Todd Hanson briefly attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986 and soon dropped out. He remained in Madison and began working a series of menial jobs. Eventually Hanson began drawing a semi-autobiographical cartoon entitled 'Badgers and Other Animals' which was published regularly in the Daily Cardinal, a university student newspaper. Hanson was working as a dishwasher when he first started as a writer and cartoonist at The Onion.[1] He wrote an article in The Onion that was optioned as a movie by DreamWorks[2] and co-wrote the comedy filmThe Onion Movie (2008), which he has since disowned.[3]
As actor
Todd was an ensemble member in the Ark Improvisational Theater in Madison, Wisconsin from 1987–88. He voices the character Dan Halen on Squidbillies.[4] He made three guest appearances in the episodes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force called Interfection, Hypno-Germ and Last Dance for Napkin Lad. He is also on the commentary for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters in which he stated that he is a big fan of the show. The commentary also states that he came up with the Chicken Bittle character which was rejected to be an Aqua Teen for several years.
