Random Criminally Underrated Adult Cartoons That Deserve More Recognition (15 items)

• 

  (#1) The Oblongs

  • Will Ferrell, Pamela Adlon, Jean Smart

  The Oblongs was a very short-lived show that only had 13 episodes from 2001 to 2002. It first premiered on The WB, but it was removed before the last 5 episodes even aired. So, Adult Swim later picked it up and aired the final episodes. Due to its short time on air, it was easily forgotten despite having big names like Will Ferrell in it. 

  Bob, Pickles, Biff, Milo, Beth, and Grammy make up the Oblong family. They all live together in a valley that's consumed by pollution and radiation, which is what causes all 6 of the characters to be disabled and deformed. All the waste is caused by the rich people that live above the Oblongs' home. Therefore, the show was brilliant not only due to its unusual humor, but also because of its commentary on social situations. 
• 

  (#2) Disenchantment

  • Abbi Jacobson, Nat Faxon, Eric Andre, John DiMaggio, Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, David Herman, Lucy Montgomery

  Despite being created by cartoonist Matt Groening, Disenchantment never gained the same level of popularity as cartoons like The Simpsons and Futurama. The series is a Netflix original that began in 2018 with only one season so far. However, a second season is currently in the works.

  The protagonist, Princess Tiabeanie, nicknamed "Bean", is anything but your normal princess. She is arranged to marry a prince, but she wants nothing to do with him or his lifestyle. She later brefriends a demon named Luci and an elf named Elfo, and they finally give some excitement to her life. With these unlikely friends by her side, Bean is able to keep her life adventurous and dangerous without some fairy tale prince.
• 

  (#3) Metalocalypse

  • Tommy Blacha, Brendon Small, Mark Hamill

  From 2006 to 2013, Metalocalypse ran on Adult Swim. Comedian Brendon Small helped create this unique show, but it didn't have the same popularity as other popular adult cartoons at the time. Initially, Small hoped to continue the show for at least one more season, but his plans were not approved.

  The show was about a death metal band that went by the name Dethklok. The band was made of 5 members: Nathan Explosion, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles, William Murderface, and Toki Wartoot. The series had a lot of dark content for a comedy, and it covered topics such as death, violence, and the negative sides of fame. Therefore, the dark humor of the show wasn't for everyone.
• 

  (#4) Mission Hill

  • Brian Posehn, Nick Jameson, Wallace Langham

  Andy French in Mission Hill is a 24-year-old aspiring cartoonist. He's been in a post-college slump for the past 3 years, which means he has difficulties finding a girlfriend or holding a job. His nerdy teenage brother, Kevin, ends up moving in with Andy and his long-term friend, Jim. The three unlikely roommates have to learn to deal with each other as they come across many peculiar situations throughout the show. 

  From 1999 to 2000, Mission Hill was aired on the WB, but it later switched to Adult Swim in 2002. The creators initially planned for the show to have 18 episodes, but it ended up getting cut short with only 13 episodes due to poor ratings. While it was created by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, former executive producers of The Simpsons, it never gained enough popularity because of its short run.
• 

  (#5) Daria

  • Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, Julian Rebolledo

  Daria is a spin-off of Beavis and Butt-Head, but it wasn't as memorable as the original. In Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria was a recurring character, but the two shows were made by different people, so they often weren't seen as part of the same world. Daria ran from 1997 to 2002, and it was fairly popular, but it didn't stand out enough in comparison to other high school cartoons.

  Daria is a high school girl that's both smart and cynical, much like many teenagers are. She is a misunderstood outsider at school, and at home she has a dysfunctional family to deal with. Luckily, her best friend Jane is just as cynical as she is, so the two of them have each other as they deal with the horrors of growing up.
• 

  (#6) Ugly Americans

  • Matt Oberg, Natasha Leggero, Kurt Metzger

  The New York City featured in Ugly Americans is a surreal alternate reality. The city has been inhabited by many strange creatures such as monsters and demons, and they all try to live in harmony with the humans, which proves to be rather difficult. The protgonist is Mark Lilly, a human social worker for a company that specializes in the integration of the non-human creatures living in the area. Lilly has to deal with many unusual creatures in this sci-fi world including a zombie roommate and a girlfriend whose father is Satan.

  Comedy Central ran this show from 2010 to 2012 with a total of 31 episodes. While many fans loved the comedy and unique characters of this show, it didn't have enough funding to continue for a third season. 
• 

  (#7) Sealab 2021

  • Harry Goz, Erik Estrada, Ellis Henican

  You might recognize the characters from this show because they're originally from an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon called Sealab 2020. Unlike this adult cartoon, Sealab 2020 was an educational show from 1972 that taught viewers about the environment. However, Sealab 2021 used the old animation, but changed it so that all the characters were insane. For example, Captain Hazel is the leader of the crew, yet his conception of reality is a bit fuzzy. Also, Lieutenant Jodene Sparks always travels around in an office chair, not because he's disabled, but just because he's lazy.

  This entertaing show ran on Adult Swim from 2001 to 2005. The concept was unlike anything that had ever been done before, which is likely why so many viewers were interested in it. However, it's often forgotten because it was overshadowed by Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which came out around the same time.
• 

  (#8) Home Movies

  • Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Melissa Bardin Galsky

  Home Movies is about a young aspiring filmaker named Brendon Small, named after one of the creators. Along with his friends, Melissa and Jason, he is able to make his biggest dreams and fantasies come to life with his camera. However, he still has to deal with some difficult adults in his life, including his divorced mother and alcoholic soccer coach. 

  This show was fairly popular during its time, but it was eventually forgotten because many big Adult Swim shows came after it such as Robot Chicken and The Boondocks. It first aired on UPN, but due to low ratings, it was canceled after only 5 episodes. So, Adult Swim picked it up, and it was a success from 2001 to 2004 with a total of 52 episodes. 
• 

  (#9) Final Space

  • Olan Rogers, Fred Armisen, Tom Kenny, David Tennant, Gina Torres, Steven Yeun, Coty Galloway, Caleb McLaughlin, Ron Perlman, John DiMaggio, Shannon Purser, Keith David, Andy Richter, Conan O'Brien

  Gary Goodspeed is an astronaut that's about to work off the last few days of his prison sentence, but all that changes when he meets a small alien named Mooncake. He later discovers that Mooncake is actually wanted due to the fact that he's an unusual planet-destroying alien. Even with this information, Gary still stays friends with Mooncake, and the two of them embark on a quest together in order to save the universe and discover its mysteries.

  Final Space first aired in 2018, and it has been renewed for two more seasons since then. However, it is one of the lesser known Adult Swim shows, and it's often overshadowed by other current adult shows such as Rick and Morty, and other shows like Final Space.
• 

  (#10) Duckman

  • Jason Alexander, Gregg Berger, Nancy Travis

  Eric Duckman is a self-loathing duck that works as a private detective. His business partner is a pig named Cornfed, who is much better at his job than Duckman. The two of them have to work together to solve cases, which Duckman really only does in order to pay all his bills. Duckman isn't your typical detective, but he brings plenty of dark humor with his attitude.

  Duckman ran from 1994 to 1997, and it went on for a total of 4 seasons. While it was well-liked during its time on air, newer adult shows began to overshadow it in the following years.
• 

  (#11) F Is for Family

  • Bill Burr, Laura Dern, Justin Long, Debi Derryberry, Haley Reinhart, Sam Rockwell

  The characters in F is for Family are part of a typical middle class family in the 1970s, but their relatable quirks and personalities made viewers fall in love with the show. The dad is stuck at a job he hates, but he keeps working so he can provide for his family. The mom tries hard to be the ideal wife and mom that society expects. The oldest son is an angsty teenager that's also a struggling guitarist, the middle child is a boy who often gets bullied, and the young daughter is her dad's little "princess."

  This Netflix original first premiered in 2015, and it's still ongoing with plans for an upcoming fourth season. Despite being created by comedian Bill Burr, it never became a widely popular adult cartoon.
• 

  (#12) Clone High

  • Will Forte, Phil Lord, Michael McDonald

  Clone High isn't your typical high school show because it's about 5 teenagers that are successful clones of historical figures. The clones of Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, and Joan of Arc are the main characters, but they are far from what you've learned about them in history class. Cleopatra is dating manly JFK while kind, naive Abraham Lincoln dreams of being with her. Joan of Arc and Gandhi are also close friends of Abe, but Joan is a goth girl and Gandhi is addicted to partying.

  Sadly, this show was a short-lived cartoon that only ran from 2002 to 2003. However, it sparked controversy about its representation of Gandhi, which caused people in India to go on a hunger strike because of it. The show was canceled not long after, and it was quickly forgotten despite its unique concept.
• 

  (#13) Frisky Dingo

  • Michael Ian Black, Killer Mike, Rachael Harris, Michael Bell, Marshall Bell, Dave Willis, Lucky Yates, Adam Reed, Christian Danley, Kate Miller, Matt Thompson, Neal Holman, Kelly Jenrette, Casey Willis, Scott Lipe, Eric Sims, Stuart Culpepper

  Killface is a terrifying humanoid who is naked with a bone-white body and blood-red eyes. His goal in Frisky Dingo is to destroy the Earth, but he quickly learns that demolishing the entire world is no easy task. Especially since Xander Crews, a hero that goes by the name Awesome X, is always there to stop him. The two of them are sworn enemies throughout the show, however, certain circumstances often cause them to have to team up unwillingly.

  Frisky Dingo ran on Adult Swim from 2006 to 2008, with only 2 seasons created. While fans were ready for more conflict between Killface and Xander, the production company went out of business in 2009. The third season was in the works, but it never got renewed after that. 
• 

  (#14) Undergrads

  • Pete Williams, Josh A. Cagan, Rob Tinkler

  Undergrads was about four college freshmen: Nitz, Rocko, Cal, and Gimpy. They have all been friends since they were young children. As many teenagers do, they vowed to maintain their friendship even though all of them are attending different colleges. It covers lots of topics that many new college students face, and many of the characters are both likable and relatable. 

  Unfortunately, this show never really got a chance to shine. It only had 13 episodes in 2001, and it was canceled before the second season could even be produced. While many people enjoyed it, it had low ratings and there wasn't enough funding to continue it.
• 

  (#15) The Awesomes

  This Hulu original series ran from 2013 to 2015, and it had a total of 3 seasons. While Seth Meyers, Mike Shoemaker, and Lorne Michaels all worked together to make this adult cartoon come to life, it was never a successful Hulu original.

  Prock is the son of the legendary superhero known as Mr. Awesome. However, Prock and his team of misfit superheroes are nothing compared to his talented father. So, when Mr. Awesome has to step down from his duties, this mismatched group of heroes has to step forward to take his place. They try their best to restore the group to its former glory, but many are very skeptical of their qualifications for the role.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking