Once an era, a comedic partnership comes along that changes everything -- our perception of entertainment, accepted notions of what is "funny," the way we view the world. Sometimes a comedic vision is so distinct and so momentous that the history of pop culture can be divided into everything that came before and everything after. At AdultSwim.com, we believe that Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim, creaors of Tom Goes to the Mayor, share such a partnership. Last month, an enterprising member of our message boards, Penelope 151, was able to navigate the labyrinthine corridors that surround the two men and scored what we believe to be the definitive interview.
Eric has entered the room.
Penelope151: Hello Eric. Thank you for coming this afternoon
Eric: no prob. how are you
Penelope151: Do you know if Tim has logged on?
Penelope151: Im doing well..Nervous, but excited
Eric: tim is logged on. send him an invite
Eric: i'm nervous too
Penelope151: very good thank you
Eric: first time using a computer
Eric: it's fun though
Penelope151: why would you be nervous?
Penelope151: ahhh...
Penelope151: its a cake walk.
Eric: it's easier than people say
Penelope151: why do I think you are fibbing?
Eric: did u invite t?
Penelope151: I did not. His name is not coming up on my list.
Eric: Tim
Penelope151: Quaha...I had d
Eric: is his name
Penelope151: one minute
Tim has entered the room.
Tim: hello?
Eric: HI TIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Penelope151: Very good thank you for coming Tim
Tim: hi
Eric: hi
Eric: hello
Eric: yo!
Tim: hello there
Eric: 
Eric:
Tim: hi
Eric: 
Eric: lol
Tim: hi there
Eric: who's on
Eric: hi
Eric: 
Tim: heyho
Tim: i see a lot of AOL dudes
Eric: hey
Eric: lol
Eric:
Penelope151: I have to say that I am a really big fan of the show and thanks again for doing this interview...
Eric: 
Eric: 
Eric: kidding
Tim: sure
Eric: lol
Eric: no problem. sorry if we seem a bit excited
Eric: first time using aim
Tim: you don't seem excited at all
Penelope151: My first question has to do with how the two of you met. I've heard a few things, but maybe I can get it from the horses mouth.
Eric: it's so fun
Eric: lol
Tim: lol
Eric: lol
Eric: hi
Eric: how are you guys
Penelope151: Its the wave of the future.....
Eric: so fast
Tim: is this in real time?
Eric: but i have a calculator program running on my desktop
Penelope151: This is in real time.
Eric: is that going to slow this down?
Eric:
Tim: so are you writing this now?
Eric: lol
Eric: hi
Tim: hello
Penelope151: I find it hard to believe that since your show has the look of Photoshop that you havent been in an IM chat before
Eric: give me 2 numbers. i want to see if this thing works
Tim: 2 plus 2
Penelope151: 4
Eric: oh shirt
Eric: it crashed
Eric: what do i do?
Tim: no, wait, wait for the calculator
Eric: hold on gotta reboot
Eric:
Eric: lol
Tim: 
Tim: ok. we'll settle down
Eric: ok. i think i figured this thing out. hi. let's do it
Penelope151: Is this how it works...The two of you just bounce off of each other?
Tim: lets start again
Eric: starting
Tim: yes. we try and make eachother laugh
Eric: hold a sec
Eric: ok now
Eric: lol
Penelope151: now?
Penelope151: Now?
Tim: in this case we are pretending to be amazed by IM
Eric: i am laughing very hard
Penelope151: ok...how about now?
Eric: not anymore
Tim: we'll be serious
Penelope151: I missed the window
Eric: my fingers hurt. bringing in my assistant to type the rest of this
Eric: ok
Eric: let's start
Penelope151: hahaha....Is that in Erins contract?
Penelope151: ok.....
Eric: no. but she's kewl about these thigns
Tim: first question...shoot
Penelope151: She seems like she would be very nice about pandering....
Penelope151: My first question has to do with how the two of you met. I've heard a few things, but maybe I can get it from the horses mouth.
Tim: we met in college
Eric: same dorm floor
Eric: we made silly films in a serious film school
Tim: then we were roomates for a while
Eric: one was about how video is a much finer medium than film
Tim: drank lots of 40s
Eric: we did some bands together
Penelope151: Your RA must be so proud.....or traumatized....
