Zim: "Hah! Watch Dib! Watch as I bring a royal audience to the Downfall of the Human race!"
Dib: "I don't wanna watch that!"
Zim: "Oh, ok...WAIT!!! that's TOO BAD! BEACAUSE MANKIND ENDS NOW! And TO MAKE IT EVEN SWEETER, I'll LAND THE massive RIGHT ON TOP OF YOUR...LANDING PAD SIZED MONSTER OF A HEAD which is disturbingly large!
Dib: "Noooo! Quit Making fun of my head!"
-Zim and Dib during a back-and-forth battle over control of The Irken Armada in the episode "Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars"-Invader Zim
You Know What's REALLY COOL?!
Oh, sure, sure! A lot of shows on YouTube are cool and all. But, you know what's really cool? Shows like Invader Zim!
Hello again, Young and Young-at-Heart explorers, and today on Something Niche, we will once again be taking a trip back to when the Millenium was still new and take a look back at all of the amazing shows that peppered the airwaves back then! For the previous two cartoons we looked at on this show, we took a look at the hidden gems of Cartoon Network. Today however, we'll be taking a look at something a little different; a hidden gem from CN's longtime rival Nickelodeon! Because variety is the spice of life!
And what's better, today, we'll also be talking about a show that you may have actually heard of at this point! A show that was initially tossed by the network upon its release but would quickly become a cult hit in reruns. A show that managed to beat the odds and elevate itself from an obscure hidden gem to an enduring counter-cultural icon. That show is none-other than Invader Zim.
Indeed, concluding our trilogy of alien-invasion-focused posts for this month, we will be looking Invader Zim, a show that was the very definition of "The Little Show That Could"...and eventually did! This sci-fi dark comedy from the iconic kids' network initially lived a short run, but lived on in the hearts of those who watched it during this short run, establishing one of the most dedicated cult fanbases in history. One that would eventually cause Nick to see the error of their ways, capitalizing on its newfound fanbase with a plethora of merch and revivals that caused the series to become one of the most important and influential of the cable tv era, and a huge merchandising juggernaut that rivals even the likes of SpongeBob!
Invader Zim would manage to do so thanks to its the unique sense of humor, causing many to become endeared by this dark story about an unlucky little alien trying to take over the world. Combining gross-out imagery and pop cultural references with some of the most enthusiastic voice acting ever, Invader Zim is a series that has truly earned its status as the ultimate rags-to-riches story in the animation world!
So, prepare to witness the downfall of your pathetic race, filthy human! Because it is time for Something Niche's Invader Zim retrospective...of DOOM!
First Contact
Invader Zim focuses on its titular protagonist Zim (voiced to absolute perfection by Richard Steven Horvitz), an alien from the fictional planet Irk, which is bent on conquering multiple planets across the universe. Prior to the events of the series, the overly-enthusiastic Zim takes charge of the Irken Empire's "Operation Impending Doom", but his ego and over-zealousness end up messing the whole mission up, causing massive amounts of destruction to Planet Irk. In fact, as we learn throughout the series, Zim has been a thorn in the side of his home planet for years, messing up the missions of many of his fellow invaders in pursuit of his own achievements.
After the Irkens announce "Operation Impending Doom 2", Zim is able to escape his banishment and show up uninvited to the opening ceremony, where his leaders, the Almighty Tallest Red and Purple (Wally Wingert and the distinctively-voiced Kevin MacDonald), desperate to get him off their backs, assigns him to a planet that isn't even on the Irkens' radar; Earth. From there, he is given an absent-minded robot built from obsolete parts that dubs himself "GIR" (voiced by series writer Rosearik Riki Simmons pulling double duty), and send him on his merry way.
Their conversations are eavesdropped upon from afar by the conspiracy-obsessed Dib (the unsung Andy Berman), who quickly becomes privy to Zim's plans upon him setting up base near his home. Zim impersonates a new student at the local school (misspelled "Skool" as one of several signifiers of this version of Earth's general stupidity), while planning his takeover of the human race. Dib does his darndest to put a kibosh on Zim's antics, much to the annoyance of his grumpy little sister Gaz (Melissa Fahn), scientist father Professor Membrane (Rober Bumpass of Squidward fame), and pretty much everyone else. From there, many darky-comedic hijinks ensue from episode to episode, often relying on dark humor and parody in order to tell its story.
