FOG! Exclusive: SHELF LIFE Episode 3!!! Plus, FOG! Chats With Tara Platt & Yuri Lowenthal!!!

Yuri: Are you sure those were nightmares, and not your action figures whispering in your ear at night while you slept? 

I had—and still have – a crazy powerful imagination. 

If I was gonna believe that the Zuni Fetish Doll from Trilogy of Terror would pop out from under my bed, why shouldn’t I believe that my action figures had parties while I was at school? But did/do they hate me? 

Like Tara said, it all depends on how you treat them. I mean sometimes I’m sure my action figures couldn’t wait til I pulled them out, because we had a good time, but when I think of some of the things I put them through… What does it say about us that we set them on fire and blow them up and use them to simulate sex or role play things we don’t know anything about yet? Are they an important learning or early socialization tool? Or are we just sick fucks who all, deep down inside, have twisted desires we’re afraid to act out? 

Probably a little of both. Oh, and for me it was “She’s a Beauty” by The Tubes. 

P.S. – I think the video for Destination Unknown gave you those nightmares.

We’ve found it impossible not to hold up our show in some way against the Toy Story mirror. 

I think, like the characters in Toy Story, they understand their lot in life, but like those characters, and like all of us for that matter, they’re working on different levels of acceptance and possibly delusion. 

Hero Man sees himself as the Kid’s favorite and better than anyone else and that helps him get through. Bug Boy feels he’s smarter than the Kid and it kills him to be subjected to the Kid’s sadism, but like all of them, he knows that this is his job. Hero Lass manages her frustration with being the target of the Kid’s exploration of his sexual identity and having to put up with three guys on a shelf by becoming a mom to them, but also enjoying being the only chick. And Samurai snake, he’s the mystery. We don’t know if he’s even bitter about this life. 

There are plenty of things for them to resent about their circumstances, but I really think they love their little group, even if that just means being happy about having someone to complain to.

Are the characters conscious of the fact that they are really toys whose arms should be ripped off in faux combat?

Yeah they’re all pretty well conscious of their situation, but it doesn’t make them any less human—which I guess sounds weird because we’re talking about action figures, but I think we’re drawn to them because of their humanity. I think I was probably influenced by that episode of The Twilight Zone where the department store mannequins would take turns going out and walking around with humans. 

To this day I can’t look at a mannequin and not get weirded out.

In our story there are two camps, the action figures/collectibles/toys with an awareness of their situation, who know they are one of thousands of identical prints of their specific toy and have a separate consciousness, and those who think they are one-of-a-kind beings, who often believe in the origin story that was on their box. It makes for a fun dynamic.

Well we weren’t about to not have a hot chick on the show. 

I wouldn’t be as excited to watch it if it were just a bunch of guys on a shelf. And I prefer the term “learning” over “harassment.” I learned as much from my female action figures as I did from my male action figures. I’m sure that’s a terrifying thought to you, but it didn’t stop Tara from marrying me. 

We certainly don’t want to enter into spoiler territory, but let’s just say that harassment is a two-way street and Hero Lass is aware of the power she holds over the rest of the guys.

You are right about the sexual harassment from the kid, but also there is plenty to go around from the guys on the shelf. I think Hero Lass balances between being one of the guys, being their sister/mother figure, and also being really girly. So there is a really good chance she (and the others) will end up in therapy, both on the giving and receiving end!

Once again, I don’t want to spoil anything—trust me, there are plenty of episodes where we delve into everyone’s superpowers –but are great bravery and a razor wit not enough for you? Why is everybody so obsessed with flight and telekinesis and super strength, anyway? Jeez.

That’s why we originally created the show, actually. 

As a series of subversive serial killer training videos. You’re so distracted by the colorful outfits and comedy that you don’t even notice that you’ve covered the floor in plastic garbage bags. 

Wait, what was your question again?

It’s an adult comedy for the kid in all of us!

And the serial killer in all of us.