Smiling Friends
Smiling Friends is an adult animated television series created by American animator Zach Hadel and Australian animator Michael Cusack, which follows the employees of a small organization dedicated to spreading happiness amid surreal and chaotic circumstances.[1][2] The series centers on optimistic salesman Pim Pimling (voiced by Cusack) and his cynical coworker Charlie Dompler (voiced by Hadel), who tackle bizarre client requests ranging from rehabilitating a depressed toad to cheering up historical figures, often descending into grotesque and absurd scenarios.[1][3] Premiering on Adult Swim on January 9, 2022, the show draws from the creators' backgrounds in online animation and internet culture, blending low-fi aesthetics, rapid-fire gags, and influences from 1990s sitcoms with elements of horror and meta-humor.[3][2] As of October 2025, Smiling Friends has aired two seasons and premiered its third on October 5, earning praise for its unfiltered comedic style and cult following, evidenced by an 8.5 IMDb rating and renewals despite its niche appeal.[4][2] The series has also featured guest voices from internet personalities and expanded through creator-led initiatives, including the launch of an independent animation studio in 2025.[5][6]Overview
Premise
Smiling Friends Inc. is portrayed as a small company whose primary objective is to bring happiness to its clients by inducing smiles, operating within a vividly surreal world populated by anthropomorphic creatures, humans, and bizarre phenomena.[1][7] The organization's interventions often involve unconventional and escalating efforts to address clients' emotional distress, ranging from everyday dissatisfaction to profound existential woes, underscoring the inherent complexities of altering moods through deliberate positivity.[8] The narrative revolves around protagonists Pim Pimling and Charlie Dompler, core employees whose interpersonal dynamic propels the series. Pim, voiced by creator Michael Cusack, embodies unbridled optimism laced with anxiety, zealously pursuing the company's mission despite mounting obstacles.[9] In contrast, Charlie, voiced by co-creator Zach Hadel, adopts a cynical and apathetic stance, frequently questioning the viability of their tasks while reluctantly participating.[2] This polarity—Pim's fervent idealism against Charlie's pragmatic skepticism—generates comedic tension and highlights the psychological friction in enforced cheerfulness.[10] Episodes adopt an anthology-like structure, with each installment centering on a discrete client mission that spirals into absurdity, exposing the limits of superficial happiness initiatives amid underlying grim realities such as mental health struggles or societal dysfunction.[1] These quests frequently devolve into chaotic encounters with the irrational, emphasizing how attempts to impose smiles can inadvertently amplify despair or reveal deeper causal failures in human (and non-human) behavior.[7] The format critiques the notion of happiness as an achievable endpoint via external intervention, often culminating in partial successes tainted by irony or relapse.[11]Animation Style and Influences
Smiling Friends features a hybrid animation style that combines rudimentary 2D Flash animation with 3D CGI, stop-motion claymation, and live-action segments to produce a deliberately low-fidelity, chaotic aesthetic. This eclectic approach draws from the experimental techniques common in early internet animations, resulting in abrupt shifts between mediums that underscore the show's surreal humor.[12][13][14] The visual design emphasizes sporadic, jerky character movements and exaggerated, uncanny facial reactions, evoking discomfort and absurdity through inconsistent frame rates and simplistic modeling. Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, both veterans of online animation, incorporate these elements to mimic the unpolished charm of 1990s-2000s web cartoons, prioritizing comedic impact over smooth production values.[15][16] Influences stem primarily from the Newgrounds platform, where Hadel and Cusack honed their craft in short-form, user-generated content characterized by bold, irreverent visuals and multimedia experimentation. The series also nods to Adult Swim's lineage of boundary-pushing animation, while echoing the cutout style of shows like South Park that the creators admired during their formative years. This foundation allows Smiling Friends to maintain a raw, internet-era vibe distinct from polished contemporary cartoons.[17][18][16]Creators and Production
Development History
