Can't get enough Futurama
In Color

Billy West aint cryin' over this Onion

Recently Billy West sat down with Onion Online and chatted about the current state of animation and voice overs, the new Futurama movie(s), and a few other things too :
Onion: You've said that Fry on Futurama and Stimpy on Ren & Stimpy were your favorite roles. They were the most high-profile, but what else about Futurama makes it special?

Billy West: It had more layers than an onion. These writers meant business. There was a level for everybody. Your major could be celestial mechanics, and there'd be celestial-mechanics jokes.
Thanks to all the fans that emailed us here about the article.

View comments | Jun 20th 2005 | jon

Comments (33)

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AndrewJun 20th 2005, 13:00
The undertone of Billy's interview is that he's had enough of Hollywood actors claiming to have voice talent. I don't blame him, these guys steel work from legit voice actors and then during interviews try to tell you how they did it for their kids, when reality is they did it for the bank balance.
Oh and that Fox as we all know are useless when it comes to recognising talent. It would be great if SciFi channel or Cartoon network got Cohen and Groening to work for them.
dazbobJun 20th 2005, 15:30
im glad about the film hurry up and make it please for the whole club of 70 000 of us from england, carlisle want it made, thank you daz bob
BrianJun 20th 2005, 19:03
Because Billy said FOX hated Matt I'm gonna make the assesment that they cancelled Futurama just to piss mat off......AND THOSE SONS OF BITCH! WTF IS UP WITH THAT COMMERCIAL? I know know why Futurama was cancleed. First FOX HATED MATT GROEING!!! Second I found a commercial on the net thats says.They'd say, "Seven o'clock, Futurama. At 8 o'clock, The Simpsons. At 8:30, Malcolm In The Middle. Remember, it all begins at 8 on Fox!" THat PISSES ME ME OFF!!!!!!!!!! THose mother fuckers will pay!
BrianJun 20th 2005, 19:06
That I did'nt see the comercial.....what am I saying...Thats what Billy said!
JeremyFeinJun 20th 2005, 19:44
This is what FOX stands for.

Fucked up Obnixious Exterme crusty old men in suits who have no ideas what viewers want to watch. ANd put useless shit like Current Affair, and God Awful Reality shows on the air and Take off Undeclared, Greg the Bunny, Married with Children, Futurama, Titus, I'm Sure soon they'll ax Bernie Mac and Malcom in the Middle and whatever not great but worth watching sitcoms off the air. DID I miss anything?
iamlobstergodJun 20th 2005, 21:01
brian i have to say i disagree with you a show that has lasted 16 seasons and signed for i think 5 more that got so much revanu over theese 16 years for fox the show that keep fox alive in the eariler 90s cause we all know they only had married with childeren i highley dout that fox can hate matt after the simpsons come on if they relly hated him they would not have aloud the simpsons on air

#5 i think berine got axed but you are right fox has why to much shit on it network and they wounder why their behind nbc,cbs,and abc not that i like any of the shows on thoses networks but they are a hell of a lot better than 3/4s of shows on fox

also i think why futurama was so great not just for us the veiwer but also the cast and crew b/c like billy said it had more layers that an onion because everyone had so much fun doing it so i think that b/c most of the crew is out of work(that i know of) matt and dave will probaly try and do anything to make a come back. i do think scifi would make a good place but i dont think they will take a cartoon i think a some good place would be fx,cartoon network, or comedy central all would make good places for the show (if ofcouse you live in america or have these channels

by the why the fact the billy west loved being fry and maybe dr zoidberg (dk for shure)sounds better than an ungarded penguin nest

i just wanna take up space srry
JonJun 20th 2005, 21:11
From now on all fox bashing comments will be deleted. I'm sick and tired of these comment fields getting filled up with rants from 12 year olds that think they're hot cause they use the word "motherf*cker."

Instead of bashing fox and saying "fox f*cking sucks" - can't you just try to talk sanely about it? "f*ck fox" is NOT an original thing to say any more. Fox is our only hope to get Futurama back on the air or on DVD, now shut the f*ck up about it.
12yearoldsJun 20th 2005, 21:28
every tv station that does sound like an animal sucks
Eyedol7513Jun 20th 2005, 21:40
I agree with Jon. As much as I hate FOX, they're the only ones who can bring back Futurama. (Unless they gave the rights away, and even they aren't stupid enough to do that.)
DamitolJun 20th 2005, 23:10
I couldn't agree with Billy more. I've been a fan since his Howard Stern days, and look forward to anything he does because I know it will be entertaining. One of the main reasons I first tuned into Futurama was becuase Billy was in it.

I took my 5 year old to see Madagascar recently and although it was entertaining, Chris Rock's voice spoiled the illusion and pulled me out of the movie's reality every time the zebra opened its mouth. You know who stole the show? The Penguins - who were voiced by .... get ready .... VOICE ACTORS!

