If you ever wanted to see swamp creatures have a worldly talk, you’re in luck. Adult Swim is proud to present the first part of its new mini-series, Bogged Down. The feature offers a comedic yet insightful view of nature and its creatures. It’s also part of Adult Swim SMALLS, a show that displays new artistic talent. Bogged Down has already gained thousands of views, and people adore it.
Looking Back at Adult Swim
Bogged Down is the newest addition to Adult Swim’s vast programming selection. This Cartoon Network television block arrived in 2001, offering adult-oriented cartoons. It was like Nickelodeon’s primetime Nick at Nite, except with animated shows. Adult Swim displayed humorous bumpers featuring grown-ups enjoying a public pool during breaks. A lifeguard voiceover even told kids to get out of the water. They wanted to push the ‘only adults in the pool’ theme.
Before the time of Bogged Down, Adult Swim featured a limited yet entertaining show array. Most of the series in the early days were parodies of Hanna-Barbera classic cartoons. For example, The Brak Show was a sitcom that starred villains from Space Ghost. Adult Swim also showcased original shows like the cult-classic Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The type of programming naturally changed over time, shifting to anime and syndicated shows. Eventually, Adult Swim expanded beyond television and found its way onto YouTube.
The Adult Swim SMALLS Show
Bogged Down debuted as the newest installment of the Adult Swim SMALLS show on YouTube. This online program has over 300 episodes, showcasing animated shorts and mini-series. Think of it as one of those old cartoon anthology shows that spawn spin-offs. Such productions include Cartoon Network’s What a Cartoon! and Nickelodeon’s Oh Yeah! Cartoons. The only difference is that Adult Swim SMALLS has not yielded any new series. However, it’s only a matter of time since every segment is entertaining.
Adult Swim executive producer Dave Hughes stated the show will continue despite being so long. This statement is reassuring because Adult Swim SMALLS serves a crucial purpose. It uncovers talented new artists and presents their ideas to the world. The discovered creators freely work on their cartoons without any needless oversight. They are only given periodical guidance from the showrunners but, otherwise, total freedom. This approach has led to many impressive animations, such as Bogged Down.
Bogged Down, Silliness in a Swamp
Bogged Down, created by Bob Brewster and Mike Carfora, stars a toad and a spider. Named Todd and Wenzel, they are having a semi-serious conversation about a nearby rock. Branchesca, the tree, suddenly joins them, asking why the pair are discussing it. Todd desires to lift the stone to be the first to do so. Wenzel agrees to the idea, wanting to witness such an incredible moment. The toad moves the boulder to reveal a small group of frightened, screaming pillbugs.
Branchesca and Wenzel urge Todd to put the rock back, but he refuses. The amphibian argues that he and his companions show the pillbugs a better world. He tells the tiny insects they’re free, and they celebrate with singing, dancing, and playing. Wenzel submits that Todd is correct, but Branchesca chastises him for his actions. The pair decide to continue their crusade of freeing creatures from beneath rocks. Meanwhile, their tree friend helplessly watches a bird gruesomely devour the pillbugs.
References to Real Life Situations
While silly and entertaining, Bogged Down reflects real situations in the world. Todd’s desire to move the rock first demonstrates how people want to be pioneers. You can see this on YouTube, with people determined to comment initially on videos. Another real-world reference occurs when Todd frees the pillbugs and expands their worldview. This moment depicts the culture shock sheltered people experience when seeing the larger world. They start wide-eyed and happy, though sometimes disaster strikes in the end.
You could even argue that Bogged Down refers to environmental change and destruction. The pillbugs’ world changed when Todd lifted the rock and caused an eventual catastrophe. He may represent humans who mindlessly harm the world for greed. His refusal to reset the rock is similar to when people don’t restore the environment. The land and creatures suffer the most from humanity’s ignorance, like the pillbugs did. It’s unclear if Brewster and Carfora intended this, but it works either way.
Final Thoughts
Bogged Down is quite enjoyable and possesses some old-school Adult Swim appeal. It’ll be interesting to see what direction this mini-series will take during its run. Todd and Wenzel could lift more rocks and find new little creatures. However, the next episode can take a different direction and present an alternate situation. The only way to find out is to watch the next installment on November 22nd.
