History WesternAnimation / UncleGrandpa

%%* EvilSorcerer: Evil Wizard

* {{Narcissist}}: Pizza Steve, according to his character profile. Imagine WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo as a talking pizza slice.

%% * LizardFolk: Mr. Gus, obviously.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' in terms of NoFourthWall and frequent references to other Cartoon Network shows. They even shared the same joke of the show's writing staff being literal babies and monkeys.

Okay, so what happens when you take the zany artwork of Don Martin-era ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'', throw in visual gags and slapstick that would make the Golden Age animators shed tears of pride, add a spoonful of heavy metal, and then contaminate the batch with [[WidgetSeries large portions of pure]], [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs undiluted weirdness?]]

* GainaxEnding: "Locked Out" ends with the RV crew going on blind dates... with themselves. Granted, it's no weirder than [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs anything else in the series.]]

* OffModel:
** Nick Edwards and Andres Salaff's styles stood out the most out of the storyboard artists.
** Some of the Cartoon Network characters that [[TheCameo made guest appearances]] in "Pizza Eve", particularly [[WesternAnimation/RegularShow Mordecai and Rigby]] (who look a bit shorter and fatter than usual), [[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Dexter]] (whose signature glasses have much thinner rims), and [[WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}} Sumo]] (who has very thick eyelashes for unknown reasons).
** Done deliberately in the "Oatmeal" skit.

What you're left with is ''Uncle Grandpa'', a Creator/CartoonNetwork original concerning the larger-than-life adventures of an CrazyIsCool RealityWarper who, as the above quote implies, is the uncle and grandfather of everyone in the world (don't ask).

[[OnceAnEpisode A typical plot]] would start with Uncle Grandpa traveling in his [[DrivesLikeCrazy RV like a madman]], usually crashing into the homes of disgruntled youths. To them Uncle Grandpa is nothing but a [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass bumbling nuisance]] in rainbow suspenders and an [[BagOfHolding insanely portable fannypack... ahem, "Belly Bag"]], but it's only when [[HilarityEnsues events start to blow out of proportion]] (usually the result of his attempts to win them over) that the LetsGetDangerous side of Uncle Grandpa springs into action. Together with the help of a pizza slice, a green lizard man and a [[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy giant realistic flying tiger]] (again, don't ask), he and his young companion-of-the-week embroil in an epic battle, and once the day has been saved, our protagonist has gained a great deal of respect for their Uncle Grandpa, only to find that he has [[ButNowIMustGo already left the scene]], ready to spread his magic upon the lives of other unsuspecting folk:

* RealityWarper: He gives LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya a run for her money. Being able to do almost anything, there's no telling just how he'll solve a problem. Sometimes it seems like he doesn't alter reality so much as reality conforms to his desires.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* BerserkButton: When the gang realizes they’ve been tricked, expect them to be super angry.

** Several NBA players in "Uncle Baseball"

** [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Werewolves with six-pack abs]].

Pete Browngardt originally pitched ''Uncle Grandpa'' in 2008 for the cancelled animated shorts vehicle ''{{WesternAnimation/Cartoonstitute}}'' (the same project which spawned ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow''). When the finished cartoon was released through the Cartoon Network website, it quickly became a word-of-mouth hit within the animation community, eventually going on to be nominated for an Emmy.

* CarRadioDispute: An OverlyLongGag version of this trope (as in, lasting for a whole segment) occurs between Mr. Gus and Pizza Steve in one segment. Mr. Gus's conclusion is that if Pizza Steve wants to listen to different music, then he should be the one to drive. [[HilarityEnsues Pizza Steve doesn't drive every well.]]

-->'''Mr. Gus''': That name doesn't make any sense. How can you be someone's aunt ''and'' grandma?

* FurryDenial: Parodied in "Prison Break" when the aliens keep referring to Mr. Gus and Pizza Steve as humans, even when pointing out their decidedly inhuman features. Even Uncle Grandpa later says that the two look an awful lot like humans when they return to Earth.

** An old man yells [[Music/TheRollingStones "Hey, you, get]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} off of]] [[VideoGame/HotelMario my cloud!"]] to Uncle Grandpa and the others, [[ItMakesSenseInContext who are standing upside-down on a cloud near his house.]]

%%* AbsenteeActor: Both Mr. Gus and Pizza Steve don't appear in several episodes.

->''"Let me get this straight. He's my uncle, '''and''' my grandpa?"''
->''"No. He's everyone in the world's uncle and grandpa, and when he comes to visit, it's sure to be a time you'll never forget!"''

* AmbiguousSituation: WordOfGod is that each episode is written so that "[[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/interview-with-uncle-grandpa-creator-pete-browngardt-88005.html at the end, you don't know if he's an idiot or a genius]]."

%%* AbsenteeActor: Both Mr Gus and Pizza Steve don't appear in several episodes.

* ArtEvolution / AnimationBump: The background designs get revamped with each passing season. Compare the flat, comic-book look of the first season with the more textured, painterly style of the later episodes.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Uncle Grandpa takes this [[UpToEleven to the Nth degree.]] In "Driver's Test", he teaches a girl how to drive crazy so she can get her driver's license.

* ManChild[=/=]OneOfTheKids: WordOfGod has [[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/interview-with-uncle-grandpa-creator-pete-browngardt-88005.html confirmed]] that Uncle Grandpa is one of these.

* UpToEleven: The [[BrokeTheRatingScale A+++++-+]] that Dennis gets in "Uncle Grandpa Ate My Homework".