Interview with Men of the House and The Vox's actor, writer and producer Mike Barkhoff

Hello Internet.

If you have read my blogs recently I have been interviewing prominent people to the network of "Drakoloid". This week I decided to interview a new comer to the network Mike Barkhoff who stars in the new Drakoloid sitcom "Men Of The House" which premiered this past Friday. There are many questions that were answered throughout this interview and will give you some more information on Mike himself.

Mike Barkhoff plays Tyler on the new show "Men of the House" which he is the co-star to European actor Harry Scott. This show is fun, vibrant and well written I will detail my thoughts further in my "Men Of The House" premiere review.

He also is Marty Vox the father of The Vox family on the new Drakoloid animated series "The Vox's" which premiered in August. We discuss the show, his thoughts on fatherhood and what the future really looks like in comparison to Drakoloid's vision of it.

For those who don’t know what Live Free is, it is an online production channel that was founded by Mike Barkhoff and created multiple web-series that had co-productions and currently with Drakoloid Adult Zone the new Drakoloid Adult channel that launched in October.

Q1: You are the newest edition to Drakoloid how is your experience so far with the channel?

Drakoloid has been great to me, as more than even just a business associate. He's given me advice on how to better suit my time by suggesting how I divvy up the fractions that are spent writing and the fractions that are spent filming. He's allowed me to feel like I am my own and is extremely understanding when mistakes happen, which is an understanding that a lot of people in this type of industry don't really have. I have just recently started working with Drake and I hope that I get the chance to for a long time to follow. It's like all the stars aligned, meeting Ron and now Drakoloid. I think a lot of times I feel like I'm far inferior than I should be, doing what I do at the age I do it, but meeting them and having this be the outcome so far has really just left me feeling much happier about what I've done and what I can do. There's nothing but admiration and respect for Drakoloid and his brand. 

Q2: On your channel “Live Free” you create content for the past couple years? When did you start and how did everything happen for you?

I started making short films in 2013 when I was just 13. We branded them under BadgerTv0 at first, then Barking Vans from 2016 to 2019. Live Free occurred in 2019 and was a result of me and my fifty-fifty collaborate from the Barking Vans days not always agreeing on tissues of that company. So it was born out of that pursuit for a specific project or person that he was unsure of. So Live Free is the main distributor, but Barking Vans is the production company when ny collaborate, Jarrod Van Hauen, and I work together. 

In terms of how we've been lucky enough to accomplish what we have, that's purely just finding a good circle to include yourself in. We owe it all to amazing people who were gracious enough to be actors when asked and willing to fill in for whatever we've ever needed them to. It's just finding the people who see your vision for what it is and wish to see it come to fruition, just like you do. We have a lot to owe to a lot of people, and we're really trying to make that happen - help them see success how they wish to see it. 

Q3: What programming software did you use to help develop your shows?

We've been using iMovie for a number of years, but we've also played with DaVinci Resolve. Something we wanted to do in 2021 that, due to personal reasons has yet to happen, is make a computer and employ a better editing software. We're hoping that can happen in 2022. We really want to update our editing. It's an overdue thing and has actually made me at times be looking at my document filled with scripts and choose more insignificant ones due to the lack of advance. 

Q3: Did you take any classes in media prior to launching your channel?

I took several high school courses covering filmmaking, editing for both films and audio, capturing audio, and then after High School I was offered a free class on Lighting and took it. I honestly never considered going to college for filmmaking more than a couple days here and there. It just seems like we're training filmmakers to copy and paste each other. There's definitely some aspects that require being taught (capturing audio, lighting, etc) but a lot of that is also taught from expierence and practice, and I think those two things should be the namesakes of learning filmmaking. I'm actually working on building a website that hopefully helps out filmmakers who feel the way I do on this matter! It'll launch shortly, hopefully. 

Q4: Who we’re your inspirations growing up to create in film?

As a kid I was heavily inspired by The Wizard Of Oz and action films. I was an only child and my parents actually found out that putting a movie on was enough to distract me, movies were my toys! It kind of faded, as those things do when you're going through school and constantly studying everything around you. Then, in 2011, I started watching Breaking Bad. And that show, even today, just strikes a creative bone in me. It's perfect all around the corners and makes me feel like we have every potential for great films and series, as if they've never died. A part of me, to that note, feels remorse for so much that is produced anymore. Martin Scorsese's films have helped me feel energized often, too. So Martin Scorsese and Vince Gilligan really make me tap into my younger self's mind and feel like anything and everything is possible and will happen. They are kind of the beating heart to my drive and passion. 

