Recently, comedy-rock veterans Kyle Gass and Jack Black announced that Tenacious D will be releasing an animated series on YouTube to coincide with their next album, Post-Apocalypto. The project will be Tenacious D’s first in six years since Rise of the Fenix in 2012.
Post-Apocalypto is a six-part animated series that has been updating weekly for the past three weeks. It will finish in three more, and the finale will coincide with Tenacious D’s fourth LP drop.
Post-Apocalypto: The Series
If you ever wanted to see Jack Black’s artistic talent, Post-Apocalypto is your chance. The entire series is hand drawn by Black himself, and all of the voices are provided by both Black and Gass. Black’s crudely-drawn depictions are evidence enough that he chose the right passion to pursue in music.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jack Black talks a bit about the experience of drawing every single panel of the series.
“There were hundreds of hours of drawing involved. It was my serious job. I was 9-to-5in’ it. I have to say, I really enjoyed the process. And I hope that this thing is a gigantic success and we have to do another season because I’m digging it. I think I like it more than acting”.
In the first episode of the series, Jack and Kyle find themselves at once again at a loss for rent money. In order to pay their rent, they attempt a daredevil stunt (which succeeds). Unfortunately, almost immediately after, a bomb drops overhead.
As the two run from the impending blast, they spot a 1950’s fridge, and take shelter in it. Just like Indiana Jones, the lead-lined fridge keeps the two safe. But when they emerge, the world as they know it has been transformed into a radioactive wasteland.
Each chapter of the series comes with an accompanying song from the album, to give fans a little taste of what’s to come.
Post-Apocalypto: The Album
Post-Apocalypto is set to release on November 2nd. The 21-song album will feature drums by Dave Grohl, who is once again contributing his expertise to another Tenacious D album. Fun fact: for those who didn’t know, Dave Grohl also plays the devil in The Pick of Destiny, where he holds a rock-off for Jack and Kyle’s souls.
Along with the release of their new album, Tenacious D has also announced a national tour to promote Post-Apocalypto. The tour will take place throughout November and December, starting in Brooklyn and ending in Las Vegas.
Post-Apocalypto: The D
The resurgence of Tenacious D back into the public eye coincides quite clearly with the political environment. The YouTube series is as political as it is hilarious, and its setting reflects a growing unease with the state of the world, albeit, filtered through raunchy comedy and the crude drawings of Black.
So if a hilarious, self-aware, political animated series from two of the greatest minds in comedy rock doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then don’t – I repeat, do not – watch the video above. Chances are you already watched it, since this warning is coming in at the end. And if you did, and didn’t like it, you probably won’t be reading this now anyway.
What I’m trying to say is: go watch Post-Apocalypto. You’ll probably like it.