Zim's schemes throughout the series range from trapping classmates in other dimensions to destroying his city with insane machinery, and all are done with a zany twist that could only come from a show like this. And the show's distinctive sense of humor each episode an experience like no other.
Plus, giving that we follow a protagonist who is a villain, we see plenty of twists on the traditional morality system that actually makes the series even more entertaining. Often times, we actually see neither Zim nor Dib come out on top!
From Not-so-Humble Beginnings
Giving its delightfully twisted sense of humor, it would only make sense that Invader Zim would come from the mind of a delightfully twisted individual. And that mind would be that of one Jhonen Vasquez, whom during the late 90s, had established a niche name for himself in the goth subculture space. At that time, Jhonen had written a several series of cult comic books, with perhaps the most famous at that time being Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, a dark comedy about a serial killer.
Around that same time, Nickelodeon, seemingly inspired by their runaway success with The Ren and Stimpy Show, had been exploring the possibility of making shows aimed towards a demographic of primarily 11-15 year olds. Network producer Mary Harrington came across Vasquez's work, and was impressed, offering him a chance to create a new series for the network, albeit toned down from his original work.
Although Vasquez had never had any experience in television animation at the time, he did not hesitate to jump on board, developing a new idea based on his multiple childhood passions. "There was no way I was going to say "no". " He reflected in a 2018 interview. "The fact that they took the chance on someone a lot of people wouldn't have given a kids' show is one of the coolest things that happened in my life."
For a while, it was rumored that the titular protagonist's name came from the character of Sergeant Charles Zim from the cult film Starship Troopers, stemming from a rumor that Vasquez had met with his actor Clancy Brown at Nickelodeon Studios while he was recording for SpongeBob SquarePants. However, Vasquez has since dispelled all of this rumors, saying that "Zim" was actually the name of a Tamagotchi pet owned by his girlfriend at the time.
Although the series was to be very different in tone from his usual work-having needed to be toned down for a younger audience-a lot of Vazquez's earlier works still influenced much of what Invader Zim would ultimately become. An earlier version of Zim could be seen in one volume of his earlier comic book Squee's Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors. The series proper also contained several cameos and references to his earlier work.
When casting for the series, pop culture legend Mark Hamill-who we previously heard on Something Niche as Larry 3000 on Time Squad-was set to provide the voice for Zim. However, Jhonen Vasquez wanted to cast someone unknown at the time for the role. A pilot episode was put together in the late 90s in which Billy West voiced Zim, but West was dropped from the series proper for the same reasons. Richard Horvitz ultimately voiced Zim for the series proper.
Vasquez similarly wanted to cast someone who was unfamiliar with voice acting in the role of Gir, and he selected his friend Riki Simmons-who also worked with him on several of his comics-to play the role. Simons expressed problems with voicing the character, including several incidents where he has asthma attacks. His voice for the character was also edited in post in order to sound more robotic.
Preparing the Initial Attack
After the aforementioned pilot episode was produced in 1999, Invader Zim quickly entered production the following year. The show was notable in being one of the first 2D animated shows to extensively use semi-3D animation, which proved challenging to much of the crew. This could be seen with many of the show's most iconic moments, such as the shots involving the Irken mothership The Massive and many other notable space battles.
When production for these sequences went underway, series director Steve Ressel consulted with the crew behind another sci-fi comedy that was popular at that time, Futurama. Like Invader Zim, that show was one of the first to merge 2D and 3D animation in the U.S. The Futurama crew later went on to share how impressed they were with the show's work with medium blending. Ressel has noted that the style of Invader Zim was the hardest he had ever worked on.
Writing the series from the point of view of an antagonist proved to be an unconventional method when writing the series, as noted by Vasquez. He's also gone on record that the character of Dib, who is supposed to be heroic, notably had his own flaws that occasionally made him no better than much of the rest of the cast, noting that years of being looked down upon have made him rather impulsive and wanting to see Zim in great harm. Despite this, he has maintained that Dib is his favorite of all of the characters on the show, and isn't really a bad person as much as he is "frustrated".
