Joe And Murr Created All The Props For Impractical Jokers s1 (Including Q's Infamous Art Exhibit)
"Impractical Jokers" has become the crown jewel of truTV's programming. It's a certified hit that's been on the air for over a decade at this point and even received its own theatrically-released movie. But there was a time when the show was just finding its footing, and the jokers certainly didn't have the resources they have access to now.
Joe Gatto and James "Murr" Murray appeared on a 2023 episode of the "Two Cool Moms" podcast. It allowed the pair to take a trip down memory lane, and when discussing the early seasons of the show, they began talking about how they didn't have a props department initially. Therefore, if they wanted anything made for one of the pranks, the two of them were in charge of making it.
This proved hard work when they had to make pictures for Q's art exhibit punishment. Gatto explained, "We Photoshopped these crazy pictures of him, and we just took pictures of him against a white wall, and then we just put him in crazy backgrounds." They were up until 4:00 a.m. making these pictures so that they could do the prank, showing their dedication to the joke.
They even made shirts for the show
That level of dedication to the craft kind of proves how "Impractical Jokers" was able to become the juggernaut it is today. The guys didn't just rest on their laurels and take the easy route. They pushed themselves to create unique, hilarious stunts that entertained themselves as well as audiences watching at home.
In addition to making props for the show, they were also in charge of the merchandise for those early seasons. Joe Gatto and Murr were tasked with creating t-shirts based on whatever jokes would be made during a particular night's episode. Murr explained to the podcast, "Literally, when new episodes would come out on Thursday nights, it'd be Joey and I in that apartment on Photoshop, knowing what was going to come up that night on TV, Photoshopping B.S. t-shirts and putting them up on ... CafePress.com."
The guys knew what they were doing. They go on to say how they would make $800 a night making t-shirts by simply capitalizing on the growing popularity of the show. They may not have had as many fans as they do now, but the ones they did have were passionate, so it's great to see all of their hard work pay off all these years later.