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Aqua Teen Hunger Force

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Aqua Teen Hunger Force 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 — whose stated purpose is to solve crimes. As the series progressed, the crime solving aspect of the show disappeared. In more recent episodes, the show focuses more on the interaction of the characters than on coherent plots.

File:Aquateen.jpg
The Aqua Teens, sitting in Carl's pool. From left to right: Master Shake, Meatwad, Frylock.

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 after this series became popular. A full first season was put into production shortly thereafter and was first shown on September 16, 2001. To date, four seasons have been produced and the fifth season is currently in production.

During the first three seasons, episodes opened with a glimpse into the laboratory of Dr. Weird (located on the South Jersey shore). The clinically insane Dr. Weird and his assistant Steve use the first several seconds of the show to create monsters, disasters or random silliness. Following this introduction, the opening titles of the show run. Starting with the episode "Video Ouija," a segment called Spacecataz begins the show. The segments feature the Plutonians and the Mooninites clashing with each other, trading insults and gestures. Spacecataz will be spun off as its own show eventually.

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

The title of the show is a decided misnomer: The characters have no real connection with the ocean, they aren't teenagers, and they are rarely shown as any kind of a force. Also, the hiphop style of the show's theme song and title sequence are rarely reflected in the episodes in any way.

Characters

The Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Frylock (voiced by Carey Means) is a red box of french fries, sporting a goatee, french fries for hair, dental braces, and a blue jewel which is embedded in his back. He moves by levitation, and has the ability to shoot lasers and flame retardant foam from his eyes. He uses his fries as appendages and manipulates objects with them (doorknobs, food, Master Shake). Frylock is scientifically minded and usually the most rational member of the team. His comedic role is somewhat that of the straight man, providing a stark contrast to the show's many zany and ridiculous characters.

Master Shake (voiced by Dana Snyder), usually called Shake, is a rude, mean-spirited, and self-centered white cup with a pink straw sticking out of his lid. He has two yellow gloves for hands. He takes satisfaction from tormenting the simpleminded Meatwad, and when not hatching schemes he spends his time lazily watching television. As the self-appointed leader of the Aqua Teens, "Master" Shake routinely makes irresponsible decisions and is a bad influence on others, especially Meatwad. His exploits are often the centerpiece of episodes, opposite Frylock's attempts to retain some control of the situation. Shake is the only member of the Force without an obvious superpower, although he can shoot a glob of green milkshake out of his straw.

Meatwad (voiced by Dave Willis) is a spherical mass of compressed meat that was not approved for human consumption. He has a face and two arm-like appendages which he often keeps folded away. He is simpleminded and gullible, and thus easily influenced by the show's many unscrupulous characters. Meatwad technically has a brain, but it can be removed for various reasons — at one time he found that it had been replaced by a toy. He has the power to change his shape, but cannot do so very effectively; he is usually limited to morphing into a hot dog or an igloo, but occasionally changes into other shapes as well (such as a "meat bridge", a flower, or a "Wayne Gretzky" that most would consider to look more like Samurai Abe Lincoln). He enjoys playing with makeshift dolls: Vanessa (an apple), Dewey (a discarded paper towel roll), and Boxy Brown (an afro-wearing cardboard box with attitude).

Other characters

Dr. Weird (voiced by C. Martin Croker) is a senile mad scientist who lives in an castle on the rainy shores of southern New Jersey. Dressed in a colorful outfit reminiscent of 1960s cartoon villains, complete with glass space helmet, he starts 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. Aside from simply inventing things, he has done various things to himself or other people. He has spliced his roomate's DNA with that of a pork chop, made love to a lawnmower, and filled his own body with barbecue sauce.

Steve (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. Steve has been the victim of corn mating and a brain transplant, among other misadventures.

Carl Brutananadilewski (voiced by Dave Willis) is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force's neighbor. Balding, overweight, profusely hairy, and usually wearing a gold chain, white tank top, pocketless sweatpants, and green sandals, Carl embodies the undateable man. This is reflected in his intense interest in pornography, lack of visitors, low self esteem, and poor grooming. Despite having no obvious job — he claims to work "outta the home" — or spending money, he has an above-ground swimming pool in his backyard and a red sports car named "2 Wycked". His pool is most often used by the Aqua Teens, usually without his permission. He or one of his possessions often ends up being the unwitting victim of the Aqua Teens' enemies or the Aqua Teens themselves. Carl has lived through being turned into a cocoon, electrocution, having his skin peeled off, and other such horrors.