Eric: i once set up a haunted house for tim
Tim: he was a fat black man
Eric: he was really scard. not kidding
Penelope151: so drinking 40's, ...argueing the fine points of cinema and music?
Tim: pretty much
Eric: totally
Tim: creepy videos with neil young music
Eric: we coudl only afford a 40 per night
Eric: and maybe a slice of lorenzos
Tim: McDonalds
Penelope151: What made you decide to create videos together?
Eric: oh wow. neil young videos
Eric: sodisturbing
Penelope151: Im lovin it
Tim: we madea pros and cons list and the pros outwheighed the cons
Eric: lol
Eric: we had a huge dry erase board
Eric: it's how most things were decided
Tim: i don't think there was a decision moment. just a natural evolution
Penelope151: Uhuh...I am inclined to believe the two of you started filming each other drunk.
Tim: perhaps
Eric: we had cameras around the apartment. one thing led to the other
Penelope151: Were the ladies informed?
Eric: ladies?
Eric: my mom?
Tim: my dad is a lady
Tim: back on track, e
Eric: is this thing going ok?
Eric: k
Eric: so nervous
Penelope151: How did the tim and eric experience evolve into its current incarnation?
Eric: we made a bunch of short videos
Eric: put them on a website
Eric: showed a bunch of people
Eric: screened them everywhere
Eric: opened for bands, etc
Eric: then we got serious
Tim: we sent it to bob odenkirk
Tim: he loved our stuff (toot, toot)
Tim: and we had long talks about how to make a career out of it
Penelope151: Was this while he was still doing his show for HBO?
Eric: the first thing was to lose tim heidecker
Tim: no, he was adrift
Eric: whoops
Tim: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaah
Eric: ololololololololololololololololo
Penelope151: yeah...that Tim guy just seems to drag it all down
Eric: he's too short
Tim: e can bust on me. you cannot
Tim: proceed
Eric: nice
Penelope151: How did you happen to hook up with Bob Odenkirk? Did you just send him stuff out of the blue?
Tim: out of the blue
Tim: got his address off the internet
Penelope151: Really? So is this the first major project you all have done together?
Penelope151: Im sorry...do I need to apologize....????? Tim is really the brains...right?
Eric has left the room.
Eric has entered the room.
Eric: hiiiiiii
Tim has entered the room.
Tim: ok
Penelope151: HHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Eric: hiiiiiiiiiiiii
Tim: good to be back
Tim: did we take a commericial break?
Penelope151: I thought I had been dissed
Tim: seems to be
Penelope151: its all about lag today
Tim: amen
Tim: so, where were we?
Penelope151: well....let me do my copy and paste magic
Penelope151:
Penelope151: How did you happen to hook up with Bob Odenkirk? Did you just send him stuff out of the blue?
Tim: out of the blue
Tim: oh hea
Tim: yea
Penelope151:
Tim: got his address off the internet
Penelope151: Really? So is this the first major project you all have done together?
Tim: yea
Tim: we talked for a while about a sketch show
Tim: but then adult swim became interested
Tim: and we focused it all on that
Eric: he has been such a help
Tim: bob's been really amazing with us
Eric: holding our hand through this silly industy
Penelope151: How was it that you came to the attention of the Williams Street Crew?
Tim: we met one of the creators at a party in philly andsaid we were working with bob
Tim: so that got his attention
Eric: we assulted him with our dvd
Penelope151: Bob is a funny man
Tim: then bob called him and made him watch it
Penelope151: Did you feel like a fish out of water?
Tim: but that didn't get anywhere, until the great khaki jones at cartoon network watches our stuff and loved it
Tim: and she made lazzo watch it
Tim: no. we felt good
Tim: we weren't trying that hard. everything happened at the right time
Penelope151: After making the videos did you feel this was a natural progression?
Tim: yea
Eric: tom just felt right for something like adult swim
Penelope151: How do you mean you weren't trying that hard?
