Adam Hribar has done it again. Fifteen years after his first interview with The Sundial, Hribar has sat down again to talk about his new holiday special, “You Ruined Christmas, Chuckie Blue!”
When we first met Adam, he was 6 years old and throwing a tantrum because his parents made him watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” So this year, Hribar gave the classic “Peanuts” comic strip a reboot and renamed it “Pistachios,” starring Chuckie Blue. On Dec. 23 at 11 p.m. his first holiday special, “You Ruined Christmas, Chuckie Blue!” will air on Adult Swim. Hribar, the voice of Chuckie Blue, sat down to discuss the upcoming special.
TF: What inspired you to ruin an iconic comic strip?
AH: Well it started when I was six. I was a Christmas fanatic, but Charlie Brown was depressed by the consumerism of Christmas. It was pathetic. Presents make people happy! I couldn’t sympathize with Charlie’s old-school reason for the season, so I took the aggression of a six-year-old and channeled it into a cathartic holiday special where everyone says what Christmas is really really about.
TF: Does Chuckie actually ruin Christmas, or does he—?
AH: Oh, he wrecks Christmas.
TF: What happens in the special?
AH: Everything is ruined, but it still has all the emotion of a sappy holiday show. Like, it’s exciting when Santa arrives on Christmas Eve! It’s frustrating when his dog, Snippy, eats Santa’s milk and cookies. It’s heart-pounding as Santa slides down the chimney into a fire left burning in the fireplace! It’s disgusting when they wake up and find Snippy puked under the Christmas tree. And in a shocking consumerism twist, Santa is revealed to be Chuckie in red pajamas and all holiday spirit is crushed.
TF: Does Chuckie find the meaning of Christmas?
AH: Oh, no. No one does. Chuckie buys a half-decent tree and no one has to think twice to know Christmas is about presents and “ho, ho, ho!”
TF: Critics are giving “Pistachios” attention for its poor illustration quality. Did you illustrate this special in Paint?
AH: Yes. We used Microsoft Paint to illustrate everything. I didn’t draw a lot of influence from Charles Schultz, rest in peace. Instead, I am really inspired by how much money Ringo Starr makes off his Paint artwork, rest in peace. So it’s just Paint.
TF: I noticed that you write about urinal troughs for The Sundial Humor Magazine. Can you tell me more about your comedic influences?
AH: Sitting on the toilet gives me a lot of ideas.
TF: When can we expect the next Chuckie Blue holiday special?
AH: When can we expect the next fucking holiday? That’s a dumb question.
TF: OK, well—
AH: No more questions.
TF: Merry Christmas, Adam!
AH: Spoiler alert: I ruin Christmas.
-Travis Filicky, Senior Staff Member