Aqua Teen Hunger Force

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Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Image:Aquateen.jpg

The Aqua Teens. From left to right: Master Shake, Meatwad, and Frylock.
Format Animated Comedy
Run time 11-12 minutes
Creator Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis
Starring Carey Means
Dana Snyder
Dave Willis
Country USA
Network Cartoon Network
Original run December 30 2000 – present
No. of episodes 55

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (a.k.a. ATHF) is an American animated comedy shown on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim late-night programming block. The series features three anthropomorphic fast food items—the Aqua Teen Hunger Force or Aqua Teens—who are supposed to be detectives. As the series progressed, the crime-solving aspect of the show was quickly abandoned, although many episodes still involve villains. There is also little emphasis on continuity between episodes: virtually all of the recurring cast members have died at least once. The focus is instead on character interaction and a pervasive form of brutal, ironic humor.

Contents

Overview

Aqua Teen Hunger Force was created through brainstorming episode ideas for Space Ghost Coast to Coast. None of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters appeared on Space Ghost Coast to Coast prior to the airing of the pilot episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force in late 2000. However, an episode of SG:C2C featuring a prototypical version of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, "Baffler Meal" (a parody of McDonald's Happy Meal), was produced once this series became popular. A full first season was put into production shortly thereafter and its first episode was shown on September 16 2001. To date, four seasons have been produced and there will supposedly be a fifth in the month of December of 2005.

During the first two seasons, episodes opened with a glimpse into the laboratory of Dr. Weird (within the Belle Isle Asylum, located on the Jersey shore). The clinically insane Dr. Weird and his baffled assistant Steve use the first several seconds of the show to create monsters, disasters, or random silliness (generally accompanied by the phrase "Gentlemen, behold!" as Dr. Weird unveiled his latest accomplishment). These monsters would then potentially have to be dealt with by the Aqua Teen Hunger Force in early episodes, although later on the Dr. Weird segment was effectively an unrelated opening gag. Starting with the third season, a segment called Spacecataz begins the show. The segments feature the Plutonians and the Mooninites clashing with each other, trading insults and gestures.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is written and directed by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro. It is produced by Williams Street Studios, who also produces other animated shows such as The Brak Show and Sealab 2021. Noted 1980s rapper Schoolly D performs the theme song. Each episode is approximately twelve minutes in duration.

The title of the show is a decided misnomer: The characters have no major affiliation with water (though many episodes involve their neighbor's pool), they aren't as a rule teenagers, and they are rarely shown as any kind of a force. In early episodes (particularly first season), the trio are identified by Master Shake as the 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force', which make a living solving crimes for money. Shortly into its run, that premise, and the use of the name during the show, is dropped. (It is later explained by Frylock that the detective business dried up.)

A feature-length movie of Aqua Teen Hunger Force is in production and said to be coming out in early 2006. The movie will feature the origins of the characters in "a typical 'Aqua Teen' fashion," as well as a fourth Aqua Teen. The plan is to get the film released in a limited theatrical run, although it might go straight to DVD.

Characters

The Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Image:Shake.gif

Master Shake (voiced by Dana Snyder) is a rude, mean-spirited, and self-centered milkshake in the form of a white cup with a pink straw sticking out of his lid. He has two yellow gloves for hands. Put simply, Shake's role is to make wild and illogical decisions, presumptions, and demands. Much of the series's humor is based on his thoughtless abuses of Meatwad and absurd actions. He seems oblivious to any suffering his behavior causes others, yet he will become violently petulant the moment he feels he has been wronged in the slightest. He appears to be utterly incapable of learning anything from even the most catastrophic consequences of his actions. Because of his arrogance, viewers can easily laugh at Shake's self-inflicted suffering without any shame. Master Shake is rarely productive and can often be found watching television, or destroying the television and demanding a new one. Complimenting his laziness, Shake has no overwhelming superpower: when he tries to summon a power, he usually ends up dripping a glob of milkshake out from his straw. In later episodes he appears to be able to make objects explode after contact and throwing them, however, this is probably part of the strange humor of the series. This is because everything in their house is cloned and the stability of it makes it explode when it hits the ground. In one the of episodes Meatwad throws a thing and it explodes so it's not just exclusive to Shake.