"I thought the fun thing about doing a kids' show like that is, you've got all these people rooting for someone who is trying to destroy the audience" Vasquez explained in a 2001 interview. "I've always loved the ambiguity between good and evil. What's great is, even though I'm thinking of that stuff on my own and no one's going to pick up on it, they're going to enjoy the show."
But that wasn't the only thing strange and unconventional about the show. Due to the large amount of detail that was required to be put into each frame, many more storyboards were required for the series. Some episodes required as much as 250 to 350 storyboards; twice as much of the usual amount for 11-minute cartoon segments back then (and we aren't even getting into the two-parters!)
The series also cycled through several composers. For the initial pilot, Michael Tavera, who had worked on several Don Bluth projects, composed the score, but Vasquez ultimately dropped him from the series proper, thinking that his music for the series didn't capture the darker nature he was planning for the series. Kevin Manthei, later known for his work on Robot Chicken, was eventually selected in order to produce a new score for the series that was said to be a mix between heavy electronic music and military marches, one that would ultimately earn him an Annie nomination.
Landing on Earth
Invader Zim officially premiered on Nickelodeon on the night of March 30th, 2001; the same night as the ever-iconic The Fairly OddParents. Critically, the series was immediately well-received due to its voice acting, animation, and unique sense of humor. It also quickly established a cult following among internet circles. The pilot episode even won a Creative Art Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, as well as a few Annie Awards.
During the show's run in September and October 2002, online radio station Anime Stuff R aired a special that broadcasted music tracks recorded for the show by compose Kevin Manthei. The station was even temporarily renamed Anime Stuff Z for the special! Dubbed The Kevin Manthei Invader Zim-phony Special, the broadcast proved to be very popular, and a physical CD of the entire broadcast was even released. However, due to financial reasons, only 100 copies were ever produced.
Despite favorable reviews, the series also proved to be quite controversial at the time because of its dark nature. Several parental groups criticized the show for being too scary for children. Several episodes that stood out in particular included the Christmas episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", where several parents actually called Nickelodeon directly claiming that their children were terrified by a Santa Claus monster that Zim creates in the episode. Some parents even criticized the show's pessimistic attitude towards humanity, calling it "unnecessary" and even "misanthropic".
The series also came into contact with a lot of corporate meddling and arguments with the crew behind the scenes, as a few scenes notably had to be censored for containing content that was too inappropriate for children or even offensive. These scenes included the ending of the episode "Walk of Doom", which ended with Zim in a stereotypical version of Mexico. This was changed slightly in the final version in order to tone down some of the imagery, though a lot was still kept in.
A few scenes also had to be changed due to the 9/11 attacks, such as an explosion in the episode "Walk for Your Lives" being changed green and an entire dream sequence depicted New York in flames being replaced in the episode "Door to Door". Dib's design also proved controversial due to his trench coat, which some Nick executives feared would remind some of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School Massacre two years prior, though the crew ultimately one out in the end and Dib kept his trench coat.
In later episodes of the series, a character named "Nick" was created by the crew as a way to get back at the censors. Nick was a human that was abducted by Zim and was brainwashed into constantly smiling, a not-so-subtle jab at the happier tone Nick was trying to force onto the show. They also hid several hidden frames of a "Bloody GIR" that went unnoticed for years and established a cult following among the show's fans. Nickelodeon never discovered this image until after the show's cancellation, and at that point, wasn't bothered since it could only be seen in hidden frames.
Although the show proved popular amongst teens, Nickelodeon felt that the series ultimately wasn't pulling in the exact audience they had wanted, which caused them to be disappointed with the show's ratings. The series also had a high production budget that Nickelodeon ultimately felt wasn't a good investment on the series. As a result, a rather tragic fate met Invader Zim a little over a year into the show's run.
Mission (Temporarily) Aborted
During its second season, Invader Zim's competition with much of Nickelodeon's other shows proved to be rather detrimental in addition to its higher costs. It could never match the popularity of The Fairly Oddparents despite having its own niche audience, and it would only get worse the following year when shows like The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius exploded onto the scene with much greater fanfare.
Partway through the completion of its second season, Nickelodeon pulled the rug out from under the creative team and cancelled the series. And to pour metaphorical salt on the wounds, there were several episodes that were still halfway finished, ranging from scripts being completed to voice lines being recorded. The final episode that aired on Nickelodeon came with the Christmas episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" on December 10, 2002.