Smiling Friends was conceived by animators Zach Hadel, known professionally as Psychicpebbles for his viral online shorts on Newgrounds and YouTube, and Michael Cusack, whose independent works including parodies and series like YOLO: Crystal Fantasy had built a dedicated following in animation communities.[19][20] The duo drew from their experiences in self-produced content to develop the concept of a surreal workplace comedy centered on a small business dedicated to spreading happiness. The pilot episode, "Desmond's Big Day Out," was greenlit prior to a full series commitment and premiered unannounced on Adult Swim on April 1, 2020, during the network's annual April Fools' Day lineup alongside Cusack's YOLO.[2] Its absurd humor and distinctive low-fi aesthetic quickly gained traction online, amassing significant viewership and praise for blending the creators' signature chaotic styles.[21] Capitalizing on the pilot's viral success, Adult Swim issued a full series order for Season 1 on May 19, 2021, leading to its premiere on January 9, 2022.[22][23] The show's continued popularity prompted renewals, with Season 2 debuting on May 12, 2024, via a double-episode premiere.[24] In June 2024, Adult Swim announced a third season, which premiered on October 5, 2025, alongside further commitments for Seasons 4 and 5 revealed in June 2025.[25][26][27]Production Process
Smiling Friends is an Australian-American co-production involving Princess Pictures, an Australian studio, through its joint venture Princess Bento Studio with Bento Box Entertainment.[28] Key producers include Ollie Green and Laura DiMaio, who oversee aspects of the series' execution under Williams Street for Adult Swim.[29] The production leverages a hybrid remote team split between Australia and the Americas/Europe to manage animation and post-production tasks.[16] Co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel maintain extensive hands-on involvement, writing and directing every episode while voicing the main characters and much of the supporting cast. This small-team approach, though resource-constrained and requiring roughly a year per episode, fosters a distinctive output by prioritizing ideas that amuse the creators mutually over broader appeals.[12] They employ primarily 2D animation via Adobe Animate, supplemented by Photoshop for backgrounds and occasional 3D elements, eschewing a uniform style in favor of varied techniques to enhance absurdity.[16] Episodes are formatted at approximately 11 minutes to deliver concentrated humor without extraneous content, drawing inspiration from concise formats like early South Park while explicitly rejecting prolonged runs akin to that series or The Simpsons, as the creators aim to conclude before diminishing returns set in.[12][16] Production emphasizes comedic purity, avoiding didactic tones or moralizing in favor of subversive, self-generated absurdities that may deliberately provoke audiences, with decisions filtered through the duo's preference for what they find inherently funny.[6] This process accommodates diverse thematic explorations per season by treating episodes as varied "tracks" in an album-like structure, ensuring episodic independence amid tight constraints.[6]Characters and Casting
Main Characters
The primary characters in Smiling Friends are the core employees of Smiling Friends Inc., consisting of animated critters who handle client interactions aimed at inducing happiness.[1] These include Mr. Boss, Pim Pimling, Charlie Dompler, Allan Red, and Glep, each contributing distinct traits to the company's dynamics.[30] Mr. Boss, voiced by Marc M., functions as the erratic yet affable proprietor of Smiling Friends Inc., whose impulsive decisions and manic enthusiasm propel much of the series' operational mayhem, often satirizing unchecked entrepreneurial zeal. His interventions, such as abrupt policy shifts or hallucinatory episodes, underscore the fragility of corporate morale amid existential crises, without eclipsing the frontline staff's dilemmas.[31] Pim Pimling, voiced by series co-creator Michael Cusack, serves as a key field operative depicted as an overly optimistic and energetic pink critter who persists in positive efforts despite frequent failures.[32] His role emphasizes relentless cheerfulness in addressing clients' issues.[33] Charlie Dompler, voiced by co-creator Zach Hadel, acts as Pim's counterpart, portrayed as a laid-back, cynical yellow critter with a rational yet pessimistic worldview expressed in a nasal monotone.[34] This skepticism often contrasts Pim's enthusiasm, highlighting practical limitations in their missions.[35] Allan Red, also voiced by Michael Cusack, is a tall red critter functioning in a supportive office capacity, noted for his calm and practical demeanor amid the company's chaos.[36] His contributions involve handling internal tasks with minimal verbal input.[29] Glep, voiced by Zach Hadel, appears as a small green critter engaged in behind-the-scenes work, characterized by quirky and enigmatic behaviors that add absurdity to group interactions.[37] Glep's role remains largely non-interactive with clients, focusing on odd office duties.[35] The series incorporates live-action human actors for certain clients and scenarios, blending with the animated mains to depict real-world encounters, though the critters remain the central focus of the employee roster.[2][1]Supporting and Guest Roles
