Mr. Meeseeks | |
---|---|
Rick and Morty character | |
First appearance | "Meeseeks and Destroy" (2014) |
Created by | Justin Roiland Dan Harmon Ryan Ridley |
Designed by | Justin Roiland |
Inspired by | Scud by Rob Schrab |
Voiced by | Justin Roiland (2014–2020) |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Mister Meeseeks |
Species | Meeseeks |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Task completer |
Affiliation | Meeseeks Manufacturing Inc. [1] |
Creator | Meeseeks Box |
Catchphrase | "I'm Mr. Meeseeks, look at me!" |
Mr. Meeseeks is a recurring fictional species in the American animated television series Rick and Morty . Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and based on the title character from Scud: The Disposable Assassin by Rob Schrab, Meeseeks are a powder-blue-skinned species of humanoids (each of whom is named "Mr. Meeseeks") who are created to serve a single purpose which they will go to any length to fulfill. [2] Each brought to life by a "Meeseeks Box", they typically live for no more than a few hours in a constant state of pain, vanishing upon completing their assigned task so as to end their own existence and thereby end their suffering; as such, the longer an individual Meeseeks remains alive, the more insane and unhinged they become.
A variant dubbed Mr. Youseeks can be summoned to aid in unreachable chores in the virtual reality game Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality , while a red-skinned smoking Kirkland-brand Meeseeks is introduced in the fourth season episode "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat". [3] [4] [5] In June 2019, an Oni Press Rick and Morty comic series spin-off one-shot, Rick and Morty Presents: Mr. Meeseeks was released, following a Mr. Meeseeks who, after being called upon by Summer Smith to assist with her chili recipe, accidentally tasks another Meeseeks to bring them on a journey to find meaning to life despite their finite existence. [6] [7] A drug mule Meeseeks known as Mr. Sick is also featured as a henchman in the comic series arcs The Ricky Horror Peacock Show and Rick Revenge Squad , [8] while a Meeseeks named Master Meeseeks serves as the main antagonist of the limited series Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137. In October 2023, Mr.Meeseeks, along with Summer, became playable characters in Fortnite. A second solo series, Rick and Morty: Meeseeks, P.I., began publication in November 2023, following Meeseeks, P.I. teaming up with Jerry Smith. [9]
Each Mr. Meeseeks is a tall, blue-skinned humanoid figure with elongated, narrow limbs, a large, bulbous head, beady black eyes, and a high-pitched voice. Some versions of him have one or more small patches of orange hair on their head, while others are bald. Mr. Meeseeks usually exhibits a friendly, cheerful, and helpful demeanor; willing to assist the one who brought him into existence, however possible, in order to ensure their own death. Ideally, Mr. Meeseeks will dispatch the simple task given to him, and disappear shortly after its completion. However, if given a task that is outside of Mr. Meeseeks' capabilities, he will not be able to cease existing. This unusual lifespan will cause Mr. Meeseeks' attitude and mental state to worsen dramatically; the relatively long and tortuous existence quickly driving him to violent behavior and outright insanity, including creating more Meeseeks to assist themselves if they have access to a Meeseeks Box. All Mr. Meeseeks will typically say "I'm Mr. Meeseeks, look at me!" upon being created.
In "Meeseeks and Destroy", Jerry, Beth and Summer Smith are given a Meeseeks Box by Rick Sanchez to provide solutions to their problems: for Jerry, taking two strokes off his golf game, for Beth, making her feel better about herself, and for Summer, to make her popular at her high school. While Beth and Summer are successful, Jerry ultimately summons dozens of Meeseeks while unable to achieve his goal. As Jerry goes to dinner with Beth, the increasingly desperate Meeseeks initially blame each other for their predicament and fight over the correct solution, concluding that their only hope is a loophole: to take all the strokes off Jerry's golf game by killing him. Confronting Jerry in a restaurant, the Meeseeks take the other patrons hostage to convince Jerry to come out. Before he can give in, however, Beth inspires Jerry and encourages him to try his golf swing one last time. Jerry uses a broken shelf and tomato in place of a golf club and ball to show that his game has improved, and the delighted Meeseeks cease to exist.
In the background of "Mortynight Run", a Mr. Meeseeks can be seen at the Blips & Chitz arcade, helping an alien win a video game before disappearing when they eventually win. A pair of Mr. Meeseeks are visible in the Collector's menagerie in a segment of "Morty's Mind Blowers".
In "Edge of Tomorty: Rick Die Rickpeat", Rick summons a Meeseeks to kill an alternate dimension version of Morty, known as Fascist Morty, while the power-mad normal Morty summons several Meeseeks to protect him from the local police. Upon returning to his laboratory, Rick notes that Morty has stolen his Meeseeks Boxes, leaving only his Kirkland-brand Meeseeks Boxes, which summon a surly and uncooperative red-skinned Mr. Meeseeks variant. In a flashforward in "Never Ricking Morty", President Morty is shown to command an army of Meeseeks amongst his various other armies.
