There’s a startling revelation in a new Rolling Stone piece about Cartoon Network’s hit series Adventure Time: Pendleton Ward hasn’t been running the show he created since sometime during season 5. “I quit because it was driving me nuts,” he told the magazine. He further explained:
“Dealing with people every day wears on you. To spend that extra energy and time you don’t have, to make something that’s worth making, to make it awesome, wears you out. It’s a beast of a show. And the more popular it gets, the more the ancillary things – like the merchandise and games and everything – keep getting bigger. For me, having quality of life outweighed the need to control this project and make it great all the time.”
Ward’s departure has been a bit of an open secret, especially since the new showrunner, Ward’s CalArts classmate Adam Muto, has been the public face of the show at conventions and festivals for the past year. But this article is the first official confirmation of the change.
Will Ward ever create another show? “No, never. That sounds like a nightmare!” he says.
