The Roots of Phineas and Ferb, the Beginning of it All

You’re probably expecting me to say a line like “On a cold November night in a mobile home in Alabama two men did the unthinkable". Well no, these roots or origins if you will are to interesting for that. Phineas and Ferb probably has the most interesting and detailed origins of any other cartoon created, and I'm about to explain it to you. Between its all-star Disney cast, to its original theme song created by Bowling for Soup this show is like no other cartoon you ever heard of. But where did it start, who created it' why promote it to Disney. All these questions will be answered in the following post.

Dan Povenmire and Jeff Marsh started meet when they were working together as layout artists on the Simpsons. The two became fast friends after realizing they had so much in common. Povenmire and Marsh continued working together on the Nickelodeon 90's cartoon Rocko's Modern Life. While eating at a Wild Thyme restaurant in South Pasadena, California Povenmire drew a kid with a triangle as a head, and then he tore it out and called Marsh that night and told him "Hey, I think we have our show". You’re probably thinking the same thing I was thinking at this point, all movies and shows seem to start in restaurants now a day, hey it's true. Eventually Povenmire named the character Phineas after a friend of course who he said "Owns more tools then anyone in the world. He liked the fact of having the show with geometric shapes and bright colors because it reminded him of the Looney Tunes.

The two kind of stopped mentioning the idea when Marsh moved to London to work on UK shows like Postman Pat and Bounty Hunter while Povenmire started working on Family Guy. Povenmire always carried around a Phineas and Ferb portfolio, showing he hadn't given up the idea. Povenmire pitched the idea to networks like Cartoon Network and Fox Kids. The networks said the idea was too complicated to make it as a kid's cartoon. Povenmire didn't give up and eventually showed the idea to Nickelodeon where some high level Nickelodeon workers considered the show but rejected it again. You and both are probably wondering why this guy is still trying after getting rejected so many times, I don't know I guess something inside told him it was going to make it. And finally after sixteen years of trying it was finally accepted by Disney Channel.

They didn't immediately pick up the show but they told Povenmire they would keep the show packet. Povenmire thought they just meant they work going to through it in the trash and even consider it, but sure enough they did. Povenmire was worried that because of his work on Family Guy which is based on adult humor would concern Disney which is all for the little ones.

But actually Povenmire got lucky because the Disney Channel Senior Vice President of Original Series was a huge fan of Family Guy had the final say on the shows passing. Dan Povenmire got the idea from childhood experiences when his mom use to tell him "Never to waste a day of summer". The show has a musical number in each episode because both Marsh and Povenmire were in rock bands during college. People call it a cross between SpongeBob and Family Guy. Marsh eventually came back and now we present the Phineas and Ferb we all know and some might love.

In case you don't know how to draw Phineas yet here’s a link to make you look like an expert in front of your buddies. In this video you’re taught by Dan Povenmire himself. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRBYT9eeMwQ