The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack

Did You Know?

• A Flapjack video game was confirmed for the Nintendo DS in Spring 2010 but was cancelled when the show was cancelled.
• Flapjack and Captain K'nuckles appear as playable characters in Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, with Peppermint Larry and Candy Wife as assist characters.

Synopsis

The series is set in the fictional city of Stormalong Harbor, built on docks in the middle of the ocean with little surrounding land. Characters can swim underneath the city, which Bubbie often does. Wealthier citizens live on higher piers with vegetation, while the lower class lives lower in the city. Stormalong has a sewer system, tunnels, and many bizarre shops, including a bar called The Candy Barrel that serves candy instead of alcohol. The city is dystopian, with high crime and loitering, policed by a small force headed by the Dock Hag. The story follows three main characters: Flapjack, a young boy raised by a talking whale named Bubbie; Captain K'nuckles, a pirate they rescue who tells tales of Candied Island; and Bubbie herself. Flapjack becomes enamored with the idea of finding Candied Island and helping K'nuckles, despite Bubbie's disapproval. K'nuckles is not the adventurer he claims to be, and the trio do not know where to look, leading to strange predicaments and misadventures in search of candy. When not exploring, they spend time in Stormalong Harbor, home to many strange characters.

Characters

Flapjack, voiced by Thurop Van Orman, is a cheerful yet gullible orphan raised by Bubbie. His biological parents are never seen or mentioned. He is naive and oblivious to danger, easily caught in dangerous situations. He holds K'nuckles in extremely high regard, sometimes bordering on obsession, though he can show anger when K'nuckles lies. In the final episode's ending, Thurop's son Leif plays Flapjack. Paul Reubens was originally meant to voice Flapjack but never attended recording sessions, so Van Orman voiced him. Captain K'nuckles, voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray, is an old Irish sea captain who claims to be a great adventurer, often telling fabricated or exaggerated stories. He enjoys candy and maple syrup, often valuing candy over relationships. His sociopathic behavior earns him hostility from nearly everyone in Stormalong. Though he exploits Flapjack, he is fond of him and tries to get him out of trouble. His hands, legs, and bottom are wooden prosthetics. In the final episode's ending, Thurop Van Orman portrays live-action K'nuckles. Bubbie, voiced by Roz Ryan, is an anthropomorphic whale and Flapjack's adoptive mother, having found him at sea as a baby. K'nuckles and Flapjack live inside her mouth, and she serves as their transportation and home. She disapproves of Flapjack's adventures and views K'nuckles as irresponsible and a bad influence, though she often allows Flapjack to go on adventures. Peppermint Larry, voiced by Jeff Bennett, owns The Candy Barrel. He is overly-friendly but only to attract customers, quickly dropping the act when no money is involved. He is lonely and antisocial, creating a wife made of candy named Candy Wife, who is ambiguously inanimate and argumentative.

Production

Creator Thurop Van Orman lived in Panama City, Florida as a child and fantasized about living near docks and having adventures. After his family moved to Utah when he was 13, he worked as a janitor to save money for a plane ticket back to Florida. There, he paddled a surfboard to Shell Island with rice and potatoes, planning to live off sea urchins, but became badly sunburned and starved. He later went to Mexico and lived in jungles, eating from dumpsters, chalking these failures up as part of the adventure. Van Orman's influences included Gary Larson, Jim Henson, Stephen Hillenburg, and his old boss Craig McCracken, as well as Max Fleischer, Richard Scarry, Ronald Searle, Maurice Sendak, Joe Murray, Sergio Aragonés, E.H. Shepherd, Mercer Mayer, and Robert Crumb. He had worked on The Powerpuff Girls, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Camp Lazlo. The original extended theme song was used once for a musical special titled 'All Hands On Deck', with vocals by Modest Mouse singer Isaac Brock. Van Orman first pitched the concept to Cartoon Network in 2001, creating a short with visual inspiration from older adventure novels. The pitch was rejected, but after feedback he re-pitched in 2003. Screen Novelties produced the stop-motion and title card portions. Paul Reubens was originally selected to voice Flapjack but never attended recording sessions, so Van Orman voiced him. The series ended after 3 seasons. The final episode, 'Fish Out of Water', featured Flapjack and K'nuckles turning into fish from eating too much candy, and ended with live-action versions of Flapjack, K'nuckles, and Bubbie played by Van Orman, his son Leif, and others.

Reception

Critics and audiences alike responded positively to the show, which went on to earn a devoted cult following. David Perlmutter, writing in his encyclopedia of American animated television, described it as a clever and amusing series that never received the recognition it warranted. He noted that creator Van Orman drew on his own lifelong fascination with the sea to build a steampunk-inspired world, one that echoed the technological and moral complexities found in 19th-century fiction. Game Rant journalist Melissa C. called the series creative, funny, and visually appealing, arguing it deserved additional seasons and that its influence continues through the shows it inspired. Many former Flapjack storyboard artists and crew members later launched their own successful series, including Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time), J. G. Quintel (Regular Show), Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), and Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall). Those shows in turn spawned further creators, forming what is known as the Flapjack family of cartoons. The series’ lasting impact on animation was recognized in the Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake episode “Prismo the Wishmaster.”