Superjail!

I would not label myself as an Adult Swim connoisseur, but I've watched enough of it to realize that it's quality has greatly declined in the last few years. Though AS was and is more a showcase for offbeat, randomness-based humor than top-notch animation, recent programs have begun to severely push the limits of tolerable quality in both fields - that is to say, they aren't funny and the animation sucks (there is no excuse for '12 Oz. Mouse'. There is no excuse.).

By no means is 'Superjail' adult swim's saving grace. In terms of premise, it's no surprise it'd be in their programming block (a violent, surrealist comedy set in a violent, surrealist futuristic prison), nor is it quite chock full of gutbusting humor or even a foreseeable future beyond one or two seasons (but I feel I'm being too harsh).

See, what makes 'Superjail' stand out far above it's fellow Adult Swim shows is it's art. In a complete 180 from AS' usual preference of poorly animated Flash cartoons, 'Superjail' is psychedelic, vivid and detailed, recalling the best of early 90s alternative comics and cartoons (think Mike Judge and 'Liquid Television'). Each second of animation is pure mania, crammed with as much action as the eye can take, but never in a way that seems too busy or distracting. It's a sheer blast to the senses and you can't take your eyes off it. Simply, the art breathes with LIFE, which is a lot more than I could say about...well, ANY Adult Swim cartoon.

Not to say that the art is the show's only positive point; the consistently hilarious David Wain (of 'Wet Hot American Summer' and 'Stella') supplies the voice of "The Warden", the series' protagonist who, though slightly two-dimensional, is just as lively and wild as the animation, both in character and voice. And, though not as often as I'd have liked to, I had a hard chuckle here and there at some of the show's clever 'ATHF'-esque use of non-sequiturs ("four hearts was one too many", indeed).

Though it certainly won't become the next 'SeaLab' (or whatever), 'Superjail' is definitely worth the time for those into offbeat animation or anyone who just wants to see something *different* on TV for once. I only hope that the demented aesthetics 'Superjail' will spark a similar line of Adult Swim shows in the future and get the block back on the right track...after all, future generations simply can't endure another "Assy McGee"...

I was excited when I saw more Superjail episodes were being produced after the first season, but I was less excited when I saw how the show was starting to become yet another surreal pothead Adult Swim animated comedy.

The acid-trip hellscapes and grimy, underground feel of the first season disappears in subsequent seasons, so that the show is a shell of its former self. A major problem is that the animation gets cleaner and brighter; the rough-around-the-edges, scrawled-on-a-bathroom-stall look was vital to season one's in-your-face insanity. Season 2 in particular really feels like a second-order pastiche or detached parody of season 1, with awful writing and painfully unfunny new characters like the unnecessary supervillain "Lord Stingray".

But nothing tops that first season. When I first laid eyes on it, late at night on Adult Swim, I thought I'd borne witness to another plane of existence, some abominable, squirming, televised thing that could only have been the sum total of a drug-addicted, homeless 30-something's soul vomited onto animation cells and then blasphemously beamed into homes around the nation. The show disgusted me, captivated me, and left images seared into my brain that I'll never be able to scrub away.

From the sound design, to the voice acting, to the fight and torture scenes, to the angry and violent end credits, the first 10 episodes of this show are to be savored by animation fans and those looking for something to watch that pretty much amounts to religious defilement. Can't say the same for the other seasons, though.

Oh, and "Time Police" Parts 1 and 2, the final two episodes of season one, will forever be one of the best two-part finales of any television show, ever - live action or otherwise. Watch those two episodes, if nothing else.

The Adult Swim lineup generally has its hit or misses but this is one of the few true animated gems in the bunch. The show follows The Warden of Superjail who brings his Wonka-esquire, Scarry inspired fantasies to life in every episode. He is flanked by Jared the neurotic accountant, Alice the "female" prison guard, and Jailbot a merciless robot enforcer. Throw in the ultra violent prisoners, two time traveling techno-twins, and an experimental doctor and you have a recipe for some crazy plot lines.

The show shines brightest in the animation department. Every episode is richly colored and detailed unlike most animation on television (are you listening Adult Swim lineup?). The pace is fast and exciting and one really doesn't know how the next inmate will be killed- knife impalement, chainsaw, being clobbered to a bloody pulp by his own arm. Did I mention the ultra-violence in this show? The blood and gore that flows in every episode brings another comedic element to the show since most of it is done for, well, comedic effect. So... NOT FOR CHILDREN! In conclusion, if you enjoy the often violent, non-sequitur tales of Don Hertzfeldt, Bill Plympton, or Ren & Stimpy- this show is for you. If not, at least give it a try.

Cheers!

"Superjail" is a great cartoon from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block that combines psychedelic imagery with a bucket load of graphic violence. Focusing on the exploits of an insane jail warden and his crew, Superjail is perfect for cult audiences.

One of the best parts of this series is its use of imaginative imagery. The show packs as many weird images as it can into a fifteen minute cartoon, creating a dense visual style in which a single frame can contain multiple jokes.

The psychedelic visuals coexist with a flood of graphic violence, as prisoners kill one another or fall victim to the warden's various schemes. At times, the show comes across as the unholy offspring of an R. Crumb comic and the Happy Tree Friends. Although some reviewers have suggested this show is best watched under the influence of drugs, the amount of blood makes it at best questionable eye candy.

Ultimately, this show is best appreciated by cult audiences.

It takes something special, a quality that possibly cannot be named, save for whatever the combination of 'violent' and 'awesome' could possibly make-- Maybe that 'awesolent' quality-- the one that makes you sit back in your chair, or couch, or edge of your bed respectively, and say "This show is so 'awesolent', I wish *I'd* created it.." Maybe I'm projecting, but we should all, as proper Adult Swim watchers, be so very thankful to have the work of Augenblick Studios at our beck and call.

Superjail is comprised of a cast of characters that are so unique-- (save for the odd resemblance of the Warden to... I'll let you finish that one..) and yet somehow relative... if only on the abstract sense.

The animation is amazing, creative doesn't even begin to describe-- there is clearly so much thought in this series, from every single aspect -- artistically, audibly-- the thoroughness is almost enough to make your gut churn, because it's so pleasing to see something so *different* from the current line up of Adult Swim. Don't get me wrong. Thereare shows that I shan't name, that do actually have excellent stories-- but the animation is garbage, it's careless, and it's done on a low budget-- okay, I know, I'm sorry the economy's bad... but Superjail..

Ahhh.. just say 'Superjail..' aloud, and sigh. Doesn't it feel good? Don't you just want to stop reading this and watch it? The shows always leave the viewer in a state of awe at the end, which is excellent. I'm not talking' dumbfounded, not sure what happened awe, I'm talking' the 'oh, holy $h!t!!!' AND THAT IS WHAT WE WANT, WHEN WE ARE WATCHING AN ADULT SWIM PROGRAM, AMIRITE? This show gets an A+, as far as I'm concerned. It's the best show on Adult Swim right now, hands down.