Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time” creator Pendleton Ward abruptly left the franchise, leaving many fans scratching thier heads as the show was one of the most popular on the channel.
Ward has since broken his silence regarding his departure as showrunner, explaining to Rolling Stone magazine why he walked away from the franchise without letting the 14 million weekly-viewers know.
"Dealing with people every day wears on you," Ward told the magazine.
“To spend that extra energy and time you don’t have, to make something that’s worth making, to make it awesome, wears you out,” he added. “It’s a beast of a show. And the more popular it gets, the more the ancillary things – like the merchandise and games and everything – keep getting bigger.”
Ward confessed he didn’t expect the show would go into five seasons. The pressures from running such a popular series was driving him “nuts.” The former showrunner claimed leaving "Adventure Time" was a big relief for him.
“For me, having quality of life outweighed the need to control this project and make it great all the time,” Ward told Rolling Stone.
However, he has not left “Adventure Time” altogether as he’s stayed on as a writer and storyboard artist. Ward claimed his next project will consist of creating an “Adventure Time” movie and an original video game.
"Whatever the next thing is, I just want my brain to be happy doing it," Ward said. "My state of mind is superimportant. I'm so fried, so I have to sort of work within the confines of what my brain can handle."
For Ward’s full interview regarding his “Adventure Time” departure, click here.