After that, several other episodes that had been completed sat on the shelf for years, never airing in the U.S. despite having made it to air overseas. These episodes were eventually made available in America via a DVD release for the series in 2004 and eventually aired on Nickelodeon's sister network Nicktoons in 2006. Notably, the series was meant to be the first in a series of new Nicktoons aimed at an older demographic, but after it's cancellation, these plans were seemingly put on ice.
"There were two things that were going on in 2001." Zim's voice actor Richard Horvitz explained in a 2018 interview with Syfy on the show's cancellation. "Our ratings were not doing well, our demographic at the time was not the Fairly Oddparents demographic, which is what we premiered with, and we premiered to really, really good acclaim. But ratings-wise, the only barometer was the target audience, 6- to 10-year-olds, and I think that it was a little too much for that demographic, and the parents might have also thought it was a little graphic for them. Our ratings never really got off the ground. One other thing that people often forget, is that the show premiered in March of 2001. By September of 2001, we had the horrible downing of the Twin Towers. Giving the mood of the country at the time, I don't think people wanted to see shows that were about any kind of destruction or anything that had to do with someone trying to conquer the Earth."
Jhonen Vasquez shared a lot of these sentiments in another interview with Syfy the following year. "The show could've come out at any point in history and I don't think it would ever be appropriate...I think there's always horrible things happening in the world and genuine comedy comes from horrible things. At the time, it just happened to be things like Columbine and 9/11 and then people freak out and don't want to offend anyone's sensibilities. It's a justified response to certain extent; there's people who have been affected and they don't want to be reminded of this awful stuff...I just think it did not live well with Nickelodeon's image."
Among the multiple episodes that were unfinished included an origin episode for Minimoose, a character who appeared in the Christmas special without explanation, as well as a planned series finale for titled "Invader Dib" that would've focused on Dib attempting to fight back against the Irken invasion only for Zim to ultimately win in the end.
However, despite the initial controversy and ratings struggle of the series, a bright future was on the horizon for the series for the rest of the 2000s.
Time I Had Some Time Alone
Throughout the 2000s, Invader Zim continued to amass new fans in spite of no new episodes being produced. As we established already, the series had already established a cult following during it run, and it only grew stronger during the rest of the decade.
One place that embraced Invader Zim with open arms was the popular counterculture shop Hot Topic, who have produced countless merchandise in the show's likeness, some of which you can see above.
And it would seem that this presence at Hot Topic paved the way for the show to find the ratings success it so deserved. For years, the series would air in reruns on Nicktoons Network. This eventually peaked in the 2010s, where these reruns became one of the highest-rated programs for the cable channel, second only to reruns of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Speaking of that show, Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko notably worked on Invader Zim beforehand, claiming that he designed Avatar's main protagonist Aang after a sketch for a background character he had made for Invader Zim. But this was only one of the major impacts Invader Zim would end up having on the animation industry in the long run, as it had several notable admirers who would become well-respected in the animation world.
One of these admirers was Rebecca Sugar, who you might recognize as the creator of Cartoon Network's Steven Universe. As a teen, Sugar would often draw fanart and write fanfiction of the series, with some of said fanart even appearing in one issue of Game Informer magazine! She would go on to write a foreword for an art book released on Invader Zim and credit the series as an influence on her work.
Several conventions were also set up in the show's honor. Dubbed InvaderCON, the first event was held in honor of the series 10th Anniversary in March of 2011. Several cast and crew members made special appearances at this event, with several members of the cast also reading some of the scripts of the unfinished episodes in character. Several follow up events were held over the next few years, which included more table readings of lost episodes
Nickelodeon themselves even came around to Zim, as they let him book guest spots in a lot of crossover video games with the company. Characters from the series appeared in Nicktoons branded video games such as 2008's Globs of Doom and 2011's Nicktoons MLB. There were also cameos from the cast in the now-defunct Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blaster attraction at Universal Studios Florida, as well as the series getting its own bumper car attraction at the American Dream Mall!
However, these appearances in popular culture would only be the beginning, as it paved the way for Zim's ultimate comeback in the mid-to-late-2010s!
