[Exclusive Interview] Jason Ruiz and Seth Cohen Discuss Their New Show Royal Crackers and The Importance Of A Well Balanced Saltine Diet

That’s the way the cookie cracker crumbles.

Royal Crackers is Adult Swim’s newest animated show that is poised to take aim at the world of cartoon snack foods when it premieres on April 2nd. The show follows the exploits of the Hornsby family, who are the brains (or lack thereof) behind the brand Royal Crackers, a former heavyweight in the snack food industry. But the company has seen better days. Profits are diminishing and demand for a flavorful saltine cracker has all but dried up. When the family patriarch, company founder Theodore Hornsby Sr. ends up in a “super coma,” the rest of the Hornsbys put their heads together and attempt to save the crumbling cracker company. But first, they must work on working together.

The show was created by Jason Ruiz, who lends his talent as a voice actor as well. Andrew Santino, Jessica St. Clair, David Gborie, Maile Flanagan, and Fred Tatasciore co-star alongside Ruiz. The show is anchored by Seth Cohen, who serves as Executive Producer. Ruiz and Cohen were able to hit pause on the ol’ animated saltine production line and sit down to discuss their inspirations for the Royal Crackers, the importance of creating a realistic cartoon family, and what the future holds in store for their show.

Matthew Swigonski: Royal Crackers has some real early Adult Swim vibes to it. Was that something you guys were trying to focus on during development?

Jason Ruiz: I’m very happy to hear that but it was just by coincidence. The art style is because I’m a flash animator and that jagged line is something I use in my animations. I grew up with shows like Bevis and Butthead and all these hand-drawn cartoons. I feel like [Royal Crackers] kind of pays a little bit of a nod to the style of the hand-drawn animated shows I grew up with.

Seth Cohen: Yeah, it feels like a real compliment to us, but I think it’d be hard to sort of try to tailor-make this [look]. People would just be like “Oh, this feels false.” But it’s awesome to be put into that company for sure.

Matthew Swigonski: Were there any other inspirations for the show, especially for the story itself? It sort of has an Arrested Development kind of vibe as well to it.

Jason Ruiz: I was watching Succession season two when we started kicking around the idea [for Royal Crackers] That’s the show I was really into and I’m really proud to say I was on that show from the get-go before it became huge (laughs). I was right there on the pilot. I just remember watching Succession and thinking “What if you did a show where you treated the company with the highest of stakes but it was just about something very inane?” Where the audience kind of felt like “why do they care about this dumb company that is sitting like 12th in the cracker game?” And that’s what motivated the overall narrative of [the show].

Matthew Swigonski: I mean, saltines are obviously a staple of the American diet, right?

Jason Ruiz: 100 percent of the diet.

Seth Cohen: (laughs) We’re promoting an all-saltine diet in the country.

Jason Ruiz: I’m actually touring schools, telling kids that.

Describing himself as an “All-American bad boy with one hand on the wheel and the other on the pulse of American sensibilities”, Ruiz has emerged as a rising talent in the animated world. Ruiz’s last prominent role was as a voice actor in the short-lived animated show Murder Police. With Royal Crackers, Ruiz has been handed the keys to his own vehicle which promises to be anything but a leisurely and ordinary drive.

Matthew Swigonski: Adult animation has seen a real boom in popularity as of late. How do you think this show will be able to leave an impression on the viewers to make it stand out amongst the competition?

Seth Cohen: Bring it on!

Jason Ruiz: (laughs) Oh, I don’t want to give a pretentious answer here but we don’t really pay attention to what anybody else is doing, you know? The show is the show because that’s the show we wanted to do. We weren’t consciously trying to separate ourselves from anything. In fact, the idea of Theo comes from the fact that when we were starting to kick around this idea and starting to develop Royal Crackers I felt like everything animated series-wise that I was seeing just really popped on TV and became huge was…not something I can do. That’s not the voice I can write or the genre that I could write in. I felt that way intensely. Feeling the need to separate it from other shows…I was like “I’m separated, I don’t need to create separation in any way.”

