“Make sure that you and mom are on the same page. Have those conversations. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to agree. You guys have to find a solution before so by the time you come to your child you have a consensus and you are consistent.” – Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh

Art Eddy: Let’s first talk about the Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year. It premieres on December 26th on Amazon Prime Video. I got to check out the show. I really enjoyed the fact that it was a special about New Year’s Eve. You are the showrunner for this special. Talk about how this show came to be.

Jeff “Swampy” Marsh: A few years ago I was sent the Pete the Cat book. My kids are older. My daughter just turned 41. My son is 16. I missed the Pete the Cat books. Someone asked me if I would be interested in working on the show. They sent me the book Pete’s Day at the Beach. It is all about Pete and his first day surfing. So whoever sent it to me and wanted me to work on the show knows me pretty well. I loved it so much.

So I called and begged to work on the show. I read all of the books. All of the books have these great and wonderful messages. This is a character and a book series created by James and Kimberly Dean. They feel like kindred spirits to me as far as the lessons that they are trying to convey to kids. It was one of the things that has come across my desk that I was supremely motivated to be a part of.

AE: It is great that you focus on a kid’s perspective of what a New Year’s resolution is in their mind. I think it helps explain to kids and adults that there are many different types of resolutions. What is your favorite part of the special?

JM: I have to say that the thing that still gets me choked up even now and I have seen it hundreds of time is the resolution song that mom sings to Pete. It is this really wonderful, sweet moment that is between a mom and a kid. It was what you were talking about. We take for granted that a kid knows what a resolution is. No one I think has done a really good job of putting it in context. I think that song does it really well. It is about having fun and being happy.

We were sitting in the audio mix. It was the last time that we all had to sit together and watch it to approve it. Even then as I sat there I got choked up. That is the moment that I am most proud of as a story teller. It just feels so genuine.

AE: What do you hope people take away from the show?

JM: I remember years ago that there was an assignment when my son was in third grade. You were supposed to take a piece of paper and write inside a circle all of the things that you hope for your child for the coming year. My wife and I just sat there and wrote happy as many times as we could inside the circle.

We realized that the only thing that we cared about for our kid short term and long term is that he is happy. For me that is the message I want families to take away from this is it is about being happy. Figure out how to do that. Being happy is something that is inside all of us. It is kind of a choice you make to a certain degree. It is about how you deal with what is going on in your life. That is how I want kids and families to start off the year. Let’s go out and figure how to be happy. Back then it was at that moment where my wife and I realized that being happy was it. As long as you are happy it is cool.

AE: I think it is really cool that you work with your son on certain shows like Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year. What is it like for you guys to work together?

JM: It is the best. I have to say that I am immensely proud of my son. He is one of the easiest guys to work with. It is one of the reason why we keep on working together. It is a joy. He works hard. He stays focused. We always laugh together and yet we push really hard. I think some of the hardest work that we did was on the songs.

He has sung a bit, but he is not a professional singer. It was really important that he got it right. So we really went at it in the studio. It was joyous to hear it all come together when you hear his voice on there. He really works hard to get it right. It paid off really well. I am stunned every day. I am amazed and incredibly proud. It comes back to the thing I was just talking about. Working with him really makes me happy. We laugh and we have joy. He really stays focused on doing a good job. That is a pretty cool thing.

AE: What popped into your mind when you found out that you were going to be a father for the first time?

JM: (Laughs.) The very first time was a long, long time ago.
My daughter just turned 41. It was all of those things. It was wonderful and joyous. At the same time it was terrifying. It was the exact same feeling when I found out that I was going to be a dad a second time. It was joyous. It was exciting. It was thrilling. I think that is a good thing.

I think people need to embrace that. It is the same for my wife. Parts of it are just petrifying. It is a lot of responsibility. It goes hand and hand with just remarkable joy and laughter and happiness. It is the best fear ever. (Both laugh.)

AE: What are some of the core values you looked to instill into your kids as they were growing up?

