Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The JM Archives is proud to present an interview with animation writer John McCann. In this interview Mr. McCann speaks about his career writing for such shows as Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid and so many others. I wish to thank Mr. McCann for taking his time to speak about his career.
This interview was recorded via Skype on May 20th 2020 with additional pick ups for clarity taking place on June 11th 2020 This interview is the property of the JM Archive and The Spider's Lair Studios. Any work referencing this material must give written and/or oral credit to the interview and its source. This interview may not be excerpted or re-posted without expressed written or oral permission from the Spiders Lair Studios.
0:00 Introduction
0:19 On his earliest memories of Film and Television
1:28 On other hobbies he had as a youth
2:12 On his early education
3:03 On starting out as a Stand-Up Comic
4:14 On moving to Los Angeles in 1979 and working
4:45 On getting involved in Improv and joining The L.A. Connection group, meeting Sherri Stoner and M.D. Sweeney and later joining their group and working with Paul Rugg
7:24 On being Duncan Regehr's body double on the 1985 Television movie My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn
8:36 On the L.A. Connection's film Reefer Madness 2: The True Story!
9:44 On being hired to write for a Tiny Toons spin-off that never materialized at Warner Bros. Animation
12:14 On the differences between writing for animation and writing for live action
13:04 On working on Animaniacs
14:50 On the Animaniacs episode: Draculee, Draculaa
15:12 On the Animaniacs episode: Plane Pals and the nature of the Warner Bros characters driving historical figures insane
15:49 On the Animaniacs episode: Boot Campin'
16:11 On working for Warner Bros. Animation in the 90s
16:26 On the process for writing an animation script
17:07 On the Anmaniacs character roster (Slappy Squirrel, Rita and Runt and GoodFeathers
17:45 On writing Music into the show to collect royalties
18:33 On Pinky and the Brain
18:48 On Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries
19:40 On his favorite Animaniacs that he wrote and dealing with censors at Warner Bros
21:12 On Tom Ruegger
21:44 On Steven Spielberg
23:21 On Freakazoid and the inception of the series
24:44 On Freakazoid episode: Dance of Doom
25:42 On Freakazoid episode: Hot Rods from Heck,
26:29 On Freakazoid episode: Mission: Freakazoid which introduced the late Jonathan Harris as Professor Jones
27:15 On Freakazoid writer Paul Rugg being cast as the voice of Freakazoid
27:58 On The Huntsman sketches from Freakazoid
29:02 On the reception of Freakazoid from Warner Bros and viewers
30:58 On Freakazoid episode: Statuesque
31:21 On Freakazoid voice-over sessions
32:01 On Freakazoid episode: Virtual Freak
32:51 On the Freakazoid's cancellation and his feelings about the end of the series
33:17 On winning an Emmy for Freakazoid and Animaniacs
34:15 On producing and writing for the Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain spin-off series
35:51 On producing vs writing
36:47 On writing for Batman Beyond
37:45 On pro-social messages and not having to put them into scripts
38:23 On leaving Warner Bros.
38:38 On the legacy of Warner Bros. Animation
39:22 On post Warner Bros. work and being hired as story editor on the series Sherm in 2006
41:26 On writing an episode of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius and Story editor Jed Spingarn
42:08 On the title of Story Editor and what roles they play for animated series
42:51 On Ozzy and Drix and Alan Burnett
43:24 On working in Cambodia to develop the Rith character in order to help remove the stigma against landmine explosion survivors
47:37 On animation writing being hard to come by in the early 2000s and other projects he worked on at that time
50:27 On Writing for Dave the Barbarian, Doug Langdale and writing for Disney
51:16 On Catscratch
51:43 On not having reluctance to writer for Children's Animation
52:40 On some of the difficulties of writing for Children
53:14 On writing for Biker Mice from Mars
53:34 On Anamalia for PBS
54:25 On seeing Computer Generated Animation for the first time
55:49 On writing for Pink Panther and Pals
56:09 On writing for Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc.
57:32 On not re-watching the shows/episodes he has written
58:04 On Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesome
58:14 On Mr Peabody and Sherman Show
1:00:16 On writing for Wabbit (AKA New Looney Tunes)
1:00:57 On writing for the 7D
1:01:46 On post 7D television work
1:03:10 On the novel 50 Shades of Zane Grey
1:03:55 On the pseudonym JP Mac
1:04:48 On writing the book They Took My Prostate: Cancer Loss Hope and dealing with the subject prostate cancer
1:06:03 On the Freakazoid sketch Toby Danger
1:07:47 On current writing projects
1:08:15 On his proudest accomplishment in the world of television
1:08:45 On his biggest regret in regards to his career
1:09:07 On advice he has for those who wish to work in the animation writing field
The JM Archives is proud to present an interview with animation writer John McCann. In this interview Mr. McCann speaks about his career writing for such shows as Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid and so many others. I wish to thank Mr. McCann for taking his time to speak about his career.
