Adam Reed Talks ‘Archer’ and Answers Fans’ Questions

We recently had the pleasure of talking with Archer creator Adam Reed. He chatted with us a bit about the series, answered fan questions, and teased us a little about Seth Rogen’s new Bigfoot project – which Reed’s company animated the pilot for.

Have you considered or thought about doing an Archer movie?

Adam Reed: Yes. I would love to talk FX into doing an animated feature. I don’t think a live action movie would work. I think it would cost like a million dollars to go to these exotic locals or whatever, but I’d love to do an animated one.

Have you ever worried about jumping the shark with the show or do you think that’s even something that’s possible?

Adam Reed: Yeah, I think that’s possible. Every episode it is at least simmering on a back burner. You don’t want to repeat yourself or fall into a rut. I think that’s always a concern, is trying not to bore the viewers, but I try not to dwell on it.

Is there ever anything that you would not have Archer do? Is there something that even you think, okay that’s too crazy for him?

Adam Reed: I don’t know if he’s ever punched a lady, and if he has, it was probably Lana … Oh no, he has beaten up Pam before, but he probably didn’t hurt Pam, so I don’t know if I’d count that. And he was just hitting her with a stuffed animal. That wasn’t something like … Things like that are just like … It’s hard to stay sympathetic after something like that. I watched a little bit of Water World recently. Just flipping by it on the TV when it was on. I was like, “Oh my God, I haven’t seen this forever.” Kevin Costner boxed Jeanne Tripplehorn in the head with a boat oar.

That’s true.

Adam Reed: They lost me.

How far in advance you have the show mapped out in your mind like, as a whole for the series and where you want it to go?

Adam Reed: Oh, not very far at all. This past season, I think we knew overall, here is where we want to be by the end of the season. Normally, not that far in advance.

At the beginning of the season, you know where you’re going to want to end the season, I assume?

Adam Reed: No. Not normally. We don’t.

Like in the first episode of this season, you had this great montage of scenes that was really like a sneak peek at what the whole season would be. How did you plan that out or was it like you are going to do these scenes and then write episodes around them to encompass them?

Adam Reed: This season, I had a bit more or a rough outline of where we wanted to wind up. I knew a little better about where we were going to go. Getting there wasn’t necessarily super planned out. There were I guess sort of vague ideas, like oh we wanted to go to a Central American country. Just trying to touch all these bases while Lana’s pregnant. It’s all, I think, kind of organic and things are done on the fly. It’s not too set in stone in advance.

This is one of my favorite fan questions. What year is it?

Adam Reed: Oh, I don’t know. I would say it’s probably not a specific year.

Is there any chance of ever seeing would Woodhouse take another Archer down a few notches?

Adam Reed: I think that Woodhouse has secretly been robbing Archer blind this entire time.

That would be karma. That would be good. What charterer would you see a spin off for?

Adam Reed: I would say probably Pam, as a hardboiled noir private eye.

You have some amazing guest stars this season. Kenny Loggins being one and of course Lauren Cohan from The Walking Dead. Is there anyone else that you really wanting to get, but you haven’t been able to get yet?

Adam Reed: I would really, really like to get Zach Galifianakis to come on Archer for an episode.

That would be great.

Adam Reed: That would be like a dream come true. I think he’s probably past that phase in his career though. He’s doing much bigger things, but I would love it. We are from the same home state.

I know that Floyd County is working on Seth Rogan’s new Bigfoot project. Can you talk to me about that?

Adam Reed: We are waiting to hear. They did a rough story board cut of the pilot, it’s voiced. And now we are sort of waiting to see what’s going to happen from the grownups.

How did you guys originally got involved in that project?

Adam Reed: I think Seth Rogen pitched it to FX, then they called us, because they know that we make cartoons.

One last question for you. Pretty much every guy I know wants to buy you a beer and hang out with you.

Adam Reed: I think that would be fine.

Do you get that a lot? Do you go out? Do people realize that you are the creator of Archer and buy you a beer?

Adam Reed: No. Nobody does that. That never happens, I don’t think, but there is a bar in my neighborhood that I just saw they have on the big sign outside – Monday Nights Archer Viewing. I want to sneak in there and not announce like, “Hey it’s me, buy me beer,” but just eavesdrop on people watching Archer and see if the jokes are landing.

But then that sounds kind of creepy and stalkery, like I’m stalking an entire bar.

You’re doing research, so it’s not creepy. It’s just research.

Adam Reed: But then like two things can happen, either everybody will be laughing and I’ll get a little full of myself or people won’t be laughing, and then I’ll go home and be in a funk. It’s probably not a good idea.

Be sure to catch an all-new Archer tonight on FX!