Andy Merrill
The deadpan voice behind cult cartoon chaos, he gave life to the blissfully stupid space cat Brak and Adult Swim's surreal Oglethorpe.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American voice actor·Birthday: November 27·Generation X
Biography
Andy Merrill operated from the writers' room, not the spotlight, becoming one of the secret weapons of Cartoon Network's late-night animation revolution. Hired as a writer for the surreal talk show parody 'Space Ghost Coast to Coast,' he found his signature role when he began voicing Brak, a bizarre, song-loving alien cat. The character's cheerful idiocy, delivered in Merrill's flat, oddly sincere tone, was such a hit it spawned its own spin-off. He became a central creative force at Williams Street, the studio behind Adult Swim, co-creating 'The Brak Show' and voicing the pompous, easily offended Oglethorpe on 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force.' Merrill's genius lay in playing absurdity utterly straight, making the nonsensical feel weirdly relatable. His contributions helped define the off-kilter, minimalist humor that became a generation's definition of cool.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andy was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and was the primary voice of Brak, a breakout character from 'Space Ghost Coast to Coast' who later starred in 'The Brak Show.'
- Served as a writer and producer on the influential Adult Swim series 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' (later 'Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1').
- Voiced the character Oglethorpe, Master of the Universe, a recurring villain on 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force.'
- Was a key writer and voice actor during the formative early years of Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim programming block.
Did You Know?
He originally auditioned to be a writer for 'Space Ghost Coast to Coast,' not a voice actor.
Merrill based Brak's voice on his own natural speaking voice, just slightly exaggerated.
He also worked as a writer for the Cartoon Network interstitial series 'Cartoon Planet.'
The famous 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' theme song, 'I'm so lonely, so very lonely,' was performed by Merrill and fellow writer Matt Maiellaro.
“I'm Brak! I'm a spaceman, and I'm here to steal your meat!”