Q6: Did you know throughout school that you were planning to be in the entertainment industry creating and acting in shows?

Whenever a teacher asked what I wanted to be, my response was a director. I found myself doubting it as I came closer to the finish line, however. It's honestly one of those things where just in these last two years I've gotten comfortable saying "It's not Hollywood, but I love doing it, so I'm happy to do it, even if only to this degree".

Q7: How old were you when you started acting? 

I started acting when I was 14, but acting was the last thing I ever wanted to do. I just needed an actor and couldn't find anyone. I'm really happy that happened, though, because being a writer and an actor makes completing projects so much easier. As an actor and a writer, I know exactly what my vision was in the words and I can convey it easier. 

Q8: Did you ever attend acting classes or did any theatre prior to Live Free? 

I was the light operator for a musical in high school, but I never acted in one. I did, however, study the actors on stage for that musical and learned some cues from them. 

Q9: Living Free is your newest series along with Men of the House? It airs on Drakoloid Adult Zone. What was the inspiration behind this series exactly? 

I was heavily inspired by Donald Glover's Atlanta, but I had wanted to do something that explored the grey line between fiction and non-fiction for years prior. It came in many forms, so Living Free was something that I really felt concise with. It felt like it was a really good window to be looking through for everyone I work with on a regular basis. There's so many earlier conceptions that were far different, I'm glad I waited this project out and that this was the outcome. 

Q10: Has Living Free been picked up for a second season? 

It was! And it's all filmed and edited and scheduled! I actually started writing it a long time ago, before Season 1 was fully edited. It wasn't confirmed then, and neither is a third season now, but a lot of the early writing for Season 2 morphed into a Season 3. Season 2 is 10 episodes and will come out in 2022!

Q11: A show I personally enjoy is “Chapters” I am always engaged with whats going on. Was this show supposed to be short films or is it just short abstract films rather than a series? 

Season 1, which Drakoloid is currently airing on Adult Zone, was meant on an episodic basis. So a lot of that is throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. The second and third seasons follow a bit more of themes, but I do want it to it's abstract short film moments, which is why a fourth season is taking a bit to craft. It's taking some time to breathe to be its own entity which is it's important to me for that series. 

Q12: How do you come up with the script for Chapters? 

We had a lot of ideas for short films that we just kinda work on grouping together - sometimes elements are adapted but massively changed in this show or this film, but Chapters is a great series to fully commit to what I may have written at 15 and never gotten around to doing. 

I try to make it so it's a blending of original content and old, that's also important to me. What I wrote at 15 is a different me. So I need to do something now whenever I'm working on a new season. 

Q13: How did you start working with Drakoloid? Did you watch any of the shows on the network prior to joining? 

I was looking for recruitments on a script basis, and I found Ron Gomes online. He mentioned Drakoloid early on, but I was so busy and shy I didn't turn to Drakoloid until I needed help finding actors for Living Free. I had no idea of his shows until I met Ron, and I've just recently started watching them. When I talked to Drake initially, I also suggested he add his works to IMDb and have been helping him with adding his series there. 

Q14: What is “Men of the House” about?

Men Of The House is essentially a Drake and Josh molded comedy, focusing on the youths of the house, with that element of Full House still active. Two adolescent males, an older brother to the girl there, and my character - the older brother's friend - are placed in charge of the house and have to learn how to adult by this means that are unprecedented. 

Q15: What is your character Tyler like and do you relate to him in anyway? 

Tyler is very much a pompous and ignorant fellow. His comedy is definitely my comedy. When Drakoloid was viewing my works, he actually said that I would fit the character perfectly from an acting sense. And I had no issue getting into character for him. His delivery was very free flow and flexible. He is a fool, and I love playing the fool. 

Q16: Where do you film your parts for the show? 

I hope my boss doesn't read this! Because I've filmed some at work and some at home. I also intentionally made my scenes kind of rushed to capture that vibrancy of this being a first season, so that even, something as small as my role and filming tropes, even can catapult and make an improvement, if we are lucky to get a second season! 

Q17: Are there any upcoming episodes you are particularly excited about that you can share with us? 

