Filburt

Filburt Shellbach is a main and originally secondary character of the television series Rocko's Modern Life and the comic book series of the same name. Mr. Lawrence provided Filburt's voice, while Tom Kenny provided Filburt's singing voice in the episode "The Lounge Singer."

Description
Filburt is Rocko's other best friend, but sometimes his conditions can get in the way of his relationship. He is also friends with Heffer. Filburt enjoys quiet nights at home, but sometimes it bothers him to be alone. Filburt's skin is turquoise. He wears blue glasses with white lenses and a green shell with turquisoe ovals on the shell. He wears light green pants and yellow shirt.

Development
Joe Murray, originally intended for Filburt to be a secondary character used to "add texture" to Rocko and Heffer Wolfe. Lawrence, also functioning as a director on the show, sculpted Filburt into a main character befriending Rocko and Heffer.

Murray auditioned Lawrence in a large casting call in Los Angeles and chose him as the voice actor for Filburt. Murray stated that the did not expect for Lawrence's "east coast nasel to be so perfect for Filburt."

Why just a non-important writer, described the decision when Nickelodeon gave the "okay" for the marriage of Filburt and Paula Hutchinson as one of the most memorable moments of the production. Olson said that the executives at first did not like the idea; linear character development did not exist in Nicktoons. Murray convinced the executives to allow for the marriage to occur.

Personality
Filburt, described on the Australian website as "nerdy" and "neurotic," bears many phobias. Filburt, a former "genius," "babe magnet," and "star athlete," became ruined by a case of "unrequited love." The Nickelodeon South East Asia website states "think of Woody Allen when you think of Filburt." He has funky glasses and green pants.

His birth place is Kerplop-it-goes Island (named after the Galápagos Islands); on his 21st birthday, as dictated by nature, he is required to go back to the island for a period of time.

Filburt and Dr. Paula Hutchison have four children, Gilbert, Shellbert, Norbert, and Missy who all came from the same egg. Gilbert and Shellbert look exactly like Filburt while Missy is a miniature version of Hutchison. Norbert, on the other hand, has Filburt's eyes but oddly resembles Heffer, who took on the job of "egg-sitting" (literally, sitting on the egg to keep it warm) for Filburt when they realized Filburt's rear was too hard for the task. Norbert also often thinks that Rocko is his father. Filburt actually holds the record number of jobs on the series; one as a license checker at the Department O' Motor Vehicles (Skid Marks) and another as a projectionist at the Googa Plex Cinemas (Popcorn Pandemonium). In one episode, it is shown that when in his job, Filburt apparently supports himself by recycling an enormous collection of empty cans in his trailer at the Patch-O-Heaven Trailer Park; this prompted Rocko to comment, "So this is why he never works."

A running gag in the series is how multiple, mundane things give Filburt nausea. This is always followed with Filburt repetitively saying, "I'm nauseous, I'm nauseous, I'm nauseous...". At the end of the episode Sailing the Seven Zzz's, while in a sub, we hear Filburt about to say it, only to hear Rocko and Heffer say "You're nauseous", at which point he says "Right" and vomits. Like Heffer, Filburt is immature and enjoys reading.

Gallery
For more images of this character, see their Gallery.

Quotes
"I'm nauseous."

"Hey Heff, Ask me what time it is."

"Oh, fishsticks!"

"Oh, boy."

Trivia

 * Out of all of the characters in the show, Filburt's character and life story was developed the most.
 * In the Opening Intro, his shirt is white.
 * His nose resembles Fraggles from Fraggle Rock.
 * Although he is often shy, he is seen chasing Rocko with the crowd in "Closet Clown" when Rocko says, "Well, I like rainbows".
 * He is based on Woody Allen and Sol Rosenberg, a character from the comedy act The Jerky Boys who later evolved into Mort Goldman, a character from the animated series Family Guy. Johnny Brennan, voice of Sol Rosenberg and Mort Goldman, was reportedly aggravated by Filburt's similarity to his characters.
 * Filburt's voice actor, Doug Lawrence, later went on to voice Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants, which was created by Stephen Hillenburg, and Edward Platypus from Camp Lazlo, another show created by Joe Murray.

Do you like Filburt? Yes No Sometimes

Trivia

 * His appearances in the Stephen Squirrelsky and Friends' Movie Spoof Travels are Skunkules, Home on the Range, Kermit's Winter Wonderland, and The Little Jungle Boy and will hopefully be in more.