In June 2019, an Oni Press Rick and Morty comic series spin-off one-shot, Rick and Morty Presents: Mr. Meeseeks was released, following a Mr. Meeseeks who, after being called upon by Summer Smith to assist with her chili recipe, accidentally tasks another Meeseeks to bring them on a journey to find meaning to life despite their finite existence. [6] [7] A previous one-shot, The Vindicators , also featured Mr. Meeseeks in Rick using one to unleash an army to defeat Boon (an alternate evil and all-powerful Noob Noob).
A drug mule Meeseeks known as Mr. Sick is featured as a recurring antagonist in the Rick and Morty comic series, working for Peacock Jones to seek revenge on Rick after failing to deliver the singular drug shipment he was created for, culminating in his death in Rick Revenge Squad on being tricked into finally making the delivery. [8] Consequently, an alternate Jones uses a Meeseeks Box to create himself an army to kill Rick in The Rickoning, which Rick tricks into dissolving by having most of them "kill" holograms of his, and the last one "kill" his character in a video game.
A Meeseeks called Master Meeseeks is featured as the main antagonist of the limited series Rick and Morty: Crisis on C-137, which began publication in August 2022. In the series, on surviving the events of "Meeseeks and Destroy", Master Meeseeks gathers together the enemies of the Smith family in an attempt to take his revenge upon them.
A limited series, Rick and Morty: Meeseeks, P.I., began publication in November 2023, [9] following a Meeseeks hired by Jerry as a private detective (named Meeseeks, P.I.) to help him find the missing remote to the interdimensional cable television box before Rick finds out, the two uncovering a massive interdimensional cable conspiracy in the process.
Meeseeks Boxes are featured as power-ups and loot boxes in the free-to-play role-playing video game Pocket Mortys , producing Meeseeks for the player to use in battles, [10] as well as in the virtual reality game Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality , where a variant dubbed Mr. Youseeks can be summoned to aid in unreachable chores. In 2022, Mr. Meeseeks Ace was added as a character skin to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege . [11]
The character was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, who first met at Channel 101 in the early 2000s. In 2006, Roiland created The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti , an animated short parodying the Back to the Future characters Doc Brown and Marty McFly, and the precursor to Rick and Morty, the second episode of which features the pair encountering the title character Scud of Scud: The Disposable Assassin , whom Harmon had written for from 1994–1998, serving to promote the series' 2008 revival. At Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con: Comikaze in 2016, Harmon confirmed that the Mr. Meeseeks character had been "ripped off" from Scud. [12] After the idea for Rick and Morty, in the form of Doc and Mharti was brought up to Adult Swim and a full television series entered development, Roiland had the idea for the episode "Meeseeks and Destroy" when, frustrated with the progress of a writing session, he suggested the introduction of a character who would blurt "I'm Mister Meeseeks, look at me!" in a "most annoying" voice, which was then combined with Harmon's variation on Rob Schrab's Scud character, [13] each member of the species uttering the catchphrase upon being created or making a point. [14] [15] Series writer Ryan Ridley also cited The Smurfs as an inspiration for the character. [16] [17]
On August 3, 2016, Cryptozoic Entertainment released Mr. Meeseeks' Box o' Fun, a game combining elements of dice games and truth or dare focused around the Mr. Meeseeks character. [18] [19] On September 23, 2019, Entertainment Earth launched a range of Mr. Meeseeks jack-in-the-boxes and dolls to positive reception. [20] On September 10, 2020, Kidrobot launched a Mr. Meeseeks-themed line of eight-inch dunny figurines, [21] while Pringles launched a Mr. Meeseeks-themed flavor called "Look at Me! I'm Cheddar & Sour Cream", with the product description reading "Mr. Meeseeks' tall, powder-blue figure is naturally emulated in this narrow can of Pringles crisps. Since existence is pain for a Meeseeks, you better eat these crisps fast—which should be no problem given how delicious these flavors are." [22] [23]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | BTVA Voice Acting Awards | Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series — Comedy/Musical | Justin Roiland | Won | [24] |
The character has received positive reception. Looper described Mr. Meeseeks as "a symbol of the series", citing "his appeal [a]s the genie-in-a-bottle fantasy element" that the character provides as "a meditation on the nature of existence, setting the template for the show's ever-more frequent forays into philosophical contemplation." [25] Screen Rant praised the character as a "cult hero", [26] while Inverse comparatively compared the character to Michael Keaton's 1996 film Multiplicity, praising their "story circle". [27] [28] The Daily Dot described "[p]art of the charm of Meeseeks [a]s that their looping dialogue is so quotable, but fans also seem to relate to Mr. Meeseeks’ deterioration from happy and helpful to frustrated and murderous. Meeseeks’ dark reality—that they’re chipper despite living in pain and wanting to die—also makes them extra sympathetic." [29] GameSpot has stated that "there has been no character who has caused as lasting an impact [on the Rick and Morty franchise] as Mr. Meeseeks", [30] while Jake Lahut praised the character as "[r]esembling something between Gumby and the Smurfs, [as] a species who embod[ies] Aristotle’s key theory of teleology, the idea of design and purpose in each material thing." [31] With regards their initial portrayal, Comic Book Resources described the characters as "very unique and fascinating to watch play out onscreen", [32] while CinemaBlend collectively ranked the species as the second-best side character in the series behind President Morty. [33] Den of Geek praised the character as a vindication of "[the] sort of outwardly happy folks [who] live a rich inner life of endless torment" and the concept of " @#%&*! Smilers , as titled by the Aimee Mann album of the same name. [34]
Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.
Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith Sr. is one of the eponymous characters from the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by the former for the first six seasons of the series, followed by Harry Belden beginning with the seventh season. Morty is a 14-year-old boy loosely inspired by Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Morty is known for his awkward, anxious, second-guessing, doubtful personality, and low sense of self-esteem; the character has been critically well-received. He is the good-natured and impressionable grandson of Rick Sanchez, the son of Jerry and Beth Smith, the younger brother of Summer Smith, and the father of Morty Jr. and Naruto Smith, who can be easily manipulated. In September 2021, Jaeden Martell portrayed Morty in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
"Meeseeks and Destroy" is the fifth episode of the first season of Rick and Morty. It premiered on Adult Swim on January 20, 2014. The episode was written by Ryan Ridley and directed by Bryan Newton. In the episode, Rick provides the family with a solution to their problems, freeing him up to go on an adventure led by Morty. The episode has been well received, and was seen by about 1.6 million viewers when it was first aired on Adult Swim.
The pilot episode of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty was written by series creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, and directed by Justin Roiland. The episode premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. The series introduces protagonists, alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez and his innocent teenage grandson Morty Smith, as they embark on a dangerous interdimensional adventure to fetch Mega Tree seeds. The pilot had a positive reception and was seen by about 1.1 million viewers when it premiered.
"Mortynight Run" is the second episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by David Phillips and directed by Dominic Polcino, the episode premiered on August 2, 2015, though it was leaked online beforehand. After dropping Jerry at a daycare purpose-built for alternate universe versions of Jerry, Rick sells a gun to the assassin Krombopulos Michael, but Morty decides to save his target—a telepathic gas-based entity.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a virtual reality game compatible with HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift developed by Owlchemy Labs and published by Adult Swim Games for Microsoft Windows on April 20, 2017. It is based on the American animated series Rick and Morty, whose series co-creator Justin Roiland aided in the development. A port for the PlayStation 4 was released on April 10, 2018.
Richard Daniel "Rick" Sanchez is one of the two eponymous characters from the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting multimedia franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, he is voiced by the former during the first six seasons of the series, then by Ian Cardoni beginning with the seventh season, and Yōhei Tadano in Rick and Morty: The Anime, after voicing the character in the Japanese dub of the series and various promotional short films. Rick is a misanthropic, alcoholic scientist inspired by Christopher Lloyd's Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future and Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic from Marvel Comics. In September 2021, Lloyd portrayed Rick himself in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
Bethany "Beth" Smith (née Sanchez) is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty and the resulting franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Beth is a veterinarian who specializes in horse surgery, who in the first three seasons is struck with a deep sense of dissatisfaction with her life, stemming from her belief that she has "settled" in her marriage, family, and job, leading her to accept her father into her household after he abandoned her as a teenager. Known for her selfish and humorous personality, alcoholism, and abrasiveness when criticized, the character has been well received. She is the level-headed and assertive daughter of mad scientist Rick Sanchez, mother of Morty and Summer Smith, wife of Jerry Smith, and grandmother of Naruto and Morty Smith Jr.
"Total Rickall" is the fourth episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-León, the episode premiered on August 16, 2015. It shows the Smith family, along with Mr. Poopybutthole, overwhelmed by an infestation of parasites who implant false memories into them so they cannot tell who is real.
"Pickle Rick" is the third episode of the third season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Jessica Gao and directed by Anthony Chun, the episode premiered on August 6, 2017. The plot follows eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez as he turns himself into a pickle to avoid attending a family therapy session.