I wrote Episodes 4 and 5. They might air out of order but I'm excited for that audience to see my writing. All of the remaining episodes for this season are very funny and have great messages, so I'm honestly excited for the season as a whole to air. 

Q18: What is your relationship like with Men of the House co-stars Harry Scott and Talin Babbili? Do you guys all get along (or will you tell us if you don’t get along lol) 

I haven't even talked to Talin yet, honestly! I've been meaning to, but I've just been so busy. Harry and I get along though, very well. We talk from time to time and he is a very smart and funny person who I see going very, very far. I feel out of place at times, working with someone of his cut. He is a talent. Also, a fun fact, the actress who portrays Martha is my girlfriend in real life! Drake needed an actress and I suggested her and he was in on it. It was only her second role following our adaptation of Ron Gomes' Limbo. 

Q19: You also star in the Drakoloid Animated series “The Vox’s” what is it like being in that show and do you like voice acting? 

This is my first time voice acting, but I'm enjoying it so far. It's much easier than actually tackling a show or film! That show can be difficult at times due to the future setting, so sometimes pronouncing certain things stump me, but I am very grateful for being given this opportunity. It is a very fun new effort I can try out! 

Q20: Marty Vox is the father which is the character you play. Do you hope to have kids someday and do you hope they are like Blaze and Galatea?  

I would love to have kids, but first I'd like to balance out a film career, and if things aren't as high voltage as I'm hoping, I'd at least like to get my message out to the world before my voice gets hoarse. If they were like Blaze and Galatea, I'd be happy, but also exhausted! Ultimately, I want my kids to be my kids, whoever they resemble. I'll gladly deal with exhaustion! 

Q21: Do you think The Vox’s represents what you think 3021 will actually be like? What do you think of that show's universe? 

Unfortunately I think 3021 will be a lot darker, but the technology is unforeseeable, so it is certainly possible! I think Drake has a very creative vision for that show and he has done great at really hammering the nail on the head there. His animation style is so unique and untouched. It's fabricated in such a precise and unique artistic vision and if 3021 looked like that I think the world would be joyous and Drake could be coined the next Nostradamus!

Q22: Is there any upcoming Vox’s episodes that Marty plays a big role in or ones your excited about? 

I honestly do not get scripts too far in advance for Vox's, so if I told you I'd be telling you about the upcoming one or two episodes and spoiling some elements of the fun. Just like House, I'm really excited for the season to come to fruition. And I'm even more excited because I haven't a slight clue what the episodes beyond the last script I received will include! 

Q23: How was it like working with Drake Vegas and just Drakoloid in general? 

Drake is a very genuine human, and that bleeds into him as a creator - writer, director, producer… So I've had no issues with them and don't forsee ever having any. He's very understanding and very true to his word. He's not afraid to ask for help and he's even less afraid to pitch in when he himself is asked for help. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him and the content empire he has crafted and will continue to build. 

Q24: People are comparing you to Nick Merchant who was one of the male main leads in many Drakoloid shows like High Schooled and Bad Influences because you are the most driven actor they had and plus you're a writer, director, producer and creator. Do you like being called the new “King of Drakoloid”? 

I feel really grateful to even be considered that, especially because I've just went into Drakoloid trying to be a supportive friend and make a good and prosperous and meaningful connection in the industry. I honestly didn't realize the potential to have a term coined for me, but I'm really happy that has happened. I feel for the first time, possibly ever, like I've struck gold and made meaningful connections across viewers who aren't people I know well and see on a regular basis. It's made me really feel like soaking it in and rewiring some of my efforts.

Q25: One decision you thought was best for any of your shows? and one you regret?

I'm overly self critical, so I have a lot of regrets! I do however really like how Chapters had that spacer between Seasons 1 and 2, a year and so off. It really made Season 2 a much more fresh perspective and made me realize how special of a show it could be if it were done right. That's why I'm most likely going to recreate that between this third and fourth season unless I have a creative spark that I can't shy from. One of my biggest regrets is releasing so much content from Horror Fest's second season before October. I feel like it really made the milk arrive spoiled. 

Q26: Are there any other upcoming shows or projects your working on? 

We are always working on trying to get some new stuff done! One that I hope to debut in 2022 is Clown Act, that's kind of a branching off of Living Free in some regards, but I wrote it a long time ago and am going through the stories trying to craft it some more. It's a very weird comedy that owns that title and lives up to that title. We also have a sketch show arriving next year as well as our first kids aimed project, a new web series entitled Inanimate. Chapters. is taking some time off, but that doesn't mean we are!

Q27: Do you think Men of the House and The Vox’s will last a full series like ARTic or be a one season show like Viral Jenneration?

I know with Men Of The House we all really want it to continue, but I think that's up to numbers and opinions. Drake has seemed very optimistic working on it the entire time. As for Vox's, I know Drake has to put a lot of effort into animations. I really hope both get a chance to continue on because they have both tapped into such a unique vein, but really all we can do is wait. I can see them both living a long time, but it's ultimately more based on viewers than creators and the budding relationship on that front. 

Mike Barkhoff as Tyler on Men of the House

Men of the House Logo

Live Free Entertainment Logo

Interview Reflecting 10 years with Nick Merchant on Comedy Cubed & Drakoloid

 Hello Internet.

If you read my last blog I interviewed the founder of "Drakoloid" so this time around I decided to interview Nick Merchant the man who created the channel "Comedy Cubed" and some of our favourite shows on Drakoloid such as High Schooled and Bad Influences. There are many deep questions that were answered throughout this interview. 

Some of you may or may not know in February 5, 2021 it marked the 10 year anniversary of Comedy Cubed. 

My first encounter with this channel was when Drakoloid began airing a new show called "High Schooled" back in Summer 2016. I found it quite different from most of the Drakoloid shows at the time but also similar energy to the other ones. Even though I was out of high school myself by this time I could relate to the situations and the messages behind High Schooled. Later that year I believe I saw other shows on Drakoloid livestream one day that had Nick Merchant such as Uniquely Normal and Kevin & Alec's Adventures and I thought Ryan from High Schooled had a younger brother lol realized later he was much younger in those shows, later then I discovered Comedy Cubed and did my own research on that channel myself.

High Schooled had more morale than ARTic does because ARTic is a show that has absurd comedy where this has more storyline. It also did not date itself by making it a Gen Z show but more of a show any generation could relate too. A major reason why Viral Jenneration did not work past season 1 is because it was trying to hard to be "the next generation". This show just went with an all encompassing feel. Bad Influences came in the picture and was more of a show that had a continuing plot device that season 1 has only seen while season 2 has not been released. I have asked all these questions.

For those who don’t know what Comedy Cubed, it is an online production channel that was founded by Nick Merchant and created multiple web-series that had co-productions with Drakoloid. The channel launched on February 5, 2011.

Q1: What interested you into creating this brand and a brand one that was in the kids/teen entertainment field? 

Whenever I make content, I aim to create something that I myself would want to watch. I started as a kid, so content for my peers was my goal. Watching High Schooled through Derek & Ryan, you’ll be able to see how the whole cast and crew matured and shifted our target audience as we grew up.

Q2: What programming software did you use to help develop your shows?

For years, I wrote my scripts on Google Drive, trying to format them from scratch. I’ve since graduated to Final Draft. As for editing, I personally use Final Cut Pro, but most of my editors use Premiere, so usually that’s what ends up being used.

Q3: Did you take any classes in media prior to launching your channel?

Nope! I was ten years old when I first started my YouTube channel, and had no idea what I was doing. I mostly learned from studying what worked in the film and TV I loved, and even more importantly, what didn’t work. From there, most of my learning came from creating, and making plenty of mistakes. 

Q4: I noticed you started in animation before switching to live action. Were you interested in being an animator or was it always producers, director, actor? 

Ultimately, what interests me the most is storytelling. I adore animation, but I quickly found that I simply didn’t have the skills at the time to make anything worthwhile (then again, what 4th grader does). People would laugh at my films, so I decided to embrace it and pivot to comedy, and that’s what I’ve been doing since. I really love every aspect of the filmmaking process.

Q5: Who we’re your inspirations growing up to create in film?

What inspired me more than any one work was the medium of situational comedy itself. I fell in love with the structure of episodic stories, and being able to play with form while building on the rich tradition of television sitcoms. Even creating content for YouTube, I always looked to TV as a guide. One of the reasons Drakoloid felt like such a perfect place for my work was Drake’s similar commitment to television.

Q6: Did you know throughout school that you were planning to be in the entertainment industry creating and acting in shows?

I would always tell myself, even now still, that I’m not sure what I want to do professionally. Yet time and time again, my passion leads me to film and TV. The industry itself scares me, but I love the work (even the long hours!).

Q7: How old were you when you started acting? 

I started acting in my own projects out of necessity, so around age ten.

Q8: Did you ever attend acting classes or did any theatre prior to Comedy Cubed? 

Nope! And it shows. 

Q9: When the channel launched on February 5, 2011 did you celebrate? What did you remember about that day? 

At the time, I had been making content for a year, and my dad was the one who pushed me to release it. Then and now, I mainly made it for myself, so publicising it was never my top concern. I mainly remember not knowing what to name the channel, and being unable to come up with anything better than what my dad suggested (nicdem25, which would be the channel’s name for years). As soon as it was up, there was something so satisfying about releasing each video, being able to say I had made something, and the evidence being available to watch online, even without any audience. 

Q10: What was the first web series that you acted in and how did it all come about? 

My first real web series was Uniquely Normal, which was initially a spin-off of my friend Chauson’s show (though there’s little relation between the two other than his character having the same name on both). I was always terrible at starting my own projects, and I found it easier to build off of other’s work, even if it was only in a superficial way. Chauson had just moved with his family and started at my school that year, and he had made a series with his friends called “Idiot Says No!” that was never released. We filmed a few short episodes at first, inspired by popular sitcoms at the time (especially The Office’s mockumentary style), and we loved doing it, so we kept making more.

Q11: I heard Uniquely Normal and Kevin & Alec were shorter in terms of length back then in terms of your other web series? 

I have a tendency to keep pushing my series to be bigger, often against my own better judgement. Every time I start something, I say I’ll keep it small, and then that ends up getting thrown out the window as soon as I begin to write for the characters. I just always wanna do more with them! For example, Uniquely Normal started out with 90 second episodes, and finished with a 22 minute finale. Kevin & Alec started out with 4-5 minute stories, but in season 2 we expanded to making multi-part serials. High Schooled was the biggest project I attempted, and its pilot was 12 minutes long. Now, the shortest episode of Derek & Ryan season 2 is 25 minutes long.

Q12: Do you still keep up with any of the former actors from Uniquely Normal and Kevin & Alec?

Yeah, all the time! Chauson and I even go to the same university. Sam DuBose (Leroy from Uniquely Normal) is one of my close friends. And Alec just returned for a cameo in a project I was filming a few weeks ago. Even the ones I don’t see as often as I’d like I remain forever grateful to for giving me their time and patience.

Q13: Like High Schooled? Would there ever be a reboot for Uniquely Normal 

I considered doing revivals for both Uniquely Normal and Kevin & Alec, years after their finales. I always like to think about what the characters would be up to today. However, in both cases, I realized I was satisfied with where we left them off. Reviving High Schooled was deeply important for because it didn’t have a proper conclusion yet.

Q14: How did you start working with Drakoloid? Did you watch any of the shows on the network prior to joining? 

In 2015, I received an email from Drake Vegas, saying he liked my work and wanted me to star in a show he was creating called Freshman Fall, about a group of friends in their freshman year of high school. I loved the script and the whole internet collaboration idea, so I immediately said yes. While the show didn’t get picked up beyond a pilot, it’s how I discovered Drakoloid and realized that Drake was doing so many of the things I’d always aspired to. The focus on sitcoms and creating a tight-knit fanbase greatly appealed to me, and Drake created such a beautiful place for creators such as myself to create and share their content.

Q15: What was the inspiration behind High Schooled? 

With Uniquely Normal wrapping up, I wanted to finally start work on a new show that I created and planned from the ground up. I had never written and developed a pilot before, with past shows evolving naturally out of shorts made with friends. For a year, I explored different options and wrote treatments and scripts for a variety of different series. From science-fiction to drama, time and time again I returned to the idea of a lower-concept sitcom inspired by elements of my own life.

Q16: How did you first meet Derek de Jong who played Derek on the show? 

