Matt Maiellaro
Encyclopedia
Matthew Gerard Maiellaro (Born August 17, 1966) is the co-creator and writer of the cult television animated Adult Swim
shows, Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1
(formerly titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Perfect Hair Forever
, and creator of 12 Oz. Mouse
. He is a native of Pensacola, Florida
, and a graduate of Pensacola Catholic High School
.
Prior to his work on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Maiellaro was a producer and writer for Space Ghost Coast to Coast
since the show's inception in 1994. Maiellaro met friend and future writing partner, Dave Willis
when Willis came on as a staff writer in 1995. The two have since made a few short independent films together, most notably the live-action short A Day Off, which follows a Michael Myers
puppet and documents what he does on his day off from murder.
In 2000, Maiellaro and Willis created a spin-off from Space Ghost Coast to Coast -- Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Seven years later, Maiellaro and Willis released a full-length Aqua Teen Hunger Force feature film on April 13, 2007. His writing is characterized by surreal humour
and at times, a total disregard for traditional forms of storytelling.
on full-length feature films such as Darkman
, Basket Case 3: The Progeny
, Ruby in Paradise
, Ring of Steel, Kleptomania
, Mr. McAllister's Cigarette Holder, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
. His work on Hellraiser III was highlighted in the trailer
for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters.
, and numerous Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes and DVD special features showcase this skill. He wrote the Squidbillies
theme song, Warrior Man. Mouse Fitzgerald, the protagonist from Maiellaro's 12 oz. Mouse
can be seen playing metal guitar in several episodes, with Maiellaro providing the actual guitar riffs himself. A caricature of Maiellaro (voiced by Maiellaro) depicted as a Chinese food delivery boy holding an electric guitar appeared in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
episode "Spacegate World". In the DVD special feature, "How To Score Big Writing For Television," he is shown with a red Stratocaster-type guitar, a Steinberger electric guitar, and a goldtop Gibson Les Paul
. He has also been featured in Adult Swim promotional materials playing an Epiphone
EDS-1275.
as a major inspiration and influence. He and Dave Willis
paid tribute to Hertzfeldt in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
episode "The Broodwich", with a scene animated in Hertzfeldt's signature style.
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
shows, Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
(formerly titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Perfect Hair Forever
Perfect Hair Forever
Perfect Hair Forever is an American comedy animated television series which is largely a parody of anime. It was created and produced by Williams Street, and aired on Adult Swim and The Detour in the US and Canada respectively...
, and creator of 12 Oz. Mouse
12 oz. Mouse
12 oz. Mouse is an animated television series that aired on the American channel Cartoon Network as part of the Adult Swim late night programming block. The show centers on the antisocial actions of an alcoholic mouse known as "Mouse Fitzgerald", "Fitz," "Butch," or simply "Mouse"...
. He is a native of Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, and a graduate of Pensacola Catholic High School
Pensacola Catholic High School
Pensacola Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic diocesan high school in Pensacola, Florida, under the jurisdiction of the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. It is co-educational, organized on the 9-12 plan with an enrollment of over 600 students...
.
Prior to his work on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Maiellaro was a producer and writer for Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
since the show's inception in 1994. Maiellaro met friend and future writing partner, Dave Willis
Dave Willis
David "Dave" Willis is an American voice actor, writer, and producer mostly known as one of the creators, writers, directors, and actors of the adult humored animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force....
when Willis came on as a staff writer in 1995. The two have since made a few short independent films together, most notably the live-action short A Day Off, which follows a Michael Myers
Michael Myers (Halloween)
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
puppet and documents what he does on his day off from murder.
In 2000, Maiellaro and Willis created a spin-off from Space Ghost Coast to Coast -- Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Seven years later, Maiellaro and Willis released a full-length Aqua Teen Hunger Force feature film on April 13, 2007. His writing is characterized by surreal humour
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
and at times, a total disregard for traditional forms of storytelling.
Early career
Matt Maiellaro started out as a first and second assistant directorAssistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on full-length feature films such as Darkman
Darkman
Darkman is a 1990 superhero action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is based on a short story Raimi wrote that paid homage to Universal's horror films of the 1930s...
, Basket Case 3: The Progeny
Basket Case 3: The Progeny
Basket Case 3: The Progeny is a 1991 American comedy horror film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. The third installment of the Basket Case series the film follows Times Square Freak Twins Duane and Belial Bradley and several fellow freaks as they help Belial's girlfriend give birth and...
, Ruby in Paradise
Ruby in Paradise
Ruby in Paradise is a 1993 film written, directed, and edited by Victor Nuñez, and starring Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum, Allison Dean, and Dorothy Lyman. It is an homage to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.-Synopsis:...
, Ring of Steel, Kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
, Mr. McAllister's Cigarette Holder, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a 1992 American horror film and third installment in the Hellraiser series, directed by Anthony Hickox and starring Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Paula Marshall and Kevin Bernhardt...
