Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack is an American animated television series produced for Cartoon Network that premiered on June 5, 2008. The show was created by cartoonist Mark "Thurop" Van Orman, who has worked as a writer and storyboard artist on Camp Lazlo and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.
Flapjack is a young boy raised by a talking whale named Bubbie. He was apparently discovered in a floating clump of seaweed, as revealed in the episode "Oh Brother." Flapjack leads a peaceful life until the duo rescue a pirate by the name of Captain K'nuckles, who tells Flapjack of an island called Candied Island, which is supposedly made completely of candy, and the sea around it is made of lemonade. Inspired by the adventurous pirate, Flapjack, Captain K'nuckles, and Bubbie get into strange predicaments and "misadventures" in search of Candied Island and the coveted, highly sought-after title of "Adventurer." The three spend most of their time in Stormalong Harbor, where they eat candy and get into mischief.
The show is largely built around a series of contradictions and contrasts. K'nuckles is developed as a "good for nothing" and disloyal, with Bubbie being more sincere and loyal to her adopted son. Another contradiction is that of the "real adventurers" which are depicted as tough. The tough guys of the show are also depicted as hunting candy, which is the real treasure.
The humor is considered "uncomfortable", building an awkwardness and deliberately misleading the appearance of the situation, before delivering the punchline.
The backgrounds were chosen to be reminiscent of the 1800s. The three main characters, Flapjack, K'nuckles, and Bubbie are drawn in a more "cartoon-like" style than the rest of the world, which is drawn in a more realistic manner. This lends contrast between the world of Flapjack and the "real world" of Stormalong Harbor.(wikipedia)