{"id":32388,"date":"2022-09-10T16:07:39","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/25-interesting-things-you-never-knew-about-veggietales\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:07:39","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:07:39","slug":"25-interesting-things-you-never-knew-about-veggietales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/25-interesting-things-you-never-knew-about-veggietales\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Interesting Things You Never Knew About VeggieTales"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Big Idea<\/div>\n

By Aaron Wilson<\/em><\/p>\n

It may come as a shock to anyone who\u2019s ever explored the Christian subculture of America, but at one time, there really never, ever, ever, ever, ever was a show like VeggieTales<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That time was before December 21, 1993, the day when \u201cWhere\u2019s God When I\u2019m S-Scared?\u201d first appeared on VHS in Christian bookstores. On that day, not even VeggieTales\u2019<\/em> creator Phil Vischer could imagine how the series would go on to impact kids and families for the next quarter of a century.<\/p>\n

With the 25-year anniversary of VeggieTales<\/em> happening this month, here are 25 interesting things you may not have known about the show that redefined a genre and impacted millions of Christians. <\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Chocolate Tales?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The kitchen counter where VeggieTales<\/em> takes place could easily have resembled the fictional world of Candy Land. When creating his lead character, Vischer began by experimenting with a talking candy bar.<\/p>\n

His wife, however, told him moms would be mad if the show caused kids to fall in love with candy. He moved on to a cucumber, and the show forever took a more health-conscious turn.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2. Look Ma, No Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vischer wasn\u2019t necessarily partial to vegetables. He simply needed character models that were easy to animate in the early days of computer-generated graphics.<\/p>\n

Since tomatoes and gourds didn\u2019t require animating arms, legs, or hair like human or animal characters would, the show waltzed into the produce aisle.<\/p>\n

3. Creative Role Models<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vischer\u2019s two heroes growing up were Walt Disney and Jim Henson. Their influence in storytelling, humor, and creativity can be seen throughout the series.<\/p>\n

4. Playing with the Big Boys<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vischer temporarily surpassed his heroes in at least one way. In his autobiography, Vischer says his company Big Idea was at one time the largest animation studio between the coasts\u2014overshadowing Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks.<\/p>\n

5. Crazy (Early) Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to Vischer, VeggieTales<\/em> became the most successful direct-to-video series in history. Between 1996 and 1999, Big Idea grew revenue by 3,300% from $1.3 million to $44 million.<\/p>\n

But as you\u2019ll learn further down, that success would later end with the company in bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

6. A Treasure Trove of Hidden Content<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many VeggieTales<\/em> DVDs had secret Easter Eggs hidden around various menu icons\u2014including one where the French Peas attempt to make a bootleg copy of the show\u2019s first feature movie, Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of some of the hidden features you missed. Now you want to break out those old DVDs, don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

7. Virtual Veggies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

VeggieTales<\/em> released in 1993, the same year as Jurassic Park<\/em> and when production began on the first Toy Story<\/em> film. Both of the latter movies played an important role in introducing audiences to the capabilities of computer animation.<\/p>\n

In a world where Christian media is usually criticized for being behind the times, VeggieTales<\/em> was ahead of its day in exploring new technology for kids\u2019 programing.<\/p>\n

8. Not as Much Bible As You Remember<\/strong><\/h3>\n

VeggiesTales<\/em> is commonly described a show where vegetables tell Bible stories to kids. But in actuality, only a small percentage of the videos consisted of retold Bible stories.<\/p>\n

Instead, the overwhelming majority of shows involved spoofs of popular literary tales or well-known pop culture stories such as Indiana Jones (\u201cMinnesota Cuke\u201d) or Lord of the Rings (\u201cLord of the Beans\u201d).<\/p>\n

Each episode did introduce kids to a Bible verse that supported the episode\u2019s theme.<\/p>\n

9. Old Testament Emphasis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Of the VeggieTales<\/em> shows that featured actual stories from Scripture, the canonical representation skewed heavily in favor of the Old Testament.<\/p>\n

The breakdown goes: Genesis (featured in three videos); Exodus (2); Joshua (1); Judges (1); Esther (1); 1 Samuel (1); Daniel (2); Jonah (1); Luke (1).<\/p>\n

Turns out, there\u2019s a reason why the New Testament was used so sparingly\u2026<\/p>\n

10. Mom\u2019s Rules<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vischer\u2019s mom, who has a Ph.D. in Christian Education, gave him some initial rules about creating VeggieTales<\/em>. They included: 1) You will not portray Jesus as a vegetable, and 2) try not to imply that vegetables can have redemptive relationships with God.<\/p>\n

The first rule is why there are almost no VeggieTales<\/em> episodes focused on New Testament stories.<\/p>\n

The second rule is why Bob speaks in the second person when he ends episodes with, \u201cAlways remember: God made you<\/em><\/strong> (not us) special and He loves you<\/em><\/strong> very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

11. Streamed Vegetables<\/strong><\/h3>\n

VeggieTale<\/em>s\u2019 legacy includes almost 50 direct-to-home videos and two full-length feature films, but in 2015, the brand moved to Netflix. The streaming giant has since created two original series based on the characters.<\/p>\n

No plans for future direct-to-home VeggieTales<\/em> videos have been announced. If this really marks the end for the series\u2019 traditional means of distribution, 25 years makes for a very generous expiration date for vegetables on VHS and DVD.<\/p>\n

12. Big Idea = Big Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Predating the move to Netflix, the veggies found themselves in hot water for a number of reasons that included a poor growth strategy, draining cash flow, heavy debt, hefty legal fees, and a lost lawsuit.<\/p>\n

In September 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy and was sold to Classic Media LLC, the same company that owns Lassie, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Casper the Friendly Ghost.<\/p>\n

13. VeggieTales<\/em> Drops the Bible, God<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After the bankruptcy sale, Classic Media, a secular company, made a deal with NBC to bring VeggieTales<\/em> cartoons into their Saturday morning lineup.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
See also  The Power of the Ordinary Moments<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But NBC required the shows be removed of Scripture passages and certain references to God in order to, \u201creach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages, while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bob\u2019s signature signoff line, \u201cGod made you special and He loves you very much,\u201d was replaced with, \u201cThanks for coming over to my house, kids. See you next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

14. Vischer\u2019s Regret<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It can be argued that VeggieTales<\/em> episodes were driven more by biblical values than they were by actual biblical stories.<\/p>\n

Vischer lamented this in an interview. \u201cWhen I lost VeggieTales<\/em> and Big Idea, one of my first responses when my head finally stopped spinning, was, \u2018Wait a minute, did I just spend 10 years persuading kids to behave Christianly without teaching them Christianity?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can’t just tell kids to behave like Christians. I have to teach them the tenants of the faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

This led directly to one of Vischer\u2019s next projects\u2026<\/p>\n

15. Getting Back to the Bible<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After leaving Big Idea, Vischer created Buck Denver Asks, \u201cWhat\u2019s In the Bible?<\/em>\u201d<\/em>\u2014a 13-episode program to lead kids through the Bible\u2019s grand narrative from Genesis to Revelation.<\/p>\n

The program uses puppets, animation, songs, and voice acting\u2014skills that were perfected during Vischer\u2019s time working on VeggieTales<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In his new series, Vischer was finally able to explore New Testament stories that were unavailable for VeggieTales<\/em> because of his promise to his mom to not depict the Messiah as a vegetable.<\/p>\n

16. Hope He\u2019s Waterproof<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Qwerty, the animated computer who introduced kids to featured Bible verses, got his name from the first six letters on a standard computer keyboard.<\/p>\n

His first design was based on an IBM 386. In 2010, Qwerty upgraded to an Apple iMac with a voice chip and webcam.<\/p>\n

Who keeps a desktop computer on their kitchen counter anyway?<\/p>\n

17. No Onions, Please<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mr. Lunt, the eyeless, mustached character with a strange love for cheeseburgers, is often mistaken as an onion by fans of the show.<\/p>\n

Vischer has gone on record, however, identifying the wisecracking series antagonist as a decorative gourd.<\/p>\n

18. Say, Isn\u2019t That\u2026?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

VeggieTales<\/em> included some notable voice-acting guests such as Amy Grant, Wayne Brady, Jaci Velasquez, Duck Commander\u2019s Si Robertson, Matthew West, Kellie Pickler, and Terry Crews<\/p>\n

19. Monkeying Around with Silly Songs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Andrew Peterson, whose song \u201cIs He Worthy?\u201d became a favorite in church services this past Easter, wrote some of the Silly Songs for VeggieTales with his friend Randall Goodgame.<\/p>\n

A favorite is the Silly Song \u201cMonkey\u201d which helps Bob learn the difference between monkeys and apes\u2014well, kind of.<\/p>\n

20. Multiple Personalities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vischer voiced almost half of the VeggieTales<\/em> characters including Bob the Tomato, Archibald Asparagus, Mr. Lunt, Pa Grape, Jimmy Gourd, Mr. Nezzer, and Phillipe Pea.<\/p>\n

Vischer calls Bob his \u201cinner Mr. Rogers\u201d but says Archibald is most like his real personality.<\/p>\n

21. Because I\u2019m Bat-Bob!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before Larryboy, Vischer had planned to give Bob a superhero identity called Bat-Bob.<\/p>\n

Larry eventually donned the cowl and became a fan favorite\u2014spawning a line of toys and video games based on the suction-cup-wearing hero.<\/p>\n

22. Tommy and Kooky<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In his autobiography, Vischer says if Veggietales<\/em> had been a typical Christian show, Bob and Larry would have been called Tommy the Tomato and Kooky Cucumber.<\/p>\n

Vischer said he wasn\u2019t aiming to make a typical show and wanted to avoid alliteration. He sought more common names for his main characters. Bob was named after Vischer\u2019s stepdad, an electrician and\u2014by Vischer\u2019s estimate\u2014a regular Joe.<\/p>\n

23. 14 Years in the Making<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a 1992 reel created to attract potential distributors\u2014a clip called \u201cVeggieTales Promo, Take 38\u201d\u2014Archibald Asparagus states that Bob and Larry want to make a Christian TV show.<\/p>\n

VeggieTales<\/em> was actually released, however, as a home video series for most of its existence. It wasn\u2019t until 2006\u201414 years after the initial promo was made\u2014that an actual VeggieTales<\/em> TV series was created, fulfilling Bob\u2019s lifelong dream.<\/p>\n

24. The Dangers of Living the Dream<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The rise and fall of Big Idea caused Vischer to recognize that dreams\u2014even dreams of ministry influence\u2014can be a source of idolatry.<\/p>\n

After the bankruptcy, he said in an interview with Risen Magazine<\/em>, \u201cGod taught me that I had made the work I was doing for Him more important than my relationship with Him. I was worshipping my dream and not my Creator.\u201d<\/p>\n

25. Vegetable Cannibalism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

And lastly, in perhaps the most disturbing event to ever happen in VeggieTales<\/em> history, Larry\u2019s hunger gets the best of him.<\/p>\n

In the first episode of the Netflix series, VeggieTales in the City<\/em>, Larry is served a sandwich that contains, you guessed it, sliced tomatoes. Bob was unavailable for comment.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Aaron Wilson<\/h2>\n

@AaronBWilson26<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Aaron is associate editor of LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n