Abstract

At its core, adult animation is animated content specifically created for an adult audience. Adult animation represents the intersection of childhood with its colorful package, and the often crippling reality of adulthood, with its content. What may initially appear as sweet and benign entertainment is in actuality an environment for self-reflexivity, where individuals are confronted with their own personal issues, and the reality of adulthood through the struggles of the characters and the narratives explored, both good and bad. The programming offers an escape from one’s own problems, while engaging with the characters provides a surrogate experience. This recent shift in adult animated television is emotionally driven, ranging in theme from simply making it through the everyday, to having an existential crisis. Programs discussed include BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty, F is for Family, and animals.. This paper reflects a multi-perspective approach to research, which is particularly lacking in animation studies, and where there is often a stringent divide between theory and practice. Accordingly the three sections of this paper correspond to three approaches to adult animation: theoretical, content or viewer based, and production or maker based, which includes a discussion of the accompanying creation component.