Since it started producing original programming in the early '90s, Cartoon Network has been the home to some of the most original and thrilling animation on television. Over the past decade, the animation giant has produced multiple shows that defined this era of animation.
Now, we're taking a look back at two iconic, influential Cartoon Network shows that premiered in 2010: Adventure Time and Regular Show. With Adventure Time set to return in a series of HBO Max specials, we're taking a closer look at both of these zany, absurdist series to see which one reigns supreme.
Adventure Time
Adventure Time, created by Pendelton Ward, is a fantasy epic set in a goofy version of a post-apocalyptic world. Centuries after the end of life on earth as we know it, magical life has grown in the ruins of the old world. Now known as the Land of Ooo, bizarre kingdoms have risen up and developed their own political positions. The show primarily focuses on Finn, seemingly the only human remaining in the world. Raised by a family of talking dogs, the preteen Finn has become one of the most famous heroes in all of Ooo. He goes adventuring alongside his older adopted brother, the lazy but well-intentioned shape-shifting dog Jake.
The overarching storyline of the series follows Finn's development from an immature adventurer into a dedicated-but-complex hero. As the show and the world expands, the series introduces more and more shades to the supporting cast as well. This is primarily through the genius inventor Princess Bubblegum, snarky rocker Marceline the Vampire Queen, Finn and Jake's endlessly optimistic and imaginative robot friend BMO and the purposefully pathetic villain known as the Ice King, who is revealed to have a tragic backstory connecting him to many of the other members of the cast and world across centuries.
Regular Show
Regular Show was created by J.G. Quintel. The series centers around best friends Mordecai and Rigby, who work as groundskeepers at a nondescript park in an American city. Neither of them is all that committed to their work however, as they spend most of the series hanging out and finding ways to have fun with their time in an increasingly absurd world. The show also focuses on a number of supporting characters, including their ever-tense manager Benson, the usually calm Skips, the short-tempered bully Muscle Man and the park's other manager, the eternally giddy Pops.
As the show develops, the series introduces a wealth of characters, including the more comedic like Thomas, an excitable intern for the park who's revealed to be a Russian spy and the more dramatic like Margaret, a friendly coffee barista who Mordecai has a relatively realistic relationship with. The series focuses on Mordecai and Rigby discovering more about themselves and their place in the world, becoming more and more mature while dealing with romantic relationships and familial concerns. The series even teases out the cosmic elements of Pops that drag everyone into the greater universe.
Which Is Better?
Both shows were huge hits that both ran for most of the past decade, and these two shows even crossed over in a 2017 comic by Conor McCreery and Marria Di Meo. While Regular Show was a fan-favorite series with a fleshed-out cast that went on to win an Emmy, that doesn't compare to the accolades and scope of Adventure Time. The fantasy series went on to win multiple Emmy Awards across its run-time as well as a number of other awards, even including a Peabody Award for Children's Programming. The scope of the show allowed creators a wealth of avenues to go, something they did so with relish, creativity, and heart.
While Regular Show is well-deserving of every award its been given (and more), Adventure Time also plays a sneakily important role in modern animation history. Many of the people who worked on the show have gone on to shape the modern animation landscape. People who worked on Adventure Time before moving onto their own shows include Pat McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O! Let's Be Heroes), Skyler Page (Clarence), Julia Pott (Summer Camp Island) and Kent Osborne (Cat Agent).
By creating an inherently larger world full of new directions to explore over the years, Adventure Time helped foster a world of creativity in animation that's expanded. That's why it's so exciting to see the series is making a brief revival for HBO Max with Adventure Time: Distant Lands.