Childhood[]
Young Pickles being told he belongs in a garbage can
Pickles was raised in Tomahawk, Wisconsin by his parents, Calvert and Molly. He grew up smoking "government weed" for his 'kiddie glaucoma', which he claims is what left him completely immune to the effects of most drugs, and he suffered from asthma as a child. However, he is only seen using an inhaler in Dethfam after being forced to interact with his parents. As he does so, he states that he hasn't used an inhaler in 15 years.
His parents' obvious favoritism and constant attention toward his older brother Seth left Pickles with an inferiority complex and resentment toward his family.
When he was six years old, his brother Seth burned down the garage and framed Pickles. That trauma is what caused Pickles to drink, which he's been doing ever since. Although this was an apparent issue, causing him to throw up on himself in class as a young boy, it continued throughout his adolescence. He regularly went out of his way to smuggle alcohol out of stores before he was of the legal drinking age (he had been caught by the police at least once), as well as take advantage of the liquor available at his job when he worked in a restaurant as a teenager.
Prior to leaving home and getting a guitar, he had a drum set as a teenager, which he had to disassemble and reassemble in the basement whenever there would be a tornado warning in Tomahawk[1]. He is seen graduating high school in a flashback sequence during Rehabklok, and is listed as having a "partial" education as the Tribunal discusses him. When Pickles ran away at 16, his dad's last words to him were, "Get out of here! You belong in a garbage can!"
Snakes N' Barrels[]
At the age of sixteen, Pickles rode a dust-covered bus to Los Angeles, purchased a Gibson Les Paul guitar from a pawn shop at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire, and began a tenacious effort to become famous.[2] Years later, he landed a record deal, and gained fame as frontman for Snakes N' Barrels, a glam rock band. According to Charles Offdensen, the band already existed before Pickles got there. The band featured Antonio "Tony" DiMarco Thunderbottom, an alcoholic bass player; Sammy "Candynose" Twinskins, a crack cocaine user who played drums; and Snizzy Snazz Bullets, a hallucinogens and heroin addict on rhythm guitar. Snakes N' Barrels disbanded at the peak of their popularity due to heavy drug use. Pickles was the only member of Snakes N' Barrels to go on to a successful career, while the rest eventually regained sobriety after years of difficulty.
Season 1[]
Pickles attempts to perform a reunion show with his old band Snakes 'N' Barrels. This sparks feelings of jealousy from the rest of Dethklok, despite his assertion that he has no intention of leaving them. The concert is ultimately a disaster when his former bandmates relapse and overdose on the mind-altering drug 'totally awesome sweet Alabama liquid snake', which has no effect on Pickles due to his many years of heavy recreational drug-use.
Season 2[]
Pickles visits his family in Wisconsin for his brother Seth's wedding, an invitation which turns out to be mostly another attempt by Seth to extort money and favors from Pickles. Pickles snaps and physically attacks his brother at the wedding reception, punching him in the face.
Pickles is furious when he learns that his Snakes 'N' Barrels bandmates are reuniting without him under a new sober frontman, Rikki Kixx. Pickles goes to their show and confronts Rikki himself, physically assaulting him on stage.
Season 3[]
After an accident during a concert, Pickles spends a short period of time in a rehab center for his alcohol and drug use, resulting in a variety of rebellious behaviors.
Pickles wearing his Christmas sweater
When Dethklok is worried about a medical exam reflecting on them badly, Pickles convinces Murderface to drink bleach to appear in healthy. After the test results from the medical exam are returned to the band, it is revealed that Pickles has a very short time frame left to live. Devastated, he turns to drugs and alcohol to cope with this news. While heavily intoxicated at a theme park, Pickles gets a phone call from Charles telling him of some 'urgent' news. He gets back to Mordhaus and it is clarified that Pickles, in fact, will not be dying like he believes he will. The urine that went through the scanning process actually belonged to Toki's cat after a series of consecutive switches between each band member.
Season 4[]
Nathan and Pickles gear up to celebrate Dethklok's newest album by partaking in a post-release tradition called The Friender Bender, a multinational worldwide drinking binge. However, their plans are halted by a series of severe storms around the world which destroy every copy of the record. Nathan and Pickles end up in a physical altercation that leaves Pickles with a bloodied nose when Nathan's premonition causes him to destroy the master record, the only remaining copy.
The tribunal's collected info.
In attempt to gain his mother's approval, Pickles becomes a licensed realtor. After numerous failures, he develops a scam to buy all the houses himself. However, this still does not satisfy his mother, who immediately changes her tune and tells him how disappointed she is that he hasn't been focusing on Dethklok. He snaps and finally tells her off for the first time in his life.
When the band becomes stranded in the Middle East, Pickles takes the opportunity to tell Nathan he is angry about the loss of the record, and the fact that Nathan will not say "sorry" to Pickles. Nathan still does not openly apologize, saying Pickles knows it's not in his nature.
