How Grownup Swim Skipped the April Fools’ Nonsense and Dropped a ‘Smiling Pals’ Claymation Horror Brief As an alternative

Right this moment is April Fools’ Day, in any other case often known as the worst day to be a fan of something. Fortunately, as an alternative of pranking the already sore Smiling Friends fandom—nonetheless reeling from the information that the collection would finish—with a merciless joke about its finale being simply an elaborate ruse, Grownup Swim aired a full-length horror claymation particular that was briefly proven as a bit within the season three horror episode, “Curse of the Inexperienced Halloween Witch,” and blew Mr. Boss’ thoughts.  

To additional put readers on a scorching streak of not having the joke be on them of their information feed at present, we sat down with Lee Hardcastle, the artist and frequent Grownup Swim collaborator behind the 11-minute quick, which you’ll be able to view under, to ask him how he made the magic occur.

Isaiah Colbert, io9: Grownup Swim airing Ghosts ’n Chainsaws as a shock April Fools’ occasion feels excellent. How did that launch plan come collectively? Was it all the time supposed to turn out to be a full 11-minute movie again in season three, or did the thought snowball when you and creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel began enjoying with the thought?

Lee Hardcastle: The unique ask was only for a brief sting—one thing that felt just like the ending of a movie that didn’t exist. That was the joke. On the time, I did ask if I might have the choice to broaden it right into a full quick for festivals, however the reply was no—they needed to retain the rights—so I left it at that. When the episode aired, I joked on Instagram that they’d simply proven the ultimate 15 seconds of my two-hour epic Ghosts ’n Chainsaws. There was no two-hour movie—I’d simply made up probably the most ridiculous title I might consider, one thing within the spirit of Cowboys & Aliens.

That joke will need to have caught, as a result of not lengthy after, somebody at Grownup Swim requested if I’d really be inquisitive about turning it into a brief. I laughed… after which ended up doing precisely that. So I mainly reverse-engineered the remainder of it—constructed a full movie that leads into that unique ending. I didn’t actually develop it instantly with Michael Cusack or Zach Hadel—this one was extra of a aspect challenge that fed into the world reasonably than one thing all of us sat down and mapped out collectively.

io9: Claymation is notoriously labor‑intensive, so it feels apt to ask the query Mr. Boss requested Pim and Charlie. How did you pull off making Ghosts ’n Chainsaws really feel so tactile and visceral?

Hardcastle: A whole lot of it’s simply leaning into what clay does naturally reasonably than combating it. Fingerprints, slight warping, issues not being completely easy—that each one helps promote the physicality. I stored every thing very hands-on: actual supplies, sensible lighting, minimal cleanup. Lighting does a variety of the heavy lifting—laborious shadows, very directional gentle, letting issues fall into darkness. That’s the place the horror actually comes from. There are little methods—swapping components, taking pictures on twos the place you’ll be able to, reusing rigs—however principally it’s simply persistence. You’re constructing it body by body, so each tiny resolution provides up.

io9: How lengthy did the quick take from idea to closing body, and what a part of the method consumed probably the most time or power?

Hardcastle: I had a good three-month deadline to provide you with a narrative and make it. I gave myself one month to write down the script and construct the units and characters, leaving two months for the animation. The animation is all the time the largest drain—simply the sheer variety of frames it’s important to bodily transfer and shoot. It’s relentless.

However truthfully, it’s the consistency that actually takes it out of you. Conserving the lighting, the characters, and the tone utterly locked in for that lengthy with out drifting—it’s like attempting to carry a really particular temper in your head for months on finish. I ended up dwelling in that headspace a bit an excessive amount of—sleeping within the studio most nights, barely switching off. By the top of it, I felt like I’d been by means of the identical grind because the character.

io9: Ghosts ’n Chainsaws carries this uncanny, industrial, nearly Lynchian power. Had been there particular movies or administrators—possibly even Eraserhead—that formed your animation’s tone?

Hardcastle: Yeah, there’s undoubtedly a little bit of Eraserhead DNA in there—that oppressive, industrial ambiance. I noticed it means too younger, round 10, as a result of it was marketed as a “horror movie.” I assumed it is perhaps one thing like Evening of the Residing Lifeless, which I already liked—but it surely wasn’t that in any respect.

It was a very totally different form of horror. It stirred one thing in me I didn’t perceive on the time—it made me really feel offended, depressed… I hated it for years. However as I acquired older, it type of flipped. Now it’s a consolation movie in a wierd means. I believe it’s lovely.

Silent Hill on the unique PlayStation has additionally caught with me—it’s one in all my favourite video games. That concept of shifting between realities, slipping into one thing darker with out totally understanding it. Over time I’ve turn out to be actually inquisitive about Carl Jung and the unconscious thoughts. Trying again, a variety of these movies and video games really feel like they’re tapping into that very same area—what I consider because the “shadow realm.”

io9: Smiling Pals has all the time been a multimedia playground. How did you first get entangled with the group?

Hardcastle: It got here by means of Grownup Swim initially. I’d executed IDs for them years in the past, and that relationship simply type of carried on. When Smiling Pals got here alongside, I went away and watched it correctly and realized they have been pulling collectively all these nice web animators—individuals behind issues like Salad Fingers and the “Burger King Foot Lettuce” video. It felt like my form of crowd.

So I messaged Zach Hadel, half-jokingly attempting to wedge my means in, and he mainly stated, “Don’t fear, we’re already attempting to drift your identify.” A couple of 12 months later, I acquired requested to make some claymation for the present. It was good to lastly be a part of it—and to get that little bit of validation.

io9: Once you heard season three could be the ultimate one, how did that information land for you?

Hardcastle: Complicated… haha. It felt like they’d thrown a cat among the many pigeons. Truthful play to them, although—good showmanship.

io9: What do you hope Ghosts ’n Chainsaws provides to that legacy?

Hardcastle: Due to what occurred with Spook Prepare, this all looks like a little bit of poetic justice. “Room 3” ended up getting made—however by means of the world of Smiling Pals, which someway feels proper. It suits that complete ecosystem of web animation.

Individuals had been asking me about Spook Prepare for years—for the reason that Kickstarter fell by means of and my makes an attempt to self-fund extra episodes didn’t fairly work out. So for it to return again on this type, and truly attain an viewers, feels a bit surreal.

It looks like one thing that wasn’t presupposed to occur—however did anyway.

Try the official promo for the ultimate two episodes of Smiling Pals airing on April twelfth at 11:00 PM! pic.twitter.com/dcVUgTw9ba

— Swimpedia (@swimpedia) April 1, 2026

Smiling Pals followers can stay up for the present’s two-episode collection finale on Grownup Swim on April 12.

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