Ultimately, my inspiration for High Schooled was Derek himself. We had met in drama class in middle school, and hit it off immediately. He was such a unique and energetic performer, and we had instant comedic chemistry. I build my shows around people I want to work with, and meeting Derek is what ended my search for what to make a show about. I originally wrote a pilot called “Lipton’s Lab” for him, which would’ve been a sci-fi comedy. The characters might sound familiar: an energetic but slightly crazy lead, the long suffering assistant who no one listens to, the strict but commanding neighbor, and the annoyed little sister. Derek and I developed Lipton’s Lab for months, but as I kept writing, I found that I loved the ensemble bouncing off each other more than the premise itself, and the most fun to write was when we went off premise to show their personal and academic lives. So instead, with the lessons learned from writing the characters on Lipton’s Lab, and merging it with another series idea I had based on me and my best friend, I wrote a new pilot. The rest is history.

Q17: The show High Schooled looked fun to film especially when you got to an actual High School. Was that your High School or did you rent a space? 

Two scenes from “Derek For President” were shot at our actual high school, but most of the school scenes were shot at Rosenwald Hall at the University of Chicago, including all of season 2. Coincidentally, I ended up going there for college, and so we returned to film more school scenes in the same locations for Derek & Ryan. It was a lot of fun returning years later to the same rooms.

Q18: What was the most fun High Schooled episode to film?

Filming “Derek for President” is probably my favorite experience on set. Victor was a character that we’d been developing since before the pilot was even written, and I was nervous about the execution, but Jacob Beiser completely blew me away with his performance and elevated the character far beyond the script. Seeing the ideas he added on set was a delight, and Derek and I had trouble keeping a straight face.

Q19: Why did the show take a turn from the first season being all storylines being separated to the second season being one continuous storyline combined? 

Once again, my tendency to go bigger with the stories I was telling affected the show. It was such a joy writing the multi-episode student council election arc that closed out season 1, that I wanted to take the lessons I’d learned and do a three episode arc at the start of season 2. However, it ended up forcing us down a certain path with little flexibility, and so I tried to go back and add more episodic elements (such as The Chatbot).

I’m still proud of our intentions that season: what would happen to Derek and Ryan’s friendship if Ryan was no longer just a sidekick? What if he also had a life outside of Derek? How would Derek respond? From the pilot, we wanted to explore deeper themes of their friendship (Derek calls Ryan “Replaceable Ryan” in the first episode, so the seeds of toxicity were always there) but we soon course corrected to something more traditionally positive, allowing the audience to first grow to like the characters over the first season before we dived too deep into their flaws. 

Q20: Set the record straight, Why was High Schooled cancelled abruptly? I read there was supposed to be a third season that involved Amanda. Was that internet speculation or was that actually the plan? 

The extended arc of season 2 ultimately is what caused the show’s downfall. I had some grand plans to explore and deconstruct the friendship between Derek and Ryan, but the fan reception wasn’t what we’d hoped, and it worked against some of the show’s strengths to strain their relationship. I soon found there’s a reason we had course corrected away from the toxic friendship portrayed in the pilot. The deeper into the season we got, the more I tried to escape the path we’d set, but there was an obligation to see the story through. I’m very proud of the ambitions of the season, but it just didn’t mesh properly with the show’s creative framework. After the big cliffhanger at the end of “The Conspiracy”, the next episode was intended to wrap up that storyline, and the original plan was for a big music festival episode (which is why the music festival is mentioned in the season 2 premiere).  It was gonna be a mockumentary-style episode, shot by Kenny, and Sarah Kellysen of ARTic was a guest star (she actually completed her scenes for it and did a fantastic job). I spent a year coming up with the story for it and Henrik Nielsen (who also plays Ralph) wrote a wonderful script for the episode, but when we started shooting scenes for it, we realized it took the show too far away from its roots, so we instead scrapped it and decided to start fresh.

Derek and Ryan were always intended to exit at the end of season 2, coinciding with Derek and I’s actual graduation from high school. When Drake renewed the show for a third season, our intention was for it to focus on Amanda and Nikki, with Kenny and Ralph staying on for the first few episodes to serve as a bridge (Derek and I would’ve also probably returned in a guest capacity). I always loved writing for all four of them, and we’d shot some episodes of Middle Schooled with Amanda and Nikki that gave me confidence that they could lead the show. Since we never finished season 2, this never came to fruition. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because, contrary to the show’s title, it’s not about high school, it’s about Derek and Ryan. They are the heart of the show, and trying to do it without them would’ve only ended in failure. 

