So I've got a cold. A nasty cold. I couldn't record VeggieTales characters to save my life right now – they'd all come out sounding like some really sick guy pretending to be VeggieTales characters. Which isn't all that funny.
But I had to do three radio interviews this morning, one at 7:20am. (Shout out to Toledo! Whoo hoo!) As if I don't sound hoarse right now at 2pm, you should have heard me when I got up at 6:50am for this interview. So I brewed some tea, added lemon juice, and sat down for a radio interview. And that's what I've been doing all morning. Sipping tea and talking on the radio. And for the most part it seems to have worked. I didn't have a single hacking/coughing fit while I was on the radio. Which is a good thing, because hacking/coughing fits make for very poor radio.
Hopefully my voice will be back next week so I can record the next installment of "Buck Denver's Mailbag" for JellyTelly. We air these segments every Monday and Friday if you haven't noticed, and they're a lot of fun. Real questions from real kids, answered by a real puppet newsman. THAT'S comedy! It'd be fun to take this kind of idea to television – where a puppet could act like David Letterman, reading viewer mail every night. We'd need a puppet Paul Schaeffer to go along with him. And a puppet band. That could work, eh?
Anyway… we're still trying to figure out the JellyTelly thing. Viewership continues to rise (which is a good thing – aided by exposure on Moody Radio and at several children's ministry conferences), but of course there isn't any revenue at the moment, which, my accountant tells me, may be a problem. We're looking at options like turning the site itself into a not-for-profit venture to be supported by foundations and "viewers like you." That may be a good option – we'll make a decision on that soon.
In vegetable news, Big Idea should find out in the next week or so whether it will have yet another new owner. Entertainment Rights, the company that bought the company that bought Big Idea out of bankruptcy (no, that wasn't a typo), is itself in danger of collapsing and may be sold before the end of February, which is coming right up. There are three frontrunners to buy ER according to the British business press (ER is a British company), and two of them are very familiar. One is Hit Entertainment, the company that sued Big Idea into bankruptcy, and the other is executive Eric Ellenbogen, the fellow that bought Big Idea out of bankruptcy.
Funny how life travels in tiny little circles. ("Gee – haven't we been down this street before? I recognize that house… and that mailbox… and that dog… I don't know where I'm going with this metaphor… maybe I should quit while I'm ahead…")
So stay tuned! In another week or so, Bob and Larry may have new owners and Buck Denver may have a clearer future. We will all squish into the future together… like jellyfish… squish squish…
Tally ho. (That's British.)
Soemthing tells me HIT wouldn’t make good owners for VeggieTales. I like your idea of Not-For-Profit JellyTelly. Captain Pete could come out at the start of everyday and say “JellyTelly is brought to you by… And Viewers Like You!”
Mabey you could sell T-Shirts or DVDs. I know I would buy either in a heartbeat!
Where can we hear the interviews?
Hm…ironic how Hit Entertainment might be owning Big Idea. Very ironic.
Didn’t you have a cold when you voiced Larry Boy in one of the…Larry Boy episodes?
Mike Nawrocki voices LarryBoy 🙂
For me it was cough drops, cough drops, cough drops. Once I hosted a talent show (and also performed in between) when I was sick. I basically took a cough drop during every act, spat it out when I had to be on stage, and repeat again once I got off. I didn’t cough during the show. Of course I went back to coughing like crazy once I was done.
Honey with that lemon in your tea… keeps you from drying out. And intermittently, just a glass of water. And as gross as it is, the warmwater+salt gargle thing can really help, too. Okay, I’m done now.
Praying for JT. We love it so much :0)
I love a good ironic situation every now and then. Although the idea of Barney getting his hands on Bob kinda makes my skin crawl. God has a plan, and if that’s part of it, I guess we can all get along. I wish you would re-run that funny skit you did on Buck Denver with Barney and the Supreme Court after they threw out the bankruptcy case. That was hysterical! Perhaps even timely given the situation.
Steam your nose and mouth for the voice. Lemon and honey (in tea or hot water or by themselves) for the congestion in your throat and cough. Don’t talk for several hours prior to doing the voice overs. Dr. Mom has spoken! 🙂 Hope you feel better.
Jeremiah, May I gently point out that Mike Nawrocki voices Larry and thus Larry Boy, not Phil. Don’t worry, Phil does voice half the Veggie universe.
And Phil, I am hanging out to hear your interview in Australia with Sherridan Voyssey tomorrow night. I know you already recorded it. For those here in Australia, it will on your local Christian Radio Station on the Open House Program on sunday night
Jonathan
Hey Phil just say the word. We standing by ready to support Jelly Telly financially. Our prayers are already flying up to heaven and we are spreading the word…
I agree w/ the above: honey – coats the throat and tastes better than motor oil!
The answer to the JT $ ? (JellyTelly money question): product placement.