Image:Frylock.gif

Frylock (voiced by Carey Means) is a red box of french fries, sporting a goatee, french fries for hair, dental braces, and a blue mystic jewel which is embedded in his back. He moves by levitation, and uses his fries as limbs. Frylock is also scientifically-minded and conducts experiments in his room, which contains his computer, cloner, and various other lab equipment. His comedic role is usually that of the straight man; he acts as a foil to the Shake's extravagant personality and tries to prevent Shake's numerous mistakes. He defends Meatwad and tries to keep peace with Carl. Still, Frylock occasionally displays weak characteristics. He is not free of selfishness and cruelty in some situations. In one episode it is revealed he has a S & M suit, and has been known to wear it around the house. A picture in his room shows himself and a young Dr. Weird. Its significance has never been explained. Frylock's power is the ability to shoot things such as lasers, fireballs and even carbon dioxide (used as a fire extinguisher) from his eyes. He possesses a "Frydar" that can pick up most any frequency or location.

Image:Meatwad.gif

Meatwad (voiced by Dave Willis) is a mass of compressed meat that was not approved for human consumption. As he is actually a substance, Meatwad moves around by rolling and can change his shape. He can morph into an igloo, a hot dog, a "meat bridge", a flower, a hammer, a spider, and once shaped himself into a "Wayne Gretzski" which was infact a "Samurai Lincoln." Meatwad is usually abused by Master Shake, but he is so incredibly simpleminded and gullible he doesn't always even realize it. He can be easily convinced to preform any act and is almost completely defenseless, on several levels. The removal of Meatwad's brain has no effect on him. On certain occasions, when unexpectedly granted higher powers he is known to have taken revenge on Shake, but in general he remains a helpless fool, who can only hide in Frylock's shadow. Frylock tries to provide some level of happiness for Meatwad, but he sometimes fails because of Meatwads own fulility. His room is empty except for filth and his meaningless crayon scribblings on the walls, and his bed which is a fire. He occasionally makes dolls and other toys out of household items such as an apple and a paper towel tube.

Some have theorized that there is a Freudian dynamic between the characters, namely that Master Shake represents the selfish, impulsive id, Frylock the superego, and Meatwad the childish ego.

Other characters

See Also: Minor characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force Image:Carlb.jpg Carl Brutananadilewski (voiced by Dave Willis) is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force's neighbor. Balding, overweight, hairy, and usually wearing a gold chain, white tank top, pocketless sweatpants, and green flip-flops, Carl embodies the unmarriable bachelor. He has an above-ground swimming pool in his backyard, which the Force constantly invades without his premission, and a red sports car named "2 Wycked". He considers the Aqua Teens freaks, and would usually prefer to avoid contact with them. However, a lonely man, he also sometimes clings to them for the sake of "human" contact. Later, he and his possessions often end up being the unwitting victim of the Aqua Teens' enemies or the Aqua Teens themselves, driving him away from them again. He "works out of the home."

Image:Weird.jpg

Dr. Weird (voiced by C. Martin Croker) is a mad scientist who lives in an abandoned mental asylum on the rainy Jersey Shore. Dressed in a colorful outfit reminiscent of 1960s cartoon villains, complete with glass space helmet (his "Hair-arium"), he starts many shows by presenting his latest creation with his catch phrase "Gentlemen, behold!" to his lone lab assistant Steve. His nonsensical inventions include a giant rabbit robot called Rabbot, and a rainbow-making machine. A picture of his younger self with Frylock on Frylock's bookshelf suggests that he has some past ties with the ATHF.

Steve (also voiced by C. Martin Croker) is Dr. Weird's assistant. Red-haired, wearing a lab coat, and frequently holding a test tube, Steve is aware of Dr. Weird's insanity, but he remains his assistant nonetheless.

Image:Peepants.jpg MC Pee Pants, aka Sir Loin, aka Little Brittle and the C-Bag (voiced by Chris Ward, a.k.a. mc chris) is a demonspawn rap artist from Hell, who is reincarnated in different forms. With each return, he establishes a new name and identity, but his voice, personality, and clothing remain constant. In each incarnation, he wears a diaper, a shower cap and a gold chain around his neck. He usually has an elaborate scheme to take over the world, which begins by sending instructions to his listeners in the form of a hit rap single such as "I Want Candy" and "4 Da Shorteez". His forms have included a giant spider, a cow, an elderly human, and a worm.

Image:Mooni.jpg

The Mooninites, Ignignokt (voiced by Dave Willis) and Err (voiced by Matt Maiellaro), are pixelated, two-dimensional inhabitants of the Moon. Ignignokt, the leader, is green and larger than his purple counterpart Err. He speaks with a usually self-important, condescending air. Err is his hyperactive and trash-talking tag-along. He often yells. Err fits precisely in a notch in Ignignokt's head; joining them together activates their super power: they can fire a large square slow-moving (and easily avoided) video-game "bullet" they call the "Quad Laser". A more powerful version of this attack is known as the "Quad Glacier" which also happens to be much larger and much slower than its counterpart. The Mooninites enjoy boasting that the Moon is superior to Earth in every way, often referring to Earth objects or concepts as "primitive," although they can never prove this superiority when they attempt to do so. The Mooninites often persuade the seemingly impressionable Meatwad into performing acts of vandalism, stealing, and smoking/drinking. Resembling extremely simplistic, blocky low-resolution game sprites, the duo is a sendup of the Atari 2600 era of video games. The sound effects that accompany their movements are taken directly from such classic early arcade games as Space Invaders, Pitfall, and Asteroids.

Image:Plutonians.jpg The Plutonians, Oglethorpe (voiced by Andy Merrill) and Emory (voiced by Mike Schatz), are two spiny extraterrestrial creatures who are orange and green, respectively, and usually sport nothing but sweatbands. According the show's website, they became misshapen and deformed after trying to retrieve their keys in a woodchipper. They want to eventually conquer the Earth, but instead spend more time devising bizarre, ill-advised ideas and bickering with each other. They command a huge spaceship that they barely know how to operate. Oglethorpe is high-strung and easily angered, speaks in a German accent, and conceives most of their plans, while Emory is much more passive. Both are named after universities in Atlanta (Oglethorpe University and Emory University).

Episodes

Main article: List of Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes

Aqua Teen Hunger Force has run on Adult Swim for 3 seasons, the first of which debuted in December, 2000.

Home releases

Warner Home Video releases the volumes to DVD. All releases are on 2-Disc sets.

Volume One (released November 18 2003) contains the first 16 episodes ("Rabbot" through "PDA") and is ordered by production number rather than episode number. It also features deleted scenes and the original cut of "Rabbot". The original cut of "Rabbot", "Mayhem of the Mooninites", and "Space Conflict From Beyond Pluto" contain commentary.

Volume Two (released July 20 2004) contains 13 episodes ("Mail Order Bride" through "Universal Remonster" as well as the "Baffler Meal" episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast) with a seemingly random order. It has deleted scenes for "Super Model", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", "Super Birthday Snake", and "Baffler Meal". It also contains commentary for "Super Trivia", "Meat Zone", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", and "Baffler Meal". Other bonus features include a "Baffler Meal" music video, a gallery of ATHF drawings, and a documentary on the making of the show.

Volume Three (released November 16 2004) contains 13 episodes ("Total Re-Carl" to the end of Season 2) with a seemingly random order. It contains commentary for "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary", "The Shaving", "The Clowning", and "The Last One" and deleted scenes for "Broodwich", Dr. Weird's Ice Cream Social, and Dr. Weird's "Clowning" ending. A gallery of production sketches, promotional spots, a very long documentary on the making of "The Cloning", answering machine messages from the characters, and music videos/karaoke of "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary" are also included.

Volume Four (set to release December 6, 2005) contains yet another 13 episodes ("Video Ouija to "Carl") in their original order, unlike previous sets. It should be noted that some of the episodes now have different or their original working titles (Remooned - "Mooninites 3: Remooned"; Moon Master - "Mooninites 4: The Final Mooning"; Carl - "Spacegate World"). It will contain commentaries on "Video Ouija", "Unremarkable Voyage", "Gee Whiz", "Little Brittle", "Mooninites 4: The Final Mooning", "Dusty Gozongas", "Hypno-Germ" and "Spacegate World". There will also be alternate audio tracks on "Mooninites 3: Remooned", "Robositter", "Diet" and T-Shirt of the Living Dead". Featurettes included in this set are titled "Funny Pete Stuff", "San Diego Must Be Destroyed 2004", "Spacecataz", "Raydon", "F-ART', "The Faces in Front of The Throats that Make the Voices the Speak into the Microphone", and "Send us money for this".

An Aqua Teen movie is set to be released sometime early 2006.

See also

External links

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