Hulu's Animayhem Returns to SDCC With a Factory of 20th Television Animation
Disney is once again bringing the Hulu Animayhem to San Diego Comic-Con. Last year, the streaming service created a hub for all of its adult animated favorites, from Futurama to Solar Opposites, the Bob's Burgers, and The Simpsons.
This year's activation is designed like a factory with all the characters of your favorite animated shows working to crank out some of the best series the medium has to offer. Mock-ups show a floor filled with references to Animayhem's flagship programs, with Bob Belcher, Homer and Bart Simpson, Fry and Bender, Hit-Monkey and Bryce, and more flying through the gears and conveyer belts that make it all work. Deeper inside the factory is where the real magic lies, however, with a selection of immersive activities based on the shows and exclusive collectible memorabilia that can only be found at the yearly convention
Key among the factory's many moving parts is a replica of Futurama's Slurm Factory. The highly addictive soft drink, which may or may not be made from the slime excreted from the butt of an alien slug queen, is Fry's favorite drink in the year 3000 and the episode "Fry and the Slurm Factory" gives him and the Planet Express crew a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see how it's made. Animayhem's replica recreates the factory as it appeared in the beloved episode, from the Willy Wonka-inspired music to the borderline copyright-infringing Grunka Lunkas and, of course, the Slurm Queen herself for some unique photo opportunities.
Past that is the Cutawayland Storage, a special 25th-anniversary celebration of Family Guy full of all the best cutaway gags from the Seth MacFarlane show's long history. Fans can pick up 2D objects that correspond with specific jokes and take them to viewing stations to see the cutaway play out on the spot. Add in some cutouts of the Griffin family in their signature yellow tuxedos from the show's iconic intro sequence, and the station has no shortage of photo opportunities to commemorate such a major milestone.
Slurm isn’t the only treat fans can see the making of. Another area replicates The Simpsons LardLad Donut Factory where Homer Simpson's favorite pink-sprinkled sweets are made. As part of a partnership with the SoCal staple Randy’s Donuts, attendees can pick up ready-made donuts with suspiciously green icing that may be toxic waste from Mr. Burns's power plant.
From there, the factory opens up with a bevy of interactable activities including a chance to sing along to the end credits songs of Bob's Burgers and get a shareable video from Bob's Record-O-Matic, take a Solar Opposites-themed Goobler stress test and get a corresponding Goobler stress ball based on the results, and search for the Bonsai Master's Sword in a Hit-Monkey-themed katana factory to win an SDCC-exclusive set of pins.
American Dad fans can also come to the rescue of the show's disguise-loving extraterrestrial star, Roger. His cries for help will ring throughout the activation as he's stuck in a CIA lab and being dissected. Following Stan and Francine's example from "The Scarlett Getter," participants will have to quickly reassemble the alien in an Operation-like game, a task easier said than done with his strange organs scattered all over the place. Whether that operation is successful or not, a photo opportunity with Roger's golden turd will be available thereafter
For anyone who needs a quick rest after all the adult animation activity, the Animayhem Factory is stocked with a break room courtesy of three of 20th Television Animation - The Great North. A fridge in the room can be opened for some refreshing cold air during the red-hot summer while also providing a view of the Tobin family's idyllic Alaskan cabin.
Hulu's Animayhem activation opens on July 25 from 11:30 a.m. through 7 p.m., July 26-27 from 9:30 a.m. through 7 p.m. daily, and July 28 from 9:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. Stay tuned here at Collider for all of our coverage of SDCC throughout the weekend. Get an exclusive look at the Animayhem factory in the gallery above.