VALDOSTA —
A Lanier High School graduate’s Comedy Central cable television cartoon is scheduled to premiere tonight.
“Brickleberry” is slated for the prime spot of airing 10:30 p.m. today, Sept. 25, following the popular Comedy Central show “Tosh.0.”
In TV promos, Daniel Tosh may refer to “Brickleberry” as his new show; he serves as the animated series’ executive producer. But “Brickleberry” is the brainchild of Waco O’Guin and Roger Black.
O’Guin graduated Lanier High School in 1993. He attended Valdosta State University for a couple of years before transferring to the University of Georgia.
The son of Waco and Peggy O’Guin, he considered the name “Waco” a horrible name as a kid, though it became the perfect unforgettable name to use as an adult seeking a comedy career. Waco is a name he shares with his grandfather, father and one he has passed along to his son.
With Black, O’Guin also developed the irreverent MTV sketch comedy “Stankervision,” a show which lasted one season and featured both men as performers. The “Stankervision” premise was developed while attending UGA.
Initially, they intended to develop “Brickleberry” as a live-action comedy series, but realized special effects would cost a fortune. So, they further developed the idea as an animated show.
“‘Brickleberry’ is an animated series that follows the misadventures of a motley crew of inept national park rangers,” according to Comedy Central.
Inspiration for this show came to O’Guin from his wife, whose father is a park ranger named Woody.
“After Fox saw the pilot, they thought it was too edgy for their network,” O’Guin said last week. “After Comedy Central saw it, they thought we should push it even more. Fine with us. Comedy Central really let us do pretty much anything we came up with. It was awesome.”
The show is rated TV-MA, and O’Guin admits its content may not be for the easily offended.
“If you have ever been offended by anything you’ve seen on TV or in a movie, this show’s probably not for you,” O’Guin says. “However, if you like to laugh hard and don’t take things too seriously, please tune in.”
Tosh became involved in the project through his mutual agent with O’Guin and Black. Tosh had been looking for a new project and liked ‘Brickleberry,’” O’Guin said in a previous interview.
Tosh’s involvement opened many doors. And the series has continued to improve since first being pitched to Comedy Central.
“The biggest change from the pilot is that Daniel Tosh is doing the voice of the bear now,” O’Guin says. “He was Scottish in the pilot. The show also looks way better now. We’re really happy with it.”
As happy as one may think he should be since comedy and cartoons have been a part of O’Guin’s life since childhood.
As a Lanier High student, O’Guin participated in a national Butterfinger candy bar contest which requested drawings of Homer for a Father’s Day card. O’Guin entered the contest. He won a big-screen TV and saw his cartoons published in a national magazine.
“Brickleberry” premieres 10:30 p.m. today, Sept. 25, Comedy Central.
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