Back on topic, it goes without saying I can't wait for a Futurama movie (or 12). I just hope FOX doesn't force celebrity flavor of the month voices in guest roles - unless, of course, their head is floating in a jar.
wantFrywiththatJun 21st 2005, 02:24
Good interview. Too bad celebrities can't just screw up regular movies, now they have to make cartoon movies stink, too.
frankthetanketcJun 21st 2005, 12:44
i so hope this futurama come back really pulls through, the movies would be nuts...any come back of the show would be awesome
RoseJun 21st 2005, 13:16
c'mon fox is ok! at least they r playing futurama episodes. That was a gr8 interveiw and a comback 4 the show will b gr8
mrderpJun 22nd 2005, 00:57
i have enormous respect for BW after reading that
futuramaloverJun 22nd 2005, 03:23
i liked the part

hi! i'm will smith i'm a kangaroo
hi! i'm will smith i'm a clam

those lines make billy the coolest person ever lol
KimberlyJun 22nd 2005, 05:52
re: #13

Fox is playing Futurama episodes? Where? When?
BrianJun 22nd 2005, 18:58
OKAY OKAY OKAY! GOD! I'll stop bashing FOX! God and and the 12 year old comment was gay Jon.EXUSE ME FOR BEING 12 AND LIKING A COMEDY SHOW! GOSH! And I don't think bad words make me look cool..I'm allowed to say them cause it's JUST a word. So it dont make fell "cool"!And I your right....Fox is the only way we can get it back.

and #13 fox is not replaying episodes.CN is!And the will "Im will smith.Im a Kangaroo.Im will smith I am a clam" thing was pretty dang funny
BrianJun 22nd 2005, 19:01
also why are people making Amy and Leela look like slutz?
BanditRulerJun 22nd 2005, 20:57
It's good to know that he enjoyed it that much. I can't wait for the new movies.. despite that they're not official yet, I just expect it anyway.
The guys at Adult Swim know well about this as well. (Adult Swim is the programming that Futurama is on on CN)
iamlobstergodJun 22nd 2005, 22:32
brian who is making leela and amy look like sluts i never had and any body who has should relly shut up amy in a seriouse relationship with kif and leela saving herself for her ture love (when she reallizise it fry) i dont think they are sluts in fact i think they are great models of what woman in the 30 centery should be not like some of todays very loose woman you know what i mean

also dude not diss on you being 12 i remenber that age not a girl not yet a woman so its ok to be 12 we will acepet you
DaveJun 22nd 2005, 23:32
Any release dates for them yet? I'mkind of confused realy...their making new futurama films? Sorry but I've onlt got into to futurama!
iamlobstergodJun 23rd 2005, 00:17
dave the movies have yet to be offalical their is still a chance that all this is a rumor but i hope they get made soon
1-upJun 23rd 2005, 00:22
Yeah, I have not seen any release dates for any of these movies either, can anyone tell me when approx theyr'e supposed to come out? Have they even started making the movie yet?

#16, I don't think it was explained well enough by Brian "I don't know if he even really got what #13 was saying" so i'll explain it. FOX is not playing the episodes on their channel. It is just giving CN the rights to play it. Even though it was canceled by FOX and is playing on CN, it is still technically a FOX show as long as they own the rights to it, which is a good reason to stop bashing FOX so much.
BrianJun 23rd 2005, 02:29
What I meant in the thing about the people making Amy & Leela look sluty was this : We always see catoon female characters in rvealing clothes........(WHY A CARTOON?SOOM ONE WAS ON DRUGZ AND WONDERED WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE IN THAT)and made characters that have standards (Not amy)
look all sluty.Amy I think is probly someone who other cartoons would go for.But Amy is NOT a slut! WHY DO YOU PEOPLE MAKE CARTOONS DIRTY LIKE THAT!Yeah there great modles .. but god......my older brother accedintaly went on some Futurama site all about showing Amy & Leela's body off!WTF is up with that??
1-upJun 23rd 2005, 02:34
You know what? I haven't heard anything from THEBOZ lately. Mabye they finally caught him and sent him to rehab or a padded room or something.
BrianJun 23rd 2005, 02:41
The UL of that ............PERVERTED site is turanga-pages .com

Listen to this PERVETED intro:::

"A great site. A nice collection of Leela and Amy Nude & Seminude Images. There's also the Group Images with other Cartoon Characters"

Thats wrong............................so VERY wrong!
BrianJun 23rd 2005, 02:45
And why do these "Fanz" close down there site just cause it's over? I i'm in the middle of making my own! Its not gonna close......SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS what is ther problems also.....That will smith thing is still funny as hell:))
iamlobstergodJun 23rd 2005, 04:27
i was just on that site brian and you are right that is sick epasally that pic on the bottem of the site main page where leela is banging fry in the colin smack your bother for going to that site then smack yourself for letting me know a sick place like that execides
BrianJun 23rd 2005, 05:28
#1 actually my namme is NOT brian it brandon!

#2 my bother is a pervert!and I will slap him.and i willslap my selfI will never look @ what site he gets on.EVER AGAIN!

#3..........there is no #3...........
BrainJun 23rd 2005, 05:31
Im gonna go to hell just fo seeing that pageb sping on my bro............
BrianJun 23rd 2005, 05:34
I notthe onl dude that goin 2 hell 4 that site.The dugy pervertwho made it is to!!!!!!
roseJun 23rd 2005, 09:24
yeah well they r playin eps on FOX 8 in australia at 6:30 weeknights and 7:30 sundays!!!!
JonJun 23rd 2005, 11:21
DON'T GO OFF TOPIC.

This is being closed because you guys can't handle a little moderation.

To answer questions; the movie/dvd hasn't been officialized, it's just in early stages of talking about the budget for the film, etc. Voice actors havent signed anything. Nothing has been done in writing.
Don't expect anything new for a few years.