| The Problem Solverz | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy Adventure Fantasy Surrealism Action Science fiction |
| Format | Animation |
| Created by | Ben Jones |
| Developed by | Dave Foligno |
| Written by | Eric Kaplan Michael Yank Bob Foligno Steve DiMaggio Rob Rockwell Christain Michaels Kevin Simonon Morgan Ferd Winton Alicia Williams Jay Bronson Daniel Bennett Phillips Ben Jones |
| Directed by | Russell Jones |
| Creative director(s) | Jamie R. Young |
| Voices of | Ben Jones Kyle Kaplan John DiMaggio |
| Opening theme | "The Problem Solvers" by Ben Jones |
| Ending theme | "The Problem Solvers" (Instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | Ben Jones |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 18 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ben Jones |
| Producer(s) | Nate Funaro |
| Editor(s) | Jacob Ciocci Jessica Ciocci Jimmy Avery |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Boulder Media Limited Mirari Films Made 100% in Burbank Cartoon Network Studios |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Cartoon Network |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Original run | April 4, 2011 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Paper Rad |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Problem Solverz (originally titled Neon Knome) is an American animated television series produced by Mirari Films and Cartoon Network Studios and created by Ben Jones, a member of the art collective Paper Rad, for Cartoon Network. The series centers on the titular Problem Solverz trio of Alfe, Roba, and Horace, as they solve and sometimes create the various problems that plague their town. After the original pilot Neon Knome was rejected by Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim, it was picked up and re-tooled by the main network, which premiered the series on April 4, 2011. The series is rated TV-PG and has received negative reviews, mainly due to its animation.
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The characters Alfe, Roba, and Horace appeared in a comic titled "Roba" which was on the Paper Rad website. The comic was made in 2001. They once again appeared in another comic on the website titled "MB". Their first animated appearance was in a music video titled "star kings", also on the Paper Rad website. The first full length animation was a short titled "Alfe" included on the 2006 "Trash Talking" DVD (released by Load Records). In 2008, several short episodes of a show called "Problem Solvers" appeared on YouTube, and were included in a DVD with the periodical "The Ganzfield 7". While these episodes didn't contain the characters, they did introduce the "problem solving" element of the show.
In 2010, Neon Knome was pitched as an adult-oriented animated series for Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, and was released on Adultswim.com as part of their "Big Uber Network Sampling".[1] Later, in December 2010, Adult Swim announced that Neon Knome was too "mindblowingly cute" for them, and that it was being re-tooled as a regular Cartoon Network show, which combined both previous ideas.
Voiced by Ben Jones
Alfe is a large, fluffy, half man-dog-anteater creature who was found and raised by Horace. He loves to devour large quantities of pizza and acts impulsively during missions. In one episode, he claimed he lived in a cage as a child. Like a cat, he coughs up furballs whenever he chews his fur; a good explanation of this can be seen in "Badcat". Alfe usually speaks in a low voice, but in season 2, his voice is pitched slightly higher.
Voiced by Ben Jones
Roba is the smartest member of them, being a half robot half human cyborg, who is incredibly insecure and anxious about everything. He is the twin brother of Horace.
Voiced by Kyle Kaplan
Horace is the most calm and collected member of the team, usually using common sense with his actions and taking care after Alfe, his companion. He is the twin brother of Roba.
Voiced by John DiMaggio
Tux Dog is an extremely wealthy dog who helps the Problem Solverz in some of their cases, but is just as often the source of their problems. He insults Roba for his off-color personality and his appearance.