Cartoons, by their very nature, allow for an incredible amount of creativity. When we think back to some of the early forms of animated cartoons — Mickey Mouse, Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes — most of the popular characters were based on animals. Sure, animators took some liberties with their dimensions and characteristics but these were mostly identifiable creatures from the real world. As things have progressed, this has changed drastically. It’s been almost 100 years since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance and since that time animators have expanded the idea of what a cartoon can be to its zaniest, wildest, funniest ends. Here’s our consensus of the 10 funniest-looking cartoon characters of all time.
Krumm (AAAHH!!! Real Monsters)
You cannot make a list of ridiculous-looking cartoon characters without including at least one from the mid-’90s Nickelodeon show AAAHH!!! Real Monsters and our personal favorite has always been Krumm. AAAHH!!! Real Monsters first premiered in 1994 and ran for four seasons. The show focuses on main characters Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm, all of which attend a school for monsters in a similar mode to Pixar’s Monsters University but for elementary school. Krumm (voiced by David Eccles) is unique for a lot of reasons but most notably for the way he holds his eyeballs above his head in his hands, revealing a truly gross amount of armpit hair. Krumm is, essentially, one big head with arms and legs protruding from the top and bottom of his face, and his mouth taking up a large portion of his overall body. It comes as no surprise that Krumm is well-known for his rancid body odor, but his shy, slacker attitude gives you the idea that he doesn’t mind all that much.
Dr. John A. Zoidberg (Futurama)
Dr. John A. Zoidberg is the creation of Matt Groening, creator of both The Simpsons and Futurama, in which Zoidberg is a recurring side character. Futurama takes the kind of dry, zany humor of The Simpsons and turns it up to 11, allowing the writers to work far beyond the constraints of the somewhat reality-based world of Springfield. Zoidberg is a perfect example of this creativity. Dr. Zoidberg’s credentials are a bit of a mystery and we cannot be totally sure he is the medical doctor he pretends to be. What we can be sure of is how ridiculous he both looks and sounds. Zoidberg is what is known in the Futurama universe as a Decapodian or a lobster-like alien from Decapod 10. “Lobster-like” most accurately describes his hands, which take the claw shape of a lobster. His face, however, is tentacled in a way that brings to mind an octopus or squid-like creature. It also seems to be the reason behind his voice, which can best be described as garbled.
Marvin The Martian (Looney Tunes)
For this one we go way back into animation’s earliest days. Sure, there were cartoons before Looney Tunes, but Chuck Jones’ creation of Bugs Bunny and company was a watermark in the early cartoon universe. Marvin The Martian arrived fairly early on in the game, first appearing in a 1948 episode titled “Haredevil Hare” as Bugs Bunny’s nemesis. Marvin is a truly strange-looking cartoon, whose Roman-style armor hides a fully black, almost ant-like creature beneath. Marvin has no eyes, nose, or ears but rather two large eyes which must convey most of his emotion. Marvin is an odd creation from top to bottom, with what appears to be a broom top on his helmet and basketball shoes on his feet. Voiced by legendary voice-actor Mel Blanc — the same voice behind Bugs, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig — Marvin is usually dead-set on destruction, whether that be of Earth, Bugs Bunny, or both. Perhaps all that anger can be traced back to just how strange our poor spaceman looks.
Meatwad (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
This next character would likely be included in the top of a list of funniest names as well as funniest-looking cartoon characters. “Meatwad” tells you pretty much all you need to know about the inspiration behind this particular character from the Adult Swim show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Meatwad is, to put it simply, a talking, rolling, wad of meat. Childish in nature and simple in desire, Meatwad is one of three primary characters on this Dave Willis- and Matt Maiellaro-created show. Because he is only able to roll around, Meatwad is constantly picking up bits of track and hair, giving him a dirty, unkempt look which matches his personality. Say what you will about his hygiene but it’s hard to imagine a more creative character design than Meatwad.
Chowder (Chowder)
Chowder, the titular hero of this Cartoon Network show, is described by creators as a mix between a cat, a bear, and a rabbit. We’re not entirely sure we see that but we do see a ridiculous-looking child with a pretty dope-looking purple hat. Created by C.H. Greenblatt, Chowder first premiered in 2007 and features our hero as a insatiably hungry and wildly absentminded chef in training. The fact that he bungles pretty much any attempt at cooking or baking is offset by his undeniable cuteness. Voiced by child actor Nicky Jones, Chowder may look funny but he ultimately has a heart of gold.
Philoctetes (Hercules)
Danny DeVito is an icon for many, many reasons; world-class actor, legendary producer, hilarious tweeter, and all-around mensch. But don’t ignore how good of a voice actor DeVito is as well. Look no further than his performance as Philoctetes (Phil for short) in the 1997 Disney movie Hercules. The most notable thing about Phil, beyond his expert ability as a “hero trainer”, is the fact that he is a half-horse, half-man hybrid known in Greek mythology as a satyr. Of course, in those Greek myths a satyr is typically not three feet tall, which is what makes Phil’s appearance so comical. You see, it seems the animators have not only blended horse and man to create Phil but Danny DeVito himself, borrowing the man’s real-life appearance — short and stout — for the character design. You might remember, a similar tactic was used when creating DeVito’s character for Space Jam – though that was an alien rather than a satyr. There are plenty of talented voice actors, but who else can say their presence actually affects the animation within a movie? Nobody, which is what makes Phil so funny.
Hans Moleman (The Simpsons)
There are hundreds of bit characters within The Simpson’s ever-expanding universe but none as strange, and most importantly strange-looking, as Hans Moleman. Moleman, voiced by Dan Castellaneta (Homer), is a man of contradictions. For one, he appears to be old, very old — and even lives in The Springfield Retirement Castle and yet — he has claimed to be only 31 years old. He has also been killed dozens and dozens of times in countless — often hilarious — ways and yet returns season after season to be killed once again. Among his many accomplishments, Hans was once Mayor Of Springfield and continues to host “Moleman In The Morning” on Springfield’s KJAZZ.
CatDog (CatDog)
Cats are not strange creatures. Dogs are not strange creatures. And yet, combine the two and you get one of the truly strangest cartoon characters ever made. CatDog are a pair of conjoined twins with no names aside from “Cat” and “Dog”. Cat is a bit stuck up and very type-A while Dog is happy chasing garbage trucks around the neighborhood. CatDog touches on many of the same elements of classic Odd Couple humor but with the added twist of being two species occupying the same body. Created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon, CatDog ran for 68 episodes spanning four seasons.
Roz (Monsters Inc.)
If you have ever seen Pixar’s Monsters Inc. you can probably hear this character’s monotone voice as she asks Mike Wasowski for the upteenth time for the proper paperwork. The fact that Roz ends up being essential to the plot of Monsters Inc. is icing on the cake of this hilarious and funny-looking character. In an attempt to schmooze with Roz, Mike calls her his “succulent little garden snail” which is, at least partially, a good description of Roz’s overall appearance. While she isn’t little by any means, she does appear to be some kind of snail-like creature, oozing goo and sliding along without the help of visible legs. Voiced by Bob Peterson — who would go on to write and direct Pixar’s Up — Roz works as the administrator of Scare Floor F, which is why, perhaps, she wears those pointed eye glasses with the wraparound necklace, something you’re likely to see on a high school librarian. Monsters Inc. as a whole is a marvel of character design, but Roz takes the cake.
Wilt (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends)
Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain was one of the greatest professional basketball players in history, a seven-foot-tall athlete with speed, power, and grace. Wilt, one of the main characters from Cartoon Network’s Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, is not quite that gifted athletically but does share many of the physical features of his namesake. He is, afterall, tall, lanky, and — as evidenced by his headband, socks, and shoes — ready to play basketball at a moment’s notice. Sure, the fact that he has only one arm and a crooked eye might hold him back a bit, but Wilt is never one to shy away from the task at hand. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, created by Craig McCracken — who also created The Powerpuff Girls — in the early 2000s, takes place mostly in an orphanage for imaginary friends who have been abandoned or forgotten by the humans who created them. In keeping with Wilt’s overall basketball theme, it turns out his human was a basketball player with the oddly familiar name Jordan Michaels.