Aqua Teen Hunger Force
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force | |
|---|---|
 The logo for Aqua Teen Hunger Force |
|
| Genre | Absurdist humour Dark humour |
| Created by | Matt Maiellaro Dave Willis |
| Starring | Dave Willis Dana Snyder Carey Means |
| Narrated by | Schoolly D |
| Theme music composer | Schoolly D |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 100 (1 unaired) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Keith Crofford Mike Lazzo |
| Producer(s) | Matt Maiellaro Dave Willis Jay Wade Edwards |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Williams Street Radical Axis |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Adult Swim |
| Picture format | 4:3 SDTV (2000-2007) 16:9 HDTV (2008-present) |
| Original run | December 30, 2000 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Space Ghost Coast to Coast Spacecataz Carl |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known as ATHF) is an American animated television series shown on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim late-night programming block, as well as Teletoon in Canada. It is one of four spin-offs of Adult Swim's Space Ghost Coast to Coast. ATHF is one of the four original Williams Street series that premiered on December 30, 2000 before Adult Swim officially debuted (the others were Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law). ATHF is the longest running original series on the network.[1]
The show is about the adventures of three anthropomorphic fast food items and their next-door neighbor in suburban southern New Jersey. In 2007, an ATHF movie, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, was released in 877 selected theaters throughout the United States. Another movie is planned for 2012, to be called Death Fighter.[2] The series has been cited as an example of postmodern humor.[3][4]
Episodes tend to lack clear plots and frequently place the main characters in bizarre, surreal, and often morbid scenarios. The initial premise of the show, concerning the three lead characters - Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad - solving mysteries was dropped in favor of intentionally incohesive storylines, improvised dialogue (often laden with non sequiturs), and absurd visual gags. Situations often involve the Aqua Teens being visited by strange monsters and extraterrestrial beings, most of which are of little power or consequence. An initially structured plot is often abandoned as characters' actions take the story far afield. Little continuity exists between episodes: regularly appearing characters frequently die in an episode, only to appear alive and well in the next. Since its release, it has developed a cult following.
Contents |
Production
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is directed by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, animated by Radical Axis and produced by Williams Street. Much of the dialogue is supplemented with ad libs and improvisation by the voice talent.[5] The show is fully scripted but ad libs are included in the final voice recordings and the shows are animated to include this improvisation. Many, if not all, of the crew and cast members formerly worked on Space Ghost Coast to Coast.[1] Rapper Schoolly D performs the theme song, and in early episodes also provided periodic commentary.
The Aqua Teens were originally created for an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast called "Baffler Meal", where they were the corporate mascots for a fictional fast-food chain called "Burger Trench". The versions of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force were prototypes which resembled the future characters, but both Master Shake and Frylock differed in appearance, personality, and voice from their ultimate design.[6] The name "Teen Hunger Force" refers to the squad's mission to conquer hunger in teens.[7]
"Baffler Meal" did not air for several years, and was not even animated or produced until after ATHF became popular. Instead, the Space Ghost episode was rewritten as "Kentucky Nightmare," while the Aqua Teens debuted in "Rabbot", the pilot episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Although originally Adult Swim did not feel that the show would do very well, they allowed the show to be produced due to a need for original programming. A full season consisting of sixteen episodes, including "Rabbot", was put into production shortly thereafter. ATHF is now one of Adult Swim's most popular shows.[8]
In early episodes, the trio were identified by Master Shake as the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," which solved crimes for money. After a few episodes, this premise and the use of the name by the characters were dropped. The premise was a trick that had been added to appease Cartoon Network executives, who "didn't want to air a show about food just going around and doing random stuff."[8] In the show itself, Frylock mentions that they stopped fighting crime because "that wasn't making us a whole lot of money."[9]
Opening sequences
During the first two seasons, which were released on DVD in three volumes, episodes cold-opened with a glimpse into the laboratory of Dr. Weird. He and his assistant Steve use the first several seconds of the show to create monsters, disasters, and various other things. In earlier episodes of the first season, the monsters or creations usually formed the basis for the plot, but as the crime-fighting element of the program disappeared, the Dr. Weird segment became a non sequitur opening gag.
In the third season, Dr. Weird was dropped in favor of segments from the pilot episode of Spacecataz, an unaired spin-off created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro. Six episodes were planned for production, but Adult Swim felt that there was little, if anything, that could be made into five more episodes, since all of the characters were destroyed at the end of the pilot.[10] These segments featured the Mooninites (Ignignokt and Err) and the Plutonians (Emory and Oglethorpe) clashing with each other, trading insults, gestures, and practical jokes. The full Spacecataz pilot is available as a special feature on the Volume Four DVD box-set.[11]
The openings were dropped starting in the fourth season. Dr. Weird has not been seen since, except for an appearance in the movie, and in some episodes he can be seen in a photo with Frylock, in the background of Frylock's room. In this picture he is shown having brown hair, indicating that he is younger in the photo.
Closing credits
The show ends with an apparent history of ATHF, showing what appear to be the three characters in Egyptian murals, then being abducted by Abraham Lincoln and sent to the moon in a wooden rocket ship, where they are shown sitting around a campfire when an Apollo astronaut arrives. During this sequence, a soundbite from the first episode, Master Shake saying "dancing is forbidden", is played repeatedly to a beat. [12]
Cast and characters
Characters
Cast
| Name | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Dave Willis | Meatwad Carl Brutananadilewski Ignignokt Boxy Brown Various |
| Dana Snyder | Master Shake Attorney Shrub |
| Carey Means | Frylock |
| C. Martin Croker | Dr. Weird Steve |
| Matt Maiellaro | Err Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future Markula Various |
| Andy Merrill | Oglethorpe Merle Rice guard |
| Mike Schatz | Emory |
| mc chris | MC Pee Pants Little Carl |
| George Lowe | The Cop Various |
| Tommy Blacha | Dr. Wongburger |
| Schoolly D | Narrator |
Films
Colon Movie Film for Theaters
A feature film based on the show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, was released on April 13, 2007. The movie follows the origins of the Aqua Teens, which includes an exercise machine, Neil Peart of the band Rush, a watermelon slice named "Walter Melon", and an appearance by heavy metal band Mastodon in the opening sequence. The film also introduces a fourth Aqua Teen, a chicken nugget named "Chicken Bittle" (voiced by Bruce Campbell). The Plutonians and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, recurring characters, both make appearances in the movie, as well as the Mooninites, Dr. Weird, and MC Pee Pants.[13]
For April Fools' Day 2007, Cartoon Network aired for free Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters during the Adult Swim programming block even though it had not yet been released. However, it was aired shrunken and in the bottom corner of the normal programming that was being aired at the time, and contained no sound.
Death Fighter
A sequel to ATHFCMFFT called Death Fighter is planned for release in summer 2012.[2] Unlike the first film, the sequel may be released straight to DVD rather than theatrically.[14] A recent Adult Swim bump addressed the status of the film, referencing Wikipedia's saying it's happening, but then Adult Swim states that it isn't.[15]
Boston bomb scare
On January 31, 2007, as part of a national guerrilla marketing campaign, Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, installed LED displays depicting the Mooninites in ten different cities: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. In Boston, Massachusetts, the authorities considered the LEDs suspicious prompting the closure of major roads and waterways for investigation. Turner Broadcasting System later admitted placing the LEDs and apologized for the misunderstanding. In spite of the uproar, Berdovsky and Stevens mocked the media and critics in interviews while facing charges for "placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct".[16] Subsequently, all criminal charges were dropped in exchange for Berdovsky and Stevens apologizing during their court date and accepting a plea bargain which consisted of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center.[17] Turner Broadcasting has paid the Boston Police Department one million dollars to cover the investigation’s cost and an additional million for good will.[18][19] This action was designed to settle criminal and civil claims, while the general manager of Cartoon Network stepped down because of the incident. Of the 10 cities in which the Lite-Brite-like LED displays were placed, only Boston saw them as a matter of concern. The installations had been up for weeks prior to the panic.[18]
Stephen Colbert mentioned the incident on the Colbert Report and commented "If you want to get people excited about Aqua Teen Hunger Force, gotta use Frylock." He later blamed Meatwad for ruining his future publicity stunts.[20]
Albums
ATHF:CMFFT Colon Soundtrack
Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas
In time for the holiday season the creators of the show released an album made up entirely of Christmas themed music entitled Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas. The album features classic Christmas songs being covered by the main characters with their own twist on the lyrics and styles of the songs performances, and entirely new Christmas Carols. One song "Santa Left a Booger in My Stocking" featured alternative country star Neko Case doing a duet with Meatwad was the only special guest appearance.