Q21: Was the High Schooled episode “Camp Kenny” supposed to be the actual series finale? Or was this just a separate movie?

To replace the original music festival/documentary episode, I came up with an idea for a more traditional, situational comedy based episode revolving around Camp Kenny, Kenny’s annual camping expedition. Between writing “The Conspiracy” and “Camp Kenny”, I had taken a six month long hiatus to do Bad Influences, and it reminded me how much I loved writing sitcoms. I wanted to bring that same character based situational humor back to High Schooled, which I felt had been led off course by the season long arc. “Camp Kenny” was always intended to resolve the student council arc, but as it became clear how large in scope the episode would be, and how well it explored Derek and Ryan’s friendship, it seemed like a natural ending point for the series as a whole. Writing it, I wanted to move away from the convoluted student council mess that had been setup, and refocus on what that whole story arc was about: Derek and Ryan’s friendship. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints faced by scrapping the original planning and starting fresh, we jumped into filming without a complete outline, and not even the start of a script.

As we filmed, we realized we had backed ourselves into a corner, and there really wasn’t a way to resolve the story positively while staying true to the characters. What ended up killing the show was this story issue: we simply couldn’t find an ending we felt was satisfactory. We wanted to earn a happy ending, and we hadn’t yet, so instead we decided to let it sit and take the time to earn that ending, which is where the idea of Derek & Ryan was born. 

Q22: There were rumours that ARTic and High Schooled were supposed to do a crossover? Was that ever going to happen and do you think that would have worked? 

Drake and I often talked about crossing over certain performers (such as Sarah guest starring on High Schooled or Derek and I guest starring on ARTic), but never the characters themselves. I think it would’ve been a lot of fun on paper, but I’m not sure how it would work visually. ARTic is an internet collaboration, where actors read their lines individually and then everything is spliced together in a style closer to a staged reading, while High Schooled was a more traditional single-camera show, shot on location.

Q23: Did Bad Influences have any influence (no pun intended) in the termination of High Schooled by you or Drakoloid? 

It pushed us to take a hard look at what wasn’t working in High Schooled’s second season. In retrospect, I think trying to showrun two shows at the same time was doomed from the beginning, and what ended up happening was I would work for half a year on one show before returning to work on the other, and bouncing back and forth between them. It killed a lot of the momentum, because as soon as we’d found our footing, I’d have to switch back to writing the other show.

Q24: How did the idea for Bad Influences come about?

I had been bouncing around the ideas for Bad Influences for a number of years, and wrote a pilot for it in 2015 with the same three personalities, but a slightly different premise. Similar to High Schooled, what pushed me to actually launch the show was finding the right performer to anchor it. After working with Jacob on High Schooled season 1, I instantly knew he was an incredible talented and committed actor that could bring Dave to life. The shooting script for the pilot was tailor-made for the three actors, but it wasn’t until fairly late in the process that we decided who Tommy and I should play, and I kept switching our roles. I’m very pleased with the final casting.

Q25: We have seen season 1 of Bad Influences. Is there a second season filmed with 5 more episodes. There was an episode list I believe leaked online? Will we ever see them or did those never get filmed? 

Similarly to Camp Kenny, the burnout of switching between shows doomed Bad Influences. Unlike Camp Kenny however, we actually shot 99% of the show’s conclusion (more than enough to assemble it). It was a very rushed process, but I’m proud of the work we did, both in terms of the scripts and the performances. The character arcs setup for each character are wrapped up nicely. In fact, Jacob and I were just rewatching some of the footage from it last month, and it holds up. I truly hope one day to finish it.

Q26: What was it like working with Jacob Beiser? Did you have him in mind as the role of Dave since writing the show? 

Jacob is probably the most talented actor I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I had no intention of making another series during the run of High Schooled, but I was just too impressed by his work to resist. We originally talked about making Victor a starring role in season 2 of High Schooled, but figured it was better for both projects to do a new show that could make use of both Jacob’s comedic and dramatic talents.

Q27: What made you want to create a High Schooled reboot/spin off “Derek and Ryan”?

High Schooled currently ends on a cliffhanger, and we never had any intention of leaving it like that. As we wrote Camp Kenny, the one idea we kept circling back to as to how to resolve it was a time jump, where we returned to the characters years later. Originally, Derek was hoping for a more serious limited series/movie that explored depression and resolved the student council arc using the existing footage from Camp Kenny as the beginning, but we decided that we needed to first escape the burdens of High Schooled and go back to the roots of fun, comedic episodic stories before we were ready to jump back into resolving that arc. Abandoning High Schooled was never considered.

