Hey there, fellow Veggie fans. I know it's been way too long since I last posted anything. It's partly due to the fact that life has been busy, but a lot of it also has to do with the state of VeggieTales today.
I'm absolutely not complaining about In the House/In the City; I still want to write some on my favorite episodes in the series. But admittedly, the shorter-length Netflix format doesn't make it as easy to write about as the longer direct-to-videos. There are so many new stories at once, it's hard to know where to begin sometimes. But I'm not writing this post to discuss my reasons for not writing in three years, I'm writing because I have some questions I'm hoping someone might know something about.
I believe the last episode of In the City aired last year. Bye Bye, Bacon Bill was the only ITH/ITC episode to end with a "the end," and felt like a sweet way to close out the series overall. But this came without any announcement or warning. And since then, I've noticed some things that have me a little concerned.
First of all, it seems the only thing on the socials lately has been these promotional images featuring Bible verses, inspirational quotes, jokes, and the like. You've most likely seen them and know what I'm talking about. They're very cute, and it's always good to have something encouraging pop up on the feed, but they don't give us much idea of the goings-on at the company, or what they may have planned next after ITC.
Second, it seems that VeggieTales.com has become solely a shopping site. And its spot under DreamWorks/Classic Media doesn't give much information either (except, perhaps, for the interesting note from four years ago that they had more releases planned than actually happened). Again, on both accounts, I wish there was more to say from the company directly about news and updates, especially if something's wrong.
Perhaps the most alarming was the company address I found today on an email:
Big Idea Entertainment, LLC
386 Park Avenue South
16th Floor
New York, NY 10016
They moved to New York? When did that happen?
This could just be the merchandising branch of the company, but I'm not sure.
None of this is truly to say they aren't still a thriving company with some new, exciting tricks up their sleeves. But... I don't know. I wish I did.
The biggest "sign of life" I've seen with Big Idea lately was a Facebook Saturday Silly Song Sing-Along with Nicole C. Mullen a few weeks back. It was encouraging to know they were doing something, but it still doesn't really answer my questions.
I recently re-read the portion of Phil Vischer's book, Me, Myself, and Bob, regarding Big Idea's original downfall, and I was re-reminded of the challenges and difficulties of running a small animation company. I'm sure there are still challenges and difficulties today, even with DreamWorks' ownership.
I know that seemingly much of the fandom is divided on ITH/ITC, but as far as I knew, the shows were still doing well overall. Could there have been enough of a dent from viewers who didn't like it to ultimately hurt the company? I certainly hope not.
I care about Big Idea and the amazing people who work there. I miss hearing from them through featurettes, audio commentaries, interviews, and articles. There is so much creativity there, and most importantly, a fierce desire to make sure kids -- and the rest of the world -- know that God made them special and loves them very much! I want to know what they have planned next for VeggieTales, or if they have something totally new and different in mind. I'm glad they're still making some neat merchandise (I love my mini blind bag Larry!), but I don't think that's the future of Big Idea.
VeggieTales is not merely a lifestyle brand for preschoolers and parents.
VeggieTales is not dead.
VeggieTales is something special.
It's funny, it's genuine, it speaks truth.
It's for everyone.
And there's never been anything like it.
Same for the brave little company and the amazing people who created it 25 years ago.
I know most of you out there don't know the answers any more than I do, but I just wanted to put these thoughts out here, just in case.
Keep Big Idea in your prayers for whatever happens, whether The Bob and Larry Movie will finally be realized (one can hope!), or if it's ultimately the end of VeggieTales silliness.
Hopefully you'll see more posts soon!
GMUS & <3sUVM,
- Chandler