. His work on Hellraiser III was highlighted in the trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters.
Voice work
Maiellaro provides the voice of Err the Mooninite on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, as well as various characters for the other Adult Swim shows he's involved with. When voice acting on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, he is sometimes credited as "The Amazing Voice of Matt Maiellaro."Music
In his free time, Maiellaro plays the electric guitarElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, and numerous Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes and DVD special features showcase this skill. He wrote the Squidbillies
Squidbillies
Squidbillies is an animated television series about the Cuylers, an impoverished family of anthropomorphic hillbilly squids living in the Appalachian region of North Carolina's mountains. The show is produced by Williams Street Studios for the Adult Swim programming block of Cartoon Network and...
theme song, Warrior Man. Mouse Fitzgerald, the protagonist from Maiellaro's 12 oz. Mouse
12 oz. Mouse
12 oz. Mouse is an animated television series that aired on the American channel Cartoon Network as part of the Adult Swim late night programming block. The show centers on the antisocial actions of an alcoholic mouse known as "Mouse Fitzgerald", "Fitz," "Butch," or simply "Mouse"...
can be seen playing metal guitar in several episodes, with Maiellaro providing the actual guitar riffs himself. A caricature of Maiellaro (voiced by Maiellaro) depicted as a Chinese food delivery boy holding an electric guitar appeared in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
episode "Spacegate World". In the DVD special feature, "How To Score Big Writing For Television," he is shown with a red Stratocaster-type guitar, a Steinberger electric guitar, and a goldtop Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
. He has also been featured in Adult Swim promotional materials playing an Epiphone
Epiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
EDS-1275.
Inspiration
Maiellaro has cited animator Don HertzfeldtDon Hertzfeldt
Don Hertzfeldt is the creator of many short animated films, including the Academy-Award nominated Rejected and Everything Will Be OK. His animated films have received over 150 awards and have been presented around the world. Before the age of thirty, his films were already the subject of several...
as a major inspiration and influence. He and Dave Willis
Dave Willis
David "Dave" Willis is an American voice actor, writer, and producer mostly known as one of the creators, writers, directors, and actors of the adult humored animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force....
paid tribute to Hertzfeldt in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
episode "The Broodwich", with a scene animated in Hertzfeldt's signature style.
Filmography
| Year(s) | Production | Role(s) | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Darkman Darkman Darkman is a 1990 superhero action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is based on a short story Raimi wrote that paid homage to Universal's horror films of the 1930s... |
Set production assistant | |
| 1992 | Basket Case 3: The Progeny | Second assistant director | |
| 1992 | Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a 1992 American horror film and third installment in the Hellraiser series, directed by Anthony Hickox and starring Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Paula Marshall and Kevin Bernhardt... |
First assistant director - second unit | |
| 1993 | Ruby in Paradise Ruby in Paradise Ruby in Paradise is a 1993 film written, directed, and edited by Victor Nuñez, and starring Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Mitchum, Allison Dean, and Dorothy Lyman. It is an homage to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.-Synopsis:... |
Second assistant director | |
| 1994 | Ring of Steel | Second assistant director | |
| 1994–2004 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast Space Ghost Coast to Coast Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network... |
Producer, Writer | |
| 2000 | Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak | Producer, Writer | Two variety show specials |
| 2000–present | Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada... (formerly titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force) |
Co-Creator, Writer, Director, Producer, Actor | |
| 2001 | Sealab 2021 Sealab 2021 Sealab 2021 is an American animated television series. It was shown on Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on November 23, 2000 and the final episode aired on April 25, 2005... |
Writer | |
| 2004–2005 | Perfect Hair Forever Perfect Hair Forever Perfect Hair Forever is an American comedy animated television series which is largely a parody of anime. It was created and produced by Williams Street, and aired on Adult Swim and The Detour in the US and Canada respectively... |
Writer | |
| 2004 | Spacecataz Spacecataz Spacecataz is a failed spin-off from the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, focusing on the Mooninites and the Plutonians —all recurring characters on ATHF—who battle with each other in outer space with pranks and practical jokes... |
Co-Creator, Writer, Director, Producer, Actor | Failed pilot |
| 2005–2007 | 12 oz. Mouse 12 oz. Mouse 12 oz. Mouse is an animated television series that aired on the American channel Cartoon Network as part of the Adult Swim late night programming block. The show centers on the antisocial actions of an alcoholic mouse known as "Mouse Fitzgerald", "Fitz," "Butch," or simply "Mouse"... |
Creator, Director, Writer, Actor | |
| 2007 | Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters | Writer, Director, Producer, Actor | |
| TBA | Death Fighter | Writer, Director, Producer, Actor | Feature film, in filming |