Resuming the Mission
After years of fan efforts and demands for a comeback, several new projects for Invader Zim would be produced throughout the 2010s. The first came in the form of a comic book series published by Oni Press. The series was announced in February of 2015, with the series receiving a preview that following May before officially launching in July.
Jhonen Vasquez returned to produce the comic series alongside multiple former production staff members, including writer Eric Trueheart. On producing the comic, Jhonen Vasquez said "I'm always confused when people say how much they miss Invader Zim because the show never stopped running in my head, and then I remember everyone else isn't in my head."
Several new stories in the series were produced, many of which expanded the lore and world of the universe, as well as introduce new characters. Several of the issues were even re-purposed lost episodes from the series. The comic ran until 2020, after which it switched to a quarterly schedule before ending completely in 2021.
However, the Invader Zim's real comeback would officially start to take shape in 2017. That year, it was announced that a TV movie based on the series was in the works, set to air on Nickelodeon. After a few production delays and a change of venue to Netflix, Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus was released in 2019.
In the film, Zim initially becomes depressed after finding out that the Tallest never actually intended on invading earth, causing Dib to officially take action and attempt to expose did. However, after becoming aware of a new device that could take over the world and warp the Irken Armada towards Earth, Zim decides to use Professor Membrane's latest invention to attempt to take over the world once again.
Vasquez stated in an interview with Collider that the movie came from the result of Nickelodeon contacting him and flirting with the idea of a revival over the years, citing the high fan demand. "And a lot of the people at Nickelodeon over the years were a lot more supportive, because they were the people who are working under the people who were in charge of programming back in the day." He further explained. "And so, these people ended up becoming the higher-ups and they just had a soft spot for Zim."
Upon release, the film was universally acclaimed, with many praising the series as a worthy continuation of the series, as well as praising elements such as the dynamic relationship between Dib and his father in the film. Eric Vilas-Boas of the website Thrillist notably stated "the dazzlingly animated space battles, and the firehose stream of gross and morbid humor make Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus worth a 17-year wait."
Having seen the film myself, I can say that it is indeed a faithful follow-up to the series, with plenty of memorable scenes and sight gags that'll please fans and newcomers alike. I would certainly recommend this movie to fans who haven't seen it yet!
Obey the Fist!
So, with all the formalities out of the way, it's time to share why I find this show to be such as fun watch. Well, put it simply, there really isn't any other show that's quite like it. Yes, there have been several shows with a more twisted sense of humor released before and since Invader Zim, but this show just presents its sense of humor in a truly unique way. Everything about this show just has so much personality and life behind it, from the animation style to the voice acting, and you can tell that pretty much everyone who worked on this show had the time of their lives making it! It's also as quotable as all heck! It might even be the most quotable tv show of all time in my book!
It's also a show that perfectly encapsulates the 2000s with its sharp wit and willingness to poke fun at any topic. Every episode has that one moment that'll leave you exclaiming "I can't believe they actually went there!", allowing younger generations to take a peek at an era where animation-for lack of a better term- had balls of steel. Invader Zim never once tries to pull its punches, and when it gets dark, it gets really dark. However, that dark mean-spiritedness only causes the funniest scenes in the show to get even funnier!
On that note, Invader Zim is also the perfect gateway drug for getting your kids into more mature content. It's a show that proudly wears a lot of its inspirations on its sleeve, and it uses this to its advantage. Every space battle is excellently choreographed, every moment of horror is genuinely chilling without going too far for kids, and the satire is unapologetic and bites HARD! It's a show that's not afraid to be a little different and stand out from its contemporaries, almost becoming the life of the party in a sea of identical cartoons.
But besides that, Invader Zim is also one of the first shows I ever truly developed a true fan appreciation of. I remember catching this show when it re-ran on Nicktoons every chance I got and remembering even some of the most minute details. The Invader Zim wiki also pointed out plenty of Easter Eggs for me to keep an eye out for with every episode, ranging from animation blunders to hidden sight gags that only added to the show's demented charm. I especially spent a lot of time trying to track down all of the Bloody GIRs! In other words, Invader Zim became one of the first few things I actually became obsessed with, and it really shouldn't be hard to see why with what I just said!
But above all, Invader Zim is also the very definition of a rags-to-riches story and a cult classic. While it was initially treated with trepidation by its network, it established a fanbase like none I've ever seen before or since! For years, everyone on the Internet and their pet dog embraced Invader Zim with open arms, devoting many great fan projects and campaigns to continue it. And unlike with a lot of these shows nowadays, their hard work actually paid off in the long run, with Nickelodeon going on to rectify their pasts mistakes involving the show with a bunch of amazing continuations and crossover appearances. It's a show with a story that gives hope to us devoted fans and shows us that our voices can be heard! It's honestly something I wish a lot more studios nowadays would do (looking at you, Warner Bros and Disney!)
Highlight Episodes...of DOOOOOM!
As a true top-tier Nicktoon that's more than deserving of its legacy, Invader Zim is a show that has plenty of delightfully demented stories to share. But what are the ones you should seek out first? Well, that's what we're here for!
Here are some of Zim's greatest missions for you to witness with your putrid human eyes!
Walk of Doom
Zim attempts to update Gir's guidance system in an attempt to make him a bit more useful. He then goes out in the city in disguise to test things out, but when Gir swaps the memory chip with a cupcake, everything becomes a fight for survival as Zim desperately tries to find his way back to the base.
Of all of the episodes, I feel that this episode best showcases the dynamic between Zim and Gir. Both of them get genuinely funny scenes as they venture unknown territory, moving from one darkly humorous set piece to another with gusto! And the show's trademark voice acting only makes it even more of a creepy delight!
One particular standout is the bus scene, which utilizes perfect awkward silence and even leads up to arguably the best punchline of the series!
Attack of the Saucer Morons
In this episode, Zim crashes his ship, dubbed the Voot Cruiser, during a test run. After the ship is captured by a group of alien worshippers, Zim must try to infiltrate the group and get it back. But after they discover that he is an alien, chaos continues to mount.
There are several episodes that showcase how strange the humans in the show's world can be, but this one show's the madness that could happen should Zim's identity be discovered by alien fanatics. The titular Saucer Morons are hilarious caricatures of those who believe in aliens and bounce off a confused Zim perfectly, providing many moments of the delightfully morbid humor the show is known for.
Everything is ultimately also wrapped up with a fun chase scene that will definitely boost your energy.
Career Day
It's career day at the school, and we see Dib get paired up with an incompetent paranormal investigator named Bill as he tries yet again to expose Zim's identity. Zim meanwhile gets assigned to a fast-food restaurant, and finds that he is about to come down with a nasty molt that'll soon temporarily transform him into a blob.
This episode contains many fun sight gags that befit the show's morbid sense of humor. It's also one of the episodes that uses pop culture references the best, with a climax that brings to mind the classic anime film Akira.
Dib's dynamic with Bill is also quite hilarious to watch, allowing us to see his side of the story in some of the most hilarious ways during the course of the series.
FBI Warning of Doom
When Zim sees an FBI warning on a rented DVD that is now overdue, Zim becomes paranoid and attempts to break into the store after hours in order to return it, believing that not doing so will expose him and thwart his mission. However, he must deal with strict security officer Sergeant Slab Rankle, who doesn't take kindly to break-ins.
Of all of the episodes, this one makes me the most nostalgic in retrospective. Having been one of the last generations to experience video rental places, seeing plots surrounding them makes me a little fuzzy on the inside. And this story also has the benefit of being having its action take place in a shopping mall, another thing I grew up around (my father worked as a security guard at one).
But it's more than just nostalgia that puts this episode on the list, as there are also several fun action sequences thrown into the mix, and Sergeant Slab Rankle comes off as a genuinely entertaining villain thanks in no small part to his over-the-top mannerisms and design! It honestly would've been amazing had he returned in the comics!
Battle of The Planets
The first two parter on this list concerns Zim and Dib as they discover a strange secret; the planets of Mars and Mercury are actually giant spaceships. Shenanigans ensue that lead up to a battle of truly gargantuan proportions!
Some of the show's greatest space battles can be found in this episode, with semi-3D animated segments that are arguably some of the series finest. But it's also not afraid to keep up the funny as well, with even the Almighty Tallest getting some moments that left me with a nice chuckle.
We also get to see Dib at the top of his game as we explore his relationship with the Swollen Eyeball Network, especially his mentor dynamic with another agent known as Dark Bootie. It would be amazing to see this explored in future adaptations of the series (there were some moments in the comics, but not many).
Bolognius Maximus
In a creative sendup of David Cronenberg's The Fly, Dib starts to undergo a hideous transformation after he is infused with the DNA of...Bologna! After injected Zim with the same DNA out of retaliation, the race is on to find a cure before they become walking hunks of lunch meat.
In a series that's known for gross and surreal humor, this episode becomes a highlight thanks to its creative homage to a potential future topic for our Stranger Sinema show. Plenty of visual gags that manage to be both unsettling and hilarious rule the screen, culminating in an ending that manages to be the very definition of darkly hilarious!
Just be warned that there will be a 50/50 chance of you craving bologna yourself should you finish this episode!
The second two-parter of our retrospective, "Backseat Drivers" deals with Zim and Dib's battle for control over The Massive after it falls under the attack of a group of rebels against the Irken Alliance dubbed "The Resisty".
Everything in this episode perfectly balances the show's two greatest strengths: zany action and surreal dark comedy. We watch sequences that come off as both exciting and hilarious as Zim and Dib's battle from across the stars rages on throughout the half-hour runtime.
Many of the show's most memorable lines can also be found in this episode as a bonus. It's no wonder this episode is considered a favorite amongst the cast and crew of the show!
The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever
Once again, one of the final episodes produced of the series in question stands out as the best. And it's yet another two-parter as well.
When Zim comes across the story of Santa Claus, he devises a festive plan to use the commercialization of Christmas in order to take over the Earth. However, things start to go haywire as the Santa suit he creates starts to take over his mind, leading to a hair-raising adventure of holiday hijinks!
This episode of the series has a little bit of everything that made the show special; quotable lines, hilariously dark gags, and well-animated action sequences all wrapped up in a bug red festive bow (metaphorically speaking)! And it also uses its dark nature to craft a unique take on Christmas specials that only a show like this could pull off.
If you like your Christmas specials with a little bit of edge, you should definitely add this to your seasonal watchlist!
Bonus: It Feeds on Noodles
Finally, we have a bonus entry detailing one of the unfinished episodes. In this episode, Zim was to eat Chinese food for the first time, only to have a horrific side effect happen to him. He transforms into a vampire-like being with chopsticks for fangs that must feed on noodles to survive.
While the series already has a lot of horror-tinged episodes to its name, this episode truly had the possibility to become something special in my humble opinion. Had this episode been made, we could've had an episode that had the potential to do something amazing; pay tribute to the horror classics of cinema's golden age, like the Universal Monsters, and bridge gaps between generations. And it could've done so via several hilarious scenes that echoed other classic horror comedy toons of the time, like Courage the Cowardly Dog!
Sadly, this wasn't one of the unfinished episodes that was adapted to the comics, but should a new comics series arrive in the future, this episode is definitely on the "must-adapt" list!
Lowlight Episodes
Alas, not everything about Invader Zim was perfect. Although there are definitely far more good episodes than bad, as you will soon see, the show still had a few missions that ended in total failure.
Here are the lower-priority episodes for when you hunt down Invader Zim.
Ironically, we'll actually be getting what I think might be the worst episode overall at the start of this list! This clunker depicts Zim and Gir being abducted by a pair of extremely absent-minded aliens who are actually convinced that Zim is actually human. Zim must now spend this episode meandering around in order to escape his absent-minded captors.
And I do mean that there is a lot of meandering. Everything in this episode somehow feels too fast paced and slow as a snail at the same time. A lot of pointless arguments that land on deaf ears and plot filler take up most of the runtime, and it's not helped by the two obnoxious main antagonists, who actually make the show's normally enjoyable over-the-top voice acting come off as obnoxious and grating.
All things said, it's perhaps best you'd skip over this episode completely.
Mortos Der Soulstealer
Dib calls upon a mystical being in order to combat Zim. However, when said mystical being turns out to have the attention span of a goldfish, Dib ends up going through a headache of a time to try and get things on track.
Much of the fandom seems to consider this the worst episode of the series. While I can say that this episode does have its moments, it's predictable plot and jokes do make it an ultimately unremarkable watch.
