Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire

Did You Know?

• On April 16, 2009, Comedy Central released a trailer for a flash game based on the series titled Kröd Mändoon: The Rise of Dongalor.
• The game is a simple top-down adventure/shooter in which the player must defeat Myrmidons to compete for the highest score.
• The player may collect power-ups that grant them health, extra speed, a double shot and a triple shot.

Production

The show's comedic style draws from The Simpsons, Get Smart, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with creator Peter A. Knight citing the last film as the one he has watched more than any other. The title character's name, Kröd, is simply the word "dork" reversed. Knight based it on a schoolmate who was frequently teased and called "Krod" without realizing the nickname was an insult. Production took place in Budapest, Hungary, with Knight and co-developer Brad Johnson present on set for every episode's filming. The exterior of Chancellor Dongalor's castle is actually Orava Castle, located in neighboring Slovakia. Kröd's flaming sword was not created with computer graphics; it was a practical prop featuring a gas canister and a hose running up actor Sean Maguire's arm to ignite the blade. The brief opening title sequence was crafted to evoke the visual style of 1980s fantasy movie posters, while also incorporating elements from more recent fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Cast

Sean Maguire plays Kröd Mändoon, the reluctant leader of a rag-tag band of inept freedom fighters. In the second episode, his full name is revealed as Krödford J. Mändoon. His sword, created by his father, bursts into flame when he is challenged or in danger. India de Beaufort plays Aneka, a pagan warrioress whose weapon of choice is sex. She starts episode 1 as Kröd's girlfriend, but he has problems with her open sexuality and she finishes their relationship; despite this, Aneka loves Mändoon more than the hundreds she has slept with. Kevin Hart plays Zezelryck, a young warlock whose greatest magical gift is spinning a line. He knows some tricks, such as how to make flash bombs and a potion that creates a convincing illusion of death when ingested. Although he has no powers when the story begins, he later fishes the canine tooth containing all of Grimshank's magical powers out of a moat. He has shown the power to slice the earth, a form of teleportation. Steve Speirs plays Loquasto, an oafish servant who belongs to a race of pig-like creatures known as Grobble. Loquasto has a habit of inaccurately shooting his crossbow, sometimes injuring Mändoon, and has a strong sense of smell and taste that he can use to detect poisons. Marques Ray plays Bruce, the jailhouse lover of Mändoon's late mentor, General Arcadius. Bruce has joined Mändoon in his quest, believing him to be The Golden One of the prophecy that Arcadius told him, and has been shown as a capable fighter, defeating a couple of myrmidons while unarmed. Matt Lucas plays Chancellor Donold David Dongalor, a sociopathic Chancellor of the lowly province of Hessemeel. He and Mändoon know each other from their time training to be warriors, and developed a bitter rivalry and mutual hatred during this period. He regularly kills people who attempt to stop his evil plans, give him bad news, or just plain annoy him. He is cowardly, more likely to play dirty than fight fair and also rather vain. Dongalor is later revealed to be Mändoon's brother-in-law, as well as having a dimwit illegitimate son whom he accepts as his heir after a failed attempt on his life.

Casting

Sean Maguire initially turned down the role of Kröd Mändoon. After appearing in the 2008 comedy Meet the Spartans, which was not well received, he wanted to take on something more serious. He also felt the show was not a good fit and admitted he thought the title was ridiculous. Maguire recalled thinking, "Who’s going to watch this piece of shit?" and later acknowledged he was too quick to judge. His manager urged him to read the script and reconsider. After doing so, Maguire changed his mind and decided he wanted the part. To prepare, he spent three months working out two hours daily to build up his physique before filming began. The relationship between Mändoon and Aneka was partly inspired by a concept from writers Knight and Johnson for a workplace comedy about a man and woman who break up but must see each other every day at their job. Maguire noted that this dynamic gave Mändoon a relatable, human quality that male viewers could connect with easily.

India de Beaufort first learned about Kröd Mändoon at an acting studio where she was training. Her teacher had read and enjoyed a script for the show and brought it to class, telling students about it. Many of them, including Beaufort, tried to audition, making the role of Aneka highly competitive. She eventually secured an audition and was cast. At the time she accepted the part, she had only read the first episode, "Wench Trouble," and was unaware of later scenes involving more promiscuous behavior, such as a striptease in "Golden Powers." When she learned more about the character, Beaufort worried the role was too sexual and feared it might harm her credibility as an actress. However, she quickly came to love Aneka, describing her as a strong female character with feminist beliefs. Beaufort explained, "She's saying, 'I'm equal to every other man in the world. Men enjoy sex. I enjoy sex.' You know, she's out there putting out this strong statement."

Matt Lucas described his character Dongalor as a blend of Cambodian leader Pol Pot and James Bond villain Ernst Blofeld. Chris Parnell, a former Saturday Night Live comedian, voices the narrator for the North American version, while Michael Gambon provides the narration for the UK version.

Reception and criticism

Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire got a lukewarm response from critics and drew mediocre ratings in the United States. In Britain, reviews were also mixed, though some critics praised the cast’s energetic performances. The character Bruce, a flamboyant gay man played by Marques Ray, drew criticism from the gay community, who saw him as an offensive stereotype. Sean Maguire noted that the show’s producers anticipated this reaction, saying that no matter what, you cannot win: if the character is too gay, you get criticized, and if he is not gay enough, you also get criticized. He added that playing a stereotypical role means you are damned either way. On August 21, 2009, the British trade paper Broadcast reported the series had been canceled after its funding partner withdrew. But three days later, the same paper said the BBC had retracted that claim, indicating a second series could happen if a new funding partner was found. Jimmy Mulville of Hat Trick Productions called the cancellation report misinformation, stating that the writers, the BBC comedy controller, the BBC2 controller, and Matt Lucas were all working on developing a second series. Despite this, no additional series ever materialized.