February 2nd, 2011


Best known as one of the main story consultants for LazyTown, Mark Zaslove tells of his adventures while working with the LazyTown Team, as well as some background about creating the "Mighty Max" cartoon series...

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   LTP: How did it come about that you got involved with LazyTown?

   MZ: I'd just gotten back to LA from being in Florida for a year and a half, and I got a call from my agent asking if I'd like to go to Iceland to work on something. Two days later I was on a plane, winging my way to the northern climes. They'd just gotten rid of a dozen or so people and were looking for one to come up and help Mark Valenti with the show. Mark was a total mensch and took me under his wing when I came up, and I ended up staying the first season.


   LTP: What were some of your experiences working with Magnús Scheving and the other members of the cast and crew?

   MZ: The cast and crew was topnotch. We had a handful of Americans who were all experienced pro's, a Brit or two, a wonderful Greek sound-lady, the madcap Icelanders, everyone was terrific: incredibly nice and easy to get along with. Magnus himself is uncategorizeable. That's all one can say. If he could have cloned himself and done everything on his own, that's what he would have done. Short of that, he was simply always trying to be in five places at once and was the driving force behind everything.


   LTP: Can you describe your duties as a 'Story Consultant' while working on such episodes as, "Secret Agent Zero", "Welcome To LazyTown", "Dr Rottenstein", and "Dancing Duel"?

   MZ: I consulted on story. Most of it came from Magnus, and I consulted. I once did storyboards for some openings. I helped out on lyrics sometimes (Mani was totally cool about that, and he didn't have to be). Went through storyboard meetings, was on-set, etc., etc. Sort of a little of this and that.


   LTP: Did you encounter any interesting plant-life and/or animal-life while you were in Iceland?

   MZ: Saw my first insectivorous plant in the "wild" there. It was a Pinguicula, and it was overlooking one of the most beautiful salmon rivers imaginable.


   LTP: Talkin' about "Mighty Max" for a moment - What was the impetus for the creation and development of the original "Mighty Max" cartoon series?

   MZ: Bluebird (a British company) did the toys, and they hooked up with Phil Roman (of the then Film Roman), as well as Rob Hudnut from Mattel (at that time). They needed someone to design and showrun the series, and I'd just finished a series for Film Roman, "Cro," and done a few other things, and Phil was nice enough to tap me for the role.

The impetus was: make a series that stood alone from the toys, but could also cross-fertilize back into the toy line if necessary.


   LTP: From where did you derive some of your ideas while writing the episodes, "The Brain Suckers Cometh!", and "Snakes and Laddies"?

   MZ: Mighty Max was my "Johnny Quest" - but updated. I wanted a fearless kid who didn't have super powers and wasn't afraid of being smart when necessary, which meant, when confronted with superior force... he'd run away. I also, after seeing some of the toys, wanted to do a retelling of basic mythologies. A new way to do werewolves, cyclops, etc. I tried to do a rethink at the core of the idea and reinvent the concept of what these creatures, etc. were. This held to all the characters as well. The wise mentor was a talky chicken. The brute was actually a sensitive guy who'd never show it. And all led by Max, who had been enabled with a power to transport around... with all the ramifications that entailed. And his growing awareness of how serious his destiny might be: people would die for him.


   LTP: Who is Mighty Max's Dad?

   MZ: You know, I can't remember. I think I had an idea that he had been lost somewhere and might eventually come back, but in my mind, generally, it was a single-parent family, with mom being very cool.


   LTP: Why is Virgil a 'Lemurian Fowl'?

   MZ: With the rethink, I wanted a mentor that wasn't the norm. And Lemurian, well, couldn't do Atlantis... everyone does Atlantis, right? So it was either Mu or Lemuria.


   LTP: Any comments about Richard Moll, who did the voice for 'Norman'?

   MZ: I had Rob Paulsen and Tony Jay in mind from the word go, even as I was writing the bible. I'd worked with Rob a lot at Disney, and Tony Jay was great for me in Tale Spin. So they didn't even have to audition. But looking for a Norman, I wasn't sure and went to a wonderful voice casting director at Warners (whose name escapes me, and I hope she forgives me, or you can find her name: I can picture her, but can't remember the name, darn), who was showing me this and that, and she went: "What about Richard Moll?" And she was absolutely right. I mean, I'd loved Night Court. Plus, he had the height. I'm about 6' 2", but Phil Roman is like 6' 5" or so, the father and son team from Bluebird were super tall, Rob Hudnut was super tall, I was the shrimp. So Richard fit in perfectly. And he's a great actor and a pleasure to work with.


   LTP: Which came first, the "Mighty Max" toy or the "Mighty Max" character?

   MZ: Toys came first, but the backstory was a bit different, what there was.


   LTP: Are there any plans to officially release "Mighty Max" on DVD?

   MZ: I have no idea, sorry.


   LTP: Any new things that you are working on these days?

   MZ: I'm doing a lot of live-action feature films for India at the moment, going out with a big budget live-action feature here as well, am doing a little animation writing, and just finished up a suspense/thriller novel which I am looking at release later this year. The usual, keeping busy.


   LTP: Do you have any kids and if so, what do they think about your work on "LazyTown", "Mighty Max" and your current projects?

   MZ: I have one son who's 11. He actually came up to Iceland and hung around for about 2, 3 months. He loves being on-set, so he was happy as a clam. I don't think he watches anything I've ever done, except maybe some Happy Tree Friends. Not sure he even watches that.


   LTP: Your kind of music that you listen to - Do you have a favorite band?

   MZ: It depends on the time of day, the date, the year, the phase of the moon. I go from indie pop to big band, bebop jazz to funk. At the moment I have Clifton Chenier, Wolfmother, Alexandra Hope, LCD Soundsystem, P-Funk, Doug and the Slugs, Shadows of Knight, Alice Russell, Mahalia Jackson, Grant Green, Sam Cooke and the Pretenders on the rotation. But that's just this evening. It'll change tomorrow.


   LTP: What are your thoughts about 2012 and the Mayan Calender?

   MZ: My background is in theoretical astrophysics: 2012 and all that stuff is a crock.

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Read The Mighty Max 'Bible'

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