Seth Cohen: I’m rooting for all adult animation because I think it’s so cool. But when I watch a show, when it deals with families, those families never feel relatable to me. If I’m watching Bob’s Burgers, you’re watching something different. It’s considered a four quadrant TV show where everyone has to sit in the living room and watch it together. Our show is not that. It should not be like that. I feel like it’s territory that we have that other shows don’t. It’s like Jason said, we didn’t set out to do this. To me, there’s this realism to it even though it’s animated. Not in design, obviously, but in theme. It’s a family that wants something that they can’t get and those are frustrations for all of us. It’s a family that fights…that’s petty, that sometimes shows love and sometimes doesn’t (laughs). I mean, we’ve got an old parent living with them. It feels like a vibe that we’re all going through. I don’t feel that when I’m watching other adult family shows. No shade, it’s just how I feel.

Despite starting his professional life off in politics, Cohen’s career has been one hell of a laughing matter, and that’s actually a good thing. While working as the Vice President of Development and Original Programming for Comedy Central, Cohen helped develop shows such as Workaholics and Drunk History. He also served as an Executive Producer for The Last Man On Earth on Fox. If anyone knows what it takes to develop the next iconic hit for Adult Swim, it just might be Cohen.

Matthew Swigonski: The Hornsby family might be in the saltines business but they are anything but bland. Was there one character in particular that was the most fun developing?

Jason Ruiz: All of them. It’s hard for me to choose one. They’re all kind of reflections of us and what we’re going through…but probably Stebe (laughs) No, I don’t know. They’re all great, I love them all. They’re all special to me.

Seth Cohen: It’s fun to have an ensemble and then have them all get a shot at it. The last episode of this season focuses on Matt. It is such an interesting episode about a character who you’ve seen and who you think you know. It’s a great ride. In the second season, we explore Rachel. I can’t give anything away because you should watch it, but it’s like you were saying, it fits so well with Adult Swim, it’s such a left turn. It’s nuts. It’s fun to watch those characters get a chance.

Matthew Swigonski: As you mentioned, Adult Swim has already renewed Royal Crackers for a second season. Can you guys talk about that vote of confidence that you received getting that second season renewal even before you aired your first episode?

Jason Ruiz: Hell yeah! I mean, it was nice. It was a little scary because it was like “Alright, that’s a wrap-up of the first season…and the second season starts now.” We just went right into it without a break. So it was tough BUT I’m very grateful. Don’t get me wrong. It was a huge vote of confidence and I’m happy to be employed (laughs).

Seth Cohen: I think it speaks to the relationship the show has with Adult Swim and those executives. Cam [Grant] now and Walter [Newman] before him, and everyone else who sort of makes the show go. In television, you don’t do it by yourself, right? Jason’s not making something he’s going to throw up on YouTube alone. We’re doing it with a team. And they have just embraced the show and have just been the coolest from the start. It’s not just about leaving us alone. It’s also about supporting us. Shows are good because someone on the inside says “I believe in this show.” Every show that gets made, there’s an executive who is putting their ass on the line going “I believe in the show.” And so to have that even before the show airs, someone hanging their ass out for us? That’s big. We acknowledge it. We respect it. We appreciate it.

Jason Ruiz: Also on the production end, we have an incredible crew that really cares about the show. We’re really blessed with that. They all just chip in and work hard and they care about it and they care about the characters and they don’t lose sight of the characters, you know? And they want to protect the characters as much as we do. Everybody that works on the show is just…in it. And it’s a perfect storm when that happens, in a good way. Everyone is just really contributing, I can’t say it enough. We just have a team that cares about making this show good and puts their heart and soul into it. Everything is a discussion. And it creates this very collaborative and positive creative atmosphere. So that’s a big part of it too.

The first three episodes of Royal Crackers will debut Sunday, April 2 at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim and the next day on HBO Max. New episodes will premiere weekly on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET.