Who is Marcel the Shell? A History Of The World's Favorite Mollusk!

The full length trailer to the Marcel the Shell with Shoes On film has been released, and it has those of us that remember the overwhelming impact this two inch shell had on the 2010s reveling in all of our favorite nostalgia feels.

Many, however, who missed the wave, may be wondering who Marcel the Shell is. Why does he matter? Why does everyone seem to be going crazy over this small shell with sneakers that leave one to consider the logistics of what shell-feet should be.

Don't worry! You are in luck! For those who don't know who Marcel the Shell is, or just those who want a quick trip down memory lane, here is a quick and vibrant history of the adeventure this vibrant little shell has been on so far.

Who is Marcel The Shell with Shoes On One

Marcel is a small shell that journeys through life and in her cute but cuttingly comedic way comments on the world around her. Marcel, the precotiously loveable mollusk, is voiced by the ever incredible Jenny Slate, and it was co-created by slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp. The first ever episode of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On premiered in 2010. Slate did not originate her role of Mona Lisa Saperstien on Parks and Recreation until 2013. That means before Slate had us on the floor laughing with her demands for, "MONEY PLEASE," she was charming homes around the world as the universe's favorite shell.

The series premiered at 2010 AFI Fest. It won the award for Best Animated Short. This set the foundation for the success of the adorably facinating mollusk and Jenny Slate herself.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes on Two

The overwhelming success of episode one of the heartwarming YouTube series led to, you guessed it, the creation of episode two. Why was this series so popular? Well, for starters, there is something joy-inducing about watching a small mollusk with a crackly high pitched voice moving with stop-motion intention around a gigantic world.

Secondly, the things Marcel said struck the perfect balance of funny and facinating. The nihilism that is reflective of modern day zillenials gets a heartwarming twist. Episode two is home to iconic quotes like, "Guess why the bus isn't running? Because the bus is a caterpillar and it threw up." It's the smartest most loveable kind of nonsense there can be!

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on Children's Book

After the smash-hit success of the YouTube series, Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp, the two original creators of the characters, transformed it into a book. The, published in 2011 was titled Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me. It came out around the same time as the second video.

 This title immediately harkens back to one of the stop-motion shell's most famous quotes: "I like that about myself and I like myself and I have a lot of other great qualities." This motiviating mollusk is endearing and confidence boosting. It is no wonder that the first media expansion it took was to transition into a children's book.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on Three

In 2014, after Jenny Slate started her Parks and Recreation career, Marcel took to the wild outdoors for a third installment of the much beloved YouTube series. Throughout all of the episodes, the character has found a beautiful way to tug at the relatible heart strings of all who watch the show. In an interview with Marie Claire, Jenny Slate shared that:

"[Creating Marcel is] like I'm putting a hand down into the richest, darkest part of my psyche and trying to pull out the thing that I really want people to see about me, and what I'm like, and how I think, and what I need, and it comes out this way...I really, really, really value it."

This truth and heart are what made the mollusk such a marvelous success.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On Second Children's Book

Marcel may be small, but he is a very entrepenureal shell. Around the same time that the third video came out, the second book in the Marcel the Shell series was released titled, Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been. The story follows Marcel as he, while walking along a blanket, finds himself flying through the air, therein going on a series of adventures.

Through the combination of the videos and the books, this shell has captured the hearts of many, young and old, which sets the stage INCREDIBLY WELL for...

The Movie

FINALLY! After years of living in a world with no new updates from Marcel the Shell, the film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On has been picked up by A24. In this beautifully, funny, and heartfelt adventure, Marcel, in the same documentary style we have been watching him in for years, goes on a quest to find his family: a family who, based on this trailer, he has not seen for two years. We watch as our favorite small shell blows up into a phenomenon. This trailer has us already laughing and crying. We can't wait to see what the movie has in store.

A whole new world of people are about to have their hearts opened and filled with joy and laughter as they are invited to experience the world through the eyes of this powerful stop-motion character. We can't wait to see what new discoveries Marcel finds along the way!