What is Flapjack?
In this episode of The Weekly Gaucho, Ash explores a question that brings back a small childhood memory: What old television show would you bring back?
Ash’s answer is The Marvelous Misadventure of Flapjack, an animated series created by Thurop Van Orman for Cartoon Network. The show premiered on June 5, 2008, and ran for three seasons and 46 episodes until ending in August 2010.
One of the biggest reasons Ash would bring back the show is its distinctive animation style. Flapjack combines traditional cartoon designs with exaggeratedly realistic close-ups, unusual facial expressions, and a grungy, surreal aesthetic. That combination helped give the series an identity that was very different from animated shows of its era.
The show is also notable for the number of creative people who worked on it. Pendleton Ward, Alex Hirsch, J.G. Quintel, and Patrick McHale were among the writers and artists involved with Flapjack. Their later work included major animated series such as Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Regular Show, and Over the Garden Wall.
For Ash, though, Flapjack isn’t just memorable because of its animation or its influence. It’s also connected to childhood memories of watching the show with siblings and quoting funny moments together. Those shared experiences are part of what makes an old television show worth bringing back or revisiting.
The episode ends with a question for the listeners: Would you bring Flapjack back? What shows would you like to see return, and what shows should stay in the past?
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Hey Ash, great work on this podcast episode! I also loved this weird little show. I’m a huge animation nerd and this definitively was my first experience with the like of Pendleton Ward, J. G. Quintel and Patrick McHale. Adventure Time, Regular Show and Over the Garden Wall were all hugely influential on my desire to be an animator and each get an annual rewatch in my household.
If I could “bring back” an old show, ostensibly keeping its old vibe with new episodes, would probably be Courage the Cowardly dog, for a lot of similar reasons that you laid out for The Marvelous Misadventures or Flapjack. Similarly, courage used a lot of unique animation techniques, such as Claymation, roto-scoping, puppetry and greenscreen use for live actors. It also very effectively and creatively presented horror in a safe way. It parodied and mimicked many well-known horror properties and tropes to an audience with no knowledge of the reference. What has always been most fascinating to me about Courage is that it was intentionally introducing both, diverse animation and horror, to a young audience. Certain children love horror, I was one, and I always loved the idea of a safe introduction to the genre.