'Adventure Time' Cast Share Their Take On The Pop-Culture Phenomenon

If you’ve never watched Adventure Time, you’ve been missing out on one of the most vibrant and unstoppable pop culture phenomena of the past decade. Set in the bizarre, often beautiful and always batshit world of Ooo — an Oz-esque, post-apocalypse wonderland filled with strange creatures, fantastical princesses and a villainous Ice King — this animated show follows the japes and scrapes of two best pals, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, as they vanquish evil and chow down on bacon pancakes in their treehouse.

At first glance, Adventure Time might appear to be a fairly average cartoon, but to those who know and love its whimsical cast of characters, intricate storytelling and die-hard optimism, this show is anything but run of the mill. For kids, it’s chock full of zany, eye-popping silliness and the bite-sized, 11-minute episodes are perfectly tailored to the short attention spans of young minds. And yet, the show boasts as many adult aficionados as it does pre-teen followers. With its elaborate character development and sophisticated subplots, exploring philosophical conundrums from gender stereotypes to the acceptance of mortality to the value of multiculturalism, Adventure Time has earned the kind of fanatical fan base usually reserved for HBO juggernauts or decades-in-the-making comic book franchises.

So, what is the x-factor driving Adventure Time’s barnstorming success? For John DiMaggio, aka the voice Jake the Dog, it’s the show’s emotional authenticity that strikes a chord. “I’ve had a lot of people say to me that Adventure Time was the thing that helped keep them sane and helped them get a bit of levity into their life when times were tough. That’s something that I’ve heard many times, and I really take pride in that,” he shares. “Life’s hard enough I guess, so it’s nice when you have a kid and dog to help you through your trials and tribulations.”

Now in its seventh season, the show has picked up a slew of awards in the six and half years since it premiered, including six Emmys, but it’s the intensity of its fandom that most potently speaks to the power of its appeal. From a wiki database with more than 2,500 pages to the hundreds of thousands of fan art illustrations, Pinterest boards, fan fiction forums, fan-made merchandise and cosplay tributes, Adventure Time has spawned a mind-bogglingly dynamic subculture. It’s also been credited with shifting the status quo of the animation industry to more readily recognise the untapped potential of indie animators. Aussie fans of the show will have their chance to meet the talent behind their favourite characters in March at Adventure Time Live, which will feature live readings of favourite episodes, Q&A sessions and panel discussions, and of course, the all-important meet and greets.

“It’s what every actor strives for,” admits Hynden Walch, the voice of principal recurring character Princess Bubblegum. “I always hoped I would be part of something that would blow the lid off animation, because those shows don’t come along every day! The writers have really killed it. They took something that sort of involves future human history and were so playful with that idea. They have created something which spans millennia — nobody had done anything like that before. The world of this show is so enormous, it goes on and on. The animation — it’s style, the way it’s coloured — is so beautiful and inviting. Vocally, they use actors, but they also use non-actors and the sound of that variety is just so pleasant on the ear. There’s different tonalities and levels of energy which is perfect for a show that has such a vast amount of variety.”

"In any other world, the Ice King would be doing 15 to 20 for aggravated sexual assault! But in Ooo, he’s the Ice King, and there’s something vulnerable and charming about him. It’s just so strange, but somehow it all works."

Before Adventure Time, DiMaggio was already part of a hugely successful animated series, as the voice of foul-mouthed robot, Bender Bending Rodriguez, on Futurama. But even he has been taken aback by Adventure Time’s popularity. “I never thought this little tiny show would just explode worldwide. You never see something like this coming,” he notes. “When I go to a convention or something like that, I’ll see an entire family dressed as characters from Adventure Time. Mom will be dressed up as the Ice King, and if they have a teenage daughter she’ll be dressed up as Princess Bubblegum and if they have a baby it’ll be dressed up as Lumpy Space Princess, which is really one of the most adorable things you’ll ever see in your life! Quite frankly it’s mind blowing. Hugh Jackman uploaded a video of himself mouthing along to one of the little songs on the show. When Wolverine is lip-syncing Bacon Pancakes, you know you’ve hit the big time. I really appreciated that, I actually tweeted back a picture of me with kitchen knives stuck to my hands to kinda say, ‘hey dude! I love your stuff too!’”

What makes Adventure Time’s global hit status even more remarkable, is that it emerged from the humblest of origins. It began its life as a seven-minute short, created by the then 24-year-old Pendleton Ward, in 2006. Intended as an ode to the nerdiest of role-playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, this rough and ready first outing, written, animated and scored by Ward himself, outlined what would become the show’s underlying premise, as Jake and Finn battled the Ice King to rescue Princess Bubblegum. The life of these characters could have ended there, had it not been for Ward's tenacity and the reassuring enthusiasm of the internet. After becoming a viral hit online, and despite being turned down by Nickelodeon twice, Cartoon Network took a chance on the fledgling concept and commissioned the first season of what would become its highest rating show.

Much of the essence of Adventure Time can be found in its precursor pilot, but far less evident was the depth of complexity this colourful world would eventually yield. “The Land of Ooo is the freakiest place ever invented for a television show, in my opinion. It’s just so so far out there,” DiMaggio shares. “In any other world, the Ice King would be doing 15 to 20 for aggravated sexual assault! But in Ooo, he’s the Ice King, and there’s something vulnerable and charming about him. It’s just so strange, but somehow it all works.”

Far from being all sugar and spice, Adventure Time also features moments on a distinctly ominous narrative spectrum. "Believe me, there is definitely some acting involved! You really do run the emotional gamut from A to Z," DiMaggio observes. "The darkness the show explores and the depth of that — it’s striking. One moment you’re goofing around and the next something genuinely terrifying happens and all mayhem breaks loose. And that’s one of the things that’s great as far as storylines are concerned. The land of Ooo is limitless because its not afraid to show that life can be dark and foreboding. It’s not just some little kids' show; it’s full of all the light and shade of the real world." 

One of the most complicated (and hotly debated) relationships depicted in the show is between Princess Bubblegum and ancient teen vampire queen, Marceline, voiced by Olivia Olson. Hints of an acrimoniously ended gay relationship between the pair — dubbed by fans of the theory as “Bubbline” — is seen by some as a nod to the show's adult following. While the queer undercurrents of these characters have never been explicitly confirmed, Walch recognises the friction and chemistry between the pair is an important part of her characterisation: “Neither lets anyone get close to them. They’re both quite wary of being hurt, but they still have a soft spot for each other.”

The world of Ooo is so ripe with quirky narrative possibilities, the show could feasibly go on indefinitely, but like all good storytellers, Ward has chosen to draw Adventure Time to close while still at its peak. Just two more seasons will be produced before Finn and Jake finally hang up their broadswords for good, although there will be one last parting gift for the fans: a feature film is currently also in the works. “We’re all super bummed that it has to end, but I’m so grateful to have been part of something so special,” says Jeremy Shada, the voice of Finn the Human. “Most shows don’t last anywhere near as long as Adventure Time, so it’s been such a privilege to have shared this experience with such talented people. Also, just to have had the chance to tell these amazing stories and to have your work recognised and loved by so many — it’s life changing.”

Adventure Time Live tours to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, 10 — 12 Mar 2017.