How Tomatohead The Series got Started

The idea for Tomatohead Animated Series came to me around 2012 when I was first started working in portrait photography. I took a range of sessions from Family Photos, birthdays, milestones etc.

I was a key part of that fantasy for alot of people particularly Women.

In most cases it was the women that dragged their families, boyfriends, kids, and even pets to take photos.

They were also the ones that spent the money, the men were mearly accessories to the women’s fantasy.

I also hate to say it but guys get “baby fever” as well, not as bad as women tho.

These disparate factors came together to form the idea of a man that almost looks like he could fit perfectly into that fantasy except one problem.

The problem was whenever he got a date she would bit a piece of his head off which was the punchline.

The first skit for Tomatohead that I ever came up with formed the basis of the first episode of Tomatohead I animated.

Changing The Idea

It was around 2017 That the Idea for Tomatohead began to undergo a bit of a shift.

I moved into a one bedroom apartment with a friend of mine and very quickly found myself in a financial slump.

I didn’t have any disposable income for the finer things in life plus the women just weren’t interested.

Dejected I decided to stay home and work on the comic that soon became the first episode of Tomatohead.

This version was different from the original in that I removed the part were his head gets bitten off by women he’s dating.

To a story that more told the audience a story about Tom, who he is his goals and life struggles.

I also chose to keep the scene with Tom having a back and fourth with his “parents” as a vehicle for that story.

I also felt this would give me an opportunity to tell the story with some supporting characters such as:

• Tots (voiced by me)
• Reg (voiced by Chris Briggs)
• Frank (voiced by Chris Krider)
• Rind Squad (voiced by Nelson)
• and Broc Ecoli (also voiced by Chris Krider

I also wanted to give Tom a bit of a backstory which i will not spoil for the viewers here.

I proceeded showing the comic to anyone in my friend group willing to read it, I had even expressed a desire to animate it.

I also mentioned I needed voice actors, thats when a serious actor Adam Crain volounteered to be the voice of Tom the leading man in the show.

I was also blessed to have Chris Krider of Team Insomniac Films lend me his father’s private recording studio to record the first episode.

The Animation Process Begins

I spent a couple months working on the Animatic for Tomatohead and I hate to say it but the process took almost 8 months.

It wasn’t until the lockdowns of 2020 that I managed to get around to the actual animation.

Not one but 2 animations in the can, I also got to pitch them to Adult Swim.

Later Progress

Since then I have so far stalled out on episode 3 but I intend to get back in the saddle on that one … eventually. I have decided to go in a different direction with Tomatohead once again to get back to the core of the story, Tom getting a girlfriend.

This led me to the creation of the colloquially known “Tom Get’s Ghosted“

Also critique of the wider state of dating.

Male to female relationships from the perspective of an average looking, working class male.

I also want to use the show to look at the adversities of these kinds of men.

Its common knowledge by now but men are no longer pursuing dating and relationships.

Also how these problems demotivate them and keep them infantile and pleasure seeking.

I hope more young men relate to the struggles of Tom and his friends and I also hope this gives the women that are paying attention, to the plight of the average man.

We can only build an understanding by listening, I also believe that there is a curiousity building for the male perspective on these issues.

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