The Venture Bros: An Exercise in Failure
By: MSJ
Imagine if you will trying your hardest, putting an immense amount of effort into trying to succeed only to realize all of that effort was for naught. Once you fail what would you do next? Do you give up and move onto something new? Learn from your mistakes akin to Thomas Edison and use those failed attempts as a learning experience? The final alternative is just to have a go at it and whatever happens, even if it means something as drastic as having numerous clones of your twin boys as an insurance policy in the face of death.
The Venture Bros. as a series is about failure. In a nutshell, it is simply about a group of people constantly finding themselves in larger than life situations either because they have screwed up majorly or things get resolved with them screwing up majorly. The creator of the series has even gone on record to say the driving theme of the series is a failure which isn't a bad thing as failure is something we all experience in one way or another. Many TV shows will go to great lengths to try to express the very purpose of why human beings have to fail as a way to reinvigorate their spirits so that they can succeed, in turn, grew to appreciate our accomplishments even more in the face of adversity. The Venture Bros. is not that instead it is more about the fallout of failing and just about trying to get by with the bare minimum. While this is not the most engaging description we will look at why the Venture Bros., a show about a pill-popping former boy adventurer turned cynical super scientist going on insane escapades with his family, is one of the greatest things to ever be animated.
Jackson Publick (Christopher McCullough), the creator of the Venture Bros., originally intended for the series to be a comic strip back in 2000. Publick soon realized that the series would have been too big for a short comic strip. He decided to go the route of animated adult comedy in the vein of other animated comedies at the time such as The Simpsons, Daria, Beavis and Butthead, and South Park. Unfortunately, his pilot was rejected by Comedy Central before begrudgingly taking the series over to Cartoon Network in 2002 which greenlit the pilot apart of the newly born Adult Swim late-night block the network had just started. Soon after the pilot aired and in 2004 the series began to bring its dark brand of comedy and deconstructionist humor to the masses.
The Venture Brothers is a series you can tell from the first few minutes of viewing that it is a spoof of Johnny Quest, A Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 60s about a family of adventurers solving mysteries and at times saving the world. Johnny Quest both show, and character, was happy and idyllic while the Venture Bros., excluding the eponymous duo, is the exact opposite. The series takes a look into the trauma and cynicism that someone who experienced a life such as this would develop. This is most evident in the patriarch of the Venture family: Dr. Venture or "Rusty" as he's known to some much to his chagrin. Dr. Venture grew up the son of super scientist/adventurer Jonas Venture, gallivanting around the world solving mysteries and on occasion saving the world. Sound familiar? While Johnny Quest was very much invested in Johnny's childhood and adventures, the Venture Bros. look at Dr. Venture's experiences as an adult taking his father's place as an insecure, neglectful, superscience father, as he falls deep into anguish over the situations that this lifestyle puts him in. It sounds like a very depressing series, but the misfortunes that Dr. Venture and the rest of the cast experiences is usually for laughs. Despite being a super scientist he lacks any sense of self-awareness or awareness of the greater world at large, exemplified by one instance where he mistakenly believes a segway ridden by a colleague is a brand new invention made to be sold for his company.
Of course with a series so embroiled in dark humor Dr. Venture's failings also extend to his life as a father. The eponymous Venture Brothers are Hank and Dean Venture. Two young dimwitted and overzealous boys that have taken Dr. Venture's place as young adventurer's. Dr. Venture is overbearing and controlling when it comes to Dean, his supposed favorite son while being harsh and condescending to Hank. Despite such a scathing character overview Dr. Venture actually views himself as a better father than his own contrary a hilarious instance in which a séance is performed using his most loved possessions, none of which included is disappointed sons. Given that you may be lead to believe Dr. Venture is a reprehensible character, which he is, the level of character writing in the series especially for a sitcom is world class. Later in the series, we find out that no matter how harsh he may be on Hank, Dr. Venture actually sees this as good for his energetic soon due to the fact that Hank "doesn't buy into this boy adventurer crap" the way his brother does. In a roundabout way, he does it to keep him tough and prepared for a cruel reality that adulthood brings. This moment, in particular, elicits a degree of sympathy for both characters due to the level of care and relatability that the character writing has making them more than just paper thin parodies of another cartoon, but separate entities far superior to material that inspired them.
In fact, each individual character of the Venture Brothers possesses the same level of care and consideration when it comes to them being written. Billy Quizboy is a diehard Venture fan that struggles to prove himself as both a "boy adventurer" and doctor. The Pirate Captain is an on again off again tranquilizer addict just trying to get by in life. Finally, there is Dr. Z a high ranking supervillain despite being an affable, doting old man when not participating in villainy. These three characters alone are very minor in importance coming and going as the series dictates, but each appearance they have either changed organically or maintained their previously established character traits all in believable ways to a degree that leads me to say this is actually one of my favorite casts in any cartoon sitcom and even in pop culture as a whole.
