Adult Swim has built a very impressive reputation for themselves through their various animated and live-action series. Adult Swim programs fluctuate between niche oddities and mainstream hits, but there’s also a special language of inside jokes and various connections that exist between certain Adult Swim shows.
So many of the block’s series were developed at the same time that there are even occasions where the fourth wall gets knocked down and entertaining crossovers occur within various Adult Swim shows, which typically pushes them to even crazier places.
9 Sealab Personnel Take Care Of Home Repairs In Space Ghost
“In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” isn’t until Space Ghost Coast to Coast’s eighth season, and while the crossover it contains is largely superfluous, it’s still a fun nod for observant Adult Swim fans. The episode has Space Ghost’s interview with William Shatner get cut short in favor of some crucial home renovations.
Two repairmen are depicted in the episode, who both wear uniforms that read Sealab 2020 and Sealab 2021. This may not be a crossover where important characters show up, but it still has Space Ghost blending together with Sealab 2021.
8 Carl’s Car Revs Up Into An Episode Of The Brak Show
The Brak Show is one of Adult Swim’s first official spin-offs as it takes Space Ghost Coast to Coast characters, Brak and Zorak, and inserts them into a heightened sitcom-esque setting. The Brak Show is a bit more of an acquired taste, but it often playfully engages with Adult Swim’s history.
Season two’s “We Ski in Peace” features the threat of giant space ants, which cause rampant destruction. In a cute connection with Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Carl Brutananadilewski’s car makes a cameo in The Brak Show, only for it to get destroyed by the ants in a manner that’s nearly identical to how the Rabbot destroys his car in Aqua Teen.
7 The Aqua Teen Crew Cause Chaos In The Powerpuff Girls Movie
Adult Swim’s programming block as an extension of Cartoon Network has progressively grown more legitimate and some of the content has even gained enough popularity to feature in theatrical films. Aqua Teen Hunger Force receives this honor, but it follows in the footsteps of The Powerpuff Girls Movie.
It’s hard to notice, but during one of the television reports of chaos, the gang from Aqua Teen are visible on one of the background television screens. Unfortunately, releases of the movie that aren’t in widescreen unintentionally remove this fun crossover.
6 Frylock Sneaks Into A Sealab 2021 Binge Session
Episodes of Sealab 2021 frequently engage in movie parodies and there’s an episode early in the show’s first season, “Predator,” that lampoons the action-horror hybrid. The underwater crew must contend with an invisible monster, but the episode is also full of brief nods to other Adult Swim series.
Sealab 2021 is still finding its voice in its first season, so these cameos aren’t exactly surprising. Footage from episodes of Aqua Teen, The Brak Show, and Space Ghost all get used, but the coda to the episode also features Frylock. Copious amounts of food are getting consumed and one of the random packs of french fries is actually Frylock.
5 Sealab 2021’s “Dearly Beloved Seed” Becomes Adult Swim Fan Fiction
Sealab 2021 is one of the strongest and weirdest shows from Adult Swim’s original run, but it experiences some serious growing pains during the second half of season three and its following final season after the loss of Harry Goz. A lot more ambitious swings are taken, one of which is season four’s “Dearly Beloved Seed.”
The Hesh-centric episode is a strange departure, which ultimately concludes with the reveal that it’s actually all been fan fiction from a Hesh superfan. This reveal is accompanied with the fan’s room decked out in memorabilia from other Adult Swim shows, including Space Ghost, The Brak Show, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
4 Space Ghost And Moltar Show Their Support In The Brak Show
The Brak Show is one of Adult Swim’s first official spin-offs and it’s built off of characters that initially appeared in Space Ghost Coast to Coast. In this sense, it feels much more natural when Space Ghost characters appear in The Brak Show, but the later examples of this result in more substantial cameos.
Season two’s “Runaway” has Brak run away from home and he ends up on a rocket ship with both Zoltar and Moltar. Space Ghost also shows up to arrest Brak for his future crimes, in a satisfying explanation of his criminal origins.
3 Meatwad And Master Shake Turn Sealab 2021 Into A Video Game
“Murphy Murph & The Feng Shui Bunch” is a turning point for Sealab 2021 that effectively embraces the series’ stranger sensibilities. The episode engages in a lot of conversation about the nature of reality and existence. This culminates in a very satisfying twist at the end which indicates that all of Sealab 2021’s reality is actually just someone else’s video game.
The final moments feature Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Shake and Meatwad playing an Atari fighting game, which mirrors what’s taken place in the Sealab episode. Sealab 2021’s final episode also jokes that it was cancelled because it wasn’t enough like Aqua Teen.
2 Adult Swim’s Bashington’s New Year’s Eve Special Unites Their Series’ Stars
Adult Swim has built a strong reputation off of their unique programming, but they’ve also made waves from their more experimental efforts, whether it’s April Fool’s surprises, covert infomercials, or variety show style events that celebrates their characters. Several New Year’s specials were created on Adult Swim, with 2003’s Bashington’s event being the most substantial.
Guests from nearly every original Adult Swim program congregate at Brak’s house to celebrate the new year, as well as announce The Brak Show’s cancellation. 2002’s New Year’s Eve also had Brak and Carl celebrate with a Meatwad New Year’s Eve ball.
1 The Adult Swim Brain Trust Talk Show Uses Familiar Faces To Tease The Future
Sometimes referred to as “Anime Talk Show” due to its connection to the premiere of Perfect Hair Forever, the Adult Swim Brain Trust is basically an extensive promotion for the debut of Squidbillies (and Adult Swim Brain Trust is also included on the Squidbillies season one DVDs).
Set up as a classic Space Ghost Coast to Coast talk show segment, Aqua Teen’s Meatwad and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, Dad from Brak Show, and Sealab 2021’s Sharko are all featured as they celebrate Early Cuyler from Squidbillies joining the Adult Swim family.