JM: We always wanted to make sure that our son had respect for other people. We also wanted him to be his own advocate. This started out really early. I remember one of the things that we made a conscious decision to do was teaching him early to do things on his own. If he wanted another glass of water he would have to talk to the server. He would ask us if we could go get it. We said no and that he had to get it.

When he was at the playground and wanted to play with a kid my wife would tell him that he would have to go over and talk to him. She would give him a Frisbee or something and say take this Frisbee. Being able to look someone in the eye and talk to them was very critical for us and that he was polite and would shake someone’s hand, looked them in the eye and learned their name.

I think it was about having respect for other people. That was our main focus. Being able to talk to folks. It is one of the great compliments that I get now. I can’t count the number of times people have come up to me and said, ‘Your son is really amazing. He looks people in the eye, shakes your hand and talks to you. It has been that way since he was like six or seven. I am very, very proud of that.

AE: What is the one biggest piece of advice you have for new dads?

JM: Make sure that you and mom are on the same page. Have those conversations. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to agree. You guys have to find a solution before so by the time you come to your child you have a consensus and you are consistent. The one thing that I have said to my son quite recently when there was a thing going on was that I said, ‘Look, the one thing that I can always do is be honest with you. It doesn’t mean you are always going to like what I say, but I am always going to be honest with you. You can count on that.’

I think a lot of that comes with you and mom being on the same page. Really taking the time to talk it through. Make sure that all the decisions that you make are not the ones that will just benefit you in the next five minutes, next hour or next day. My wife and I try to make sure we think about how the decision we make today will potentially affect him in five years or ten years. That comes with sitting down and talking to him.

We spent late nights sitting up and talking and thinking about what are we going to do about this, that and the other. That seems to be what has paid off more than anything else. My son knows that we have a consistent message to him and he can count on that.

Life of Dad Quick Five

AE: Do you guys have a favorite family movie that you all love to watch together?

JM: Oh. Wow. I know that this is an odd one, but I am going to have to say The Magnificent Seven. It was one of the first films that my son and I bonded over on a surf trip when he was really young.  

AE: Do you guys have a favorite song that you all like to sing to or dance to as a family?

JM: My Girl.

AE: Describe the perfect family vacation.

JM: Any place where there is warm weather and beautiful surf. I spend the morning surfing with my son whenever we can. Those are the perfect days.

AE: A place where you would want to surfing that you haven’t checked out yet is….

JM: Costa Rica.

AE: Favorite line from Phineas and Ferb is….

JM: (Laughs.) It is from Major Monogram. People always want me to say, “Great googly moogly!” (Both laugh.)

About Jeff “Swampy” Marsh

Jeff “Swampy” Marsh is an animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor associated with several animated television series, most notably as the co-creator, executive producer, and voice of Major Monogram of Disney’s animated series Phineas and Ferb. Marsh was born in Santa Monica, California. Marsh has been and continues to be a driving force behind several animation projects, working for over six seasons on the animated television series The Simpsons. Marsh continued to work on other animated television series, including King of the Hill and Rocko’s Modern Life.

While most of the people prefer corporate video productions company to get their videos done.It was officially declared that Marsh is the showrunner for the Amazon Prime Video special, Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year. It’s New Year’s Eve and Pete the Cat needs a New Year’s Resolution, but… he doesn’t even know what a resolution is! So, with the help of his family and friends, Pete sets out on a fun, musical ride to find one.

But as the clock ticks down to midnight, Pete is still resolutionless…will he find one in time?  Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year is a co-production with Alcon Television Group and Appian Way, the special stars Jacob Tremblay (Wonder), Atticus Shaffer (The Middle), Django Marsh (Phineas and Ferb), Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, KT Tunstall, and Don Was. Music from Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year, will be made available on a soundtrack EP from Alcon Sleeping Giant featuring new songs from the cast to stream on Amazon Music starting this December.

Watch the Amazon Prime Video special, Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year starting December 26th and follow Jeff on Twitter at @mmonogram