Another key component of what makes the Venture brothers so engrossing is the world itself. With such a large cast of characters, the writers use various organizations around the world as a way to define the rules for both superheroes and villains as they are introduced. The numerous organizations that each character has some sort of affiliation to add a level depth mostly reserved for your stand dramas as each organization has its own specific objectives, history, and purpose. The OSI, the Guild, and formerly Sphinx at one point were the three main organizations of the series. The OSI is a S.H.I.E.L.D.-like government superspy agency meant to balance out the evil that is the Guild of Calamitous Intent, which for all intents and purposes is a union for supervillains. Finally, Sphinx was a spoof of Cobra a terrorist organization that competed with the guild as the main source of supervillains. These organizations typically provide a backdrop for stories to be told with the Venture's inevitably being caught in the middle through some ridiculous manner which also gives the series a sense of life, meaning that while the main characters are important the events of the world are almost never hanging solely on the whims of the main characters.
The duo of Hank and Dean, my personal favorite part of the show, is ultimately stand-ins for the Hardy Boys showcasing an exuberant desire for adventure and what their lifestyle as the sons of a super scientist hold. The two never really move the story along they are just along for the ride very similar to the audience being kidnapped, poisoned, or what have you. They serve the same purpose any boy adventurer does and that is to go on adventures leaving the heavy lifting to their bodyguard Brock. Often the series feel like they are supporting characters in their own show, but this allows them to shine in a manner the other characters do not. My biggest laughs while watching the show came from the naiveté or in most cases the stupidity of the two. The best example being the end of season four where Dean tries to get the attention of a girl he's head over heels for with Hank's help. The two spell out "TRIANA" in logs on her lawn before setting them ablaze, only for the "T" to ignite alone as the other letters collapse with Dean in front dressed as a ghost because he thought it would be scary because she likes scary things. Another instance would be any time Hank dresses up either as Batman or a suave supervillain only for him to get so lost in his character that he forgets who he is until any plans he may have fallen short. The two also have some of the most poignant moments in the series like Hank helping Dean come to terms with the fact that the two of them are not only clones, the eight iterations of clones of the original Hank and Dean. Hank learns that the two of them are clones of clones while Dean falls into despair Hank interprets this to his Brother as meaning while the others died, they continued to live and by that extension are the best possible versions of the two. In a twisted sense, it is touching that despite being a copy of a copy there is still a silver lining to it all. That is what the Venture Bros. is, in a nutshell, no matter how bad things may get there is always some form of joy that can be gleaned from even the most utter of failures.
Check out these other great articles:
DVDumpster: The Dependables
DVDumpster: Alien Arrival
BlacKkKlansman Review
Follow us on social media:
Imagine if you will trying your hardest, putting an immense amount of effort into trying to succeed only to realize all of that effort was for naught. Once you fail what would you do next? Do you give up and move onto something new? Learn from your mistakes akin to Thomas Edison and use those failed attempts as a learning experience? The final alternative is just to have a go at it and whatever happens, even if it means something as drastic as having numerous clones of your twin boys as an insurance policy in the face of death.
The Venture Bros. as a series is about failure. In a nutshell, it is simply about a group of people constantly finding themselves in larger than life situations either because they have screwed up majorly or things get resolved with them screwing up majorly. The creator of the series has even gone on record to say the driving theme of the series is a failure which isn't a bad thing as failure is something we all experience in one way or another. Many TV shows will go to great lengths to try to express the very purpose of why human beings have to fail as a way to reinvigorate their spirits so that they can succeed, in turn, grew to appreciate our accomplishments even more in the face of adversity. The Venture Bros. is not that instead it is more about the fallout of failing and just about trying to get by with the bare minimum. While this is not the most engaging description we will look at why the Venture Bros., a show about a pill-popping former boy adventurer turned cynical super scientist going on insane escapades with his family, is one of the greatest things to ever be animated.
Jackson Publick (Christopher McCullough), the creator of the Venture Bros., originally intended for the series to be a comic strip back in 2000. Publick soon realized that the series would have been too big for a short comic strip. He decided to go the route of animated adult comedy in the vein of other animated comedies at the time such as The Simpsons, Daria, Beavis and Butthead, and South Park. Unfortunately, his pilot was rejected by Comedy Central before begrudgingly taking the series over to Cartoon Network in 2002 which greenlit the pilot apart of the newly born Adult Swim late-night block the network had just started. Soon after the pilot aired and in 2004 the series began to bring its dark brand of comedy and deconstructionist humor to the masses.
The Venture Brothers is a series you can tell from the first few minutes of viewing that it is a spoof of Johnny Quest, A Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 60s about a family of adventurers solving mysteries and at times saving the world. Johnny Quest both show, and character, was happy and idyllic while the Venture Bros., excluding the eponymous duo, is the exact opposite. The series takes a look into the trauma and cynicism that someone who experienced a life such as this would develop. This is most evident in the patriarch of the Venture family: Dr. Venture or "Rusty" as he's known to some much to his chagrin. Dr. Venture grew up the son of super scientist/adventurer Jonas Venture, gallivanting around the world solving mysteries and on occasion saving the world. Sound familiar? While Johnny Quest was very much invested in Johnny's childhood and adventures, the Venture Bros. look at Dr. Venture's experiences as an adult taking his father's place as an insecure, neglectful, superscience father, as he falls deep into anguish over the situations that this lifestyle puts him in. It sounds like a very depressing series, but the misfortunes that Dr. Venture and the rest of the cast experiences is usually for laughs. Despite being a super scientist he lacks any sense of self-awareness or awareness of the greater world at large, exemplified by one instance where he mistakenly believes a segway ridden by a colleague is a brand new invention made to be sold for his company.
