7 Forgotten Cartoons That Were Based on R-Rated Movies

In the 1980s, a business plan developed across Hollywood that could have only existed at that time. Thanks to the proliferation of animated shows for kids, television networks and animation companies suddenly needed something to base their shows on. There was no shortage of materials for them to do this with, of course, since so many of these shows were either created exclusively to sell toys or were then used as a reason to pump out endless action figures and playsets. In addition to the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man, though, other franchises shockingly made the transition to animation.

It wasn’t enough for franchises to be aimed exclusively at kids at the time, as a new trend quickly developed in the 1980s, with movies that were not only aimed at adults, but which were rated “R” upon release, making the move to Saturday mornings for animated adventures. Something like this wouldn’t have happened in the 1970s; it’s not like Shaft or Dirty Harry have cartoons. Only in the 1980s, when the commodification of pop culture had reached a fever pitch following the original Star Wars, could something like this happen. Though not all are limited to that specific time frame, these forgotten animated shows all have the same origin story, starting out as a movie for adults.

7) Rambo: The Force of Freedom

Following the release of First Blood, a dark drama about post-traumatic stress in a Vietnam War veteran and the failure of the United States to take care of him when he came back home, this naturally gave way to an explosive action franchise. After Rambo: First Blood Part II changed what fans thought the series was at its core, that naturally meant that Rambo, his giant machine gun, and his lack of shirt should make the way to animation.

Featuring not only Rambo but a new cast of fellow soldiers who traveled the globe to stop the terrorist organization S.A.V.A.G.E. The series naturally expanded its scope with this, with episodes that had the enemy hold school children hostage inside the Statue of Liberty, but also steal the Liberty Bell, among other cacamamie schemes.

Even though Rambo: The Force of Freedom only lasted 65 episodes, the series, of course, launched a full line of action figures to go along with it. As if the series couldn’t become more of a ripoff of G.I. Joe, to boot, it also has twin ninja characters (Black Dragon and White Dragon), with each on opposing sides. How’d they come up with that?

6) Clerks: The Animated Series

The trend of R-rated movies to the animated series pipeline wasn’t confined to just the ’80s, though, as Kevin Smith’s iconic indie comedy continued the trend in the 2000s. Featuring the original cast of the series reprising all their roles, the show was not an attempt to trick young kids into liking a new franchise, but rather a new lane for Smith to tell stories involving these characters and another chapter of his “ViewAskewniverse” for fans.

Another major difference in Clerks: The Animated Series and these other shows, though, is that it’s actually….good. Even if the show has lost a bit to time, even with the return of these characters in live-action, Clerks: The Animated Series is one worth seeking out, as it features Smith’s trademark wit and pop culture musings that propelled him to being a fan-favorite. Plus, it’s only six episodes.

5) Friday: The Animated Series

After a trilogy of movies, it appeared the Friday series had officially come to an end, but five years after Friday After Next came the short-lived Friday: The Animated Series. Only eight episodes of the series exist, and it appears that the show came and went in an almost impressive way. No reviews for the series can be found online, and even on IMDb, there are only 200 user ratings submitted (with an average of 6.4 out of 10). It’s a great modern example of totally forgotten show.

To make it even clearer why this series disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived, it’s worth noting that none of the creative figures involved in the movies have any involvement in the short itself. Not only are all the characters voiced by other actors (including white voice actor John DiMaggio voicing “Pops”), but none of the episodes were written by anyone who had previously worked on the movies as well. Combine that with an animation style that looked cheap even in 2007, and it’s easy to see why this one failed to take off.

4) Police Academy: The Animated Series

Premiering just five months after the fifth film in the raunchy comedy series, Police Academy: The Animated Series takes the series in the exact direction you might expect for an ’80s animated show based on an R-Rated franchise to go. Not only does it include versions of the characters from the films, naturally voiced by other actors, but it also introduces a crew of talking police dogs, a series of recurring antagonists like The Clown Gang, and each episode also includes a helpful hint for safety for the young crowd watching it. Two seasons and sixty-five episodes were produced of the show, along with, you guessed it, action figures.

3) RoboCop & 2) RoboCop: Alpha Commando

The rare double-dip, the popularity of RoboCop as an action franchise (one that features extensive gore, and even a character who gets blasted with toxic waste and explodes when a truck runs over him) gave animation the perfect character for the medium. They also wasted no time, as the first animated version of RoboCop arrived just one year after the feature film was released. Naturally, the first series makes the character a little faster and more capable in hand-to-hand combat, but it makes drastic changes to the series, like making Officer Anne Lewis have romantic feelings for RoboCop, while also reviving the deceased villain, Clarence Boddicker.

Ten years after the initial twelve-episode series was cancelled, plus two more feature film sequels and even a live-action television show, RoboCop returned to animation with RoboCop: Alpha Commando. This series, which ran for forty episodes, had even less in common with the original movie and fully defined the ethos of “violent movie becomes kids’ property,” since the titular hero was equipped with Inspector Gadget-like accessories, like a grappling hook, a buzzsaw, and his own helicopter.

1) Toxic Crusaders

Any R-Rated movie franchise becoming a beloved children’s series is already a tough mountain to climb, but Troma’s raunchy The Toxic Avenger may have had the most unlikely trip. Based on the film by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, the series naturally stars the irradiated Toxie but gives him a crew of fellow mutated characters who work to protect Tromaville, New Jersey, from pollution. The cartoonish violence of the original The Toxic Avenger may seem perfect for a cartoon, but given that this one is aiming for a younger audience, it didn’t exactly match its source material.

What separates Toxic Crusaders from many of the other shows on the list is that it was made as something of an answer to both Captain Planet (sticking with an environmental bent for its storylines) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (thanks to how much merchandising the series managed to release, despite only 13 episodes total). Just like the Troma movie, though, Toxic Crusaders has become a cult favorite over time, and is arguable the most popular series present.

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