The Weird World of Adult Animation: Our Top 10 Offbeat Favorites

Welcome to the weird, fear addicts! If you’re like me, you’ve probably found yourself drawn to the delightfully twisted realm of adult cartoons. These shows push the boundaries of what’s acceptable, often leaving me equal parts amused, disturbed, and questioning my life choices. But let’s be real, that’s precisely why I love them! So in this blog post, I’ll be taking you on a wild ride through my top 10 favorite weird adult cartoons, and BE WARNED: The clips we share below are definitely not for the squemish. But before we do that, let’s take a quick stroll through a bit of animation history…

Setting the Stage

Animation has long been associated with children’s entertainment, but over the past few decades, a vibrant and diverse landscape of adult-oriented cartoons has emerged. These shows push boundaries, blend humor with social commentary, and explore complex themes in ways that live-action simply can’t match. Let’s take a bit of a sojourn through the evolution of adult animation together, then prepare yourself for the Longbox of Darkness’ Top Ten Faves.

The Rise of Adult Animation

The roots of adult animation can be traced back to the early days of cinema, with risqué shorts like 1929’s “Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure” created for private audiences. However, it wasn’t until the late 20th century that adult animation began to gain mainstream traction.The watershed moment came in 1989 with the debut of “The Simpsons.” While ostensibly a family show, its sharp wit and cultural commentary paved the way for more explicitly adult-oriented fare. The 1990s saw an explosion of adult animated series, including:

• “King of the Hill” (1997)
• “South Park” (1997)
• “Family Guy” (1999)

These shows proved there was a hungry audience for animation that tackled mature themes and pushed comedic boundaries.

The Streaming Revolution

The rise of streaming platforms in the 2010s and 2020s has ushered in a new golden age for adult animation. Services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max have invested heavily in original animated content, giving creators unprecedented freedom to explore new styles and storytelling approaches.This boom has led to a staggering increase in both supply and demand. Between January 2020 and October 2023, US demand for adult animation grew by 151.6%, outpacing the 51.2% growth in supply. This surge can be attributed to several factors:

1. Pandemic-proof production: Animation proved resilient during COVID-19 lockdowns, as voice actors and animators could work remotely.
2. Strike-resistant: The 2023 Hollywood strikes had less impact on animated productions.
3. Cost-effective: Animated series can often be produced more efficiently than live-action counterparts.

But enough jibber-jabbering. It’s time to get on with the show. Here then are LOD’s Top 10 Recommended Adult Cartoons for those with a refined palate:

Superjail

Kicking off our list is the psychedelic fever dream known as Superjail. This show is like if Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory had a baby with a maximum-security prison, and that baby was raised by a pack of feral clowns. The warden, who looks like a cross between Willy Wonka and a serial killer, presides over a prison that defies the laws of physics and common sense.

Each episode is a kaleidoscopic journey filled with gratuitous violence, surreal imagery, and a cast of characters that make you question the creator’s sanity. It’s like watching a train wreck, but instead of a train, it’s a unicorn with a machine gun for a horn.

Frisky Dingo

Next up, we have Frisky Dingo, a show that proves superheroes and villains can be just as dysfunctional as the rest of us. The series follows the epic battle between Awesome-X, a trust fund baby turned superhero, and Killface, a British alien hell-bent on destroying the Earth. But here’s the twist: they’re both incompetent man-children who spend more time bickering and dealing with their personal issues than actually fighting crime or destroying the world.

The entire show is like watching a superhero movie written by the creators of “The Office,” with a generous sprinkle of absurdity and biting satire.

Metalocalypse

Metalocalypse is what happens when you take the brutal world of death metal and turn it into a cartoon. The show follows the misadventures of Dethklok, the world’s most popular and destructive metal band. These guys are so metal that they have their own country, an army of rabid fans, and a penchant for causing mass destruction wherever they go.

The show is a perfect blend of dark humor, over-the-top violence, and a surprising amount of heart. Plus, the music is legitimately good, even if it does make you want to sacrifice a goat to the dark lord.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

Ever wonder what happened to those Hanna-Barbera characters from your childhood? Well, apparently, they all got into legal trouble, and Harvey Birdman is their go-to attorney. This show is a brilliant parody of legal dramas, with Harvey taking on cases involving classic cartoon characters.

From Fred Flintstone’s mob ties to Scooby-Doo’s drug-sniffing past, no cartoon is safe from the show’s biting wit and absurdist humor. It’s like if “Law & Order” took place in a world where everyone is a cartoon character, and the crimes are as ridiculous as the characters themselves.

The Venture Bros

The Venture Bros. is what you get when you take the classic “Jonny Quest” formula and add a hefty dose of dysfunction, failure, and mommy issues. The show follows the adventures of Dr. Rusty Venture, a washed-up former boy adventurer, and his two sons, Hank and Dean. Along for the ride are Brock Samson, their bodyguard who’s equal parts murderous and nurturing, and a colorful cast of villains, heroes, and everything in between.

The show is a masterclass in world-building, with a sprawling mythology that’s as complex as it is hilarious. It’s like if “The Avengers” were a family of losers, and their arch-nemesis was a butterfly-themed supervillain with a penchant for musical theater.

Black Dynamite

Based on the 2009 film of the same name, Black Dynamite is a loving homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. The show follows the titular character, a former CIA agent turned vigilante, as he fights to keep the streets safe from pimps, drug dealers, and the occasional kung-fu master.

The show perfectly captures the aesthetic and tone of the era, from the funky soundtrack to the over-the-top action sequences. But beneath the surface lies a sharp social commentary and a biting satire of race relations in America. It’s like if “Shaft” had a baby with “The Boondocks,” and that baby grew up to be a kick-ass crime fighter with an afro that could stop bullets.

Archer

Archer is what happens when you take the suave, debonair spy archetype and give him a serious case of arrested development. The show follows the misadventures of Sterling Archer, the world’s most dangerous (and obnoxious) secret agent, and his dysfunctional colleagues at the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). From his overbearing mother/boss to his on-again, off-again girlfriend who’s also a deadly field agent, Archer’s life is a constant balancing act of espionage, alcohol, and ego.

The show is a masterclass in rapid-fire wit and pop culture references, with a voice cast that includes some of the biggest names in comedy. It’s like if James Bond had a lovechild with “Arrested Development,” and that lovechild grew up to be a snarky, self-centered man-child with a talent for getting shot.

Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty is the kind of show that makes you question your sanity, your mortality, and your understanding of the universe. The series follows the adventures of Rick Sanchez, a alcoholic super-genius scientist, and his grandson Morty, a perpetually anxious teenager who gets dragged along on Rick’s interdimensional adventures.

From alternate realities where everyone is a talking pickle to planets ruled by sentient fart clouds, no concept is too bizarre for this show. But beneath the absurdity lies a surprising amount of heart and existential dread, as the show grapples with the nature of existence, the futility of life, and the unbreakable bond between a boy and his sociopathic grandfather.

Bojack Horseman

Bojack Horseman is the kind of show that makes you laugh, cry, and question your life choices, often all in the same episode. Set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, the series follows the title character, a washed-up ’90s sitcom star trying to reclaim his former glory. Along the way, he grapples with addiction, depression, and the crushing weight of his own self-loathing.

The show is a masterclass in balancing comedy and tragedy, with moments of gut-wrenching honesty that hit you like a ton of bricks. It’s like if “Mad Men” and “Family Guy” had a baby, and that baby grew up to be a alcoholic horse with a talent for self-destruction.

An Honourable Mention:

Of course, no list of weird adult cartoons would be complete without a few honorable mentions. From the surreal, stream-of-consciousness insanity of “Xavier: Renegade Angel” to the biting political satire of “Our Cartoon President,” there’s no shortage of strange and wonderful shows out there.

The Wrap-Up

And there you have it, folks! A stroll through the wonderfully weird world of adult cartoons. From the psychedelic insanity of “Superjail” to the existential dread of “Bojack Horseman,” these shows prove that animation can be as entertaining for adults as it is for the kiddos. And the next time someone tries to tell you that cartoons are just for kids, sit them down and make them watch an episode of “Rick and Morty.” If they don’t come out the other side a changed person, then there’s no hope for them. But for the rest of us weirdos and misfits, these shows are a reminder that it’s okay to embrace the strange, the bizarre, and the downright twisted. They’re a celebration of the outsiders, the oddballs, and the freaks. And in a world that often feels like it’s gone completely insane, sometimes a little insanity is just what we need.

So embrace the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully bizarre. And never forget: sometimes the only sane response to an insane world is to laugh madly at the absurdity of it all 😉

Thanks for reading, and stay weird, fright fans.