Steven Universe’s “G.U.Y.S.” and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes

When I was a Storyboard Supervisor on Adventure Time, I came up with a silly joke pitch called “Infinite Guy Generator”! The idea was gonna be about a kid who found a mystical object that let him create all kinds of action heroes- Ninja Guys, Construction Guys, Invisible Guys, etc etc. There would be a villain who had an alternate version of the same widget that would let him create evil guys- Demon Guys, Monster Guys, Goblin Guys, etc. Every episode would be about the main kid summoning a different Guy to help him with a problem, and eventually destroying the Evil Guy Generator.

Once I came up with the idea for my 2013 pilot “Lakewood Plaza Turbo” I folded in this idea and made it set in a world based off of that old pitch. But instead of a Guy generator, the world was already populated by crazy powerful heroes!

Eventually, Rebecca Sugar enlisted me to work on Steven Universe as Co-Executive Producer and when we were writing the episode Onion Trade, I re-used the Guy concept as a series of collectible toys that Steven and Onion were obsessed with. Storyboarder Lamar Abrams reinterpreted the idea as “G.U.Y.S.: Guys Under Your Supervision” and it was hilarious. People really liked the idea, and not long after the episode a creative fan even 3D Printed a model of Ranger Guy! It really made me think more about the concept and how fun it was.

As I continued to redevelop my show into a mobile game, shorts and eventually a new show, the world of G.U.Y.S. in Steven Universe expanded to include “G.A.L.S.” and “P.A.L.S.”!

I even considered retitling my show “G.U.Y.S. G.A.L.S. and P.A.L.S.” but it was too long and confusing(I ended up choosing the name “OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes” which is maybe also long and confusing too hehe 😅)

If you’ve ever wondered what a show based on Steven’s favorite toy would be like, please tune into OK KO! this month! I think you’ll like it!