Shouldn’t surprise anyone that when a cartoon pops up on Netflix Instant Watch that I’m unfamiliar, I’m curious. Toss in the Netflix description and Ugly Americans becomes a must watch.
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| In a New York City neighborhood chockablock with mythical creatures — from vampires and werewolves to mermaids and fairies — civil servant Mark Lilly is assigned the unenviable task of “humanizing” them in this Comedy Channel animated series. |
Using 2D animation in a crude style reminiscent of EC Comics, creator Devin Clark stocks his monster-infused alternate New York with fascinating characters.
Mark’s roommate Randall became a zombie in an attempt to win over a cute girl with a zombie fixation. Sadly for him, she already redirected her affections to warlocks.
Callie Maggotbone, Mark’s on-again/off-again girlfriend and immediate superior, alternately berates and desires him. Not terribly shocking considering her father is a demon and her mother human.
500 year old wizard Leonard Powers works with Mark at New York’s Department of Integration. At least when he’s sober enough to do his job.
The demonic mid-level bureaucratic head of the Department of Integration, Twayne Boneraper despises Social Services. He reduces the department, leaving Mark and Leonard as the two case workers.
Clark with the aid of former Simpsons scribe David M. Stern, who helped develop the show from its original incarnation as the web series 5 On with Alan Whiter, delivers more than a monster of the week. Each episode concentrates on real world socio-political issues such as government downsizing, homosexuality, immigration, education, unemployment, war, and unwanted children and the far more personal including roommates, intimacy, jealousy, elitism, and trust. The series creatively mergers our actual history within the tableaux of this made up world. The Vietnam War is re-envisioned as the Human-Zombie Civil Wars and the legendary 19th century New York gang fights changes into a conflict between vampires and the Irish.
Two seasons (the first of 14 episodes and the second with 10) have appeared on Comedy Central. The entire first season is now streaming via Netflix. Sadly, no sign of Season Two, either streaming or on DVD.
Halloween Surprise: Ugly Americans was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon