When I mention adult animation, you may think of shows like “Family Guy” or “South Park,” or maybe indie amination hits like “King of the Hill” or “Smiling Friends.” These shows are known for good reasons, but it feels like adult animation is oftentimes reduced to its focus on comedy, rather than it being appreciated for its plotlines and narratives.
That is not to say that shows are not allowed to be comedies, though. I absolutely love the wide variety of shows that Adult Swim has to offer, especially the older, episodic ones that tend to have a reset after every episode, like “Space Ghost.” I just wish that, at least here in the West, more studios realized that adult animation is a medium that can allow for truly captivating narratives and plotlines, and it is a shame that we do not see these types of shows more often.
I know that “BoJack Horseman” comes up every now and then, but even with the litany of shows that are focused on narrative, I never see or hear people talk about it. I remember when I first watched “Scavenger’s Reign” while new episodes were still coming out on HBO Max and before Netflix got the rights to it. I still think it is, hands down, one of the best animated shows I have seen, yet I have only ever seen maybe three people talk about it. The fact that it is not even getting a second season is heartbreaking to me. I also cannot help but think of Genndy Tartakovsky, a fantastic director for adult animation. He has done some noteworthy work, such as the way in which he wrapped up “Samurai Jack” in its fifth season, taking what was originally a show aimed for younger audiences and wrapping it up with its older fanbase in mind.
“Primal” is another fantastic example from Tartakovsky, an action-packed show with a compelling plot, complete with little to no dialogue. I have been wanting to find people with whom I can talk about all the amazing animated shows out there. It is not just the average person who should give adult animation a chance, though. The number of shows that either failed to get greenlit or did not get renewed for additional seasons – even with a lot of interest from audiences – is truly frustrating to think about.
It is kind of ironic, though, that adult animation is seen as risky by networks. When animation first entered public consciousness, it was not aimed specifically toward children. It was only when television started to take off as an entertainment medium and networks needed shows for children that this perception took hold. Animation just happened to fit the what appealed to children back then. Plus, there are still some notably successful pieces of adult animation that are far more popular. “Invincible” is a fantastic example of this.
I know that a lot of people keep up with “Invincible” (personally, I’ve read the comics in their entirety) and that social media becomes ablaze with excitement when news of another season drops. I suppose it would just be nice to see that same kind of attitude toward a lot of other pieces of adult animation. It would also be fantastic if studios could look at the success of adult animation and not be as hesitant to greenlight more adult animation.
