The yr 2003 was a distinct time. George W. Bush was president, MySpace had simply launched, and U.Ok. animator Joel Veitch created what would ultimately turn out to be one of many weirdest — and most enduring — characters in all of promoting historical past, the Spongmonkeys. Initially a weird on-line video, the potato-shaped, human-toothed, rodent(ish) critters had been adopted by Quiznos and became the celebrities of a sequence of commercials, sparking each outrage and everlasting meme glory. Now, 20 years later, they’re again.
4 years earlier than Tim and Eric debuted on Grownup Swim — arguably the peak of mainstream absurdist comedy — the Spongmonkeys had been unavoidable. When you watched TV in any respect in 2003, you nearly assuredly noticed a Quiznos industrial that includes these unholiest of creatures wailing about how a lot they love the restaurant chain’s subs. “We love the subs, ‘trigger they’re good to us,” they sang hoarsely. Quiznos ditched the Spongmonkeys in 2004, seemingly as a result of each their retailer franchisees and shoppers alike hated these commercials. The Spongmonkeys might have been only a fleeting little bit of web ephemera, tossed within the nostalgia bucket atop contemporaries like “Sneakers” and “Charlie the Unicorn,” however their distinct weirdness has stored them within the dialog, at the same time as Quiznos filed for chapter in 2014 and shuttered greater than 4,000 shops.
In 2023, Quiznos is plotting a significant comeback, and the Spongmonkeys are, improbably, a part of it. The chain has a brand new look, a brand new mannequin, and plans to open dozens of shops over the subsequent yr, together with a brand new Spongmonkeys advert from Veitch that debuts this week. We sat down with Veitch to speak about the place the hell the Spongmonkeys got here from within the first place, how they’ve endured in meme tradition, and why Gen Z’s love of absurdist humor makes now the right time to convey again these furry little weirdos.
Eater: I feel most individuals would agree the Spongmonkeys are the weirdest, most sudden mascots in quick meals historical past. The place the hell did they arrive from?
Joel Veitch: It’s fairly a very long time in the past now. Twenty years, I feel. I used to be hanging out with my brother, and we had been speaking about how good the moon is. We went again to my place and simply began jamming with a guitar. He was taking part in guitar, I used to be singing, and improvising this tune in a foolish voice. I recorded it, as a result of I are inclined to document issues, and I had these characters that I had been mucking about with, the Spongmonkeys — it was excellent for them. I made the video and simply shoved it on the web, as you probably did in these days, not anticipating something specifically to occur. They went a bit bonkers, and never lengthy after that I obtained a name from Quiznos asking if I want to work with them. And the remaining is historical past, I suppose.
What, precisely, is a Spongmonkey?
God is aware of. They’re an enigma wrapped inside one other massive enigma. Who is aware of what they really are? It’s a bunch of this and that tossed in there, bits of textures from rabbits, and a few fairly substantial dental defects from people. They’re closely influenced by strange-looking bears and tarsiers.
What sub would the Spongmonkeys order at Quiznos?
All of them. They’re simply insatiable little beasts. I feel you may maintain throwing something into these gaping mouths, and they might simply by no means cease.
Do you ever hear the Spongmonkeys screaming “WE LOVE THE SUBS” in your goals?
Not a lot my goals, however you understand how you’ve gotten an inner monologue? Very often I’ll be pondering “Oh, I actually liked that,” and in my head, the voice is a Spongmonkey.
Had been you shocked when Quiznos got here to you 20 years later to recreate these commercials?
I didn’t count on Quiznos to get again in contact, however I used to be so happy they did. I used to be over the moon. My expertise of the mayhem that was making these commercials initially was simply unbridled pleasure. Actually, actually good enjoyable. And I’ve loved the way in which that they’ve continued to have a life afterward.
What’s the weirdest context you’ve seen the Spongmonkeys in on-line now that they’ve taken on a lifetime of their very own as a meme?
There have been folks making Spongmonkey Halloween costumes again within the day, and people images ended up making their means again to me, which was nice enjoyable. I don’t know whether or not I ought to point out this, however there was a very, actually dangerous style “we love the subs” factor when that submarine imploded. It was simply so terrible, I believed there was no means I might amplify this. Oh god, I’ve simply amplified it. That’s the worst, it was in horrible style.
There’s been quite a bit written about Gen Z’s love of absurdist humor. How do you suppose they’ll really feel concerning the Spongmonkeys? Is true now the obvious second for them to make a comeback?
All instances are good instances for the Spongmonkeys. I’m actually intrigued to see what younger folks suppose. There are these of us who had been round when it first got here out, and it has a selected relevance for these folks. Now you’ve gotten this big group of people that had been a lot too younger, or weren’t even born at the moment, and I’m actually intrigued to see what their response is. Clearly it received’t be as surprising to them, as a result of the tradition has moved on. However there’s nonetheless one thing enjoyable concerning the Spongmonkeys.
What sort of future do you envision for the Spongmonkeys? Do you suppose they’ll stick round?
A presidential run. I’d like to maintain doing stuff with them. They’ve obtained this eternal enthusiasm about them. That’s actually key. They’re so constructive, there’s no negativity at any level, and I simply actually preferred that. I like these little critters.
This interview has been edited and condensed for size and readability.