Tim: there were so few outlests on TV for us, that we really believed that adult swim would be perfect
Eric: we made a bunch of bizarely anmated pieces
Eric: good fit for AS
Tim: i mean, we hadn't had lots of failures. it seemed like the beginning of a long struggle to succeed
Tim: but it happened quick
Eric: it's the onnly block that would air this craziness
Penelope151: Bear traps and burning theme parks? Yep...fits right on....
Eric: wait till the episode on rebirthing hits
Tim: we were fans of what AS was up to. it was cool to us
Penelope151: Were the TGTTM pieces at your website the beginning. Were those your "pilots"?
Tim: yea
Eric: kids will be very scared to be kids
Penelope151: hahaha
Tim: acutally some of the first stuff we ever made together
Eric: yeah
Penelope151: What made you decide to change Tom's name?
Eric: early toms really got peoples attention
Tim: we never thought of them as TV show material though
Eric: visually strange
Eric: which people enjoyed
Penelope151: Visually strange...but the awkward pauses are brilliant.
Eric: it got in a film festival and even a museum
Eric: we are artists damn it!
Eric: it's a whole package!
Penelope151: haha...A museum?
Eric: TV GOLD!
Eric:
Tim: bob kind of suggested bringing a town into it, making it about something besides these two idiots
Tim: and getting David cross to do a voice opened it up
Eric: it was in this revolving video exhibit at the ICA in philly
Eric: there was a big opening for the REAL artists.
Eric: T and I showed up and made our way directly to the press photographers
Eric: we plowed our way in and showed up in Philadelphia style magazine next to Allen Iverson!
Eric: total T and E style
Penelope151: WOW!
Eric: Did that make sense at all?
Tim: no
Eric: lol
Eric:
Eric: haha
Eric: lol
Eric: :0
Eric:
Penelope151: So busting down doors and acting like crazies has helped?
Tim: Tom Bradly became Tom Peters
Tim: I don't know why
Eric: yeah
Eric: people like when you assult them and make them feel uncomfotable
Eric: it makes them think you're important
Penelope151: Then the two of you should fit right in to the LA lifestyle....
Eric: being 2 tall german boys doesn't hurt either
Eric: lol
Eric: lol
Eric: lol
Eric: lol
Tim: i have to say that, we're pretty normal humans though. we wear jeans and button up shirts.
Tim: pretty handsome too
Eric: we don't fit in with the hollywood world
Eric: but we love it out here
Eric: we're outsiders
Eric: which is good
Eric: Tim is doing a role on Yes Dear
Eric: sorry dude
Eric: they have to know
Penelope151: If you are outsiders...how did you get so many celebrity cameos in your first run?
Tim: bob knows EVERYONE!
Tim: he's very respected
Eric: he rules so hard
Tim: and people love to work with new people
Eric: celebs also like doing something new and fun
Tim: jack black did it first which it let everyone know that it was cool to do
Penelope151: So was it "Hey, do you wanna do this?" or "Have my agent talk to yours?"
Eric: no agents
Tim: more like hey do you want to do this
Eric: there's no money in it for them. it's more abou tthe experience
Eric: which is cool to know people are down for it
Penelope151: Had you worked with Jack Black before TGTTM?
Tim: well, 350,000 dollars isn't exactly No money
Eric: dude!
Tim: what?
Eric: we weren't supposed to talk about the $$
Tim: that's how much we pay them...
Eric: i know
Penelope151: Well...considering Burger King advertises during your block.....
Eric: but keep it on the DL
Tim: i'm sick of lying about it
Tim: ok
Eric: ahhhhh
Eric: it's all part of the biz
Eric: come on
Tim: first time working with JB
Tim: but we was a fan of our DVD
Tim: he was
Eric: i was a fan too
Tim: and he's up for anything
Eric: he's totally cool
Penelope151: Most people that see the show are amazed at the celebrities involved. Was it exciting for you to have them on board?
Tim: we hit him over the head with a basket of cranberries for an hour
Tim: he's really fun to hug
Eric: yeah
Eric: come on. jeff goldblum and garlin!
Eric: it's amazing to work with Bob too. bob did some crazy stuff in our latest sode
Tim: i think having ANYONE "on board" would be fun. CRUISE TIME!!!!!
