OTHER TECH

Okay, hard-question time for the both of you: If you had to choose just one, what's your absolute favorite action figure? SETH: Oh man. MATT: Oh wow. SETH: It's tough, because different toys have meant different things to me at different points over my life. But one of the most significant toys that I ever purchased, and the one that has the most longevity - every time I look at it, it gives me the same emotional reaction - the second costume that Snake-Eyes had in the 3.75-inch G.I. Joe series, with a nice visor, wolf, and samurai sword. That's one of the best and most anticipated figures ever made. It still holds up. MATT: My choice varies, because I worked at ToyFare magazine for so long, it got to the point that every toy of my dreams came to me.

Gee, that must have been rough... MATT: It was amazing. I can't complain about that. SETH (to Matt): Everything you ever fantasized about was coming to you at some point. MATT: Yeah. If I had to make a choice for sentimental value, it would probably be my Grimlock figure from the original series of Transformers. I got it for the holidays, and the idea of a dinosaur turning into a robot was amazing to me.

Sitting on a shelf here in my office, I have - still in their boxes, still unopened - the three Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot. [both Matt & MM laugh heartily] MATT: You know what? They're my dad's favorites. I got them for him for the holidays six years ago. He was so happy. SETH: I was pissed that [Paul] Newman didn't sign off on his likeness.

At home, I've got Bob and Doug McKenzie. MATT: Oh yeah, those are awesome. You know, you've literally just described the only action figures that are at my parents' house.

Really? Why do they have those figures? MATT: We were hockey fans growing up.

Have any of your subjects expressed anger toward their portrayals? SETH: Nobody. MATT: Nobody. Not that we've heard, at least. If anything, we've had people say, "Can we come on your show and play?" SETH: When we do something about a person or a show that's questionable or silly, we go after that person. Like, I put two different offers out to Hilary Duff and she passed both times. I can't say I blame her, because you have to be pretty secure in your career trajectory to play yourself on our show, but there are people who come in with a great sense of humor about themselves and aren't afraid of public opinion. In a lot of cases, coming on our show and playing yourself for our audience, who may or may not have a specific opinion about you, gives them a chance to form a different one.

For example, Joey Fatone [of N'Sync] came on and spoofed his whole image [in "Enter the Fat One" in Episode 12, "S & M Present"], and as a result, he's got a whole different fan base. Ryan Seacrest came on last year and did that too. You get people who are really secure and basically have nothing to lose and they do something fun to give people a sympathetic opinion of them.

Any surprise guests for Season 2 you didn't expect to come through? [Season 2 began airing on the Adult Swim block on the Cartoon Network on Sunday, April 2, at 11:30 p.m. EST, its regular time slot.] SETH: Christian Slater came up to [producer] Tom Root and me at a party and said he liked our A-Team sketch [in Episode 3, "Nightmare Generator"] and really wanted to be on our show. So we brought him on, and he was awesome.

And then there was the time I was walking in the airport and ran into Wayne Brady, who said he liked the show, so we brought him on too. Sometimes it just goes like that.

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