Titmouse, Inc. may not be a household name like Pixar or DreamWorks, but the animation studio is far from a stranger to every home. Started by Chris Prynoski, who worked on MTV classics like Daria and Beavis and Butthead and created the Emmy-award-winning series, Downtown, and his wife, Shannon, Titmouse has produced more than its fair share of animated giants within the last few years.
The studio has a proven eclectic range with properties branching from raunchy adult animation to a new generation of kids cartoon classics. There are a few cartoons that strangers to this studio should see with seemingly no loss of momentum in this studio's run 20-year run.
10 China, IL (7.0)
From the eccentric mind of Brad Neely, China, IL is a perfect embodiment of its channel block, Adult Swim, is all about. Utilizing outrageous characters, surreal animation, and graphic plotlines, China, IL paints a less than ideal depiction of what college life should look like.
Focusing on the professors of the titular "Worst College in America," this series sees its characters in bloody battle royals to get on the Dean's List, suffer kidnappings as part of Prank Week, and even get into religious arguments over what pizza toppings are best. Given that even the college professors don't seem to know what they're doing, no viewer should see China, IL, for its educational value.
9 Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart (7.7)
Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart actually had its humble start as an entry in Titmouse, Inc.'s "5-Second Day," and its creators would go on to see that small bit of animation turn into one of Cartoon Network's most popular series today.
In an age where Adventure Time and even Steven Universe began to see their end, Sheriff Mao Mao looks to take over as Cartoon Network's new hero as he and his cohorts explore Pure Heart Valley, fight against its villains, and try to repair the Ruby Pure Heart to its original glory. For fans of cats, ninjas, and stellar animation, Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart may be next in many people's watchlists.
8 Superjail! (7.7)
A visual high like no other, Superjail! is a grand example of the type of crude animation and humor that has come to define Adult Swim and its audience. Set in the hyper-violent, fantastical jail known as Superjail, this series looks at jailing staff responsible for some of the worst criminals in the world.
It's only befitting that they are some of the worst jailers around, including an overzealous warden, an accountant with a life ridden with addiction, and a security guard with a pension for extreme violence. The jail itself isn't exactly sparkling with a clean shine, as it acts as an even worse punishment than the actual guards, killer robots, and interdimensional beings on vacation.
7 Animaniacs 2020 (8.0)
Reboot culture has been a low point for several animation fans. While many have wanted their beloved series to return in a modern setting, several studios have failed to reproduce the exact memory of those glory years, with most of them, more often than not, deciding to spit in the face of the fans to produce a childish series that hardly resembles the original canon.
Fortunately for Animaniacs fans, even Yakko, Wakko, and Dot can't be contorted even more than they already have. While some reception to the reboot has been mixed, Titmouse and Hulu did an amazing job of touching on the series's old spirit.
6 Big Mouth (8.0)
Proof that Netflix doesn't need to depend on writing masterclasses like Bojack Horseman or complicated family dramas like F Is for Family to build up its adult animation line, Big Mouth has proven to be one of the grossest, raunchiest, and most hilarious cartoons out there.
Focusing on the comedic duo of John Mulaney and Nick Kroll as middle school kids, this series explores and exaggerates the complications of growing up, going through puberty, and experiencing one's sexuality for the first time. While many may berate the series for how gross and childish it is, that is perhaps the exact effect that the series' creators were going for.
5 Black Dynamite (8.1)
Black Dynamite the movie is one of the most underrated spoof films of the last generation. Adopting the style, cadences, and action of 1970's blaxploitation films, Black Dynamite created an adventure whose sense of comedy preyed on both the frenetic force of its action as well as the outrageous depictions of black culture in the 1970s.
While there's no replacing the original movie, Titmouse did a great job bringing the old lines, tropes, and characters from the original into new stories and topics within their animated rendition. Given that Black Dynamite clashes with the likes of a young Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and even Kermit the Frog, this series deserves a few more eyes on it.
4 Metalocalypse (8.2)
An early Adult Swim classic, Metalocalypse, entertained its fans with its over-glorifying depiction of a heavy metal culture that both parodied the extremes of the genre as well as celebrated its legacy.
Set in a world that is somehow threatened by the stunts and success of the heavy metal band, Dethklok, the band members are constantly finding themselves at odds with various conspirators and rivals. With the added benefit of some bloody action and heavy metal tunes, Metalocalypse will stick to the viewer's mind the same way its songs will stick to their heads.
3 Megas XLR (8.3)
Megas XLR is a cult hit that's still trying to see a revival to this day. Heavily inspired by the anime industry's own mecha genre, Megas XLR puts a quintessentially American spin on the genre by setting its grand battles between metal and giant monsters within the run-down blocks of New Jersey (that way, no one could really tell what was destroyed during the action).
When a galactic federation within the distant future decides to send its greatest weapon, a giant mech, to the past, it's picked up by two New Jersey slackers who decide to suit up the thing like a muscle car. When one of the federation's agents comes back in time to pick up the mech, she has no other choice but to comply with the two nincompoops as the fate of the world now rests in their hands.
2 The Midnight Gospel (8.3)
The modern podcast trend has ensured that everyone and their mother either listen to a podcast or is hosting one within their own garage. However, while the basic patterns and tones of podcasts have essentially been solidified, there are none quite like The Midnight Gospel.
Made by Pendleton Ward of Adventure Time acclaim and Duncan Trussell, this high-concept, animated series has spacecaster, Clancy Gilroy, explore various simulations of his expansive universe to interview its various denizens for his own podcast. Using real-life interviews set to the backdrop of epic, fantastical set pieces, The Midnight Gospel is a fine example of how animation can transform a story.
1 The Venture Bros. (8.5)
The Venture Bros. is the animated personification of using tension and work to turn coal into diamonds. Initially starting as a roughly animated parody of Hanna-Barbera action cartoons, The Venture Bros. quickly evolved into a witty, action-packed epic within its own right.
Exploring both the complex conspiracies surrounding costumed society as well as the interpersonal relationships that go with them, The Venture Bros. has crafted a coming-of-age/identity story that shows how complicated it is for even superheroes and villains to grow up. The Venture Bros. is certainly a series that has outlasted the rest of Adult Swim's original lineup and may find a new home soon after its recent cancellation.