Eric: lololololololololo
Eric: ololololo
Penelope151: Jeff Goldblum is one of my personal favorites. Once I saw him looking at biker boobs...I knew I was hooked.
Eric:
Tim: he was the coolest
Tim: very tall and handsome
Tim: what a pro
Eric: really got into his character
Eric: charmed our whole office
Penelope151: What inspired the show?
Tim: living in america, us talking to eachother for years, when bad things happen to people, driving across country, watching TV....
Tim: kicking a loser when he's down
Penelope151: It seems Tom does get the short end of the stick....He seems the kind of man that met his wife in an internet chat room.
Tim: we're trying to figure that out
Tim: working on an episode on how they met
Eric: Tom is like anyone hat has been screwed with
Tim: now we can't use internet chat room, because you suggested it
Tim: thanks a lot
Eric: I've felt like Tom a lot
Penelope151: Thats the one Im waiting for....
Eric: People love joy
Eric: She's doing something very sexual in our new sode
Eric: So hot!
Penelope151: Personally, Joy reminds me of my second grade bus driver....
Eric:
Tim: we love her too. never has there been a more horrbile person
Penelope151: When Tom is pelted by the kids chanting "You're not our dad"....awesome.
Tim: yea
Eric: totally
Eric: poor guy
Penelope151: anyway...no more Chris Farley...remember when...haha
Tim: good
Penelope151: what type of shows are you drawn to? Inspired by?
Eric: Look Around You
Tim: i watch a lot of history channel
Eric: The Office
Eric: Curb
Eric: Survivor
Eric: Poice Academy 3
Tim: having a hard time watching comedy lately. i am too critical, and am all laughed out at the end of the day
Eric: Tim, so much good **** in PA3
Eric: It's like a Tom episode
Tim: haha
Tim: i bet
Eric: we have to get guttenberg
Eric: police adademy 3
Tim: its on every 10 minutes on HBO
Eric: come on
Eric: i love aqua teen too
Eric: and perfect hair
Tim: HBO Plus: PA3, HBO Vibe: PA3 HBO21: PA3
Penelope151: NOOOO...no perfect hair....
Eric: !
Penelope151: Its a sham...we were lied to
Eric:
Penelope151: Some people love the animation...others don't....Why did you choose that particular style of animation?
Eric: complete chat breakdown!
Tim: it evolved, like everything else
Penelope151: it was inevitable
Tim: it started becasue of our limiteations
Eric: we used what we had
Eric: digital camera, crappy editing computer
Eric: we wanted it to look like a business manual
Eric: but with really funny expressions
Eric: lip flap wasn't necessary
Penelope151: so it wasnt a concious decision..."lets do it like this"...it was more of a "this is it"...
Eric: it takes some people a bit to get used to
Eric: a mix of those two
Eric: we had a general idea and experimented
Penelope151: I think that people are all about the whiz, bang, in their face stuff instead of having to think about things
Eric: totally
Eric: you need to slow down a bit for tim
Eric: tom
Eric: and tim
Eric:
Tim: i don't know what all the buzz is about.
Tim: its not THAT crazy
Eric: tim. have you heard about the new rats off to ya shirts?
Tim: no, please tell me all about them?
Penelope151: haha
Penelope151: please do tell
Eric: well. due to popular demand. they're here! coming in next week!
Tim: e is such a pimp
Eric: and of course they are tom peter's design
Penelope151: I've been to your website...www.timanderic.com....do you have any plans to expand it to include a forum? Plans on expanding the
TGTTM merchandise available to fans?
Tim: we've got forumns up to our ears
Eric: i wish we had time for the site
Eric: we need someone to run it
Eric: anyone interested
Eric: ?
Eric: AS will probably have some goodies soon
Penelope151: haha
Penelope151: I know just the person
Penelope151: Thats what a lot of people are hoping for
Tim: the new design will be much more product reliability based, with an edge for consumer content
Penelope151: Nothing says lovin like fresh screen prints
Eric: industy news and analysis
Penelope151: Nice...thats all Latin to me
Tim: you know, it could be a leading source of cross content research?:
Eric: depending on the marketing awareness for that quarter
Penelope151: Have you noticed your fan base grow as a result of the [AS] block?
