Top 10 Adult Cartoons

Welcome to my blog, and today I'll be counting down my top 10 best adult cartoons of all time. For this list, I defined "adult cartoon" as shows that are necessarily not inappropriate, but has humor that is excessive to kids. I've based my list on overall impact, as well as current popularity. I have also excluded shows that aren't technically cartoons (sorry Robot Chicken).

10. The Boondocks (Adult Swim 2005-): Filled with biting statements on African American culture, race relations, and "I can't believe they said that" moments, this anime-inspired show follows a pair of African American brothers as they move to a mainly White suburb. The articulate Huey acts as a mouthpiece for the show's creator. The show can also anger core fans, but keep them coming back for more. It also proves that cartoons can get away with more, just watch what you quote.

9. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Adult Swim 2000-): Who needs continuity and structured plots when you've got anthropomorphic fast food items. Spun off from Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, this show was originally planned as a crime solving series similar to Scooby Doo. That plan was quickly abandoned in favor of the surreal adventures of Master Shake, Frylock, and Meadwad. Random, sometimes violent and nasty, Aqua Teen Hunger Force is absurd and the fans are loving it.

8. Futurama (Fox 1999-2003, Comedy Central 2008-2013): It's Matt Groening's Emmy award winning best and worse case scenario for the future. Darker than The Jetsons, more surreal and vulgar than The Simpsons, this cult hit show takes Fry, a pizza delivery boy who gets chryogenically frozen and wakes up in the year 2999. Where celebrity heads, aliens, and boozy robots live freely. Both high and low brow, it's packed with references that make sci-fi nerds go crazy.

7. King of the Hill (Fox 1997-2009): When he's not mowing his lawn, pedaling propane and propane accessories, or drinking beer in the alley with his neighbors, Arlen, Texas resident Hank Hill is usually trying to teach his son Bobby some kind of lesson. With mild humor aimed mainly at adults, Mike Judge's Emmy award winning take on southern middle American family life isn't offensive per say, but it's definitely not for kids.

6. Archer (FX 2009-): If James Bond and Don Draper's kid was raised by Charlie Sheen, it would be Sterling Archer. A party boy and mama's boy, Archer won't hesitate to tell you he's the world's most dangerous (secret) assassin. An irreverent bundle of eras, references, and inappropriate jokes, this FX show won the 2012 Critic's Choice Award for Best Animated Series. So it looks like Archer will continue to treat women like crap for years to come.

5. Beavis and Butt-head (MTV 1993-1999, 2011-): Like Futurama, this show's popularity earned it a second life. Lude, crude, and sometimes blamed for prompting criminal activity, Beavis and Butt-head are the moron children of Generation X. They unite to score with chicks, eat nachos, and comment on music videos, and vulgarity always ensues. Despite its idiotic appearance, this series is hailed as a haven of intelligent and submersive comedy thanks to creator Mike Judge.

4. The Ren & Stimpy Show (Nickelodeon 1991-1996): Before Beavis and Butt-head, there were Ren and Stimpy. Nickelodeon's counter to educational programming, it was one of the first cartoons to tackle adult oriented themes and humor. And by that I mean poop and snot jokes. The network's executives hated their violence, coarse language, and homosexual undertones, but fans loved Ren and Stimpy's irrelevant humor. That is until Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon came along.

3. Family Guy (Fox 1999-2003, 2005-): Just because there's a talking dog, doesn't mean it's kid friendly. At times racist, sexist, and any other "ist" imaginable, the Griffin family makes us laugh, especially when we know we shouldn't. It's that combination of wit, controversy, pop culture references, cutaways, and musical numbers that brought Family Guy back from the brink twice. With Emmys and spin-offs galore, Seth MacFarlane is the new king of off-color cartoon comedy.

2. South Park (Comedy Central 1997-): Crude animation, crude language, crude humor. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's creation is one of the most universally offensive shows ever, but that's why we love it. Nothing is off the table: celebrities, religion, sexuality, politics, talking feces, all taboos are addressed by these wide-eyed kids. Between running gags, and shocks for the sake of shocks, this show tightropes the line between super intelligent, and super stupid like no other.

1. The Simpsons (Fox 1989-): With a never ending sea of characters, catchphrases, and comedy, The Simpsons is a cultural touchstone for good reason. I know you think it's been lame for fifteen years and that it's never been adult oriented. but in the early years, everyone had friends who weren't allowed to watch it. Witty, intelligent, entertaining, and always relevant, The Simpsons is American's longest running sitcom, and an inescapable part of pop culture.