Q28: Derek and Ryan is supposed to be a more mature show. Is it set in college or outside of college? 

It was important for us to stick to something lower-concept, so the show doesn’t really feature college much (especially since Derek and I go to different schools), and instead focuses on Derek and Ryan going on adventures. The show is certainly more adult than High Schooled, but if anything, it’s more immature. I see it as a spiritual continuation of the early days of High Schooled, where Derek and Ryan would get into crazy, week to week hijinks. It’s been the most fun either of us have ever had with the characters, and it’s been an incredible joy to work on it. 

It was also important to us to avoid the mistakes of High Schooled, so we’ve already largely completed filming both seasons of the show before its premiere. There’s only a day or two of filming left on the entire series.

Q29: What did it feel like playing the role and writing the role of Ryan again? Did it feel the same or has time changed that? 

Writing Derek & Ryan was the first time I really felt clarity on who these characters were. Throughout High Schooled, it always felt like we were still reaching to figure out who they were, which makes sense given the nature of teenagers. With Derek & Ryan, we were able to enter with an extremely solid foundation and instead be able to focus on having fun and telling enjoyable stories. Ryan has certainly changed with time, and has grown as a character, and I feel far more confidence playing him than I did when we first started High Schooled.

Q30: Are you real life friends with Derek de Jong? What do you guys do to hangout? 

In a case of life imitating art, Derek is my absolute best friend in the world. When we started High Schooled, we knew we had comedic chemistry, but it wasn’t until later on in the run that we went from friends to best friends. Now, writing Derek & Ryan, I draw from our own experiences. I feel really lucky to have such a strong friendship. It feels almost like a movie in how perfect it is. Over quarantine, we both moved back home to be with our families, and were in each other’s bubbles, so we spent just about every day together for nearly a year. A lot of the stuff we do when hanging out in real life will be seen on Derek & Ryan, including all the spots we actually hang out at, such as my roof. We have something called “Best Friend Moment” whenever we experience something together that is unique to our bond. From the smallest things like being excited to hang out, to more serious situations like when we’re comforting the other in a time of deep sadness, we’re always there for each other. Wow, writing this really is a Best Friend Moment itself. 

Q31: How was it like working with Drake Vegas and just Drakoloid in general? 

Working with Drake has been an incredible experience, and he’s someone who completely understands content-creation both from the side of the filmmaker and as a distributor. It’s a real gift that not many people have, and without it there would never be a Drakoloid. The whole network really is held up by his hard work. I feel extremely lucky to be part of this beautiful community he has created, and I’ve always felt like my work has been respected and appreciated.

Q32: People call you the King of Drakoloid because you are the most driven actor they had and plus you're a writer, director, producer and creator. Do you hope there will be other creators coming in that will take on all those titles?  

I hope so, but it honestly seems strange because the true King of Drakoloid has always been Drake himself. He’s the one giving the opportunities for creators like me to shine. As long as Drake’s there, I have no doubt he’ll discover the next generation of talent.

Q33: One decision you thought was best for any of your shows? and one you regret?

My best decisions have always come down to casting: these are the actors entrusted to bring my characters to life, and their dedication throughout the years is the key to everything’s success. Particularly, casting Derek and Jacob to lead each of their respective shows. 

My biggest regret is not pushing for the completion of Bad Influences season 2. It’s really a brilliant season and some of my finest work, and I hope one day it’ll be seen and appreciated. 

Q34: Do you think Comedy Cubed will be around for a 20th anniversary? 

I certainly plan to keep making content and develop as a filmmaker, and an important part of that is maturing what I work on and embracing my talents. I’ve never been as interested in the channel management side of things, so I don’t think Comedy Cubed will continue in its current form. It was always a necessity to create an audience, but with wonderful distributors like Drakoloid, it’s not needed anymore, and I’m able to focus on what I truly enjoy doing: making film and TV.

Comedy Cubed's original name and logo 2011-2012.

Comedy Cubed rebrand logo 2012-2014.

Comedy Cubed's most known logo 2015-2019

Comedy Cubed's current logo 2019-present