Short Version
Mike has written over 200 episodes of Robot Chicken, as well as the numerous Robot Chicken specials for DC comics, Star Wars, and The Walking Dead. Other shows he’s written for include: SpongeBob Squarepants, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Devil May Care, Annoying Orange, and MAD: The Animated Series. He and a co-writer wrote and sold a movie, Well Groomed, to Turner Latin America. He’s also produced a short sci-fi film, Party Time, that won numerous awards from various Film Fests across the country, including the Mobile Short Outstanding Achievement. He has 3 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Annie Awards, a wife, and 2 dogs.
IMDB: Mike Fasolo IMDB
Long Version
My screenwriting career started back in the late 80s when I had, what I considered, to be the greatest idea ever conceived of. I sat down at my old Apple 2e computer and began typing. When I finished a few weeks later I KNEW that what I had written was the greatest piece of literature that had ever been put on paper. Through a few connections I was able to get the script to someone who was a reader for one of them Hollywood productions. I eagerly awaited the feedback, figuring that it would come with an offer to buy the movie and a check for at least a million dollars. When the feedback did come, it wasn’t quite what I expected.
Basically it said it wasn’t great (or even very good). There were plot holes, dialogue issues, character and story problems. It went into some details about everything that needed to be fixed and finally that the recommendation for this would be a pass. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. That disappointment was also mixed with anger. How could this be? I wrote the greatest thing that had ever been written! Everything was perfect! Clearly this reader didn’t know what they were talking about and should obviously be fired! They were wrong! I was right! And one day they’d be eating their words!
I threw the script into a drawer expecting to come back to it after my anger had died down so I could start sending it out to other agencies and production companies (people who would appreciate the genius that it was). But, as with most things, life happens (school, jobs, family, parties, etc.) and I eventually forgot about the script.
A few years (yes, years) later I found it in that same drawer, now piled high with other writing. I was a Literature Major in college so I did a lot of reading and had a lot of papers to write. It was filled with short stories, (partially done) novels and movie scripts, scraps of ideas, etc. I pulled out the script (remember, the greatest thing that had ever been put on paper), and re-read it, expecting to be as thrilled as I was when I wrote it.
And…I was not.
It was just like the reader had said all those years ago. Plot holes. Bad dialogue. Character issues. Story problems. And, in that moment, I was very thankful that no one had bought it and made it as it was because it needed A LOT of work. It would have been awful. After years of college courses, writing critiques, writing contest entries, jobs as copywriter, and having read dozens and dozens of books on the craft of writing, I’d gotten a little better at the whole writing thing. And I could see all the problems this first script of mine had.
But writing that first script had me hooked. I knew what I wanted to do. And I set out to do it. I’m still waiting for that million dollar check but I did what I set out to do. I write scripts for a living. I took all the courses I needed to take. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I got rejected A LOT, and I still get rejected, but it’s all part of the deal. I’ve also been writing for Hollywood for the past 20 years. I co-wrote and sold a movie to Turner Latin America. I produced a short sci-fi film that won numerous awards from the Indy Shorts circuit. My mainstay has been animated TV shows – Robot Chicken, Spider-Man, SpongeBob – as well as writing and developing many of my own TV show ideas and helping others develop theirs. I’ve won 3 Primetime Emmy awards for writing. 2 Annie awards for writing. And been nominated 14 times for Emmy Awards. Yes, for writing as well.
So, I guess I’ve come quite a ways from that first time sitting down to write a script. I’ve managed to make an actual living out of it. I’m still waiting for that million dollar check but I’m hoping that will come one day as well.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1827639/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_mike%2520fasolo
PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS
• Primetime Emmy Award – Writing – Outstanding Short-form Animated Program – 2010
• Primetime Emmy Award – Writing – Outstanding Short-form Animated Program – 2016
• Primetime Emmy Award – Writing – Outstanding Short-form Animated Program – 2018
ANNIE AWARDS (Animation awards)
• Best writing in an animated Television Production – 2009
• Best writing in a Television Production – 2011
Shows I’ve written for:
Robot Chicken (11 seasons)
Devil May Care
Marvel’s Spider-Man
SpongeBob SquarePants
The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange
MAD: The Animated Series