The Mooninites, Ignignokt (voiced by Dave Willis) and Err (voiced by Matt Maiellaro), are two-dimensional inhabitants of the Moon. Their apperance is reminiscent of Space Invaders sprites, and they make sounds from Atari 2600 and NES games when they move. Ignignokt, the leader, is green and larger than his red counterpart Err. He speaks slowly with a usually overconfident, snobbish and over-eloquent air, and refers to the Aqua Teens by pet names (Frylock is "Fry Man", Shake is "Cup", and Meatwad is "Meat Man"). Err is his hyperactive and trash-talking tagalong, serving as his gopher and main advocate. The Mooninites enjoy boasting that the Moon is superior to Earth on just about everything, often referring to Earth objects or concepts as "primitive"; though they can never prove this superiority even when they attempt to do so. They spend most of their on-screen time harassing the Aqua Teens and Carl, engaging in theft and other illegal activities, and attempting to corrupt the innocent Meatwad with criminal tendencies and vices (including smoking, drinking alcohol, and "shooting the bird"). The Mooninites have only one apparent super power: they can join together and fire the "Quad Laser", a large, red, extremely slow-moving (and easily dodgeable) square video-game bullet.

MC PEEPants (voiced by Chris Ward, a.k.a. mc chris) is a demonspawn from Hell, who has come back to the Earth as a rap artist, initially in the form of an eight-foot-tall spider wearing a diaper and later as a cow, an earthworm, and an elderly man on life support. He usually tries to take over the Earth using his music, but with little success.

The Plutonians, Oglethorpe and Emory are two spiny extraterrestrial creatures who are orange and green, respectively, and usually sport nothing but headbands. They want to eventually conquer the Earth, but instead spend more time devising bizarre, ill-advised ideas (such as using disco lights as forcefields) and bickering with each other. They command a huge spaceship that they barely know how to fly. Oglethorpe speaks in a schlocky German accent and conceives most of the asinine plans, while Emory acts more passive. Both are named after universities in Atlanta, making the characters even more ironic.

See Also: Minor characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Episode list and original air dates

Pre-season

  • 00. Space Ghost Coast to Coast: Baffler Meal (December 31, 2003): Space Ghost has made a deal with the "Burger Trench" restaurant, and ends up regretting it when their mascots, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, show up and try to steal the spotlight from him. Somehow, Colonial Man (Space's nemesis from a previous episode) is connected to this, and the future of classic rock hangs in the balance as Space Ghost decides what to do. Guest: Willie Nelson
  • 01. Rabbot (December 30, 2000): Pilot episode. Dr. Weird builds a titanic robotic rabbit, which happens to smash the Powerpuff Mall and (more importantly) Carl's car.

Season one

  • 02. Escape from Leprechaupolis (September 9, 2001): Leprechauns steal a rainbow-creating device for use in a conspiracy to steal shoes.
  • 03. Bus of the Undead (September 30, 2001): A Mothman (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) escapes from Dr. Weird's lair and threatens the Aqua Teens. Master Shake suspects him to be Count Dracula and, later, believes a bus to be haunted by Dracula's ghost, a reverse vampire (they crave the sun, and come from 'Tansylvania').
  • 04. Mayhem of the Mooninites (October 14, 2001): First episode featuring the Mooninites, Atari-esque creatures with the pathological intent to corrupt Meatwad.
  • 05. Balloonenstein (December 23, 2001): Meatwad gets the supernatural ability to control static electricity from the dryer and accidentally creates a giant electric balloon. Apparently, Meatwad can live without a brain, but he constantly forgets what he was doing.
  • 06. Space Conflict from Beyond Pluto (April 7, 2002): Premiere episode of the Plutonians, inept aliens who unsuccessfully try to destroy the world.
  • 07. Ol' Drippy (April 21, 2002): A benevolent entity made of mold inhabits the household and befriends Meatwad. Shake becomes jealous when everybody else likes Drippy over him.
  • 08. Revenge of the Mooninites (May 5, 2002): The Mooninites acquire a magical belt that makes the literal meanings of the lyrics of Foreigner songs come true.
  • 09. MC P Pants (May 19, 2002): A rap star whom Meatwad idolizes named "MC P Pants" (satirizing youth rap artists such as Bow Wow and Lil' Romeo) turns out to be an anthropomorphic spider and has put subliminal messages in his songs to make people eat candy, so he can use their blood sugar to power a drill to unleash demons from Hell to run a massive diet pill pyramid scheme.

