I'd like to pitch a new Sam & Max series to Adult Swim, but...

[SillyStell]

Well you can go pitch the idea to Purcell, freewill allows it but I don't think it'll get very far. I don't wanna smush your dreams, we all gotta have them, but sometimes it's better to look at the big picture. You can try if you want to but just don't get your hopes to high about Sam and Max coming back to the world of TV. Time constrants, money and all that fickle world stuff can get in the way sometimes.

[Irishmile]

SillyStell speaks the truth I am afraid.. I have to imagine if Steve wanted it to be a toon his contacts in that world are a lot better than anyone who posts here...

I would suggest instead just making an awesome fancartoon.. It always amazing what dedicated fans can put together...

Also Icedhope is right... there is absolutely no reason to be outright mean to them.

[coolguy721]

Originally Posted by Irishmile

...

Also Icedhope is right... there is absolutely no reason to be outright mean to them.

i'm not trying to be mean. Its just that he keeps asking for something that just wont happen

[Jake]

I think writing to Steve or leaving a comment on his blog about doing a new series is a perfectly fine thing to do, but I doubt it would be appreciated if someone started going to Adult Swim and trying to pitch them a show without going through Steve, since Sam & Max is pretty clearly his to do with what he wants.

[somaen]

I thought pitching ideas was a big no no, since it's murky afterwards where the idea came from, this being the reason why lots of writers avoid reading fan fiction like the plague (so as to avoid being accused of plagiarizing the fanfiction writer's work, and possibly closing off entire possibilites for their characters that they otherwise might have invented versions of themselves).

This means that you atleast never should send ideas to writers at all, atleast not until you've cleared their view on this.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by somaen

I thought pitching ideas was a big no no, since it's murky afterwards where the idea came from, this being the reason why lots of writers avoid reading fan fiction like the plague (so as to avoid being accused of plagiarizing the fanfiction writer's work, and possibly closing off entire possibilites for their characters that they otherwise might have invented versions of themselves).

This means that you atleast never should send ideas to writers at all, atleast not until you've cleared their view on this.

If you want to formally pitch a concept its usually said that you should go through an agent. I don't know if that works very cleanly when you're pitching a third party on a different third party's content.

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by lattsam

I don't think that's appropriate for this thread. This thread is about pitching a Sam and Max series to Adult Swim.

Okay, Hamza?

That could be appropriate as it is related to your topic of a new show, although maybe not this person's attitude/tone that the All-Caps suggests though, but what he's saying may be true. Then again, it might happen - weirder things have happened - although unlikely. I think a better topic of this thread would be - "Let's pretend we had the rights to pitch a Sam and Max show to Adult Swim. What would it be like?"

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by Icedhope

Guys seriously, who are you to tear someone down for having an Idea? it's uncalled for and not necessary.

So he has been adamant about Nick and Bill. Well he's a fan of it, and he would like to see it happen.

Seriously though stop knocking someone down.

True. Jaleel White was recently (yes, it's true) casted as Sonic again, albeit for a fan live action movie with a 3D Sonic character. Like I said, it could happen. Stranger things have happened. Like Jaleel White playing a 3D hedgehog in a fan film - like about 20 years after the Sonic cartoon originally aired.

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by somaen

I thought pitching ideas was a big no no, since it's murky afterwards where the idea came from, this being the reason why lots of writers avoid reading fan fiction like the plague (so as to avoid being accused of plagiarizing the fanfiction writer's work, and possibly closing off entire possibilites for their characters that they otherwise might have invented versions of themselves).

This means that you atleast never should send ideas to writers at all, atleast not until you've cleared their view on this.

Oh. I just don't read fan fiction because a lot of it sucks. lol

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by Jake

I think writing to Steve or leaving a comment on his blog about doing a new series is a perfectly fine thing to do, but I doubt it would be appreciated if someone started going to Adult Swim and trying to pitch them a show without going through Steve, since Sam & Max is pretty clearly his to do with what he wants.

It wouldn't matter since the pitch, no matter how good, would be immediately turned down as soon as Adult Swim realized the person didn't own the rights and therefore wasn't serious about the pitch. Steve would either laugh a little or raise an eyebrow, but he'd know that there's nothing that can be done against him since he owns the copyright.

Oh, didn't realize I quoted an ADMIN/TTG employee. No, it's true, that wouldn't be appreciated, but I don't think any network or etc would take a pitch from a third party, as you said, seriously since they do not have rights to the pitched content.

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by Irishmile

SillyStell speaks the truth I am afraid.. I have to imagine if Steve wanted it to be a toon his contacts in that world are a lot better than anyone who posts here...

I would suggest instead just making an awesome fancartoon.. It always amazing what dedicated fans can put together...

Also Icedhope is right... there is absolutely no reason to be outright mean to them.

I like this idea. You see fan animations all over the web. Why not get a bunch of fans together and make a short or series of shorts? It'll be fun and not illegal as it falls into the area of fan-fiction and it'll be free and won't be making the fans any money. Just credit the copyright holder(s) (Steven Purcell) and what not.

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by coolsome

Lucus Arts could pitch a Monkey Island show with out even telling Ron Gilbert so no :P

No, because Ron Gilbert created Monkey Island FOR LucasArts while working for them. As a [rookie, beginner] freelancer I know that anything I make for a client legally belongs to them as the official creator, even if I did all of the writing/illustrating/creating. Let's say a client says, "I want you to make a pirate comic book ... roughly revolving around ghosts, zombies, and a rootbeer machine..." I'd pitch a ton of ideas, concepts, and scripts until the employer was satisfied, then get started on the book. I'd be credited and paid, but legally it's not my baby. I think that's what happened to Ron Gilbert, but I could be wrong. You can also lose ownership of your work if you sign on with a publishing company; for example, Superman's original creators' ownership was taken away the minute they signed that contract with DC.

