Cartoons have always been popular, going back to the old black and white Mickey cartoons where everyone had horrible joint problems apparently, forcing them to bounce up and down like sailors in the Pacific. But we've come a long way, baby. Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore. Cartoons have many superior traits to live action shows: So much more is possible in regards to storyline, where you can draw anything into existence without the need of excessive CGI. It allows for far greater adult themes to be presented being sexual or violent. The Simpsons began to blur the line between adult and kid, appealing to both audiences with subtle adult themes and episodes that related to both demographics. They paved the road to the 90s cartoons: Rockos Modern Life (possibly one of the most successful kid's cartoons capable of hiding it's adult undertones), The Rugrats, and Ren and Stimpy. The genre made another transformation with the spawning of South Park, a show which pushed all the limits for television and cartoons at the time, followed shortly after by Family Guy in 1997 and 1999 respectively. The popularity of these shows prompted the creation of adultswim in 2001, the adult cartoon subsect of Cartoon Network starting at 9pm on the network. Fox has tried to monopolize on the adult cartoon crazy sweeping the young adults, hosting shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, and Bob’s Burgers; however, none of these shows hold a candle to the sheer crudeness of shows on adultswim like Mr. Pickles, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken. Then, in 2013, the ultimate adult cartoon hit the screen in the shape of Rick and Morty.
The workings of Rick and Morty, which launched it to the top of the charts, are things it almost exclusively does. The biggest of its unique factors is the fact that so much of its lines are improvised; the way Justin Roiland (voice actor for both Rick and Morty) will from time to time fumble his lines appeals to the viewer. It’s more authentic, no one says everything perfect the first time, it seems awkward when someone does, especially when they are upset. It’s so unique that they have created two episodes based around the improvisational air they cultivate, both of which seem to be fan favorites. On top of that many lines are filled with quick wit and high brow humor, some of which may seem too high brow but is rewarding for those in the know.
Rick and Morty meet the characterization mold of what every show needs: An asshole, a naive person, a failing/rocky/unconventional marriage, a whipping boy/girl, and an intelligent person. Surprising as it may be, the asshole should be the center point of the characters. South Park and Aqua Teen Hunger Force do this well, but they fail short in the sense that Cartman and Master Shake are not a sympathetic characters merely pathetic, unlike Rick who is both an asshole and hero. Not only this but Rick and Morty both, in of themselves, fit multiple niches which make them appeal to a wider audience as well as allowing for a wider diversity for storylines.
The nature of the story lends itself to virtually any situation, and with outer space travel and alien life the possibility for storyline is limited to the writers imaginations. This was the case with Futurama and when it was on Fox it was interesting and fun, but when it was picked up on Comedy Central it tried to follow in South Park’s footsteps with the social commentary cheapening the enjoyment of watching. The problem with it was they adhered too close to the topic that they were poking at; Rick and Morty keep it fresh by poking at pop culture while distancing themselves far enough from the topic to keep it fresh.
Somethings get over-hyped for, seemingly, no reason whereas some things blow up quick with a loyal fanbase. This is of the latter, a genre star/a genre bender/genre creator with the potential to go the distance and characters that settle into your heart from day one. If you haven’t seen the show I urge you: Check it out
