Three cartoon series that every adult should watch

Today, I’m taking a bit of a break from just running through movie series and, as per the usual fare, explaining why the later movies were complete crap regardless of how good the earlier ones were.  This time I’m going to try to introduce three amazing shows to people out there that may still be under the false assumption that cartoons are for kids.  While the three shows I am proposing can be enjoyed by children, the truth of the matter is that they are filled with a kind of humor that only those with a little age and wisdom can fully appreciate.  Continue on for the full reason why each show is truly and utterly great.

Invader Zim

Created by comic book alumni, Jhonen Vasquez, Invader Zim was a short-lived series that started out on Nickelodeon but, after two seasons, was cancelled.  The reason?  The network claimed low ratings, though the underground word on it is that there were too many complaints about the adult humor.

Invader Zim presents the story of an alien named Zim that has come to Earth as part of an invading fleet.  He is not there, however, to do what he thinks.  Preparing the Earth to be conquered may be what’s on his mind, but the truth of the matter is that Zim is one of the fleet’s worst and he was sent to Earth, far, far away from where the real conquest is happening, in order to keep him out of the way.

Enter Zim’s nemesis, Dib.  Dib is the big-headed kid that knows Zim's secret and tries the thwart his evil plans.  Not that Zim’s plans need much thwarting.  Between Zim and his dysfunctional robot, Gir, they manage to screw everything up fine on their own.

The thing about Invader Zim is that, while there is a silly sort of conflict between inept alien and inept Earthling (the story that appeals to kids), this show is laced with some harsh social commentary.  The school is run like a prison and the children there mindless and fearful.  The show’s view of social constructs such as consumerism, government, education, parenting and pretty much everything else is not flattering.  Rarely is anyone depicted as competent.  It seems that Zim should have an easy time of conquering the Earth considering the sheer stupidity of everyone, although his own incompetence keeps him from victory.

With Invader Zim, you should expect your mind to twist with the strangeness of it all, but you should always keep your eyes open for what the writers really have to say, which makes it perfect for the discriminating adult audience.

The Tick

In The Tick, we are presented with a nigh-invulnerable super hero who has pledged to defend “The City” from evil-doers.  Together with his trusty yet cowardly side-kick Arthur, they keep the likes of Chairface Chippendale, The Breadmaster and Dinosaur Neil from destroying the place.  One small problem, however, in that The Tick himself has more than a few screws loose.  The show follows a typical weekly format with only a slight amount of sustained development, but it’s still absolutely great.

The Tick is one cartoon that really does appeal to children, but, much like Zim, it is filled with meaning below the surface.  In this show, however, the inside jokes are about super heroes.  Anyone that grew up reading comic books will see ten times more than a casual Tick watcher.  There’s also a heavy presence of wordplay when it comes to The Tick’s humor.  One can often watch an episode more than a few times only to discover that what one person said in a particular scene means a lot more than first imagined.  There’s a level of cleverness at work that gives the show great rewatchability and more complexity than people give it credit for.

Unfortunately, The Tick got cancelled after just three seasons, despite the fact that it was getting better and better.  There was an attempt to remake it as a live-action series in 2001, but that only lasted a single season.  I like to think that it failed because the world was still not ready for super hero comedy, but it could be just because it wasn’t all that great.  For diehard Tick fans, Ben Edlund (the creator of this masterpiece) started the character in a comic book which you can still find for pretty cheap in collected editions.

All super hero fans should take a look at The Tick.  There’s always the risk that it just seems too stupid, but if you give it a chance you will discover that this is a very smart show at its core.

Venture Bros.

The Venture Bros. could be compared to a mature audience version of The Tick.  It features super heroes as the main characters, just like the other show, but these super heroes deal with problems that are a bit more adult, such as getting old, sex and other topics that one wouldn't see in a kid’s cartoon.  The show isn't really for kids at all, actually.

The main story follows Doctor Venture, a former boy adventurer that was horribly traumatized as a kid and has grown up to be a bitter man and a failure.  He has two kids, Hank and Dean, though they have a tendency to die a lot.  They have a bodyguard named Brock Sampson who is so bad-ass that he makes Chuck Norris look like a five-year-old schoolgirl.  And then there’s Doctor Venture’s nemesis, the mighty Monarch - a man dressed up in a butterfly costume that flies around in a giant cocoon.

This show is for the hardcore super hero enthusiast.  They make fun of every cliché in the comic book with Venture Bros. and, despite it having gone on for four seasons, the show is still great.  My only beef with the show is that they often glaze over things that have happened in the past, ignoring character growth in a show that tries to be more than just a weekly episodic format.

Luckily for Venture Bros. fans, the new season 5 is finally arriving come June 2, more than four years after then end of season 4 (the creators are lazy as hell).  If you haven’t seen this show, you must at least sit down and view the first few episodes.  If that doesn't sell you on it, I’ll send you a shiny new penny for your troubles.

Gir Love art courtesy of fanpop.com

Tick vs Santa courtesy of gamedrunk.com