"Morty's Mind Blowers" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. It follows the two titular characters, both voiced by Justin Roiland, as they experiment with Morty's lost memories. The episode was directed by Bryan Newton and written by various screenwriters, including Mike McMahan, who would later serve as a producer on the fourth season, and both series creators Roiland and Dan Harmon. "Morty's Mind Blowers" originally aired on Adult Swim on September 17, 2017, and was watched by 2.51 million viewers. A comic sequel of the same name, written by Kyle Starks, Tini Howard, Sarah Graley, Benjamin Dewey, and Josh Trujillo, with designs by Angie Knowles and Roiland's personal approval, was published by Oni Press in Rick and Morty #50 on May 29, 2019.
"The Rickchurian Mortydate" is the tenth and final episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty follows the titular grandson and grandfather duo as they feud with the President of the United States. The episode, directed by Anthony Chun and written by series co-creator Dan Harmon, aired on Adult Swim on October 1, 2017.
Summer Smith is one of the main characters of the American media franchise Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and voiced by Spencer Grammer in the original animated series and Akiha Matsui in the anime series, Summer is a conventional and often superficial 17-year-old teenager, who is obsessed with improving her social status among her peers. Known for her smart and humorous personality and for her high dexterity, the character has been well-received. She is the well-meaning and intelligent older sister of Morty Smith, the daughter of Jerry and Beth Smith, the granddaughter of Diane and Rick Sanchez, the ex-wife of Hemorrhage, and mother-aunt of Naruto Smith.
Rick and Morty is an American comic book series written by Zac Gorman, Kyle Starks, and Alex Firer and illustrated by Marc Ellerby, based on the television series of the same name. Oni Press published the original series across 60 issues from April 1, 2015, until March 25, 2020. Using the television series' established premise of alternate timelines, the first two volumes expressly follow the Rick and Morty of a different dimension (C-132) on the "Central Finite Curve" than the protagonists of the television series so-as not to contradict its continuity, before the series switches focus over to the same Rick (C-137) and Morty of the television series following the "Head-Space" arc (#12–14) in the third volume, featuring sequel storylines to specific episodes of the series, with elements of the comic series and references to its events later being incorporated into the television series. Backup stories of the series alternate between focusing on Rick (C-137) and his Morty and various Ricks and Mortys from alternate dimensions, before the primary storyline switches focus over to yet another Rick and Morty at an unspecified point before/during the final volume of the series. In October 2022, a revival of Rick and Morty was announced for a January 2023 release date, spinning out of the limited series Rick's New Hat, from the same new creative team.
The fifth season of the animated television series Rick and Morty consisted of 10 episodes, part of the 70 episodes ordered by Adult Swim after they renewed the series in 2018. The series stars Justin Roiland as both titular characters, alongside Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith, Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith, and Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith and Space Beth. The season premiered on June 20, 2021, and concluded on September 5, 2021.
The sixth season of the American adult animated television series Rick and Morty premiered on September 4, 2022. Starring Justin Roiland as both titular characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, and their inter-dimensional counterparts, the season was ordered before the fourth season of the show finished airing, in May 2020. It is the final season to feature Roiland providing any voice as he was fired from the series on January 24, 2023, due to domestic violence allegations.
Gerald "Jerry" Smith is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by Chris Parnell, Jerry is depicted as a stay-at-home dad who finds contentment in his simple life. He unknowingly uses pity as his "signature move", which leads to people hiring him or giving him any sort of consolation. Jerry is infamous for his mutual rivalry with Rick Sanchez, his father-in-law, with the pair ultimately becoming friends in the sixth season. On many occasions in the early seasons, his relationship with his partner, Beth Smith, has been shown to be incredibly unhealthy, co-dependent, and incompatible, before gradually improving over the course of the series. One of Jerry's hobbies is beekeeping, which he picks up sometime during season four. It has been scarcely implied throughout the show that he is queer. As well as being the son-in-law of mad scientist Rick, Jerry is father of Morty and Summer Smith and husband of Beth Smith. Both the original character and their inter-dimensional replacements have received a positive critical reception.
Rick and Morty is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise, whose eponymous duo consists of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Rick and Morty were created by cartoonist Justin Roiland for a 2006 parody film of Back to the Future for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. After six years, the sketch was developed into Rick and Morty, a half-hour prime time show that was a hit for Adult Swim, receiving universal acclaim across all seasons. Alongside the original television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including spin-offs, comic books, musical releases and video games. The show has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in income across their merchandising and media franchise.
Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine is an American pixel-animated short film based on the television series/franchise Rick and Morty, produced by Adult Swim and debuting on both the network and their YouTube channel on April 30, 2021, alongside a marathon of the series' fourth season, to promote its then-upcoming fifth season. Written, directed, and animated by Paul Robertson, the film received positive reviews from critics.
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