Q: I'm wondering if you have any idea why Bob the Tomato's teeth are missing lately?   I received the Ambassador package and watched Sumo already.   I must say he looks rather strange that way.   Then it occurred to me that he had no teeth in the Snoodle tape either!

 

Sylvia

 

 

A:  Hmm.   Well, historically speaking, Bob's teeth only appear when he pops a really big grin.   Otherwise, he's generally toothless.   In several of the earliest tests I tried keeping his top teeth in place, but it looked kinda weird so we dropped them.   (And since the black line when their mouths are closed is actually a hole, his teeth would show through even when his mouth was closed.   That didn't look right!)   Bob does look a little strange in the new videos produced in Canada (starting with Snoodle), but that has more to do with the Canadian studio's reengineering of the mouths and their unfamiliarity with the way the characters have been animated for 10 years.   Hopefully they'll get better over time.

Phil

Q: While looking around in your website, under the segment "Next VeggieTales", I couldn't help but notice the sketch you included.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the sketch a Veggie version of "Lord of the Rings"? (Bob is Gimli, Junior is Frodo, Jimmy Gourd is Legolas, Larry is Aragorn, etc.)  Sorry, I just wanted to make sure, as I am a huge fan of LOTR, and I think it would be hilarious to see a Veggie parody of it.

 

Lacey

 

 

Q:   Taking a look at the picture u gave for the project for 2005, it looks like veggietales is going to do a take on lord of the rings 🙂 YAY!! i am just curious how your going to adapt such a violent story to veggietales.. can you tell me anything… or is it too soon…

 

Ian

 

 

A: You're both right.   Sometime last year as I was watching my kids get completely caught up LOTR fever (“No, I'm Legolas this time!”) I started thinking how much fun it would be to do a veggie parody.   One thing led to another and… here it comes.   (Well, just in time for Fall 2005, anyway.   Rome wasn't built in a day…)

 

So here's a bit more info:

 

It's called “Lord of the Beans.”   Junior Asparagus plays “Toto Baggypants,” a small Flobbit who is given a magic bean by his uncle Billboy.   The bean is capable of producing just about anything you ask for… better looks, food, drink, small kitchen appliances, you name it.   Billboy has been secretly using the bean to improve his life for years, but still doesn't feel like he's found what he's looking for, and is leaving on a long trip.   The wizard Randalf (Mr. Nezzer) explains to Toto what an amazing gift this is, but can't explain to him exactly how he is to use it.   Toto is so nervous about having this amazing gift that he tries to give it to Randalf, who says, “It's your gift.   We can't choose what gifts we're given – only how we use them.”   This sets Toto off on a quest to learn what his gift is for.   He is joined by fearless Ranger “Ear-a-corn” (Larry the Cucumber), sharp-shooting elf “Leg-o-lamb” (Jimmy Gourd) and gruff-but-loveable dwarf “Grumpy” (originally Bob the Tomato, but I've since changed to Pa Grape.   He's funnier.   Bob will get over it.)   They are pursued by the Dark Lord “Scaryman” (Scallion #1) and his evil minions, which Randalf describes as “hideous creatures… half spoon, half fork!”   “You mean… Sporks?!?” Toto replies.   “Yes, Sporks.   They are his utensils, and they do his bidding!”   I can't tell you who Mr. Lunt plays.   It's a surprise.

 

Together, this ragtag group must trek across the mountains of Much-Snowia, through the Razzberry Forest, and finally through the Blue Gate into the Land of Woe to find the secret to Toto's amazing gift.   In the end, it teaches kids why God gives us gifts, and how he wants us to use them.   It answers the question, “What are my gifts for?”

 

And Ian, it's still a VeggieTales film so there's nothing inappropriate for li'l kids.   (I hope, anyway.   We're never sure until the letters start coming in…)

 

I had more fun writing this one than any veggie film in a long time.   (Of course, after going bankrupt, even a trip to the dentist looks pretty good…)   Mike Nawrocki is directing it at Big Idea, and it should be done by late summer of next year.   All of our films have to be 44 minutes long now (since the mass market retailers don't like 30 minute videos anymore), and this one takes up the whole 44 minutes.

 

That's all I'm going to say for now.

 

Phil