This interview was recorded via Skype on May 20th 2020 with additional pick ups for clarity taking place on June 11th 2020 This interview is the property of the JM Archive and The Spider's Lair Studios. Any work referencing this material must give written and/or oral credit to the interview and its source. This interview may not be excerpted or re-posted without expressed written or oral permission from the Spiders Lair Studios.
0:00 Introduction
0:19 On his earliest memories of Film and Television
1:28 On other hobbies he had as a youth
2:12 On his early education
3:03 On starting out as a Stand-Up Comic
4:14 On moving to Los Angeles in 1979 and working
4:45 On getting involved in Improv and joining The L.A. Connection group, meeting Sherri Stoner and M.D. Sweeney and later joining their group and working with Paul Rugg
7:24 On being Duncan Regehr's body double on the 1985 Television movie My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn
8:36 On the L.A. Connection's film Reefer Madness 2: The True Story!
9:44 On being hired to write for a Tiny Toons spin-off that never materialized at Warner Bros. Animation
12:14 On the differences between writing for animation and writing for live action
13:04 On working on Animaniacs
14:50 On the Animaniacs episode: Draculee, Draculaa
15:12 On the Animaniacs episode: Plane Pals and the nature of the Warner Bros characters driving historical figures insane
15:49 On the Animaniacs episode: Boot Campin'
16:11 On working for Warner Bros. Animation in the 90s
16:26 On the process for writing an animation script
17:07 On the Anmaniacs character roster (Slappy Squirrel, Rita and Runt and GoodFeathers
17:45 On writing Music into the show to collect royalties
18:33 On Pinky and the Brain
18:48 On Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries
19:40 On his favorite Animaniacs that he wrote and dealing with censors at Warner Bros
21:12 On Tom Ruegger
21:44 On Steven Spielberg
23:21 On Freakazoid and the inception of the series
24:44 On Freakazoid episode: Dance of Doom
25:42 On Freakazoid episode: Hot Rods from Heck,
26:29 On Freakazoid episode: Mission: Freakazoid which introduced the late Jonathan Harris as Professor Jones
27:15 On Freakazoid writer Paul Rugg being cast as the voice of Freakazoid
27:58 On The Huntsman sketches from Freakazoid
29:02 On the reception of Freakazoid from Warner Bros and viewers
30:58 On Freakazoid episode: Statuesque
31:21 On Freakazoid voice-over sessions
32:01 On Freakazoid episode: Virtual Freak
32:51 On the Freakazoid's cancellation and his feelings about the end of the series
33:17 On winning an Emmy for Freakazoid and Animaniacs
34:15 On producing and writing for the Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain spin-off series
35:51 On producing vs writing
36:47 On writing for Batman Beyond
37:45 On pro-social messages and not having to put them into scripts
38:23 On leaving Warner Bros.
38:38 On the legacy of Warner Bros. Animation
39:22 On post Warner Bros. work and being hired as story editor on the series Sherm in 2006
41:26 On writing an episode of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius and Story editor Jed Spingarn
42:08 On the title of Story Editor and what roles they play for animated series
42:51 On Ozzy and Drix and Alan Burnett
43:24 On working in Cambodia to develop the Rith character in order to help remove the stigma against landmine explosion survivors
47:37 On animation writing being hard to come by in the early 2000s and other projects he worked on at that time
50:27 On Writing for Dave the Barbarian, Doug Langdale and writing for Disney
51:16 On Catscratch
51:43 On not having reluctance to writer for Children's Animation
52:40 On some of the difficulties of writing for Children
53:14 On writing for Biker Mice from Mars
53:34 On Anamalia for PBS
54:25 On seeing Computer Generated Animation for the first time
55:49 On writing for Pink Panther and Pals
56:09 On writing for Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc.
57:32 On not re-watching the shows/episodes he has written
58:04 On Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesome
58:14 On Mr Peabody and Sherman Show
1:00:16 On writing for Wabbit (AKA New Looney Tunes)
1:00:57 On writing for the 7D
1:01:46 On post 7D television work
1:03:10 On the novel 50 Shades of Zane Grey
1:03:55 On the pseudonym JP Mac
1:04:48 On writing the book They Took My Prostate: Cancer Loss Hope and dealing with the subject prostate cancer
1:06:03 On the Freakazoid sketch Toby Danger
1:07:47 On current writing projects
1:08:15 On his proudest accomplishment in the world of television
1:08:45 On his biggest regret in regards to his career
1:09:07 On advice he has for those who wish to work in the animation writing field
