HISTORY
The film began as a three minute fake trailer made for an advanced film production class and, as a joke the director said he was going to make the actual film. "People kept asking 'Where's the movie?" says Trey Parker "The response was so positive, we decided we'd do it” together with fellow students Matt Stone, Jason McHugh and Ian Hardin (average age 23) they formed the Avenging Conscience Inc production company and raised $75,000 from private investors, friends and family by the day they needed to start shooting. They employed fellow students as cast members and took parts in the film themselves each stepping into each others shoes behind the camera when necessary. From conception to being in the can the film took around twelve months.
Originally a student of music, director Trey Parker transferred from the prestigious Berklee School of Music to Colorado University at Boulder to study film, and it was there he gave birth to his twisted brainchild "Alferd Packer: The Musical". Parker not only wrote, produced, directed and played the leading role in the film, he also wrote the songs and collaborated on the score.
When Troma picked up the film in 1996, they realized that few people outside of Colorado had ever heard of Alferd Packer, so they re-released it under the name, Cannibal! The Musical and the rest was history as they say!
After Troma took over distribution of the original film, Jason McHugh — one of the film's original actors and producers, who played Frank Miller, The Butcher — launched New Cannibal Society to bring Cannibal! The Musical to the stage as a live production. Over 100 productions have been staged in more than 10 countries since, and the show is now marching into its 30th year, with McHugh always on the lookout for new homes for it.
As a producer, McHugh went on to make Orgazmo and two TimeWarped pilots with Trey Parker and Matt Stone under Avenging Conscience Productions. He also worked on the South Park pilot, where he was asked to track down Primus to record the theme song — a connection that led to years of collaboration with the band, including producing Les Claypool's Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo. McHugh currently works with Primus as Creative Director, running their live video mix and creating sets and art experiences around the music.
TimeWarped Ep.1 "Aaron"
TimeWarped Ep.2 "Rom & Jul"
Les Claypool recently spoke about how it all started, mentioning Jason McHugh's role in South Park's history.
Today, Jason runs Cannibal! The Store — the official home for Cannibal! The Musical merchandise, straight from one of the people who lived the story. He's also the author of Shpadoinkle: The Making of Cannibal! The Musical, his firsthand account of the making of the film, with every copy sold through the store personally signed by him.