I first interviewed SpongeBob in 2006, and I can prove it

/ February 9, 2015
(From syracusenewtimes.com)

(From syracusenewtimes.com)

As I sat watching the silliness of “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” Saturday at Destiny USA in Syracuse, I kept puffing up my chest like I took in too much water, thinking, I know SpongeBob.

Well, sort of but not really. It is a cartoon character, you know, even when the animation stops and the plot shifts to Hollywood …

You can today’s installment of my weekly Film Review blog at the Syracuse New Times by clicking the link below.

http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/his-pants-may-be-square-but-spongebob-is-hip/

Tom Kenny, left, with Gary Frenay, right, at the 2014 Syracuse Area Music Awards.

Tom Kenny, left, with Gary Frenay, right, at the 2014 Syracuse Area Music Awards.

What I mean by the quizzical lead paragraph above is that when I worked for the big daily, my responsiblities brought me around the personable gent Tomcat Kenny, a comedian and singer and all-around entertainer who’s a native of East Syracuse who got his start here in cahoots with another talented man by the name of Bobcat Goldthwaite and then made his way to Hollywood.

I remember in the 1990s, before a variety show to raise money for the continued restoration of the downtown Landmark Theatre, then executive director Frank Malfitano (still the man who founded and runs the M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest) introduced me to Kenny, who was dressed in an old-time theater usher’s uniform. Which he put on the night of the show as part of his shenanigans.

I kept in touch with Kenny over the years. In 2006, he got to sing as part of a SpongeBob music album.

Here’s the link to a Q and A that ran on the big daily’s site.

In 2009, Kenny got to record SpongeBob Christmas music, and I got to write about that, too.

Last year I had just a moment to shake hands and say hello after Kenny sang with his old friend Gary Frenay and the Flashcubes as they played a set because they were inducted into the Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame.

So, yeah, SpongeBob may have had one squish up as a sat down in the theater.

Do you like the cartoon character SpongeBob? Do you still like animated movies, and do you like the concept of turning a cartoon into live action part of the way through? What cartoon has or would best translate into a full-length movie for your? Please explain.

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28 thoughts on “I first interviewed SpongeBob in 2006, and I can prove it”

  1. All I have to say is: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea… Okay, no, that’s not it. I’m too old to appreciate Sponge Bob, but my kids liked him. I didn’t even know until several years later that the pink guy he hangs out with was actually not a drop of slime, but was a starfish! I think that you should submit Tomcat Kenny and Bobcat Goldthwaite to your funny names blog! 🙂

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  2. I loved SpongeBob when I was a kid, but as I grew up the sponge and I drifted apart. I still love animated movies though, guess it’s my inner child. If there was an animated movie that I’d have to see it would hopefully be the sequel to The Simpsons Movie. The first one was hilarious, and I can still remember sitting in the theater laughing from start to finish.

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  5. no on the Spongebob Squarepants. Not a fan. Looking forward to what you thought of the movie. Saw the trailer (ha) and didn’t make me change my mind about SBS.

    Am curious about the peeps movie that is rumored to come out eventually. Does that count as animated?

    Cool story on the music connection. A Spongebob music collection? Perish the thought, lol. What next, singing chipmunks? 😉

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  6. I favor Patrick, Mark, although I haven’t watched SpongeBob for many years. Nice review! Hope you get picked to be Hall Monitor soon. 😉

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  7. I never could stand the Sponge. Don’t know why….I just can’t . But I LOVE animated movies. Love them. Always have. Always will.

    I’m not sure I understand your’s and Marissa’s exchange…… HAHAHAHAHAHA…..no….really. 😉

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  10. great title on your snt post, mark. this does actually look funny to me, so i’m sure i’ll be watching it at some point in time. how cool your sponge bob connection, we are all linked in so many ways, it’s amazing.

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