Community creator Dan Harmon has exited Starburns Industries, the innovative production company he co-founded in the summer of 2010 along with Dino Stamatopoulos, Joe Russo II, James Fino and Duke Johnson, Collider has exclusively learned.
“Dan stepped away from Starburns some time ago to focus his time and attention on Rick and Morty,” an individual with knowledge of Harmon’s decision told Collider.
It’s unclear when, exactly, Harmon left Starburns, but his weekly live show/podcast Harmontown came to an end last month. The show hailed from Starburns Audio, which is also behind the popular podcasts Dumb People Town and Small Doses. Starburns also has a publishing division, SBI Press, that produces graphic novels, vinyl records, and more, so the company will continue on without Harmon.
Image via Adult Swim
Additionally, Starburns produced the 2015 stop-motion animated drama Anomalisa, which was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a PGA Award, and the company has also been developing the stop-motion animated feature Bubbles. However, that project is unlikely to ever move forward in the wake of the Michael Jackson documentary Finding Neverland and Taika Waititi‘s subsequent decision to exit as co-director, along with Netflix. Sources say Waititi’s exit imperiled the project, which still has Mark Gustafson directing from a Black List-topping script by Isaac Adamson, but may have a difficult time getting made given the allegations against the late singer.
For now, Harmon seems content to focus on Rick and Morty, which he co-created, and which received an additional 70-episode order from Adult Swim back in 2018. And if you check out Harmon’s Instagram, you’ll see his growing fondness for woodworking, as he’s been spending much of his free time making tables and enjoying life. In addition to serving as co-creator of The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central and co-writer of the Oscar-nominated animated feature Monster House, Harmon and his longtime collaborator Rob Schrab also founded Channel 101, a website celebrating innovative new web series.
To watch Harmon break down the recent Rick and Morty episode “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty” with director Anthony Chun and episode writer Jeff Loveness, click here.