Recurring peripheral figures, including Jason (a dim-witted intern) and various clients manifesting extreme neuroses—like the despondent Smormu James Carter—serve to escalate per-episode pandemonium, embodying caricatures of modern alienation and therapeutic dependency that the protagonists must navigate.[29] These roles, typically voiced by core cast members like Joshua Tomar in utility parts (e.g., police officers or bystanders), reinforce the show's critique of superficial interventions in deep-seated human dysfunction. Guest appearances inject fresh absurdities, with talents like Finn Wolfhard providing voices for ephemeral entities such as squatters and the parasitic Bliblies in season 1, heightening the grotesque humor tied to urban decay and biological horror without altering the central ensemble dynamic.[29] In the season 3 opener "Silly Samuel" (aired October 5, 2025), comedian Conner O'Malley portrays the titular vagrant critter—a once-jovial figure now embittered by public derision—whose plight parodies quests for self-reinvention in a mocking society, amplifying thematic irony through O'Malley's deadpan delivery.[38] Such one-off contributors, drawn from comedy circuits and animation alumni, sustain the series' chaotic vitality by embodying transient societal grotesqueries that test the organization's limits.[39]Episodes
Series Overview
Smiling Friends consists of short, episodic installments, with each season featuring eight episodes of approximately 11 minutes in runtime.[40] The series airs weekly on Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, the nighttime programming block of Cartoon Network.[41] Episodes become available for streaming on Max the following day.[42] The program originated with a pilot episode, "Desmond's Big Day Out," which stealth-premiered on Adult Swim on April 1, 2020.[43] This led to a full series order, with the first season debuting on January 10, 2022.[1] As of October 2025, three seasons have aired, totaling 24 episodes excluding the pilot, which is often included in Season 1 listings.[2] From its pilot origins, the production has progressed to multi-season commitments, including renewals extending through at least Season 5, with noticeable enhancements in animation consistency and detail across installments while preserving the core format of standalone, surreal comedic vignettes.[44][20]Season 1 (2022)
The first season of Smiling Friends comprises the pilot episode originally broadcast on April 1, 2020, and seven additional episodes that aired in a marathon block on January 9, 2022, on Adult Swim.[45] This season introduces the series' foundational format, where optimistic employee Pim Pimling and cynical co-worker Charlie Dompler tackle client requests to induce happiness, frequently encountering escalating absurdities that underscore the tension between naive positivity and harsh reality.[1] Episodes feature grotesque animation, rapid-fire non-sequiturs, and plots involving existential despair, such as rehabilitating depressed celebrities or navigating otherworldly perils, thereby establishing the show's surreal comedic baseline.[2] The pilot, "Desmond's Big Day Out," depicts Pim and Charlie attempting to cheer up a reclusive, nihilistic adult named Desmond at his mother's behest, only for their interventions to devolve into chaos amid his unyielding apathy.[43] Subsequent episodes expand this dynamic: in "Mr. Frog," the pair rehabilitates a scandal-plagued amphibian entertainer spiraling into substance abuse and despondency. "Shrimp's Odyssey" follows Charlie's entanglement with a deceptive, anthropomorphic shrimp promising fortune, leading to a perilous underwater quest that tests his skepticism.[46]| Episode | Title | Original air date | Brief synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desmond's Big Day Out | April 1, 2020 | Pim and Charlie strive to make a deeply unhappy young man smile, confronting his profound detachment from joy.[43] |
| 2 | Mr. Frog | January 9, 2022 | The duo aids celebrity frog Mr. Frog in overcoming depression following a public scandal. |
| 3 | Shrimp's Odyssey | January 9, 2022 | Charlie pursues riches via a magical shrimp's guidance, resulting in bizarre oceanic hazards.[46] |
| 4 | A Silly Halloween Special | January 9, 2022 | Pim hosts a chaotic Halloween event that spirals into supernatural mayhem for the Smiling Friends team. |
