Oct 3, 2014

Why Penn Ward Quit "Adventure Time"

A new Rolling Stone magazine article on Cartoon Network's hit series Adventure Time reveals a startling fact: Pendleton Ward has not run the show he created since some point in season 5. I quit because I was going crazy," he told the magazine. He further explained:

"Dealing with people every day exhausts you. Spending extra energy and time that you don't have to spend on something worth making, something great, exhausts you. This program is a beast. The more popular it gets, the bigger and bigger the accompanying merchandise, games, etc. For me, getting quality of life was more important than the need to control this project and make it great all the time."

Ward's departure is an open secret, especially since Ward's CalArts classmate, new showrunner Adam Muto, has been the face of the show at conventions and festivals for the past year. However, this article is the first official confirmation of the change.

Will Ward ever create another show? That would be a nightmare!" He says.

According to the article, Ward is still writing and storyboarding for the show, but he would rather be at home eating pizza, working on his ideas, or playing video games with the lights off and the curtains closed. That's the root of what I like to do," Ward said. I make something for myself and then go to sleep. Ward also says he would like to write an Adventure Time movie and make his own video games, the latter of which he has already achieved.