Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known by Aqua, with various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ATHF or Aqua Teen, is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. It is about the surreal adventures and antics of three anthropomorphic fast food items: Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad, who live together as roommates and frequently interact with their human next-door neighbor, Carl Brutananadilewski.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 (2011)
- Aqua Something You Know Whatever (2012)
- Aqua TV Show Show (2013)
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever (2015)
- Dave Willis
- Matt Maiellaro
- Dave Willis
- Matt Maiellaro
- Dana Snyder
- Carey Means
- Dave Willis
- Matt Maiellaro
- George Lowe
- C. Martin Croker
- Andy Merrill
- Mike Schatz
- Schoolly D (2000–10)
- Josh Homme with Alain Johannes (2011)
- Mariachi El Bronx with Schoolly D (2012)
- Flying Lotus (2013)
- Schoolly D with Dave Willis, Dana Snyder, and Carey Means (2015)
- "Aqua Teen Rap" (2000-2010) by Schoolly D and Dave Willis
- "Aqua Unit Patrol Squad" (2011) by Josh Homme
- "Aqua Something You-Know-Whatever" (2012) by Schoolly D
- "Aqua TV Show Show" (2013) by Flying Lotus, Dana Snyder, Carey Means and Dave Willis
- "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever" (2015) by Schoolly D, Dana Snyder, Carey Means and Dave Willis
- "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Theme" (2023 Remix) by Schoolly D (remixed by Nick Ingkatanuwat, Matt Maiellaro, and Shawn Coleman)
Bill Fulton
United States
English
12
144 (1 unaired)[1] (list of episodes)
- Dave Willis (seasons 12–present)
- Matt Maiellaro (seasons 12–present)
- Kelly Crews (seasons 12–present)
- Cameron Tang (seasons 12–present)
- Keith Crofford (seasons 1–11)
- Mike Lazzo (seasons 1–11)
- Dave Willis (seasons 1–11)
- Matt Maiellaro (seasons 1–11)
- Jay Wade Edwards
- Ned Hastings
- 11–12 minutes
- 22 minutes (episodes 58 and 138)
- Williams Street
- Big Deal Cartoons (seasons 1–5)
- Wild Hare Studios (seasons 1–4)
- Radical Axis (seasons 2–9)
- Green Studios (season 5)
- Awesome Inc. (seasons 10–11)
- Floyd County Productions (season 12)
- Bento Box Entertainment (webseries)
- Cartoon Network ("Rabbot")
- Adult Swim
December 30, 2000
August 30, 2015
November 26, 2023
present
The pilot episode aired as a preview on December 30, 2000. On September 9, 2001, it debuted as an official Adult Swim series. Every episode was directed and written by Willis and Maiellaro, who also provided several voices. Seasons 8–11 were each given a different title, accompanied by different theme music, as a running joke. The series initially concluded on August 30, 2015, after 139 episodes throughout 11 seasons.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, a film adaptation of the series, was released in theaters on April 13, 2007, the first adaptation of an Adult Swim series into a feature-length film. A direct-to-video stand-alone sequel, Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm, was released on November 8, 2022. A spin-off series of shorts, Aquadonk Side Pieces, was announced the same week, and ran on the network's official YouTube channel from April 18 to April 28, 2022. The series airs in broadcast syndication outside the United States and has been released on various DVD sets and other forms of home media, including video on demand streaming. It was the longest-running Adult Swim series until it was surpassed by Robot Chicken in 2020; a twelfth season consisting of five episodes was announced in January 2023 and premiered on November 26, 2023, making it the longest-running Adult Swim series yet again.[2][3][4]
Premise[edit]
The series centers on the surreal adventures and antics of three anthropomorphic fast food items: Master Shake, a selfish, self-contradictory, pathologically lying milkshake; Frylock, an intelligent, usually logical, well-meaning box of French fries; and Meatwad, a shapeshifting, childlike, somewhat simple-minded ball of ground meat. They live together like relatives and rarely get along with their human neighbor Carl Brutananadilewski, a middle-aged, balding, boorish, sex-crazed sports fanatic. The protagonists also interact with various villains or other individuals in each episode; these interactions are often restricted to one episode with minor characters rarely reappearing in the following episodes. Some episodes feature the protagonists interacting with celebrities, historical figures, or professional athletes.
The Mooninites are two aliens from the Moon who frequently appear, serving as primary antagonists and wreaking havoc through a series of illegal or destructive actions. The Mooninites appear more than most characters outside the main cast. Other recurring characters have made several appearances, including Oglethorpe and Emory, MC Pee Pants, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, and Dr. Wongburger. Episodes often end with the non-canonical deaths or injuries of major characters, or destruction to their property, only to be restored without explanation in the following episode.
In the show's first seven seasons, the protagonists live in a suburban neighborhood in South New Jersey. During the eighth season, the location was changed to Seattle, Washington.[5] The Seattle neighborhood appears identical to the protagonists' neighborhood from the first seven seasons, but each episode begins with the caption "Seattle" on the bottom of the screen. As of the ninth season, the same neighborhood is in the fictional location of Seattle, New Jersey.[6]