"Phineas and Ferb" Lead a Music-Packed NYCC Panel with an Episode Debut - “Bend It Like Doof”

Phineas and Ferb’s 2025 New York Comic Con panel was a celebration of the show’s music legacy — 400-plus songs strong — and a crowd-pleasing sneak peek at a brand-new episode, “Bend It Like Doof." The session blended live laughs with behind-the-scenes craft: how the team writes a song for (nearly) every episode, why melody is their storytelling superpower, and what it takes for Vincent Martella to keep Phineas sounding eternally upbeat nearly twenty years after recording the pilot.

Series creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy" Marsh described a fast, focused songwriting process. In a small room with a few guitars and a keyboard, the first 15 minutes of every song they write are chaos. Then a chorus lands, and the rest falls into place. The goal is emotion and clarity in 60–90 seconds. As Povenmire put it, a single song can deliver what a five-minute dialogue scene would. As an example, while making Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, they were able to replace about 5 minutes of exposition about how much Perry means to Phineas and Ferb as a pet with the song “Everything’s Better with Perry."

Olivia Olson (Vanessa) traced her musical roots to harmonies she recorded for early seasons — thanks to her dad, songwriter Martin Olson — before evolving into a weekly co-writer on the show. The creators praised her ear for rhythm and joke construction, noting that her presence has organically elevated Vanessa’s role without losing the ensemble spirit.

Martella revealed the craft that keeps Phineas’ voice youthful: ongoing voice-over workshops, vocal coaching, even opera training. NYCC also heard about his newest trick — voicing Agent W, a whale — in “Bend it Like Doof."

“Bend It Like Doof" features a soccer-showdown romp that pits O.W.C.A. against L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. while Phineas and Ferb get up to one of their least bustable hijinks of the summer. The creators introduced a gleefully silly original number, “Hit That Thing with a Stick," which gets a reprise in the episode via a Weird Al–style self-parody titled “Kick That Ball with a Kick." Guest voice cameos nod to the world of football, including Cristo Fernández, adding extra sport-centric sparkle. “Bend it Like Doof" will premiere on Disney Channel next Saturday, and the next batch of episodes will arrive on Disney+ in January.

Asked why they promise a song in almost every episode, the team was candid: songs are sticky. Kids (and grown-ups) sing along, the hooks become communal memories, and the series earns that rare “immortality" songwriters dream about. The panelists traded favorites — from “Summer Is Starting Right Now" to deeper cuts like “My Undead Mummy and Me" — and shared stories of how special it’s been hearing their music at Disneyland.

During the audience Q&A, the team highlighted the green vinyl release of Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites, available at Disney Music Emporium and select retailers now. Several lucky question-askers took home copies signed by the four panelists, turning the Q&A into a mini holiday kickoff.

NYCC’s Phineas and Ferb panel doubled as a masterclass in musical storytelling and a promise that the revival’s tunes will keep coming fast and funny. Between a brand-new episode, a brand-new whale agent, and a festive vinyl you can spin this season, the franchise’s soundtrack to summer (and beyond) shows no signs of slowing down.

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