Those who’ve watched any of Joe Cappa’s various animated shorts or TV projects likely knows that the animator has a very distinct sense of humor and sensibility. That once again the case with Haha, You Clowns, his new Adult Swim series that drops on the 2025 TV schedule Sunday night. Yet where did Cappa’s unique brand of humor come from? Well, fans of ‘90s TV shows may pick up on some of Cappa’s inspirations, which he recently shared with CinemaBlend.
Ahead of Haha, You Clowns‘ premiere, which will also be available for anyone with an HBO Max subscription on Monday, I sat down to chat with Joe Cappa about the show. When I asked him about how he came up with the blend of comedy and wholesomeness, he name-dropped a ‘90s Nickelodeon show that elder Millennials surely know all too well:
I’m a big fan of shows like Pete & Pete. And I think that really came out while writing this because, you know, the storylines are so small. Very small moments in life become larger than life to them because they’re young, and the world is just so big to them still. And that was the magic of Pete and Pete.
Having watched the first six episodes of Haha, You Clowns, as well as the series of shorts that it expands upon, I could see where Cappa was coming from with his love of The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Both of shows center on strong brotherly dynamics, the wonder of childhood and the absurdity of life in impactful ways.
Like the characters in Pete & Pete and Haha, You Clowns, Cappa has a close sibling relationship, that being with his brother, Dave, who writes the show with him. When talking about their bond, history, and sense of humor, Joe let me in on another big inspiration for him: a ‘90s kids movie often associated with the Mormon church:
Ha Ha You Clowns is an extension of that kind of celebration of wholesome family movies that my brother and I grew up watching. One that comes to mind is called The ButterCream Gang. It’s like made by the Mormon Church or something like that. And it was something that we watched as kids. We’re not Mormon, but my mom got it because there are some positive lessons to be learned. And I think we just kind of always found that so fun and refreshing to like re-watch.
Admittedly, I have never seen the movie but, judging by its premise – a close-knit group of kids as they try to come through for their friend after he returns from a bad trip to the big city – it sounds like something my brothers and I would’ve watched nonstop back in the day.
When I asked if these experiences had anything to do with each episode of Haha, You Clowns wrapping up with a sentimental piano track while Dad, Tristan, Preston, and Duncan get emotional, Cappa had this to say:
When my brother and I are writing these episodes, we’re just laughing. We’re having a good time. And it just seems to wrap up in a nice, clean way that is very funny to us, and to be so sort of formulaic with how these episodes wrap up every time. And it’s very much an ending of 7th Heaven. But I guess I’ll just say by the very nature of these characters, you’re going to have this wholesome ending because that’s just who they are as people.
I’m not saying we should go back and watch every episode of 7th Heaven (even though they’re all streaming with a Paramount+ subscription). However, it would be fun to see how many references were pulled from the ‘90s family drama series.
If you want to see how all those shows influenced Haha, You Clowns, tune in when new episodes drop on Sundays at 11:45 p.m. ET, and the next day on HBO Max.