Of course with a series so embroiled in dark humor Dr. Venture's failings also extend to his life as a father. The eponymous Venture Brothers are Hank and Dean Venture. Two young dimwitted and overzealous boys that have taken Dr. Venture's place as young adventurer's. Dr. Venture is overbearing and controlling when it comes to Dean, his supposed favorite son while being harsh and condescending to Hank. Despite such a scathing character overview Dr. Venture actually views himself as a better father than his own contrary a hilarious instance in which a séance is performed using his most loved possessions, none of which included is disappointed sons. Given that you may be lead to believe Dr. Venture is a reprehensible character, which he is, the level of character writing in the series especially for a sitcom is world class. Later in the series, we find out that no matter how harsh he may be on Hank, Dr. Venture actually sees this as good for his energetic soon due to the fact that Hank "doesn't buy into this boy adventurer crap" the way his brother does. In a roundabout way, he does it to keep him tough and prepared for a cruel reality that adulthood brings. This moment, in particular, elicits a degree of sympathy for both characters due to the level of care and relatability that the character writing has making them more than just paper thin parodies of another cartoon, but separate entities far superior to material that inspired them.
In fact, each individual character of the Venture Brothers possesses the same level of care and consideration when it comes to them being written. Billy Quizboy is a diehard Venture fan that struggles to prove himself as both a "boy adventurer" and doctor. The Pirate Captain is an on again off again tranquilizer addict just trying to get by in life. Finally, there is Dr. Z a high ranking supervillain despite being an affable, doting old man when not participating in villainy. These three characters alone are very minor in importance coming and going as the series dictates, but each appearance they have either changed organically or maintained their previously established character traits all in believable ways to a degree that leads me to say this is actually one of my favorite casts in any cartoon sitcom and even in pop culture as a whole.
Another key component of what makes the Venture brothers so engrossing is the world itself. With such a large cast of characters, the writers use various organizations around the world as a way to define the rules for both superheroes and villains as they are introduced. The numerous organizations that each character has some sort of affiliation to add a level depth mostly reserved for your stand dramas as each organization has its own specific objectives, history, and purpose. The OSI, the Guild, and formerly Sphinx at one point were the three main organizations of the series. The OSI is a S.H.I.E.L.D.-like government superspy agency meant to balance out the evil that is the Guild of Calamitous Intent, which for all intents and purposes is a union for supervillains. Finally, Sphinx was a spoof of Cobra a terrorist organization that competed with the guild as the main source of supervillains. These organizations typically provide a backdrop for stories to be told with the Venture's inevitably being caught in the middle through some ridiculous manner which also gives the series a sense of life, meaning that while the main characters are important the events of the world are almost never hanging solely on the whims of the main characters.
The duo of Hank and Dean, my personal favorite part of the show, is ultimately stand-ins for the Hardy Boys showcasing an exuberant desire for adventure and what their lifestyle as the sons of a super scientist hold. The two never really move the story along they are just along for the ride very similar to the audience being kidnapped, poisoned, or what have you. They serve the same purpose any boy adventurer does and that is to go on adventures leaving the heavy lifting to their bodyguard Brock. Often the series feel like they are supporting characters in their own show, but this allows them to shine in a manner the other characters do not. My biggest laughs while watching the show came from the naiveté or in most cases the stupidity of the two. The best example being the end of season four where Dean tries to get the attention of a girl he's head over heels for with Hank's help. The two spell out "TRIANA" in logs on her lawn before setting them ablaze, only for the "T" to ignite alone as the other letters collapse with Dean in front dressed as a ghost because he thought it would be scary because she likes scary things. Another instance would be any time Hank dresses up either as Batman or a suave supervillain only for him to get so lost in his character that he forgets who he is until any plans he may have fallen short. The two also have some of the most poignant moments in the series like Hank helping Dean come to terms with the fact that the two of them are not only clones, the eight iterations of clones of the original Hank and Dean. Hank learns that the two of them are clones of clones while Dean falls into despair Hank interprets this to his Brother as meaning while the others died, they continued to live and by that extension are the best possible versions of the two. In a twisted sense, it is touching that despite being a copy of a copy there is still a silver lining to it all. That is what the Venture Bros. is, in a nutshell, no matter how bad things may get there is always some form of joy that can be gleaned from even the most utter of failures.
Check out these other great articles:
DVDumpster: The Dependables
DVDumpster: Alien Arrival
BlacKkKlansman Review
Follow us on social media:
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