Eric: Totally
Tim: our web forecast for the site has always been: Flash, Redesign and Content
Eric: they are cool about plugging our site
Tim: it really spiked after the show came out
Tim: lots of hate mail though 
Eric:
Eric: i get sex mail
Eric:
Tim: no, i get sex mail
Eric: yeah, but it's from me
Eric: 
Penelope151: Im glad you got that Eric...Glamour shots is expensive stuff.
Tim:
Eric:
Eric: 
Eric: 
Penelope151: How do you deal with some of the critsism of the show?
Eric: i'm finishing this interview with faces
Eric:
Tim: we got mad at first, but then we just picture the writer being 12, fat and zitty
Eric: the shows not for everyone.
Tim: and realized we don't care
Tim: becasue enough people are digging it
Penelope151: so...you are familiar with a large group of the [AS] fan base?
Eric: we have some really loyal fans as well. which is amazing
Tim: we don't check out the boards as much latelyy
Tim: its became very painful
Eric: at the end of the day, if it makes us laugh, we love it!!!
Penelope151: So you are members of the [AS] boards?
Tim: no
Eric: no
Tim: just admireres
Penelope151: right on
Tim: can you hang on? we have to have a short meeting
Penelope151: Are Tom and the Mayor's personalities based on your own personalities? Inspired by people in real life?
Penelope151: ok
Tim: brb
Tim: whew. eric, good meeting
Eric: hiiiiiiiiiiiii
Eric: real good
Eric: short and sweet
Tim: good stuff
Tim: her or the meeting???
Tim: short and sweet
Eric: There's a lot of me in the Mayor's character
Penelope151: nice
Eric: Insanity is easy though
Eric: Tom peters is a bit more complex
Tim: i don't change my voice for tom
Eric: he's a meld of so many diddleman we know
Tim: yea
Tim: i would never say any of that **** tom says
Eric: I have to use this software to make my voice sond like the maoyor
Tim: he's spineless and i think i have somewhat of a spine
Tim: but i dress just like him
Penelope151: So...Tom would be the guy thats the designated driver?
Tim: he wouln't have enough friends to go out drinking with
Penelope151: With the power to join dogs together...who wouldnt want to be his friend...
Penelope151: I think they are lining up
Eric: totally
Penelope151: Is Jefferton based on a real place? It's in Ohio, isn't it?
Tim: we think its in Deleware
Eric: It's a blend of a lot of bad places
Eric: Newcastle is pretty similar
Tim: Allentown, PA
Tim: Simi Valley, CA
Eric: Little Rock
Penelope151: So its generic on purpose?
Tim: Development Village
Tim: yea
Tim: sprawl
Eric: I don';t think a place with Pipe's Buffet is generic
Tim: good point, big one
Eric: It has no charm though
Eric: like a lot of america
Eric: so new and old at the same time
Tim: i think the show has been making me depressed, becasue we spend so much time there
Penelope151: Why is it that the town meetings all take place at the buffet?
Tim: why no?
Tim: why not?
Eric: convineince
Tim: becasue it's funny
Eric: discounts on the food afterwards
Tim: we are into jokes
Eric: jokes make people smle
Penelope151: Are either of you cartoonists?
Tim: no
Eric: yes
Tim: i can't stand them
Penelope151: People make people smile.
Penelope151: A split decision?
Tim: well, we are two people
Eric: I had a strip called "my dad"
Eric: VERY serious piece about my relationship with my fater
Eric: ran under family circus
Eric: so dark and sad
Tim: a three panal
Eric: no dialogue
Eric: just rain and tears
Tim: you were able to say so much. it was like a play
Penelope151: But you would think that there would have to be some kind of common ground when it comes to animation and the creative process.
Eric: so visual
Tim: it ran for 18 years
Eric: till the lawsuit
Tim: no. we have no common ground
Tim: we come together on the big issues
Tim: mostly, i just don't care
Penelope151: Have either of you done any writing for anything the [AS] viewers might be familiar with?