Season two

Season three

  • 19. Super Birthday Snake (May 25, 2003): Meatwad gets a rabbit, but Shake gets him a snake instead who ends up eating them both.
  • 20. Super Hero (June 1, 2003): Shake wishes to become a superhero, so he obtains several vats of radioactive liquid to splash upon himself. Instead of becoming "The Drizzle," he quickly begins melting and deforming as the radioactive materials start affecting him.
  • 21. Super Bowl (June 8, 2003): Meatwad wins two tickets to the Super Bowl. A fight ensues between Carl and Shake on who will be the one to accompany Meatwad. In the end, Meatwad goes to the Super Bowl alone, only to realize he went to a farm and not the Super Bowl.
  • 22. Super Computer (June 15, 2003): Frylock develops a spherical super computer/game console that he calls the OoGhiJ MIQtxxXA (Klingon for "superior galactic intelligence"), which goes back in time and ends up in the hands of a very well-educated caveman, Oog.
  • 23. Supermodel (June 22, 2003): Master Shake travels to Guatemala for plastic surgery because he can't afford to have it done in the United States. Meatwad plays mind-games on Shake and convinces him to get more surgery done, some of which is administered by Carl's friend who works on "cars, sometimes faces". Eventually Shake discards his dream of becoming an underwear/jeans model and Frylock performs home surgery on Shake in order to restore him as best as possible to his original state.
  • 24. Super Spore (June 29, 2003): An alien creature named Travis of the Cosmos takes over Shake's body and tries to get a job.
  • 25. Super Sirloin (August 31, 2003): Meatwad listens continuously to "4 Da Shorteez" by Sir Loin. Meatwad deprives Master Shake and Frylock of food in order to highlight the hunger felt by children across the world. However, the Aqua Teens discover that Sir Loin is actually MC Pee Pants reincarnated as a cow.
  • 26. Super Squatter (September 7, 2003): Master Shake forgets to pay the bills, and the Aqua Teens lose the use of their utilities. Shake then visits Carl uninvited and decides to stay indefinitely after Carl accidentally shoots himself in the foot and is unable to move. Meatwad and Frylock eventually take him to the hospital where his HMO doctor sews his foot to his forehead because he wasn't sure how to approach the situation.
  • 27. The Meat Zone (September 14, 2003): Meatwad begins having visions of spoiled chocolate milk and the garbage being stinky, and Shake and Meatwad begin believing that Meatwad can predict the future. Shake makes Meatwad give him the winning lottery numbers only to pick different numbers because Frylock thinks it is a sham. Meatwad's numbers turn out to be correct. Shake brings Meatwad to Carl so that he can predict Carl's future, but when Meatwad is unable to see anything, Shake makes up a prediction that Carl's property rests over a large oil deposit. Meatwad's premonitions actually derive from consuming Frylock's caulk. Meanwhile, Carl drills for oil but hits his septic tank.
  • 28. Super Trivia (September 21, 2003): Frylock, along with Shake, Meatwad, and a very reluctant Carl, try to defeat Wayne "The Main Brain" McClane at a game of bar trivia.
  • 29. Universal Remonster (September 28, 2003): Emory and Oglethorpe travel across space and time through the "Fargate" (which is actually a copy of the Stargate) to steal the Aqua Teens' cable. In order to control which channel they watch, they use the Universal Remonster, a small robot made of several remote controls.
  • 30. Total Re-Carl (October 5, 2003): Carl's body is destroyed by an environmentally-safe toilet, and only his head remains. The Aqua Teens attempt to acquire and construct new bodies to resurrect their fallen neighbor.
  • 31. Revenge of the Trees (October 12, 2003): Shake attempts to flash-fry an entire cow and dumps the oil into a forest. It turns out that the trees are sentient, and they capture Carl and use his skin as paper. Shake is put to trial with Frylock as a lawyer, but they end up burning the forest down.
  • 32. Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary (October 19, 2003): It's Meatwad's birthday! Shake can't stand "Happy Birthday", so he has a new heavy-metal song commissioned... then he has to figure out how to pay for it. Zakk Wylde guest-stars.
  • 33. The Shaving (October 26, 2003): It's Halloween and the Aqua Teen Hunger Force discover a "monster" in their attic: A giant spider who shaves every two days. Shake makes fun of him, then tries to toughen him up to scare people, but the best the spider can muster is holding his electric razor and repeating "The shaving!" over and over. Shake connects a huge generator to Carl's doorknob to "scare" him by killing him, but he accidentally electrocutes himself. In the end they all go to see the spider in the attic and find several dozen dead corpses. The spider then helps itself to Carl's "juice" (blood).
  • 34. The Broodwich (November 2, 2003): Shake discovers an underground cavern where the Broodwich, a cursed sandwich, rests. Every bite sends him to a hell-like place for a few seconds. By taking out the sun-dried tomatoes, he avoids being sent to hell forever. (One has to consume the entire Broodwich in order to go to hell forever.) However, the devil who has been speaking to them gives Shake "free brain surgery," after which he makes Shake eat the tomatoes, thus condemning him to hell forever.
  • 35. Kidney Car (November 16, 2003): Master Shake destroys Carl's car in a demolition derby. Meatwad gets the car as a donation, and fights with Shake over who will get to use it.
  • 36. The Cubing (November 23, 2003): The "wisdom cube", a cube from outer space, comes to the Aqua Teens' yard. It claims to have all of the wisdom in the universe, but it does little to reinforce its claim. Instead, it spends its time telling boring stories and making lame phone gags while ruining good ones (e.g., golf clubs do not have ten-pound balls).
  • 37. Frat Aliens (November 30, 2003): DP and Skeeter, two aliens from a stereotypical fraternity land in the Aqua Teens' backyard (one of them repeatedly mentions that his father "owns a dealership"), and they prove to be nuisances.
  • 38. The Clowning (December 7, 2003): Carl gets a wig containing alien DNA that turns him into a clown.
  • 39. The Dressing (December 14, 2003): The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future returns as a robotic turkey to speak of Thanksgiving in the future.
  • 40. The The (December 21, 2003): Frylock moves out because of Shake and Meatwad's careless housekeeping. Meatwad catches a chicken infection.
  • 41. The Cloning (December 31, 2003): Due to excess cloning, the Aqua Teens' new TV is evil and depicts images of Frylock killing Shake, Meatwad, and Carl. Shake then proceeds to attempt to clone one-dollar bills.
  • 42. The Last (Expletive Deleted) One of 2003, or simply The Last One (December 31, 2003): The Mooninites assemble a league of villains from previous episodes to exact revenge on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Season four

  • 43. Video Ouija (April 25, 2004): Shake attempts to commit suicide to haunt Meatwad through a video game entitled Video Ouija. A witch doctor is hired to bring Shake back to life, but he turns out he can only revive chickens.
  • 44. Unremarkable Voyage (May 9, 2004): Frylock acquires a gun which allows him to shrink or enlarge any object he fires at. He uses it to build a huge computer chip then shrink it. However, Meatwad eats it, and Frylock must recover it from inside.
  • 45. Remooned (August 15, 2004): Ignignokt and Err travel to Earth to cash a check, and they coerce Master Shake and Meatwad to assist them. This episode also reveals the spelling of Carl's last name, which is Brutananadilewski according to his ID.
  • 46. Gee Whiz (August 22, 2004): A billboard with the face of a famous religious icon seems to have given Meatwad the gift of child. Special Guests: Ted Nugent, George Lowe
  • 47. eDork (August 29, 2004): Shake's eHelmet is loaded with superfluous gadgets, but somehow an add-on player piano isn't enough to satisfy his lust for convenience.
  • 48. Little Brittle (September 5, 2004): MC P Pants returns from hell as an elderly rapping phenomenon. This time, he wants vampires to bite him so he'll become one. According to Adult Swim, this episode was his final one.
  • 49. Robositter (September 12, 2004): After Meatwad gets into the medicine cabinet while under Carl's supervision, Frylock creates a robotic babysitter to take care of him.
  • 50. Moon Master (September 19, 2004): Only true Moon Masters can pass the third level of the Mooninites' video game.
  • 51. Dusty Gozongas (September 26, 2004): The hottest stripper at the Wild Wild Chest creates tension between Shake and Carl. Although credited as Veronica Billingsley, Dusty Gozongas is clearly voiced by Scott Thompson of Kids in the Hall fame.
  • 52. Diet: With a case of beer on the line, Meatwad, Shake, and Carl battle to see who can lose the most weight.
  • 53. T-Shirt of the Living Dead: An ancient Egyptian t-shirt gives Meatwad unfathomable powers. Special guest appearance by Santa Claus.
  • 54. Hypno-Germ: When Hypno-Germs invade Shake's brain, they put on a theatrical disaster inside his head.
  • 55. Carl: Carl is left to babysit Dewey, Vanessa, and Boxy Brown while the Aqua Teens are away on vacation in Panama City, Florida

Home releases

As of November 16, 2004, three DVD sets of the series have been released.

Volume One (released November 18, 2003) contained the first 16 episodes ("Rabbot" through "PDA"). It also featured deleted scenes and the director's cut of "Rabbot". The director's cut of "Rabbot", "Mayhem of the Mooninites", and "Space Conflict From Beyond Pluto" contain director 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). It has deleted scenes for "Super Model", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", "Super Birthday Snake", and "Baffler Meal" and commentary for "Super Trivia", "Meat Zone", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", and "Baffler Meal". Other bonus features include a music video, a gallery of ATHF drawings, and a documentary on the making of the show.

Volume Three contains 13 episodes ("Total Re-Carl" to the end of Season 3); director commentary for "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary," "The Shaving," "The Clowning, and "The Last One; a gallery of production sketches; promotional spots; a very long documentary on the the making of an Aqua Teens episode; answering machine messages from the characters; and a music video and karaoke version of "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary".

See also

External links

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