Video games
Zombie Ninja Pro-Am
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am is a PlayStation 2 game published by Midway Games and was released November 2007.[21] In an interview for The Feed on G4, ATHF creator Dave Willis confirmed that there was an Aqua Teen video game in production. In the game, the player plays golf while battling villains that have appeared on the show, including Carl's gigantic crabs, the Brownie Monsters, and the Mooninites. The game itself received poor reviews.[22]
Destruct-O-Thon
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Destruct-O-Thon is a mobile game released on December 7, 2004 by Glu Mobile. The object was to hit an object from the show across a course resembling the street the Aqua Teens live on, hitting other objects along the way (such as hitting a stick of dynamite into Carl's car), creating momentum and choosing an angle using only the 5 key.[23]
Reception and awards
In January 2009, IGN listed Aqua Teen Hunger Force as the 39th best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows. Aqua Teen was nominated for two Teen Choice Awards.[24][25]
See also
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVDs
- List of Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes
- List of Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters
- 2007 Boston bomb scare
- Cult television
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Welcome to Williams Street". Daily Vanguard. February 8, 2007. http://www.dailyvanguard.com/2.4061/welcome-to-williams-street-1.311737. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dragoncon ATHF Announcements
- ↑ "OK, we get the 'Aqua Teen' joke; it's still not funny". Burr, Ty. Boston Globe. 04-13-07. Accessed 01-03-10.
- ↑ "Literary and Cultural Postmodernism". Course syllabus. Georgia Tech School of Literature, Communication, and Culture. Georgia Tech. Accessed 01-03-10.
- ↑ "Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Interview, September 22, 2003". Flak Magazine. http://www.flakmag.com/features/aquateen.html. Retrieved 2006.
- ↑ Audio commentary for "Baffler Meal"; Volume Two. [DVD].
- ↑ Spoken dialogue in "Baffler Meal"; Volume Two. [DVD].
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Audio commentary. [DVD].
- ↑ Spoken dialogue in Kidney Car
- ↑ Audio commentary for "Little Brittle": Volume Four. [DVD].
- ↑ Product Details for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 4" on Amazon.com
- ↑ Aqua Teen Hunger Force on TV Tropes
- ↑ "Ain't It Cool News". http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24061. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ↑ "The Swimcast -- Dave Willis Interview on 12/12/08". http://www.adultswimcentral.com/swimcast/fiftyone.mp3. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ↑ "Bump Worthy". http://www.bumpworthy.com/bumps/2567. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ↑ "Probe into Boston ad stunt chaos". BBC News. February 1, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6319211.stm. Retrieved February 1, 2007.
- ↑ "Community service for defendants in Cartoon Network case". Boston.com: The Boston Globe website. May 11, 2007. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/05/defendants_in_c.html. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Associated Press (February 5, 2007). "Turner, 2nd firm to pay $2 million over scare". MSNBC.com (Microsoft). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16990202/. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ↑ "Cartoon Network Head Resigns After Scare". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=2863647. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
- ↑ "Cartoon Terrorism". ColbertNation.com. February 01,2007. http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/81633/february-01-2007/cartoon-terrorism. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ↑ "Aqua Teen Hunger Force to PS2". IGN. March 20, 2007. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/774/774530p1.html. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ↑ "'Aqua Teen' Creator Dave Willis Tells All". http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/673517/Aqua_Teen_Creator_Dave_Willis_Tells_All.html. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
- ↑ "Gamespot review for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Destruct-O-Thon". http://www.gamespot.com/mobile/action/aquateenhungerforcedestructothon/review.html. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ↑ "39, Aqua Teen Hunger Force". IGN. 2009-01-23. http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/39.html. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
- ↑ "Awards for Aqua Teen Hunger Force". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297494/awards. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
External links
- Official sites
- Interviews
- Video Interview with Dana "Master Shake" Snyder at Swigged! - September 5, 2009
- The Sound of Young America - interview with Dave Willis April 24, 2007
- interview with meatwad on Synthesis.net
- The Kittenpants News - interview with Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, December 5, 2004
- "The Onion A.V. Club". Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080205093136/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/240/1/2. - interview with Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, June 14, 2005
- Master Shake on New Movie - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, April 20, 2007
- The Swimcast - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 1 of 2 April 28, 2008
- The Swimcast - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 2 of 2 April 28, 2008
- The Swimcast - interview with Dave Willis, December 12, 2008
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force at the Internet Movie Database
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force at TV.com
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