I remember the first time I watched Phineas and Ferb. It was with my family at my grandma’s house during a snow day. We were excited to have something new to watch after being stuck inside for several days. We all instantly fell in love with the show, even the adults. Phineas and Ferb became something that we could enjoy as a family.
Even today, my stepdad still wears a Perry the Platypus shirt to sleep. So, when I heard that Dan Povenmire would come to SIU and I would get to meet him and write about my experience, I immediately called my mom to tell her how excited I was.
A Cartoon Icon
Dan’s work on cartoons is iconic. This was apparent when I walked into the Student Center Ballrooms and saw someone had painted their face to look like Perry the Platypus and a couple other people had made Phineas and Ferb heads from cardboard. Seeing others excited took me right back to the days of quoting the show with my family.
It was interesting to hear the stories behind the shows that we all loved. I think a big reason why Gen Z kids and parents alike loved the show so much was something that Dan mentioned which was that none of the characters were motivated by being mean. Even the “Buford the Bully” had a good heart and cared for his friends.
Dan also mentioned his inspiration for writing so many songs in his cartoons. He said that songs are what people remember most from the shows they watch. Even 10+ years later people are making TikTok videos to songs like “Busted” and “Gitchie Gitchie Goo”.
Another special moment was when Dan mentioned he wrote the “Campfire Song Song” from SpongeBob. The room burst with hundreds of people singing.
Meeting The Fans
After his entertaining speech was the meet and greet. Dan was incredibly kind to everyone, he made several videos for people who couldn’t make it and even did the “HOT-TO-GO” dance a couple of times. A dad asked Dan to record his outgoing voicemail and he did it in the Dr. Doofenshmirtz voice.
This was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Thanks to SIU and the Student Programming Council for making this possible. Stay tuned for more blog posts because later this month we will be writing about all things homecoming! I’m looking forward to the game and the parade!