Pickles' friendship with Nathan is threatened even further when the two begin to pursue the same woman, their new production manager, Abigail Remeltincdrinc. Abigail and Nathan develop an attraction for each other and Pickles feels spurned and jealous. When Nathan announces that he and Abigail are a couple, Pickles quits the band on the spot and severs his friendship with Nathan entirely. Pickles refuses to speak to Nathan or even be in his presence, with the exception of one final concert, at which the band is attacked and the head of their label is murdered by Mister Salacia. At the funeral, Nathan delivers an emotional eulogy in which he apologizes to Pickles for destroying the record as well as his budding romance with Abigail, explaining, "I don't want her if I can't have you... being my drummer!" The two friends share an 'emotionally brutal' hug, moments before they are all attacked by The Revengencers.
The Doomstar Requiem[]
Deep in denial.
Just like the other Dethklok members, Pickles spirals into a deep pit of drug abuse and alcoholism- considerably worse than what he's seen going through in prior episodes of the series. Unable to cope with the reality of the situation, he relies on drugs and alcohol to forget, supporting Murderface's idea that any and all bad thoughts should be simply pushed away.
Driving a hybrid.
In How Can I Be A Hero?, he ponders leaving the life of being a rockstar and settling for a more mundane life, driving a hybrid car and tying his locs up in a ponytail. He, once again, refuses to accept his responsibilities, and attempts to claim that he can't do much- he's just part of the world's greatest metal band, he isn't a hero. It is revealed in Some Time Ago... that Pickles had a stronger leadership role in the early days of Dethklok, as he's shown calling the shots about what to do after Magnus leaves the band. He states that they need a new rhythm guitarist, which Skwisgaar strongly disagrees with. In order to settle the dispute, he demands that Skwisgaar prove himself worthy of being the only guitarist.
"Stop saying brother. It's weird to me."
Upon being urged to work towards saving Toki, he, as well as the others, expresses disgust towards Toki being referred to as his brother. This resentment towards the title is common throughout Doomstar Requiem, as Pickles states it grosses them out, and that it's weird. However, he does indeed come around to the idea of saving Toki regardless of rejecting the idea of him being 'family'.
Facing the old manager.
In The Answer Is In Your Past, Pickles proves himself to be a helpful source of guidance after Offdensen leaves the band. He brings forward the offer that Toki may be hidden in the Depths of Humanity- the venue where Toki performed his first show. Having entered the Depths of Humanity, he struggles to deal with the horrors that he is faced with, including the presence of Dethklok's old manager and other harrowing figures. He, similar to the beginning of the rock opera, falls into a pit of despair and hopelessness, and finds himself unable to focus on finding Toki.
"I think this set-up is a trap!"
After escaping the shadowy reflections of Dethklok's past, he finds himself faced with another group of angry, jealous musicians, but works alongside his bandmates to give back to them, and he tosses his drum sticks into the crowd, shouting "take my sticks and play the drums!". Later on, he grows suspicious that going into the next building where Toki is supposedly held may be a trap, and that it may be the fight of their lives. Upon being cornered by more musicians, watching as the Metal Masked Assassin approaches with malice in his eyes, he exclaims that there's no escape- falling into hopelessness for a third time.
The band is finally able to get through the building and find Toki, where he urges them all to leave. He acquires the Dethlights in a final attack against the MMA, and the story eventually comes to a close.
Army Of The Doomstar[]
In an interview held right after Toki is brought back on stage, Pickles reveals that he, just like the other band members (besides Nathan), remembers nothing of the events of Doomstar Requiem.
Taking care of his bandmates.
During the memorial services for Ishnifus Meaddle, Pickles is left in charge of Murderface, Toki, and Skwisgaar, who are causing a disruption in the Church of the Black Klok. He urges them to behave, holding himself in a poised manner, and ends up overwhelmingly frustrated with his bandmates as they cause a scene. He's asked to meet with Charles, and is then revealed to be a 'key to the final stage of the Metalocalypse' during a heartfelt conversation. He is also told he must be a true friend to Nathan. Upon meeting Dick Knubbler after being sent away to work on the Song of Salvation, each member is given their own familial role to symbolize their position in the band. Pickles is assigned the mother of the band.
Consoling Murderface.
He is horrified after the results of the performance for Aortic Desecration, attempting to console Nathan and keep him back from banging through the glass that Knubbler put up to keep them safe, and shocked when he learns the traitor was amongst them. He chases after Murderface with the others, and helps to hold him down in the water for the exorcism. When Murderface proclaims that he's a monster, and compares himself to Magnus, Pickles strongly disagrees, and tells him he's valuable to the band. After the emotional turmoil of bringing Murderface back to his own senses, Pickles and Nathan share a tense moment in a nearby cave as Nathan struggles to figure out exactly how to write the SOS. Pickles smacks him across the face, insulting him, and finally brings him to his senses, asking "what would you say?"
Standing beside Nathan after they're done using the Dethlights to fight Salacia.
In a humorous reclamation of his assigned motherly role in the band, as he pilots an aircraft, Pickles requests from Toki that he "bring mommy his [Pickles'] scotch". Nathan later on refers to him as the "best mother...fucker. Motherfucker.", which continues this theme. After being released from the clutches of Salacia's mechanism, he rushes to Nathan's side to check if he's alive. He shows a genuine concern, and holds the vocalist's face in his hand for a moment to take a better look at him.
- ↑ Season 1 DVD interview. https://youtu.be/LHKaqlC1i8I
- ↑ Snakes N' Barrels