Way back in 2012, college senior Cole Bowden had an unusual idea: ‘You know those burger puns on the blackboard in every episode of Bob’s Burgers? I wonder what they’d taste like.’ That fleeting, hunger-fueled thought was all that it took to inspire Bowden - at the time a complete NON-cook - to begin creating recipes for each and every one.
Fast-forward one blog, two years and nearly 100 burgers later, and not only has Bowden found a fan in the show’s creator, Loren Bouchard, he and Bouchard are creating a Bob’s Burgers cookbook! I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to make the veggie-burger versions of The Beets of Burden, Cheeses Is Born and Blondes Have More Fun-Gus. I’ll be that much closer to living my life as a cartoon!
I’m genuinely happy to hear about Bowden’s unexpected upgrade from Bob’s Burgers superfan to part of the show’s creative ‘family.’ That’s pretty much the dream, innit? It’s extra awesome that he got there through his own hard work and dedication. He EARNED it.
When I first started my dearly departed Croods blog back in Feb. 2012, all I wanted was to somehow meet the film’s director, Chris Sanders, and get a Stitch sketch from him. When I started getting emails from folks at DreamWorks telling me they liked the blog and that they read it regularly, I was shot through with adrenaline. When I was told that I’d be their ‘official unofficial’ Croods blog…was invited out to LA to tour the studio and meet the crew…then got a SECOND INVITE, this time to NYC to do long-form interview with Chris Sanders AND FINALLY GET MY DREAM SKETCH OF STITCH?!?! I’ve never had a Christmas that felt so magical. Heaven couldn’t hope to compare. I was 51/50 sipping a 40 on Cloud 9.
That’s how Cole Bowden is currently feeling — times ten.
I know it’s pretty tacky to quote oneself, but I’m gonna go ahead and do it anyway. Here’s the first two lines from my last post on The Croods blog, dated June 30, 2013:
My advice to anyone considering devoting a year and a half of their life to doing an unofficial blog (and Tumblr!) for a movie made by their heroes?
DO IT!
I still stand by that statement. And I know I’m attempting a bit of mind-reading here, but I betcha Bowden would say the same.
Be the fandom. Feed the fandom. ENGAGE.
NOTE: This long and rambling, slightly schizophrenic post was inspired by a recent NPR piece detailing Bowden’s burger-based Horatio Alger tale. To read that piece, click here.