It also doesn't help that its titular guest star can come off as quite annoying at times, and that the pacing of the episode is a bit off compared to others.
Door to Door
In the sister segment to "FBI Warning of Doom", Zim's class goes door to door to sell candy bars for a school fundraiser. But when things go nowhere fast, Zim has to bring out the big guns for getting candy sold.
While this isn't a terrible episode, it's not the most original one. Anybody who's seen the classic SpongeBob episode "Chocolate with Nuts" could tell you that, and this episode is basically that episode, albeit less creative and a more predictable plotline, right down to the ending.
Again, not a terrible episode, but not as memorable compared to all the others.
The Girl Who Cried Gnome
After an impulsive girl scout gets stuck in a hole in front of Zim's lawn, the mass media swoops in and turns the whole thing into a massive media coverage. Zim must now find a way to free the girl scout and end the madness after Dib gets wind of the situation and attempts to expose Zim on live television.
Although the concept is quite ingenious, much of this episode really just boils down to minutes on end of a little girl screaming and acting spoiled as the media gives her attention. And I shouldn't need to tell you that this gets really grating really fast. Halfway through the episode, I felt more bad for the rescue squad than I did for the girl.
Of course, even this episode has a few moments that stand out, but in my personal opinion, a lot of the screaming was just a little bit too past my personal tolerance level.
Bonus: Simon Sez Doom
Surprise! We have a bonus unfinished episode for my negative list too!
In this episode, we find Zim volunteering at a local orphanage as part of a city program. This catches Dib's attention, as usual, and he decides to volunteer as well in order to keep an eye on Zim, later finding that he can control the orphans by playing Simon Says with them.
While the concept of this episode leads to many demented possibilities, it sadly gets lost in a sea of fecal-based jokes and bee puns that stop being funny at a certain age. All of this leads up to a climax that'll leave you wanting to take a shower.
Voices were actually recorded for this episode, with several fan-made recreations existing online. However, giving this episode's particular focus on immature humor with nothing clever surrounding it, perhaps this episode would've been better off left in the scrap heap.
Of course, that is just my humble opinion after all!
Victory for Zim!
So, in the ends, while Invader Zim may not be everyone's cup of tea, it still is a unique, quirky series that isn't afraid to stand out from the crowd. It combines classic science fiction, horror, and a unique style of comedy and uses this combination to tell a sequence of crazy events that could only exist from a show like this.
It's also a show with some of the highest production values I have ever seen in a cartoon, even if it may just seem like a simple Saturday morning cartoon. This can be seen through its bombastic voice performances, enthusiastic animation and art design, and its devilishly delightful combination of 3D and 2D visuals. And all of these parts come together in order to create a viewing experience that comes off as both creepy and strangely engrossing, with clever writing that has arguably only gotten even sharper with age (especially considering how brainless much of the world seems to have gotten in recent years).
But as the years went on, it also became a more than just a mere cult TV show. Its devoted fanbase kept it alive throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and despite its initial harsh treatment of the IP, Nickelodeon would quickly realize their mistakes and embrace the show with loving arms. Everything from plushies to crossover video games have been made with Zim and company, and the show would go on to have plenty of success in re-runs. It was even successful enough to get not one, but two major revivals many years after its abrupt cancellation.
It's also a show that has managed to make a major impact on the industry despite its brief shelf life. Many people who worked on the series would go on to create generation-defining classics of the medium, and so did many of the young, impressionable individuals who grew up watching it. And its unexpected impact can still be felt today as many shows have continued to look towards it for creative information and merchandise continues to fly off shelves.
Therefore, it's only natural that Invader Zim be remembered as a true Cinderella story in the animation world, one that could give hope to people like me yet! And it would also be amazing to see its creators continue to return to the series in the near future once again, be that through a new comics series or even a sequel to Enter the Florpus, as difficult as that may seem at this point.
But what about you? Have you ever experienced Invader Zim, be it through its initial short run or in reruns? Do you share the same sentiments with me and see it as a cult classic, or do you believe it to be rather overrated? Are you interested in starting the series after hearing me speak about its lengthy history? What are your potential ideas for a new continuation of the series? Please let me know in the comments below! And don't forget to share this article and my blog with your disgusting, filthy human friends! The great Invader Tim orders you!
Sources:
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