"Some call me a superhero. I just see myself as a citizen who cares passionately about justice. Here in the once pristine suburb of Dapto, I've made it my life's mission to clean up our streets, help the innocent, and snuff out evil. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only thing standing in between this town and anarchy. But this is my burden. I have taken up the mantle, for I am... Koala Man!"
—Koala Man
Koala Man is a 2023 adult animated superhero comedy series created by and starring Smiling Friends co-creator Michael Cusack. The series also stars Sarah Snook, Demi Lardner, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, Jarrad Wright, and Hugh Jackman. For the first season Justin Roiland executive produced alongside Cusack and writing duo Dan Hernadez and Benji Samit (Pokémon Detective Pikachu).
Cusack portrays Kevin Williams, an average Australian family man who must balance his family and career with his moonlighting as the superhero Koala Man. The series premiered on Hulu January 9, 2023.
Koala Man features the following examples:
- Advertising by Association: The trailer advertise the show by saying it's from the executive producers Justin Roiland of Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites and Michael Cusack of Smiling Friends and YOLO: Crystal Fantasy.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Kevin's drinking buddy Louise is deeply in love with him, yet she repeatedly Cannot Spit It Out and Kevin hasn't a clue.
- Alternate History: In this universe, a young Maxwell used Australia's state of being 15 hours in the future from America to send a telegram to the Titanic in the past to warn them of their impending doom, allowing them to avert it. This allows the ship to reach America safely, and a cursed Egyptian mummy queen to escape her sarcophagus in the ship’s cargo and lead America to victory in both World Wars, eventually becoming President. However, while signing a peace treaty with the U.S.S.R., she and Leonid Brezhnev fell in love and the two abandoned their people for the moon. As a result, America fell into a lawless, war-torn, chaotic wasteland, with the exception of Hollywood, which broke off and drifted out to sea as an island.
- Animal-Themed Superbeing: Animal alias example. Koala Man has themed himself after a koala, but he doesn’t have the powers and he hasn’t built any appropriate gadgets yet.
- Anthropomorphic Food: Saucy Simmons, along with her husband and daughter, Saucy Jr., are large, talking sausage rolls and their existences is never explained or questioned.
- Artistic License – Space: In S1E8, one alternate Koala Man is claimed to be on a planet 958 trillion light years away. The observable universe is only 93 billion light years acrossnote .
- Awesome Aussie: Parodied with Big Greg, a buff blonde macho man who otherwise comes across as a bit of a blowhard. He's also voiced by Hugh Jackman to complete the image. However, he's inferior to his brother Huge Greg!
- Bad Santa: Australia has their own Santa Claus called Summer Santa, a drunk bogan whose sleigh is pulled by flying kangaroos. He starts the conflict in "Hot Christmas" by dropping a still-lit cigarette on the ground of Dapto that would later start a wildfire. After the climax of the episode, when Kevin makes a Christmas wish to have Liam wake up from his psychic coma, Summer Santa grants his wish because it's Christmas and uses his magic to wake Liam up.
- Beauty Contest: Dapto has the Miss Sausage Roll Pageant where the girls do a beauty pageant while dressed up as a sausage roll. They even have to wear their swimsuits on the outside of their sausage roll costume. The only people who has an advantage in it are Saucy Simmons and her daughter, Saucy Jr., who are talking sausage rolls.
- Big Bad: The Kookaburra, a bird-themed criminal mastermind who has it in for Koala Man. As the series goes on, he's revealed to be behind every misfortune in Dapto, not to mention being the school's principal, the one who killed Koala Man's beloved animal companion and Kevin's former childhood friend, "Pissy Chrissy". Yeah, this guy's been busy.
- Bland-Name Product: Kevin's son plays a miniature war game called SwordStorm, which seems to be based on Warhammer 40,000.
- Blood Knight: General Peckmeister, leader of the emu army invading Dapto, is unable to contain his vicious enthusiasm over having so many humans to round up, torture and kill. Him losing his left eye during the first Emu War might be why.
- Bragging Theme Tune: Koala Man's finalized theme song is played during the credits of "Bin Day". Starting in Episode 2, only the instrumental version is played during the credits.
- Butt-Monkey: Koala Man hasn't any actual superpowers, gets constantly thrashed by far tougher opponents and is his hometown's resident pariah almost nobody respects.
- Butterfly of Doom: In the show’s universe, Australia literally exists 15 hours in the future from America, and thus has a “Red-Hot Rule” that forbids warning anyone outside of Australia of any impending disasters. However, in 1912, a young Maxwell sends a telegram back to the Titanic to warn them of their impending disaster, triggering a bizarre chain of events that results in America becoming a war-torn, anarchic wasteland and Hollywood a floating island separate from it.
- The Chosen One: As revealed in the season one finale Kevin was destined to become Koala Man, as there exists one on every planet, in every dimension, each behaving exactly as he does.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Kevin Williams is a very eccentric man fixated on obeying the law and acting as Dapto's self appointed superhero.
- Cool Old Guy: Maxwell broke Australia's time zone rule to save the Titanic and fought in the first Emu War, losing his legs in the process.
