Knuckleheads BubbleCAN Q&A: Director and Producer Simon Parizeau

Get to know the director and producer of Canada’s last original adult animated series.

We check in with the director and producer of Knuckleheads ahead of the show’s second season premiere to see what fans can expect in the upcoming season.

(John Blabber) How did you break into the TV business?
(Simon Parizeau) We first built a solid fan base on the Internet. TV then followed naturally.

(John Blabber) Knuckleheads has a very unique animation style, why did you choose to go with this aesthetic and what was your inspiration for doing so?
(Simon Parizeau) The idea came from the creator of the show Michel Beaudet. He was fascinated by stop-motion animation but thought animating the eyes and mouth was way too long. He tried to use his eyes and mouth instead, right away, the puppets came to life.

(John Blabber) Canada has turned into a hotbed for animation, cities like Toronto and Vancouver are producing a crazy amount of content, especially with adult animation. Is this a trend you continue to see growing?
(Simon Parizeau) I certainly hope so! I think our generation grew up with lots cartoons and is more inclined to watch animation as adults. Plus we have tremendous talent and creativity in Canada. We are just getting started.

(John Blabber) What were some of your favorite animated TV shows growing up, adult animated or otherwise?
(Simon Parizeau) As a kid, I was a big fan of Albator and the Looney Tunes of course. Lately, I’ve been watching some Peppa Pig with my baby.

(John Blabber) Tell us about some of the exciting storylines we can expect for Knuckleheads Season Two? Any guest stars or special parody episodes we should know about?
(Simon Parizeau) Get ready for a bunch of new characters and epic adventures: space travel, time travel, zombies, terrorists, walking cellphones and the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

(John Blabber) Adult animation has grown in feature films the last year or two. As a matter of fact, it was a Canadian studio that produced Sausage Party. Is this something that would potentially inspire you to do your OWN animated R-rated film?
(Simon Parizeau)  Yes, as a matter of fact, we are working on a film right now.

(John Blabber) Are you developing other animated TV shows at the moment that you are allowed to share?
(Simon Parizeau) Nothing we can share for the moment. But development is part of our daily routine. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas.

(John Blabber) What other projects are you working on aside from animation?
(Simon Parizeau) For now, our main focus is animation but live action shows are not excluded in the future.

Knuckleheads is all-new on Saturday Nights on Teletoon at Night starting on November 12th, check your local listings.