Tim: as long as my name's at the end
Tim: i wrote for a short time on a strip called my dad
Eric: I hate tim
Penelope151: as long as the moneys coming in its a crap shoot?
Tim: it was more conceptual writing
Tim: poems
Eric: my dad had a huge team of writers
Eric: tim was the head
Eric: 10 hour writing sessions
Tim: i would write poems to inspire the other writers
Eric: everyone was forced to keep their heads down
Eric: so dark
Penelope151: Care to share anything now?
Tim: we would get in the think tank and do a whole sheet of strips
Tim: yea
Penelope151: Or are the memories too painful?
Tim: here i go
Eric: so many strips
Eric: i rememeber one night when tim drew on all the writers faces with sharpie. Fully darkened them in. People we so scared and confused, made for
a great strip though
Tim: Father, Thank you for this day, the day which when i saw your tears, came down in the rain, the bows above, hold close the whispering tyme from
the scented briar, laid low in the gathering storm. your hands touch mine
Penelope151: No black face back lash?
Eric: really got to the bottom of their emotions
Eric: i mean real dark
Eric: sharpie takes days to wash away
Tim: ummm, my poem??
Eric: their children were so confused
Eric: great peom dude
Tim: thanks. good times
Penelope151: So would you say that you idolized you father like a god?
Eric: but the funny thing is that I wrote it!
Tim: my fatyher was as lady
Eric: check out strip #865
Penelope151: Im right on that
Tim: my dad gallery 14
Eric:
Eric: 
Tim: we got a meeting in 10 minutes, lets wrap this **** up
Eric: i'm so hungry again
Penelope151: ok
Tim: lets make it a lunch meeting
Eric: need another sandwich
Penelope151: Any information about new episodes...plot lines, etc.?
Eric: lol
Eric: ohhhhh
Tim: oh so many
Tim: pipe camp
Eric: Gibbons
Tim: Vice Mayor
Tim: Porcelian birds
Tim: Calcu-Corn
Penelope151: Do you ever see TGTTM expanding to a full half hour show or are you content with the 15 minute block?
Eric: They're getting real good.
Tim: its a Unicorn with a Calculator in it
Tim: no. we'll prob stay with the format
Eric: I think we could do 30 minutes
Eric: but 15 is good
Tim: wrong again, ass****
Eric: i'd do a 2 hour special each week
Penelope151: Are you happy with the production of your show? Would you like to improve on anything?
Eric: lol
Tim: no. we are not happy with it
Eric: the people are amazing on this crew
Eric: we're so into it
Penelope151: Your production and other staff seem like they are a tight knit group of people. Have you all been together from the beginning of
the tim and eric stuff? Why didn't I find a help wanted add in my local Gazette?
Tim: we gathered them all for the show
Tim: but they are the coolest set of dudes and ladies
Eric: everyone is real motivated. a great family
Tim: so funny and fun to hang out with
Eric: so talented
Tim: especially Kevin
Tim: and Doug
Eric: except for kevin
Eric: and doug
Tim: and doug
Penelope151: Do you see this team working on different projects in the future?
Tim: and doug
Tim: some.
Eric: not doug
Tim: get rid of doug
Penelope151: How many twinkies can you eat in one minute?
Eric: constantly eating snacks
Tim: i wish i could push doug out a window
Eric: mmm twinkies
Eric: prob 2
Tim: would that be a crime?
Penelope151: Only if he had the twinkies in his hands
Penelope151: Who wears the pink shorts now?
Eric: damn. they are showing smething funny out there
Eric: gotta check it out
Tim: lots of laughs coming from the editing booth
Eric: we need to run
Tim: pink shorts? we retired them
Eric: but thanks for the interview!
Penelope151: ok...well then thanks for the interview
Tim: bye now
Penelope151: bye
Eric: anytime!
Tim: bye
Tim: see ya
Eric: lots of love
Tim: bye
Tim: see ya
Eric: bye
Eric: lol
Tim: bye d
Eric: see ya
Tim: see ya eric
Eric: ok
Eric: lol
Penelope151:
Eric: bye tim
Penelope151:
Eric: love ya
Tim:
Penelope151: 
Eric: lol
Eric has left the room.
Penelope151: night guys
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