- Corrupted Character Copy: The Tigglies are an evil parody of The Wiggles.
- Couch Gag: From episode two onwards, each episode ends the theme song with Koala Man walking on screen and reciting a rule from his “Koala Kode”. The only exception is the season finale which doesn't have it.
- Crapsack World: Because of Maxwell this universe's version of North America is now an irradiated, wartorn shit hole.
- The Determinator: The closest thing Kevin has to a superhuman ability. In spite of his general incompetence, he never gives up.
- Does Not Like Guns: Kevin turns down a pistol from his friend Spider.Spider: You need something to take your heroing to the next level... a gun. (shoves it in Kevin's face)Kevin: Uh no thanks Spider, I'm alright.Spider: Could be like a new koala gadget though! The safety's jammed, so she's always ready to go.Kevin: Yeah that actually makes me want it less mate.
- Evil Is Petty: Kevin's daughter Alison will stop at nothing to become the ultimate Alpha Bitch.
- Family Man: Although his Koala Man crusade can be time consuming, Kevin ultimately does love his family and wants what's best for them.
- Fantastic Racism: There's lots of bad blood between humanity and emus, it boiling over into a hellish war. Twice.
- Futureshadowing: In "Deep Pockets", after Liam's brain gets shocked by Sparky, he gets a vision of a sport podium, Dapto on fire, Alison crying, and an angry kookaburra. These visions foreshadow events in "The Handies" and "Hot Christmas".
- Happily Married: While they have their disagreements, Kevin and Vicky truly love each other and support one another throughout many hardships.
- Innocently Insensitive: Koala Man is obsessed with following the rules and his failed attempts at superheroics have caused a lot of strain with his family, but he's ultimately a good guy who just has a very weird way of showing he cares.
- Kangaroos Represent Australia: In episode five Kevin stops to help a seemingly crippled kangaroo lying by the side of the road. Turns out he was bait to lure someone in for him and his muscle-bound, thuggish mates to carjack. According to Spider this a regular issue and most know better than to trust 'roos.
- Land Down Under: The series is set in Australia. Everyone speaks with Australian accents, the presented cast is made up of Australian actors, the superhero is themed after an Australian animal, and there is even a shot of kangaroos driving a car.
- Lawful Stupid: Koala Man is obsessed with following the law to the letter. He never misses a moment to request that someone provide a permit for whatever it is they're doing. His anal retention is eventually revealed to have created his arch-nemesis, the Kookaburra.
- Mars Needs Women: In one episode an Eldritch Abomination approaches Earth, causing the townsfolk to develop a hive mind, leading to the formation of a cult that contructs a rocket ship so they may fornicate with the entity. As it turns out, the alien monstrosity just wanted to use their rocket as a dildo.
- Monster in the Ice: The Tall Poppy was first discovered in Antarctica in 1821 when explorers discovered him encased in ice. They realize he's a threat to humanity so they sent him to Dapto to ensure no one can know of his existence.
- Mythology Gag: In "The Red Hot Rule", when we see Maxwell as a kid, he resembles one of the Deranged Animation designs of Mordi from Rick and Morty: Bushworld Adventures, which was created by Michael Cusack.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Kevin wouldn't have been carjacked by bogan-like, muscular kangaroos if he hadn't stopped to check out one which looked injured. Kangaroos who were in fact hired by the Kookaburra to do such a thing.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Michael Cusack's characters Damo and Darren are recurring characters, but their hideous appearances look very out of place with the more simplistic character designs.
- Only Sane Woman: Vicky is the most stable, well adjusted person in her household. Yet she's still susceptible to insecurities and shenanigans like her family.
- Patriotic Fervor: Kevin takes enormous pride in being Australian and frowns on Americans who immigrated there after their own country went to pot.
- Chad Wagon is the very Fratbro esque owner of a 1950s American styled diner who acts like a character plucked right from The Fast and the Furious and is scheming to turn Australia into a second United States.
- Serious Business: Koala Man aids a neighbour in yard care, taking the length of the grass as seriously as a bomb threat.
- Super Zeroes: Kevin is just an overweight, middle aged guy of questionable intelligence and sanity who like most real-life superheroes is only capable of glorified community service. What usually ends up saving the day is Kevin getting help from his family and friends or dumb luck. Or both.
- Those Two Guys: Damo and Darren.
- Three-Point Landing: Parodied. Koala Man tries to make the famous dramatic entrance to stop a crime, but winds up botching it and twisting his ankle.
- Time Police: "Time Bobbies" arrest anyone who breaks the "Red Hot Rule" altering the past due to Australia being fifteen hours ahead of America.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: As absurd and goofy as this show is the Kookaburra is a genuinely creepy villain.
♫ Koala Man
Hero for all
The Daptonians
Koala Man
Fighter of crimes
And defender of the way
Koala Man
He'll take a stand
He'll rid the lands
Of evil plans
Yeah-eah-eah! ♫
Hero for all
The Daptonians
Koala Man
Fighter of crimes
And defender of the way
Koala Man
He'll take a stand
He'll rid the lands
Of evil plans
Yeah-eah-eah! ♫
—Koala Man theme song
