The Mantis-Eye Experiment

If you ever wanted an entire interview of someone asking Jackson and Doc what was going to happen in upcoming episodes of their show and them categorically rejecting every single question, then io9 has an interview made just for you. Journalists take note, Jackson and Doc will never answer those questions! However they will provide valuable insight:

Except that I’m interviewing you, and the whole reason I’m interviewing you is to ask what's happening in this season.

JP: Well, there's your mistake. Why don't you ask what you think you want to know and we'll see if we can answer it or be colorful about answering.

DH: Getting to your original point, I don't think that's really the point of an interview, to find out what's going to happen. You could find out how we write, you could find out what the show is about in broader terms, we could talk about all the past seasons. I'm not sure, I think you might be incorrect. I just want to point that out.

You reject my entire premise.

DH: I think it's a flawed premise that journalism is the art of asking what's happening next.

What happens in season five of Venture Bros.? I guess you'll just have to watch and find out!

Oh, you thought there were no more interviews? I'm pretty sure Jackson and Doc were just on a conference call for an entire day and a bunch of reporters were able to call in for fifteen minutes at a time. On a related note, I don't know why Adult Swim didn't contact me about this, with this being The Original Venture Bros. News & Information Site. It says so on the top of the site so it must be true. Either way, Wired has the latest interview with Jackson and Doc which is less hardball than the Popshifter one but it does include some in-character banter between Billy and Pete. Check it out!

Not to be left in the cold by Popdose, fellow Pop-prefixed website, Popshifter has an interview with Jackson and Doc which contains both informative and hilarious statements, as well as things both hilarious and informative (but seldom neither). Also a lengthy tangent on Gary Numan, if you're into that:

Doc: That’s how we do it. He just drives around in that little chair with a pyramid on it.

Jackson: Oh! And he takes it to his invisible jet plane.

Doc: Yeah, yeah. And he puts on his magic power wig and takes it to his invisible jet plane. Yeah, I would love that.

Jackson: And then flies it to the hat shop that the guy from The Fixx runs.

So stop sitting around and get to it! I guess you can keep sitting while you read it. If you want.

As Jackson has announced via various means, the long promised second iteration The Amazing Shirt Of The Week Club has launched. Similar to the season three version, this one brings one brand spankin' new tshirt per episode (nine in total) along with the subscriber exclusive shirt which you can see right now (in five glorious colors). Each shirt will go for $20 shipped (or $22 for you 2XL folks) or you can fork over $165 right now ($180 for 2XL) and get the whole set of ten. I minored in math in college so I can safely tell you that is a cost of $16.50 per shirt, or a savings of $3.50 per tshirt over the a la cart price.

Subscriptions will only be available until 11:59pm EST on June 7th, and after that you'll have to pay full price like a chump (and miss out on the subscriber exclusive), so you'd better get on that. Head on over to the Astrobase Go! website to learn more!

In what is sure to be the first of many pre-season V promos, Popdose has an interview with Jackson and Doc that covers some info on season five as well as the usual brand of tangental jokes we've come to love from Jackson and Doc. There's also a little bit of information about the new Shirt Club, though nothing specific just yet beyond the number of colors in each shirt. There's also an accidental secret revealed, but I'll leave it up to you to find that one out. Also some info on how to suggest ideas for the show. Namely, don't do it:

DH: I never read them. I have a form letter that I send back that explains it's not going to happen. At best it'll mirror something that I did and you'll be running around screaming about how it was your idea, and at worst I now cannot do my idea. And also the psychology of, "Alright, I know you guys write a show that I like so I know that you can do it, but let me just give you…," you just gotta stop that. You gotta trust that we have more ideas. I promise we have more ideas.

JP: And usually the idea makes you go, "I can’t believe you even like our show if this is your idea. Like, you seem to think this is a superhero show about Triana [Orpheus]! 'We think it would be really good if Triana got super powers!'" What are you watching?

Enjoy! Thanks to reader Hank for pointing this out in the comments.

Oh, you thought that those last two were the only promos? You silly billy. Enjoy a third Season V promo with brand new footage. June 2nd! Many thanks to ZJS in the comments for pointing this out to me.

Way back in February the first volume of the Journal of Venture Studies was released, and now volume two is ready for your consumption! This one includes five scholarly articles ranging from thoughts on how HELPeR might work to how the show handles sexuality and much more. There's also an excellent piece written by Mantis-Eye regular ZJS called "In Defense of Hatred" that I highly recommend. Enjoy volume two!

For those of you waiting on season V of Venture Bros. I have one new bit of information for you. The premiere, hour long episode (June 2nd at midnight, be there or be square) is called "What Color Is Your Cleansuit?" I made sure to confirm it with series creator Jackson Publick (just in case it was a working title), so feel free to tell all your friends, relatives, co-workers and random people on the street. Tweet it, Facebook it, uh, Tumbl it? Pinterest it. What is even the verb for Pinterest? Anyway, get it out there!

In related news, Adult Swim has revamped the Venture Bros. section of their site, which includes the usual videos and clips, but also a swank new Relationship Action Map which you can use to figure out which character relates to others. It's also almost certain to get more and more obsolete as season five progresses, but for now it should have all the info you need.

Hot on the heels of the last two May 19th promos being removed, Adult Swim has put together two replacement promos using brand new footage. Season 5 is now Season V (pronounced 'vee'). Sure, why not? The first promo lists off a million characters who may or may not appear in the new season and the second one is more sizzle reel in nature. You heard me.

And the second one:

Remember, season 5 starts at midnight on Sunday, June 2nd. That's technically June 3rd, just so there's no confusion, but you'll be ending your June 2nd with it. Unless you work a late shift somewhere. Then it's your morning cartoons. Either way.

This was mentioned back during convention season, but Jackson finally confirmed it in the comments of his LiveJournal:

"As for Shirt Club--that's gonna happen. The designs are all done, they're super-cool, and we're working out the logistical details now."

Obviously no other details provided just yet, but I'm sure we'll hear some more info in the weeks leading up to the premiere.