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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 (Cartoon Planet, The Brak Show and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law being the other three), 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).
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Quotations
:Err: Won't you please help us...save our craps!
:Ignignokt: For I have a plan I do not have yet.
:Ignignokt: Our liability coverage is zero. Our balls, however, are enormous.
:Meatwad: Hi. I'm high. laughs uncontrollably
Bean Wizard:
I can't raise him from the dead, if he's been shot in the head. My powers are limit...ed.
Captain:
This is your captain and welcome to the glass-bottom boat ride. I just wanna let you all know I'm a convicted sex offender.
Encyclopedia
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 (Cartoon Planet, The Brak Show and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law being the other three), 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. 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 2011, and to be called Death Fighter.
The show is about three anthropomorphic fast food items, along with their next-door neighbor, and their life together in New Jersey. The Aqua Teens were originally billed as a detective crime fighting unit; however, the crime-solving aspect of the show was quickly abandoned. (In the third season, Frylock states: "We haven't 'detected' anything in three years, Shake!") There is little if any continuity between episodes; almost all recurring cast members have died at least once, only to return alive and well in the next episode. The focus is instead on a pervasive form of postmodern, surreal and often morbid humor, where the focus is often on dialogue and the characters' interrelation, to such a point where plot is often abandoned to allow more time for personal interaction. Since its release, it has become a major cult hit.
Production
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is directed by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, and produced by Williams Street. Much of the dialogue is supplemented with ad libs and improvisation by the voice talent. The show is fully scripted but adlibs are included in the final voice recordings and the shows are animated to include this improvisation. Rapper Schoolly D performs the theme song, among other songs related to the show appearing in credits, and has provided periodic running commentaries on early episodes. Many, if not all, of the crew and cast members formerly worked on Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
The Aqua Teens were originally created for an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast called "Baffler Meal" as the corporate mascots for a fictional fast-food chain called Burger Trench. It featured a prototypical version of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force that resembled the future characters, but both Master Shake and Frylock differed in appearance, personality, and voice from their ultimate design.
The name "Teen Hunger Force" refers to the squad's mission to conquer hunger in teens.
"Baffler Meal" did not air for several years (It was not even animated or produced until after ATHF became popular); instead, the Space Ghost episode was re-written 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 (counting "Rabbot") of ATHF was put into production shortly thereafter. It is now one of Adult Swim's most popular shows."
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 had originally been added to appease Cartoon Network executives, who "didn't want to air a show about food just going around and doing random stuff." In the show itself, Frylock mentions that they stopped fighting crime because "that wasn't making us a whole lot of money."
Cold openings
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 random 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. 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.
The cold openings were dropped starting in the fourth season. Aside from his movie appearance, Dr. Weird has not been seen since.
Location
The exact New Jersey location where the show is intended to take place is never specified, but there have been clues over the series' run. In the episode "Remooned," Carl's license has the postal zip code 089??. In New Jersey, the only towns with a zip code beginning with "089" are Highland Park, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Waterford Works, all of which are in Central to Southern New Jersey. In the episode "MC P. Pants," Meatwad and Carl are instructed to go to 612 Wharf Avenue, an actual road in Red Bank, NJ. The exterior of Dr. Weird's castle closely resembles parts of the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park, NJ, particularly the arched windows on the second floor of the hotel, and the gargoyle and phrase on the second floor balcony.
