The Most Important Rick And Morty Prop According To The Prop Team
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, "Rick and Morty" has been rocking our dimension to its core since its release in late 2013. The sci-fi animated comedy follows the zany exploits of an alcoholic, ultra-intelligent scientist and his neurotic grandson as they venture through different worlds while also dealing with everyday family life. The show has an immensely loyal fanbase that soaks up every last strange misadventure, quotable line, memorable character, and oddly existential theme that the cartoon continues to present and push.
One aspect of the show that doesn't get mentioned as much, but deserves equal praise nonetheless, is its fantastic, jaw-dropping art direction and animation. Whereas many adult animated series never feel the need to push their visuals beyond choppy animation and standard designs, "Rick and Morty" goes all out in its visuals to deliver its creative worlds and concepts. The hard-working team of artists who put the series together deserves praise for their accomplishments and the effort that goes into every detail of the show's world-building. One particular piece of that world would not have been the same had it not been for these dedicated artists.
Rick's Space Cruiser had an interesting origin
When you think of props, you might think of physical items used for live-action productions. But in animation, props design is just as arduous. Imagine, for a second, being put in the position of "Rick and Morty" lead prop designer Brent Noll. With nothing but a script, Noll and his team must design every prop in the show. Every gun, every beer bottle, every magazine, every vehicle — if it moves and is not a character, it has to be designed first. Each piece adds to the believability of these worlds that don't exist.
When it comes to the most important prop on the show, Noll has one in mind. In an interview with Adult Swim, Noll stated, "The biggest and most important prop in 'Rick and Morty' is the UFO, which is Rick's spaceship." Also known as the Space Cruiser, the mean machine acts as the characters' main mode of transportation throughout the series. Since its debut, it has gained a multitude of abilities that have aided the duo. Yet, it started off quite differently, according to Noll.
"Originally, we had decided that Rick was going to make a lot of stuff out of garbage, which is why there are two garbage cans on the side that actually power the thing," he explained. Noll later admitted that drawing spaceships is the most rewarding part of his job, even if a lot of the ships he draws end up exploding on the show.
No matter what Rick's UFO is made out of, the design process for props such as this is very meticulous. Oftentimes, the team will start off with 3D models that they are able to manipulate as the team makes further requests for design changes before incorporating additional details (via SyFy). But their effort is all worth it, as their hard work helps imbue the world of "Rick and Morty" with the outrageous, zany life that has helped it endure.