Code Monkeys

Episode structure

The show mimics the look and feel of an 8-bit video game. Its characters, backgrounds, and objects use a limited 8-bit color palette, which sometimes makes animating certain things tricky. Episodes typically kick off with a screen that flashes "PLAYER 1 START!" and close with a black "Game Over" screen; in the first season, a "kill screen" appears after the production company logo. Before each commercial break, a small pause box often appears in the center of the screen, freezing the action.

When Jerry "dies" on two occasions, a "Game Over/Continue?" box pops up, and the "player" briefly considers choosing "No" before picking "Yes" to keep going. In "Todd Loses His Mind," the episode suddenly "crashes," requiring the "player" to eject the "game cartridge," blow dust off its connectors, and restart the episode from the beginning, erasing everything that just happened. Status bars at the top and bottom of the frame show a running points counter for video-game-like actions, a health meter for the current characters, narrative asides based on character actions or dialogue, and other jokes or images tied to the story.

Characters express emotions through moves like air humping (often to exaggerate sexuality or awesomeness) or throwing up the sign of the horns. The show is entirely computer-animated, except for the "game crash" scene in "Todd Loses His Mind," and was produced in-house at G4 studios in Los Angeles. Jon and Al Kaplan composed the original video game-style underscore. Other music comes from Los Angeles heavy metal band Tinhorn, and Jonathan Coulton's "Code Monkey" serves as the theme song.

Characters

Dave, voiced by Adam de la Peña, is the lead character and de facto lead programmer at GameaVision. A constant slacker, he focuses more on playing games than making them and is a frequent cannabis user, claiming most of his game ideas came while he was high. Dave often grosses out co-workers by throwing up, having his pants down, humping random people or objects, or performing other lewd acts. He is a rampant hedonist motivated only by money, drugs, and sex, and most characters' predicaments are caused by his erratic and impulsive actions.

Although he considers Jerry his best friend, Dave often insults and manipulates him. Despite his quirks, Dave has a flair to his actions and is a competent game programmer. Jerry, voiced by Matt Mariska, is the other main character and Dave's best friend, fellow programmer, and office-mate. Unlike Dave, Jerry is hard-working, responsible, and tidy, but under Dave's negative influence he succumbs to sinful pleasures with disastrous outcomes.

Jerry's running gags include an unrequited crush on fellow programmer Mary, fixing Dave's damage, wetting himself when nervous or threatened, and his insecurities and weak will. Bob "Big" T. Larrity, voiced by Andy Sipes, is the head of GameaVision. A Texan billionaire who knows nothing about video games, he bought the company from Steve Wozniak and often employs illegal methods to make his fortune. Larrity is ignorant, violent, manic, bigoted, and misogynistic, but can be cunning and manipulative.

He treats employees with no respect but still cares for Dave, Jerry, and Benny as surrogate sons. Dean Larrity, also voiced by Andy Sipes, is Mr. Larrity's extremely muscular son, appointed as GameaVision's Head Supervisor. He has limited interaction with employees, never participates in programming, and often uses violence to solve problems.

History

Adam de la Peña was working on the pilot for Minoriteam when he started writing what would become Code Monkeys. The show was first called Dave And Jerry VS The World, but the title changed after he got permission to use Jonathan Coulton's song of the same name. He made a seven-minute animation test and then looked for a network to air it. He chose G4 because he felt they best understood the show's concept.

G4 let him produce a full pilot and ordered 13 episodes. After the first season did well in ratings, a second season was ordered. Before the show aired, G4 ran an ad campaign that made GameaVision look like a real game company. This included commercials for fake games "Crosswalk" and "Barfight," and a website with two playable games: "2 Card Monte," which is unwinnable, and "Hangman," which has fewer than ten words, all designed to insult the player.

On February 27, 2017, Adam De La Pena tweeted "And then there's this....gameavision.com," suggesting the show might return. As of 2021, the same year G4 relaunched, nothing has come of it.

Reception

According to the president of G4, the first season was a huge success for the network, watched by more than 20 million people. Since its inception, Code Monkeys has received mixed reviews. Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times called it a promising idea with gags told in a South Park deadpan dialect that has a fast free-for-all quality. Scott Jon Siegel of Joystiq agreed that the show has potential but squanders it, stating there was hope G4 could deliver something actually watchable but Code Monkeys isn't. Jake Swearingen of Wired magazine stated the show would appeal to anyone who spent their youth blowing dust out of Nintendo cartridges and developing Contra-induced carpal tunnel syndrome, comparing it to arcade games of the 1980s and noting it veers into the wildly surreal.

Andy Grieser of Zap2it called it the funniest animation this side of South Park, with graphics providing instant nostalgia for thirty-somethings. Will Harris of Bullz-Eye.com gave the show a 3.5/5, calling it a twisted little show but not for all tastes.