Characters
Main characters
| Character | Description |
|---|
Master Shake
(Dana Snyder) | self-centered, sociopathic, mean-spirited, sharp-tongued milkshake. He appears as a giant white cup with a pink straw and two yellow hands. He often gets enjoyment out of tormenting his roommate Meatwad, swimming in Carl's pool, and watching TV. His "Shake Power" shoots lime milkshake out of his straw. He can also suck up liquids using his straw. In Season 5, he claims he's 30 or 40 years old, but in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, Frylock states: "He was pushing [approaching] 40". | Frylock
(Carey Means) | box of French fries sporting a "Van Dyke" beard, dental braces, and a mystic blue jewel embedded in his back containing the "power of a thousand suns", giving him the ability to fly and hover. Frylock uses his fries to grip things and occasionally as a "Frydar". He is also able to shoot all of his fries at a target simultaneously. Frylock is quite intelligent, scientifically-minded and conducts experiments in his room, which contains his library, supercomputer, cloner, and various other laboratory equipment. Frylock has the ability to shoot various energies and substances from his contact lenses. In Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, he is a transgendered lesbian woman trapped in a man's body and has a VCR behind his jewel from his back. | Meatwad
(Dave Willis) | shapeshifting abilities and can morph into a hot dog, an igloo, a meat bridge, Richard Nixon (who bears a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln), and various other objects. Meatwad can regenerate quickly from high levels of damage and extreme conditions. He is often the victim of Shake's abuse and practical jokes. In Season 3, he claims he's 55. | Carl Brutananadilewski
(Dave Willis) | mutilated or killed. He is an ardent New York Giants fan. In season 6, he informs Frylock that he studied "elevator repair." |
Secondary characters
| Character | Description |
|---|
Dr. Weird
(C. Martin Croker) | mad scientist who lives in an abandoned mental asylum on the perpetually rainy Jersey Shore. The Aqua Teen movie reveals several possible connections between Dr. Weird and Frylock. While Dr. Weird is an original character, the outside shot of his psychiatric hospital is actually a reused animation clip of a Nepalese palace from the television show Jonny Quest. | Steve
(C. Martin Croker) | Red haired, wearing a lab coat, and always pictured holding a test tube, Steve becomes the victim of mishaps with Weird's experiments. In Aqua Teen movie, he was killed by Dr. Weird's posion gas experiment. | Mooninites
(Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro) | Ignignokt and Err are two-dimensional aliens voiced by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro respectively. Ignignokt is green and bigger, while Err is pink and smaller; both resemble blocky, Atari 2600-style pixel graphics. The Mooninites concoct various plans that never cease to annoy the Aqua Teens and Carl. Known for their square-projectile firing weapon, the slow and easily avoided Quad Laser: "No one can defeat the Quad Laser!". | Plutonians
(Andy Merrill and Mike Schatz) | Oglethorpe and Emory are two spiked aliens from Pluto. Oglethorpe is orange and fatter, while Emory is green and taller. They are named after two Atlanta-based universities, though the characters both attended "Pluto State University." They feud with the Mooninites throughout Season 4. Oglethorpe sports a heavy German accent and is quick to anger. He claims to be a genius, but he is described in the show as a buffoon with access to technology. Emory appears to be more intelligent and logical than Oglethorpe, but is a soft-spoken sort, and goes along with his partner's hare-brained schemes. | MC Pee Pants
(mc chris) | MC Pee Pants is a mentally insane, old man wears a diaper. His convoluted schemes use rap as a cover for his criminal tendencies, and always fail. He is later reincarnated as Sir Loin (a cow)and eight foot spider, a worm, Little Brittle (an old man trying to become a vampire) and finally a fly in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. | Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future
(Matt Maiellaro) | Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future is a psychotic robot who claims that he is the Ghost of Christmas Past, characterized by starting superfluous stories with the line Thousands of years ago.... He appeared in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, where it was revealed he was built by Dr. Weird. |
Films
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.
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.
A sequel to ATHFCMFFT called Death Fighter is planned for a "tentative" release in 2011. Unlike the first film, the sequel may in fact be released onto DVD rather than theatrically.
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, 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". Subsequently Berdovsky and Stevens during their court date apologized and accepted a plea bargain which consisted of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center and all other criminal charges were dropped. Turner Broadcasting has paid the Boston Police Department one million dollars to cover the investigation’s cost and an additional million for good will. 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.
Stephen Colbert mentioned the incident on the show 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.
Video games
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am is a PlayStation 2 game published by Midway Games and was released November 2007. In an interview for The Feed on G4, ATHF creator Dave Willis confirmed that there is an Aqua Teen video game in production. In the game, you play golf while battling villains that have appeared on the show, including Carl's gigantic crabs, the Brownie Monsters and the Mooninites.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Destruct-O-Thon is a mobile game released on December 7, 2004 by Glu. 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.
Cameos and appearances
Carl and Meatwad appeared on VH1's Best Week Ever, congratulating them on their 100th episode.
The Aqua Teens appear in a 1-800-Call-ATT commercial, in which Master Shake is wearing a red wig to make people think that he is Carrot Top, the spokesman for the service. Meatwad also makes an appearance in a Dodge commercial, in which he is coughed up by a passenger in the vehicle who is choking, splatters against the windshield, and says "Sweet!"
Rapper T-Pain can be seen wearing a necklace with a diamond Ignignokt pendant in Ludacris' video "One More Drink" and Lil Mama's video for "Shawty Get Lose". He can also be seen wearing a Meatwad beanie cap in the music video for Dolla's "Who The Heck Is That".
See also
External links
Official sites
Interviews
- - interview with Dave Willis April 24, 2007
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- - interview with Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, December 5, 2004
- - interview with Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, 2005-06-14
- - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, 2007-04-20
- - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 1 of 2 2008-04-28
- - interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 2 of 2 2008-04-28
- - interview with Dave Willis, 2008-12-12
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