Adult Swim has produced some memorable content thanks to their flexible rules of what can go on a cable network not called HBO or Showtime. From the whacky, and sometimes disturbing Infomercials to wonderful movie spin-offs like Black Dynamite, there is quite a bit of ‘out there’ content from the mature version of Cartoon Network.
And then there is The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. set the standard and raised the bar back in 2003 on what is acceptable on Adult Swim, and more importantly how far the envelope could be pushed when safe harbor hours are afoot. I know, I know. Safe harbor hours are more for network television, but you get my drift. Anyway, The Venture Bros. was one of the first shows to go off the rails with its content, just shying away from taking its TV-MA moniker one step further. With Brock Samson’s insatiable need to kill, Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture’s scientific prowess for creating monsters and sticky situations (sometimes sexual tension), and two goofy ass teenagers that are just exploring the less innocent parts of life, the show set its boundaries way outside what was sensible television. And it was wonderful. And that is before we even chat about the villains.
Anyway, this week saw the release of The Venture Bros. – The Complete Series on DVD, and I must tell you, folks, having been absent from the show since about halfway through, it was something to behold revisiting episodes and rekindling that wonderment and delight the show brought when I was a wee bit younger.
Get your H.E.L.P.eR ready, we’re in for a ride. Let’s do this!
The Show, Bros.
Going back to the first few seasons of this show opened my mature eyes to a few bright spots in the series. First and foremost, the character development in The Venture Bros. was inspiring as it was insane. There are few cartoons out in TV land that can define characters as quickly and as precisely as was done in The Venture Bros..
Of course, no such character was more defining than Patrick Warburton’s Brock Samson. From the moment Brock Samson shows his angry mug for the first time, you knew that he was all business in protecting his dumbass pseudo sons (Hank and Dean Venture), and Rusty, who found himself in more trouble than not. From the first episode, you knew that this was going to always be the case with Brock. And the show ran with that and made this blonde badass someone everyone in the series, and watching the series, could count on when it came to destroying evil bad guys trying to harm the Ventures. And Brock was more than just angry eyes, he was the literal bar that the show was set with when it came to violence, sex, and everything in between (whatever that might be). He pushed the envelope of the show, and the creators, Doc Hammer and Chris McCulloch kept the pace with said envelope. The more Brock did, the more the show seemed to do. It was a dance, and the content kept getting more complicated in style and grace.
Of course, Brock was just one of the main characters. The intertwining other characters, such as Rusty, Hank, Dean, and even H.E.L.P.eR enjoyed their time to shine. They were all consistent with personality, well-written with purpose, and played well within the world that McCulloch and Hammer shaped. And what a world that was, especially when it came to villains.
The villains over seven seasons brought substance to the story. Typically in cartoons, villains were always throwaways without much background or purpose other than to have the shit beat out of them. If you think about it, most villains are like Wile E. Coyote, whose sole purpose is to make the hero look better. Wile E. Coyote was a born loser, no matter what advantageous odds might be thrown his way. The villains in The Venture Bros. ain’t a coyote by any means. McCulloch and Hammer did an amazing job of providing a background to the villains, giving them an unusual amount of depth, while at the same time making them somewhat likable, even when they are obviously horrible people. For example, The Monarch, a lopsided rival to Rusty, is a person that has beef with Rusty, but also a person who has a lot of personal issues to deal with in the show. Sure, he’s dressed up like a butterfly, and looks like he could get pushed around, but he is more than that in the Venture Bros. world. He has bad issues to deal with, though none so blatantly obvious as having relationship issues with the love of his life, a deep-talking woman named Dr. Girlfriend, who is equally as meaningful. McCulloch and Hammer could have thrown either character away, maybe done enough with their development to create a healthy punching bag for Samson. Still, the creators of the show gave the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend purpose and an ongoing storyline. You revisit their ups and downs during the show, and at times feel for their problems. They’re relatable to the point that you are rooting for them to solve their road bumps and make it as a couple. I mean, what other villain duo could be that way onscreen? Not many.
Proof of this grounded-ness is how they set up their relationship problems in season one and eventually find them split, which is eerily upsetting to watch. You really want them to make it for no other reason than they’re made for each other. Again, what other villains make you feel that way when you watch a cartoon? I mean, you’re not going to get that with other villains. When is the last time you felt like Megatron and Starscream’s relationship and unbridled love was grounded from the Transformers? Never. Both were there to lose, which makes them one-dimensional. Most villains are one-dimensional in cartoons, but the villains in The Venture Bros. weren’t set up for that fate. That is because of good writing with intertwining storylines that are both lasting, while also sometimes fleeting.
Now, as each season went by, the characters and stories became more complicated and sometimes incredibly unsettling. Pushing the envelope in the series meant that people would die, such as Hank and Dean…multiple times and the deaths would not be pleasant, especially the first one, which was like watching Maggie Simpson shoot Mr. Burns for the first time. As unpleasant as the content might have been over the years, one consistent part of the entire series was the cliffhangers. From the boys getting killed and Rusty finding out his twin was alive, to David Bowie being revealed as the Sovereign and the eventual revelation between Rusty and The Monarch in the last season. There was always something to look forward to in the proceeding seasons, even among all the violence and complicated twists and turns that never held back. Again, all of it was consistent, it upped the ante with every new season and made dedicating time to the characters and stories very worthwhile.
That was how the show went for seven seasons. Sure, not all of it was gold but the majority of what you got with all seven seasons in this collection is knowing that you’re going to be entertained and everything seemed connected and well thought through.
This collection and how it plays out is worth its weight in gold. It’s truly a masterpiece that set the permanent and defining personality that Adult Swim still wears today. Of course, beyond Rick and Morty, there isn’t anything quite like The Venture Bros. that is consistent with substance that is well-developed and engaging in cartoon format. There are great cartoons out there, but nothing like The Venture Bros..
It’s a helluva show, folks. You can agree with that, or you can IGNORE ME!
Format of choices
While the show is amazing and fun, I do have a pair of knocks against this set. The first knock is that this set does not include a digital copy of the complete series. It would have been wonderful to load this up on a digital platform and place the physical release somewhere on my Blu-ray/DVD shelf. Probably right next to my Robotech collection. Buttttttt, there is not a digital code. Soooooo, I must drag out discs to enjoy this show. Yeah, no big deal, right? Hey! Technology progresses and so should we all.
My second complaint here is why in the world did they choose DVD? There are 14 DVDs in this set. I’m fearful that I may scratch one, which would be easier to come back from if it were on Blu-ray. Plus, if it were on Blu-ray, there would be fewer discs in the package. Don’t get me wrong, I think that anything not called VHS is a huge plus, as I had to live through those years, but this isn’t 2004 Nathan Stevens. This is 2023 Nathan Stevens, and he prefers a better medium with a digital code. I’m okay with being a snob with that statement. A digital snob.
As it stands, I’ll enjoy what I can get because this is the freaking Venture Bros.! Just having them at my disposal on DVD makes the moment priceless (Not completely priceless – MSRP – $134.99). Anyway, formats aside, the good news is that the DVDs have special features included with them on every second season disc. Well, not just the second season, but the second disc for each season. That sounded worse. I’m rolling with it. So, you get things like deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage of the boys at work (or at least seemingly at work), comic con promos, openings, and a ton more. There is nice added value in this set beyond just the show. I can dig that.
Anyway, jibber-jabber aside, let’s wrap this up.
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of The Venture Bros., then this set is a must-have, especially with the impending movie’s launch next month. It’s probably a good time to collect and catch up on the series.
