From Cartoons to Controversy: How Adult Animation Took Over

William Walker

Animated Feature films and series were primarily aimed at children. But decades passed after the first animation and it’s not just children that watch and love it. Even adults are very fond of it.For decades it only focused on kids. But Ever since the release of the “Flintstones” in 1960 more animations started to be made that targeted adults. Before that all the animated contents like Popeye: The sailor, Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, etc. focused only on children. 

Flintstones was primarily aimed at families where the humor was often more aimed at the adult audience at that time. From then, initially there were still not many animated contents aimed at adults. 

But in 1989 came the game-changer in the adult animation world with the premier of “The Simpsons”. It later became the longest running American sitcom and was loved globally. It had a blend of slapstick and sarcastic humor which attracted both adults and children. 

Then later in 1983 came “Beavis and Butt-Head”  which brought evolution in the adult animation. It was entirely for the adult audience which featured two teenagers whose antics were absurd and vulgar. 

Then in  1997 came “South park” which took the adult animations to the next level. It often had controversial dark humor along with crudeness and satirical commentary. 

In 1999 probably the most famous animated series was premiered, Family Guy. Just like South park, it was full of dark humor and made the headlines for controversies as it was not afraid to address taboo topics in the way that felt edgy. 

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons brought Futuruma in 1999. It had a mix of intelligence, sci-fi themes and humor that targeted adult audiences. 

In the more recent time, “Rick and Morty” came out in 2013 and became a standout example of adult animation. The show blended science fiction with dark humor that resonates with a more mature audience.  

Shortly after that came “Bojack Horseman” in 2014 that shifted the aim of adult animation to more serious matters rather than dark humor. The series gives us a dark portrayal of fame, addiction, depression and meaning of life blending humor with emotional storytelling. 

There have been a few key factors that led to the shift of the focus from children to the adult. The first being Media consumption. By the late 80s and 90s people wanted something different than sitcoms and family cartoons. Also the rise of cable and satellite TV provided a platform for more edgy contents with fewer restrictions. Shows like The Simpsons made animations to be viewed as a medium for all ages and genres.