Do Vampires Poop? TV Writing, Animaniacs & Comedy with Kathleen Chen | Deep Noodle Podcast

📺 Ever wondered how Animaniacs got rebooted? Or what it’s like to write for Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin? And most importantly… do vampires poop? In this hilarious and insightful episode of Deep Noodle, Nathaniel August Williams sits down with Kathleen Chen, a comedy and tech writer whose credits include NBC, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Pinterest, and Google.

From her unconventional path from tech into television, to writing musical comedy, to deep-diving into the biology of fictional creatures, this conversation has it all. Plus, we talk Lunar New Year traditions, how Hollywood really works, and the internet’s reaction to the Animaniacs reboot.

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#ComedyPodcast #Animaniacs #Screenwriting #TVWriting #Vampires #Hollywood #PitchPerfect

⏳ Chapters:

00:00:00 - Do Vampires Eat?

00:00:16 - How Do Vampires Blend In?

00:00:34 - Intro: Welcome to Deep Noodle

00:01:10 - Meet Kathleen Chen: Comedy & Tech Writer

00:01:27 - Cooking for Lunar New Year

00:02:01 - Baking Pineapple Cakes for the First Time

00:03:13 - Lunar New Year Traditions & Superstitions

00:04:26 - Hard-Hitting Question: If Your Life Was a Movie…?

00:05:26 - From Tech to TV Writing: How Kathleen Got Started

00:07:00 - Playing Piano from Age 3 & Why She Quit

00:10:05 - The Pressure of Performance & Losing the Joy

00:14:36 - Growing Up Without TV & Sneaking Buffy

00:17:05 - Writing Partnerships: Comedy & Collaboration

00:20:51 - Animaniacs Reboot: Writing Process & Fan Reactions

00:24:12 - The Internet Hated the Reboot?!

00:27:37 - How They Chose Pop Culture Parodies for Animaniacs

00:28:54 - Parenthood & The Entertainment Industry

00:30:47 - Life Philosophy: Has Having a Kid Changed Everything?

00:33:18 - Writing for Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin

00:36:11 - Her Parents Still Don’t Know What She Does for a Living

00:37:46 - Career Regrets & The Mystery of Hollywood Rejections

00:40:05 - Is Kathleen an Extrovert or Introvert?

00:41:54 - Personality Tests & The Enneagram Dating Trick

00:46:29 - Thrill-Seeker: Bachelorette Party at Cedar Point

00:48:49 - The Sad Reality of Aging Out of Roller Coasters

00:50:28 - The Weirdest Deep Dive: Do Vampires Poop?

00:54:23 - Vampire Anatomy: Do They Have a Working Digestive System?

01:01:21 - Final Verdict: Vampire Poop Theory

💬 What do YOU think? Do vampires need to poop or pee? Drop a comment below!

📢 Follow Kathleen Chen

🔹 Twitter: @KathleenChen

🔹 Instagram: @KathleenChen

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What’s it like inside the Rick and Morty writers’ room? Emmy-winning writer, comedian, and executive producer Jessica Lacher joins host Nathaniel August Williams for a deep dive into writing for one of the most beloved animated shows. Jessica shares insights on her creative process, the long production timeline of Rick and Morty, and what it’s like working alongside Dan Harmon.

We also explore the Story Circle, the balance between episodic and canon storytelling, and how the multiverse concept gives writers infinite creative freedom. Plus, Jessica opens up about imposter syndrome, career fulfillment in Hollywood, and how becoming a parent has changed her perception of life’s biggest mysteries.

🔹 Topics Covered:

🎭 Writing for Rick and Morty & the mechanics of the writers’ room

🔥 The state of Hollywood post-strike and LA’s creative industry

✍️ Storytelling techniques & Dan Harmon’s Story Circle

🧠 Balancing episodic and serialized storytelling in Rick and Morty

🤯 Does a soul exist before birth? (A deep dive into existential philosophy)

🎬 Breaking into Hollywood: Jessica’s journey from theater to TV writing

⭐ Subscribe for more deep-dive conversations on comedy, storytelling, and the creative process!

Comedian and writer Rob Stern (Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Netflix, Comedy Central, truTV) joins Deep Noodle to talk about the chaotic reality of the entertainment industry, his pivot to studying therapy, and how AI-generated pop stars are taking over streaming platforms.

We dive into the art of joke writing, the power of failure in comedy, and why his family will always remember his great-uncle’s tragic-but-iconic fate at Pearl Harbor. Plus: Nate shares the time he almost got eaten by coyotes, and Rob breaks down the harsh truths of surviving as a TV writer in Hollywood today.

🔹 Topics Include:

• What it’s really like writing for late-night and comedy TV
• The best way to write jokes (without overthinking it)
• How the Hollywood strikes & AI are reshaping entertainment
• Surviving a coyote attack in Griffith Park (spoiler: Nate barely made it)
• Why therapy and comedy go hand-in-hand
• The rise of AI musicians and what it means for real artists

📢 Listen now and get ready to laugh, question reality, and maybe rethink your career choices.