Hadel grew up in Kansas[6] and began his animation career by uploading Adobe Flash animations to Newgrounds, later transitioning to YouTube.[7] He enrolled in college to learn graphic design, but dropped out.[8] A self-taught animator, Hadel had stated that shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, The Simpsons and South Park had inspired his animation style.[9] Videos of his became popular online, such as his animated video about the "arrow in the knee" meme from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which went viral in 2011.[10] Along with fellow Newgrounds animator Chris O'Neill, Hadel created the popular web cartoon series Hellbenders, which was picked up for a pilot by Adult Swim, but ultimately not pursued.[11][12][13] Hadel also collaborated with O'Neill to make an animated short video parodying the Kony 2012 documentary; the video went viral, receiving over 1.7 million views within its first weekend.[14] Hadel was also a member of SleepyCabin, a comedy and discussion podcast hosted by former Newgrounds animators. As of April 2022[update], his YouTube channel psychicpebbles has 1.5 million subscribers and 208.4 million views.[15]
On April 1, 2020, Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim block premiered the pilot episode of Hadel and Michael Cusack's animated adult television series, Smiling Friends.[21] The series follows Pim and Charlie, two employees of a titular company missioned to make people smile.[22] The series premiered with a full season marathon on January 9, 2022, and later debuted on HBO Max.[5][23] Adult Swim announced that the show would be renewed for a second season on February 9, 2022.[24]
^Hearne, John (March 28, 2013). "Irish reveal how to make a career out of YouTube". Irish Examiner. Retrieved June 4, 2022. The young Wexford entrepreneur is just back from Los Angeles where he had been pitching to get him and his collaborator Zach Hadel's newest series 'Hellbenders' into mainstream television.
^Tucker, David (April 3, 2013). "Wexford's Chris a web sensation". Enniscorthy Guardian. Retrieved June 4, 2022. O'Neill is collaborating with fellow YouTuber, Psychicpebbles, on a series called Hellbenders, which is also racking up big numbers.
