History WesternAnimation / ChinaIL

* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Steve
** TheLancer: Frank
** TheBigGuy: Baby Cakes
** TheSmartGuy / TheChick: Pony

Creator/BradNeely's ''China, IL'' started as a 4-part series of 3-minute shorts that aired on Creator/AdultSwim in 2008, combining his long-running characters of The WebAnimation/ProfessorBrothers ([[StraightManAndWiseGuy Frank and Steve]]) and WebAnimation/BabyCakes. In 2011, Neely was given a 6-episode first season that further expands the universe (and adds some unexpected celebrity voices like [[FullHouse Dave Coulier]] and HulkHogan as [[BadAss The Dean]]). Tonally, the show is similar to other Adult Swim fare like ''WesternAnimation/SuperJail'', but with Brad Neely's [[CrossesTheLineTwice trademark]] [[FreezeFrameBonus humor]].

* ShoutOut: To ''Theater/{{Hamlet}}'', of all things. When executing a 90-year old mass-murdering giant, always remember: the traditional method is to pour acid into its ears.

* DarkSkinnedBlonde: The Dean's wife.

** Eventually, the entire school starts egging the two of them on to hurry up already and admit they love each other. [[JustFriends Neither Steve nor Pony are happy with this situation]], as every man and woman they try to sleep with is telling them the two of them ought to be together instead; eventually, Steve and Pony try to stage a fake 'on fire' just to make people stop saying they were in love. However due to Baby Cake people think there more in love then ever much to there consternation.

* NotSoImaginaryFriend: Dream Reamer.

** Eventually, the entire school starts egging the two of them on to hurry up already and admit they love each other. [[JustFriends Neither Steve nor Pony are happy with this situation]], as every man and woman they try to sleep with is telling them the two of them ought to be together instead; eventually, Steve tries to set Pony on fire just to make people stop saying they were in love.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation ''(in-universe)'': "Total Validation" has Steve state the protagonist of "[[Film/ToyStory3 Toy Movie 3]]" is completely insane, with an unnatural attachment to his toys.

* CaptainErsatz: [[ToyStory3 Toy Movie 3]] anybody?
** There's also a combination of Applebee's and Chili's called "Chilibee's", with a giant bee with a chili for a tail as the mascot. Denny's is also replaced with "Din-Din".

* EatenByPigs: Happens to a recurring character's girlfriend (and his parents) in "Wild Hogs", in which the eponymous hogs invade the campus.

* DisproportionateRetribution\KarmaHoudini: In "Prank Week" Baby Cakes kidnaps 5 people and makes everyone think a serial killer on the loose but when the truth comes out he gets a celebration due to everyone misinterpreting it as a huge prank since it was [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Prank Week]].

* EatenByPigs: Happens to a one-shot character's girlfriend (and his parents) in "Wild Hogs", in which the eponymous hogs invade the campus.

* GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel: In the first episode, RonaldReagan and Steve travel back in time and completely change the course of man, including having AdolfHitler circumcised and giving him a Jewish upbringing. When they return to the future, Hitler is leading a Jewish version of the Nazi party in overtaking the world.

* PaperThinDisguise: Baby Cakes + [[RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves Robin Hood wig]] = Kevin Costner. Obviously.

* ShaggyDogStory: In one episode the Dean learns of rising college tuition costs, and decides that he won't be outdone by other colleges and raises China Il's tuition to $500,000 and lowers the professors salaries to minimum wage. Baby Cakes is the only one brave enough to call the Dean out on this and when he's ignored he takes inspiration from Kevin Coster's ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' and begins stealing the expensive things being purchased by the Dean and gives them to the students and faculty under the guise of Kevin Costner. While this enrages the Dean to the point where he puts a $500,000 reward on Kevin Costner's head, Baby Cake's actions have virtually no effect on helping the cash-strapped students and teachers. The Dean eventually catches Baby Cakes and attempts to hang him until Pony shows up with the real Kevin Costner and collect the reward to pay for her own tuition. So in conclusion, all of Baby Cakes' actions solved absolutely nothing and the Dean's ludicrous rules are still in effect.

* ShoutOut: To ''{{Hamlet}}'', of all things. When executing a 90-year old mass-murdering giant, always remember: the traditional method is to pour acid into its ears.