Comic book creator, screen writer, producer, director
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Rob Schrab
Born
Robby Christopher Schrab
(1969-11-12) November 12, 1969 (age 53)
Mayville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation(s)
Comic book creator, screen writer, producer, director
Notable work
Scud: The Disposable Assassin Monster House The Sarah Silverman Program Channel 101
Robby Christopher Schrab (born November 12, 1969) is an American comic book creator, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is the creator of the comic book Scud: The Disposable Assassin, co-writer of the feature film Monster House, co-creator of the competitive film festival Channel 101, and the co-creator of Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program. He has directed three seasons of The Sarah Silverman Program and episodes of Childrens Hospital, Blue Mountain State, Community, Parks and Recreation, The Mindy Project, Workaholics, Creepshow, and the second season of the Netflix reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Education and early career[edit]
Schrab is a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. In the 1990s, he wrote and illustrated the critically acclaimed[citation needed] independent comics series Scud: The Disposable Assassin.
Film and television[edit]
In 1997 Oliver Stone's company Illusion Entertainment bought the film rights to Scud: The Disposable Assassin. In the hopes of getting a chance to write the script, Schrab and his writing partner Dan Harmon moved to Los Angeles. Despite being turned down the pair decided to try their luck in the entertainment business. They wrote a spec script called Big Ant Movie or BAM. This script found its way to director/producer Robert Zemeckis who signed them to a two-film deal. One of the ideas they pitched was called Monster House. The subsequently wrote a script and the film was eventually released in 2006 after being rewritten in the meantime.
With their reputation growing, Schrab and Harmon were in talks with numerous producers and companies. They signed a blind deal with ABC which they then wanted to get out of. They decided to scare the network by "writ[ing] our favorite TV show ever." ABC was not impressed but the script made its way to Ben Stiller who decided to produce a pilot. Heat Vision and Jack (1999) starred Jack Black and, as the voice of a motorcycle, Owen Wilson. The pilot was not picked up but it eventually gained a reputation as a cult classic.[citation needed][1]
In 2002, Schrab wrote and directed Robot Bastard!,[2] a 17-minute science fiction action comedy film.
Together with Sarah Silverman, Schrab and Harmon created The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central. Harmon was eventually fired[3] from the show but Schrab stayed on for all three seasons. He also played the cross-dressing host of Cookie Party, Miniature "Mini" Coffee.[4]
Harmon and Schrab later renewed their partnership with the latter working on both Community,[5] the show Harmon created after leaving The Sarah Silverman Program,[6] and Rick and Morty,[7] the show Harmon created after being fired from Community.[8]
Schrab was slated to direct The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part[9] as his first feature, but left the project in February 2017. He co-directed Mystery Science Theater 3000's season 12 along with Joel Hodgson, wrote and directed episodes of the Creepshow reboot for Shudder,[10] and worked with Harmon as a writer on Rick and Morty for Adult Swim.[11]
Other[edit]
Schrab is also a regular guest on the podcast Fear Initiative and appeared regularly on the podcast Harmontown before it ended in late 2019.
Schrab has won two Primetime Emmy Award; one in 2009 for co-writing Hugh Jackman's Opening Number for the 81st Annual Academy Awards, and one in 2020 as a producer on Rick and Morty.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
1970s
Love, American Style – Music and Lyrics by Charles Fox and Arnold Margolin (1970)
The First Nine Months Are the Hardest – Music and Lyrics by Ray Charles (1971)
The Funny Side – Music and Lyrics by Ray Charles (1972)
Liza with a Z – Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb (1973)
"Light My Way" – Music and Lyrics by David Paich and Marty Paich (1974)
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom – Music and Lyrics by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Billy Goldenberg (1975)
"Cinderella Gets It On" – Music and Lyrics by Artie Malvin, Ken & Mitzie Welch (1976)
No Award (1977)
"Hi-Hat" – Music and Lyrics by Stan Freeman and Arthur Malvin / "See You Tomorrow in Class" – Music and Lyrics by Ken & Mitzie Welch (1978)
No Award (1979)
1980s
No Award (1980)
"This Is My Night" – Music and Lyrics by Ken & Mitzie Welch (1981)
"On the Outside Looking In" – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1982)
"We'll Win This World" – Music by James Di Pasquale; Lyrics by Dory Previn (1983)
"Gone Too Soon" – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1984)
Love Lives On – Music by James Di Pasquale; Lyrics by Douglas Brayfield (1985)
"My Christmas Wish" – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1986)
"Welcome to Liberty" – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1987)
"The Sound of Christmas" – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1988)
"The First Time I Loved Forever" – Music by Lee Holdridge; Lyrics by Melanie (1989)
1990s
From the Heart... The First International Very Special Arts Festival – Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Buz Kohan (1990)
"He's Guilty!" – Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman (1991)
"Why Do I Lie?" – Music by Curt Sobel; Lyrics by Dennis Spiegel (1992)
"Sorry I Asked" – Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb (1993)
"The Song Remembers When" – Music and Lyrics by Hugh Prestwood (1994)
"Ordinary Miracles" – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1995)
"Let's Settle Down" – Music by Charles Strouse; Lyrics by Lee Adams (1996)
"We Put the Spring in Springfield" – Music by Alf Clausen; Lyrics by Ken Keeler (1997)
"You're Checkin' In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center)" – Music by Alf Clausen; Lyrics by Ken Keeler (1998)
"A Ticket to Dream" – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1999)
2000s
"Up to You" – Music and Lyrics by John Kimbrough (2000)
"A Dream That Only I Can Know" – Music and Lyrics by Patrick Williams (2001)
"You've Got a Lot to See" – Music by Walter Murphy; Lyrics by Seth MacFarlane (2002)
"Aren't They All Our Children" – Music by David Foster; Lyrics by Linda Thompson (2003)
"Because You Are Beautiful" – Music by Toni Childs; Lyrics by Toni Childs, Eddy Free, and David Ricketts (2004)
"Mary Jane/Mary Lane" – Music by Dan Studney; Lyrics by Kevin Murphy (2005)
"A Wonderfully Normal Day" – Music by Greg O'Connor; Lyrics by Jim Wise (2006)
"Dick in a Box" – Music by Katreese Barnes, Asa Taccone, Jorma Taccone, and Justin Timberlake; Lyrics by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Justin Timberlake (2007)
"I'm F**king Matt Damon" – Music and Lyrics by Tony Barbieri, Sal Iacono, Wayne McClammy, Sarah Silverman, and Dan Warner (2008)
"Hugh Jackman Opening Number" – Music by John Kimbrough, William Ross, and Rob Schrab; Lyrics by Dan Harmon and Ben Schwartz (2009)
2010s
"When I'm Gone" – Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman (2010)
"Justin Timberlake Monologue" – Music by Katreese Barnes; Lyrics by Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, and Justin Timberlake (2011)
"It's Not Just for Gays Anymore" – Music by Adam Schlesinger; Lyrics by David Javerbaum (2012)
"If I Had Time" – Music by Adam Schlesinger; Lyrics by David Javerbaum (2013)
"Bigger!" – Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (2014)
"Girl You Don't Need Make Up" – Music by Kyle Dunnigan; Lyrics by Kyle Dunnigan and Jim Roach (2015)
"Til It Happens to You" – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren (2016)
"Letter to the Free" – Music by Common; Lyrics by Common, Robert Glasper, and Karriem Riggins (2017)
"Come Back Barack" – Music by Eli Brueggemann; Lyrics by Chris Redd, Will Stephen, and Kenan Thompson (2018)
"Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal" – Music by Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger; Lyrics by Rachel Bloom, Jack Dolgen, and Adam Schlesinger (2019)
2020s
"All for Us" – Music and Lyrics by Labrinth (2020)
"Agatha All Along" – Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2021)
"Corn Puddin'" – Music and Lyrics by Cinco Paul (2022)