[Fly]

Idea it may be, but it's an idea that has basically no grounding in reality or knowledge of how the industry actually works. It's so obviously a horrible idea from every possible angle that I'm pretty much convinced by now that Lattsam is actually just a very well camouflaged troll (this post even uses the well-known Troll Fu technique, 'I'm going to do something stupid IRL unless you all try to stop me (by responding to my troll thread with hilarious indignation)').

Lattsam, giving you the benefit of the doubt - Steve Purcell is a great guy to his fans. The love and esteem with which he holds Sam and Max fans is evident, and he's a great enough guy that when some fans wanted to do a not-for-profit fan audio drama and asked him if this was okay, he gave them his blessing instead of legally forcing them to set fire to the script, their website and their own voiceboxes like he was well within his power to do. He didn't do that, because he's a nice guy who understands that when fans co-opt his characters, it's with love.

But mixing love with potential profit changes everything. If you're assuming that getting the rights to pitch an animated series would be as simple as getting the go-ahead to make a fanwork based on Sam and Max, you're not only wrong, but also delusional, and, most upsettingly, it makes you look like you're exploiting Steve's niceness in order to fuel your own wrong delusions.

That's why everyone is immediately freaking out about this, Lattsam. I'm sorry if your intentions were just to make the kind of Sam and Max cartoon you have always wanted, as a fan, but if that's what you want, why not just go the fan project route? You might have to make compromises in terms of scope and voice acting and so forth, but at least you won't be lying to yourself in a potentially unnecessarily hurtful way to a guy who's done nothing to deserve that shade of crazy.

[crfh]

I agree this is, or it looks, uncomfortably close to copyright infringement. Even worse, it might have other kinds of consequences. Guy pitches thing to network, network things guy is an agent or has permission of the owner of the characters, lots of hub-bub ensue.

To sum it up: no good can come out from this.

[lattsam]

Originally Posted by Fly

Idea it may be, but it's an idea that has basically no grounding in reality or knowledge of how the industry actually works. It's so obviously a horrible idea from every possible angle that I'm pretty much convinced by now that Lattsam is actually just a very well camouflaged troll (this post even uses the well-known Troll Fu technique, 'I'm going to do something stupid IRL unless you all try to stop me (by responding to my troll thread with hilarious indignation)').

Lattsam, giving you the benefit of the doubt - Steve Purcell is a great guy to his fans. The love and esteem with which he holds Sam and Max fans is evident, and he's a great enough guy that when some fans wanted to do a not-for-profit fan audio drama and asked him if this was okay, he gave them his blessing instead of legally forcing them to set fire to the script, their website and their own voiceboxes like he was well within his power to do. He didn't do that, because he's a nice guy who understands that when fans co-opt his characters, it's with love.

But mixing love with potential profit changes everything. If you're assuming that getting the rights to pitch an animated series would be as simple as getting the go-ahead to make a fanwork based on Sam and Max, you're not only wrong, but also delusional, and, most upsettingly, it makes you look like you're exploiting Steve's niceness in order to fuel your own wrong delusions.

That's why everyone is immediately freaking out about this, Lattsam. I'm sorry if your intentions were just to make the kind of Sam and Max cartoon you have always wanted, as a fan, but if that's what you want, why not just go the fan project route? You might have to make compromises in terms of scope and voice acting and so forth, but at least you won't be lying to yourself in a potentially unnecessarily hurtful way to a guy who's done nothing to deserve that shade of crazy.

I know that looking at the way I type my posts, you may think I'm a troll, Fly. But I am not one. If I was really a troll, my message would have been something like "MAKE A NEW SAM AND MAX CARTOON BECAUSE THE CURRENT ONE SUX!!!!!1" I know how trolls operate, and I'm trying as hard as possible to avoid being labeled like that.

[1nky]

I can't really say any more of what has pretty much already been said, here.

Originally Posted by lattsam

I know that looking at the way I type my posts, you may think I'm a troll, Fly. But I am not one. If I was really a troll, my message would have been something like "MAKE A NEW SAM AND MAX CARTOON BECAUSE THE CURRENT ONE SUX!!!!!1" I know how trolls operate, and I'm trying as hard as possible to avoid being labeled like that.

Trolls don't operate all in the same way - they're not identified via typing quirk or subject matter, they're identified by attempting to get a major reaction out of anyone for the sake of enjoyment on their own terms.

That aside, just think about the general standing everyone's given you. A lot of it is good and agreeable advice, and I'd like to see your opinion on it. Don't worry about saving face for the moment, and don't make yourself out to be unfairly judged (because in the majority of this thread, you really haven't been, sans one poster), just state your opinion on the topic matter itself.

Or not. I don't have the right to tell you what to post.

[coolguy721]

look just don't do it

[Hero1]

Originally Posted by Jake

If you want to formally pitch a concept its usually said that you should go through an agent. I don't know if that works very cleanly when you're pitching a third party on a different third party's content.

Interesting.. I may have to hire an agent because I have an idea for this book called The Jake Rodkin story which I'd like to pitch to Random House..

[crashblast23]

I don't get it....

lattsam, have you ever like, made any cartoons or ever created an idea and pitched to people before?

Or are you just some 15 year old kid dreaming that one day you would do this?

Originally Posted by lattsam

Maybe I should show a script of a potential episode to Steve Purcell first, and see if he'll give me his blessing. After all, it worked for the radio play!

Should I do this or not?

(Oh, and by the way, the series I want to pitch is NOT my abridged series, just to get that out of the way.)

sounds like a good thing for robot chicken