometimes these groups are necessary for the production of medicinal treatment, like when Kiki talked with Francis about cutting heart disease with the research that the company’s money can provide, as well as the distribution of said medicine. Could you elaborate more on your stance on big Pharma if that’s the case?

Steve: We’re not trying to preach one message or another. Big Pharma companies have undeniably created some very valuable products, and they also have warped incentives operating in a profit-driven economy. Those paradoxes and contradictions are interesting to us. We wanted to show various sides and ways of looking at the situation, as well as ways different characters might react to these predicaments.

How did Mike Judge and Greg Daniels come on board for the series?

Joe: They introduced Steve and I and they’ve always been huge influences on us.


Can you guys talk about the music choices, and the process behind picking these songs?

Joe: Thats great to hear! We were making a playlist of songs that would fit the show. Those are some of my favorites. Also, our composer came up with the theme song. He was really into flutes!

What kinds of animation programs you use on the show and how many animators the show has?

Joe: For this show we used Harmony, After Effects, some Photoshop for the BGs and we used a little Animate. All edited in Premiere 🙂

What stories did you draw from in making the show? Also how many takes did the “Half Brothers” song take to come up with?

Steve: Medicine Man is a classic. Many 90s thrillers influenced us: The Fugitive, Grisham movies, we could list them all day. Sean Connery’s character in Medicine Man is probably influenced by out there scientists and ethnobotanists we were also interested in.

Was it difficult getting this show green lit? Or was adult swim always on board with the premise.

Mike: It wasn’t easy at first. It became much easier when Joe and his crew animated the first five minutes so they could see what the show was going be like.


For Mike Judge, your shows/movies all address such a breadth of different cultural issues from very different perspectives. What’s your approach to achieving this relatability no matter what the issue?

Mike: Well, I had nothing to do with the writing of Common Side Effects, but when they pitched the idea, it seemed like a great area to make a show about. It seemed like a world that hadn’t been explored that much and I think they did a great job making it relatable and human.


Which oversea animation studio did the animation for the show?

Joe: The animation was made at Green Street Pictures and we worked with an incredible team of artists from all around the world!


Any career/industry advice for someone who would like to work as a writer on an animated television show some day? And what is your advice to someone looking to gain traction for their own animated concept?


Mike: I’d say just animate something. Even if it’s just 30 seconds. That’s how I started out. Build it and they will come. The way we got Common Side Effects picked up was by Joe animating the first five minutes or so of the pilot so they could actually see what they’ be getting instead of trying to describe it. –

Steve: The only advice I can give is to write as much as you can, and find other people who inspire you and are on a similar path or can help you make stuff. We would love for this show to encompass many seasons. Here on my website I’ve been compiling writing advice from other people that I’ve found useful: https://stevehely.com/category/writing-advice-from-other-people/

Joe: Get into the habit of finishing what you started, even if it’s super short and simple. Focus on naturalism. Think about the natural poses and expressions of people in the real world. Spend a lot of time observing and sketching people in the real world. Immerse yourself and don’t be discouraged by the noise!


And finally for Mike Judge. You’ve been involved in the animation industry since the early 90’s, creating beloved longrunning series that defined decades. What has it been like working with new talent like Joe Bennett who began animating in the modern era? What philosophies and methodologies from this newer generation make you excited for the future of this industry?

Mike: I think Joe is one of the best animation directors of our time and we all wanted to work with him after seeing his stuff. It’s been great watching this show come together and I hope we can do lots more.


Catch new episodes every Sunday at 11:30 pm on Adult Swim, next day on Max with the finale coming on March 30!

-End of AMA-