Ben Edlund
Encyclopedia
Ben Edlund is a comic book
artist
and writer
and television screenwriter
. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical
superhero
character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural
.
. He attended Silver Lake Regional High School
and was voted by classmates as "Most Artistic" for both the 8th grade and 12th grade yearbook superlatives. At the age of 17, without a driver's license, Edlund was forced to ride with friends and frequent their favorite hangouts. One particular destination, the New England Comics
store, spawned Edlund's interest in the comic book
medium, which later launched his art and writing career.
based on the character by New England Comics when, due to a production mix-up, the publisher needed a new title fast. Edlund graduated from high school in 1986 and continued to draw his popular character while majoring in film at Massachusetts College of Art
. The debut issue of The Tick took a year and a half for Edlund to develop.
While still in college, Edlund was approached by Kiscom, a New Jersey-based toy licensing and design company, who wanted to develop merchandising off The Tick much like the successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
a year prior. However, no big television network was willing to take the concept of a Tick animated series. Finally, Sunbow Entertainment, a small New York-based animation company, paired Edlund up with writer Richard Libmann-Smith. After having their premiere episode turned down by FOX
, the duo worked tirelessly and got approval with a refined version.
In 1994, The Tick debuted as an animated series on FOX and lasted three seasons. The program led to various toy and merchandising deals, and although this did not reach the phenomenon of the Ninja Turtles franchise, Edlund expressed content in his character as a "much more sincere proposal." The Tick appeared on the FOX network in late 2001 with a short-lived live-action series.
filmmaker Lisa Hammer
and her husband, Eric Hammer
, on the film Crawley. The Hammers would later work with Edlund again during the creation of The Venture Bros.
which draws inspiration from The Tick.
In the 2000s, he was employed by Joss Whedon
at Mutant Enemy, first on Firefly and then later on the final seasons of Angel
, writing and directing the Hugo Award
nominated episode, "Smile Time." Edlund credits Whedon with his education on creating character arcs for television. Edlund also had a hand in creating characters for Whedon's successful web-series Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog which he contributed "Bad Horse" and the henchman sidekick "Moist."
In 2005, Edlund served as co-executive producer on Point Pleasant
. He also wrote the Star Wars: The Clone Wars
second season episode "Grievous Intrigue". He is currently executive producer and writer on the TV series Supernatural
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and television screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
.
Background
Edlund was born and raised in PembrokePembroke, Massachusetts
Pembroke is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,927 at the 2000 census.The southwestern section of Pembroke is also known as Bryantville...
. He attended Silver Lake Regional High School
Silver Lake Regional High School
Silver Lake Regional High School is a public, regional high school in Massachusetts' South Shore region. It serves as the secondary school for the Silver Lake Regional School District, comprising the towns of Kingston, Plympton and Halifax, Massachusetts...
and was voted by classmates as "Most Artistic" for both the 8th grade and 12th grade yearbook superlatives. At the age of 17, without a driver's license, Edlund was forced to ride with friends and frequent their favorite hangouts. One particular destination, the New England Comics
New England Comics
New England Comics is a comic book retail chain and publisher headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA. They are known for publishing The Tick comic books. They have locations in Quincy, Allston, Brookline, Brockton, Cambridge, Malden, New Bedford and Norwood....
store, spawned Edlund's interest in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
medium, which later launched his art and writing career.
Creation of The Tick
While still in high school, he began developing his satirical superhero, The Tick, who became the mascot of the New England Comics newsletter. Edlund was offered to create a comic book seriesThe Tick (comic book)
The Tick was a comic book series created by Ben Edlund in 1988 and originally published in black-and-white by the New England Comics store in Boston, Massachusetts. The series provided modest beginnings for its title character, who would later feature in his own television programs and merchandise...
based on the character by New England Comics when, due to a production mix-up, the publisher needed a new title fast. Edlund graduated from high school in 1986 and continued to draw his popular character while majoring in film at Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
. The debut issue of The Tick took a year and a half for Edlund to develop.
While still in college, Edlund was approached by Kiscom, a New Jersey-based toy licensing and design company, who wanted to develop merchandising off The Tick much like the successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
a year prior. However, no big television network was willing to take the concept of a Tick animated series. Finally, Sunbow Entertainment, a small New York-based animation company, paired Edlund up with writer Richard Libmann-Smith. After having their premiere episode turned down by FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, the duo worked tirelessly and got approval with a refined version.
In 1994, The Tick debuted as an animated series on FOX and lasted three seasons. The program led to various toy and merchandising deals, and although this did not reach the phenomenon of the Ninja Turtles franchise, Edlund expressed content in his character as a "much more sincere proposal." The Tick appeared on the FOX network in late 2001 with a short-lived live-action series.
Screenwriting
In the late 1990s, Edlund collaborated with indieIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
filmmaker Lisa Hammer
Lisa Hammer
Lisa Hammer is a filmmaker, actress, composer and singer and is the sister of director James Merendino...
and her husband, Eric Hammer
Doc Hammer
Eric A. "Doc" Hammer is an American musician, actor, film and television writer, voice actor, and painter. He performed in the gothic rock bands Requiem in White from 1985 to 1995 and Mors Syphilitica from 1995 to 2002, both with his then-wife Lisa Hammer...
, on the film Crawley. The Hammers would later work with Edlund again during the creation of The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
which draws inspiration from The Tick.
In the 2000s, he was employed by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
at Mutant Enemy, first on Firefly and then later on the final seasons of Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, writing and directing the Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
nominated episode, "Smile Time." Edlund credits Whedon with his education on creating character arcs for television. Edlund also had a hand in creating characters for Whedon's successful web-series Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog which he contributed "Bad Horse" and the henchman sidekick "Moist."
In 2005, Edlund served as co-executive producer on Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant (TV series)
Point Pleasant is a television series that first aired on the Fox Network in January 2005. It was cancelled in March 2005 due to poor ratings....
. He also wrote the Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
-Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve...
second season episode "Grievous Intrigue". He is currently executive producer and writer on the TV series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
.