| 5 | Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty? | January 9, 2022 | The agency investigates the apparent murder of a salty snack mascot, uncovering absurd conspiracies.[46] |
| 6 | Enchanted Forest | January 9, 2022 | Pim and Charlie venture into a malevolent fairy-tale woodland to rescue a client from mythical threats.[46] |
| 7 | Frowning Friends | January 9, 2022 | Efforts to uplift a gloomy politician before an election highlight the limits of forced cheer amid political cynicism.[46] |
| 8 | Charlie Dies and Doesn't Come Back | January 9, 2022 | Charlie's death prompts a surreal afterlife odyssey, forcing reflection on mortality and the company's futile optimism.[46] |
Season 2 (2024)
Season 2 of Smiling Friends premiered on April 1, 2024, on Adult Swim, comprising eight episodes that aired primarily on Sundays through June 24, 2024.[48] [1] The season escalates the series' signature absurdity with meta-references, such as parodies of video game remasters and corporate satire, while introducing experimental animation techniques and numerous cameos from online creators.[49] [50] Deeper character explorations emerge, including Mr. Boss's romantic pursuits and Pim's transformative mishaps, alongside philosophical undertones amid the chaos.[48] [51]| No. | Title | Original air date | Plot summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4k (Anniversary Director's Cut) | April 1, 2024 | Pim and Allan assist the character Gwimbly in developing a new video game, while Charlie navigates conflicts with a client resembling a political figure.[48] [52] |
| 2 | Mr. President | May 12, 2024 | Mr. Boss and Pim enter a bizarre realm called Spamtopia to survive, as Charlie addresses a grave issue with Allan.[48] [51] |
| 3 | A Allan Adventure | May 20, 2024 | The team aids a repulsive individual found on the street, but Allan resorts to extreme measures.[48] [53] |
| 4 | Erm, the Boss Finds Love? | May 27, 2024 | Mr. Boss pursues romance, leading to chaotic developments within the company.[48] |
| 5 | Brother's Egg | June 3, 2024 | Conflicts arise involving familial and supernatural elements tied to the characters' personal lives.[54] |
| 6 | Charlie, Pim, and Bill vs. the Alien | June 10, 2024 | Charlie, Pim, and Bill confront extraterrestrial threats in a high-stakes encounter.[55] |
| 7 | The Magical Red Jewel AKA Tyler Gets Fired | June 17, 2024 | A mystical artifact causes turmoil, culminating in staff changes at Smiling Friends Inc.[55] |
| 8 | Pim Finally Turns Green | June 24, 2024 | After consuming an ancient artifact, Pim undergoes a startling physical change, alarming his colleagues and adversaries.[48] |
Season 3 (2025)
The third season of Smiling Friends premiered on Adult Swim on October 5, 2025, continuing the series' pattern of short, absurd animated episodes centered on the employees' efforts to induce happiness in clients.[26] The season opener, "Silly Samuel," features Pim and Charlie tasked with assisting a 3D-animated character named Silly Samuel, a homeless critter distressed by his perpetual ridiculous appearance and inability to be taken seriously, leading to a client intervention that escalates into typical chaotic antics involving the Smiling Friends team.[39] This episode maintains the show's blend of low-stakes missions and surreal humor, with Samuel's plight highlighting themes of self-perception amid external ridicule.[57] Subsequent episodes aired weekly on Sundays. The full episode list includes:| No. | Title | Air date | Plot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Silly Samuel" | October 5, 2025 | Pim and Charlie assist a ridiculed 3D character distressed by his appearance, escalating into team chaos.[39] |
| 2 | "Le Voyage Incroyable De Monsieur Grenouille" | October 12, 2025 | Features Mr. Frog's return on an existential journey involving life-changing and brain-rewiring elements.[58] |
| 3 | "Mole Man" | October 19, 2025 | The team encounters Mole Man in underground scenarios, leading to absurd confrontations and directorial antics.[59] |
| 4 | "Curse of the Green Halloween Witch" | October 26, 2025 | A witch curses the Smiling Friends office on Halloween, prompting quirky responses from the characters.[60] |
| 5 | "Pim and Charlie Save Mother Nature" | November 2, 2025 | Pim and Charlie attempt to rescue environmental causes in line with the show's humorous client interventions. |
| 6 | "Squim Returns" | November 9, 2025 | Revisits the character Squim in continued absurd missions. |
| 7 | "Shmaloogles" | November 16, 2025 | Explores themed client absurdity preserving core character dynamics. |
| 8 | "The Glep Ep" | November 30, 2025 | Focuses on Glep's involvement in escalating scenarios (upcoming). |