Have Buck use a Epilady or Agnes drink YooHoo! or Winnie splash on some Old Spice and confabulate the many personal benefits of said product.
Idea #2: sell advertising space on Buck’s forehead. Slap some KFC signage on that brow and rake in the biscuits (e.g., dough aka money aka cabbage aka greenbacks aka biscuits).
Ha Ha. Tally ho… that is way to funny! Anyways… did you konw that anyways is not a word. MY english teacher taught me that last week. Speaking of English, I happen to be reading you book for a project and I LOVE it. I also happen to think that you should keep the VeggieTales. I feel the need to tell you this hopefully short story. I was reading you book one night and i felt the need to watch the VeggieTales, so I got out of bed and got the movie and watched it. I have two movies. Smoething about “The end of Sillyness” and “Where’s God when I need him or scared” I’ve had them for a long time. Just to let everyone kinw that even though you may be like 15 (like me) or older, like 55, ummm it’s still fum to watch the VeggieTales! I record them on the DVR and watch them every night before bed. Opps, I forgot that they are only on sometime during the weekend and that can only mean one thing, I watch them after I relize that they were on! ONe more thing, I LOVE YOU LARRY AND BOB! 🙂
Hey Phil,
Good to see you’re blogging away… I do hope you feel better soon, though.
Is the Open House interview this evening going to be live, or has it already been recorded? Can’t wait to hear your voice on the radio talking about Big Idea, talking vegetables, and some jellyfish.
Anyway, my mum is peering over the computer screen at the moment, so I have to go 🙂
All the best,
Anthony.
try to get make salt crystals the same way u make rock candy, except with salt. Then put it into your mouth, then gargle. it tastes better thangargling plain salt water, but the salt water gargle is more effective
Speaking of DVDs for sale, I’m waiting for a DVD or CD of The Fabulous Bentley Brothers. I love them.
One more idea for supporting JT (from an 8 year old!)
We’ve got the same upper respiratory stuff going around our house too. My 8 y/o, Julia and I were out yesterday shoveling snow and she was remembering when Captain Pete couldn’t pronounce Dr. Schniffenhausen’s name so he was told to call him “Dr. Schniff.”
After about the third time hearing me try to keep my nose from dripping (it’s bad form to wipe with your mitten) She said – “Hey Dad, Jelly Telly could make a medicine for sniffles, with Dr. Schniff as the spokesperson!”
I know from recent experience that the cold isle is a popular desitination right now – maybe capturing a small percentage of the marketshare would do it – I know here in Wisconsin, folks would listen to a knowledgable German doctor….
Thanks for JellyTelly – even our 1 year old gets excited when I pull out the laptop – he pronounces it “Juh-Tuh, Juh-Tuh!”
Phil, I hope you enjoy this story:
We bought “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” for the kids to watch during the Superbowl. Afterwards I asked them how they liked it. They all said it was fantastic, but my 5 year old said “It was great! Better than “Cars”!”.
High praise indeed. I thought you would appreciate it especially considering your admiration of Walt.
Better than “Cars”–HIGH PRAISE INDEED! I never liked Barney until learning the backstory in your book, and always liked Bob the Builder until reading the backstory in your book…and I must say I’ve had a personal grudge against Bob the Builder ever since! I know, I know, forgiveness should probably extend to claymation too. So personally–NOT HIT Entertainment! But you know what? I’m usually wrong on such things because God doesn’t care a squat about CHARLA’S personal opinion…and it’s a good thing…or everyone would drive like me.
Hi Phil. The Open House interview was great. What time did you do that interview? I am also waiting for a Bentley Brothers DVD. THEY ARE GREAT. Love JellyTelly. I think it is a ‘GreatIdea’ that you made it free. Haha
Anyway, I should be going now
Bye
James
P.S. Get well soon
Hey Mr. Vischer,
I hope you get to feeling better. It wasn’t too long ago I had a cold and I had to use something to get rid of congestion before I went for an audition and so what I used was a thing called the neti-pot and a Vicks inhaler. It lasted like maybe an hour before I was congested again. I have a friend who thinks the neti-pot is great. To each his/her own opinion I guess. It may work for you, I don’t know.
As far as the comment you made about Buck Denver having a Paul Shaeffer and a band…. I really can’t imagine that, I mean I can imagine it, but when I do it just doesn’t look right. But that’s of course my opinion. You may be able to make it work, your great at creating. 🙂
I was just looking at the red jellyfish mascot, and I couldn’t help but wonder that he is descriptively a lot like Bob, isn’t he? Round, red, a little hair. The only thing is, Bob must have better eyesight with an extra eye.
:O)
Jonathan
Praying for you, Phil! Hope your sore throat is all better by now! Thanks for all that you do and particularly for all the tips and insight you provide. It’s inspiring and a big help!
awww, poor sicky. We don’t have much money, but once your show gets up and running, and i find out what channel and what time/day. I will tell everyone I know and don’t know about it!