Invader Zim Creator Talks Series’ Most Disturbing Character (Exclusive)

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The animated series “Invader Zim,” initially aired on Nickelodeon in 2001, has gained a devoted following among animation enthusiasts and continues to be considered a cult favorite. Created by Jhonen Vasquez, the show’s unique storyline was often surprising for a children’s program due to its dark and mature themes. At this year’s DragonCon, we had an opportunity to interview Vasquez about the show’s legacy, impact on modern animation, and one of the most unsettling characters to come out of Zim’s Earth conquest. For those who find “Five Nights at Freddy’s” frightening, they might want to revisit one of Nickelodeon’s scariest mascots.

Vasquez shared an extensive and amusing account about Bloaty, a character from Invader Zim, being one of the most bizarre creations he’s ever conceptualized. Initially, Bloaty appears comical with his humorous ads, but upon reflection, he is quite disturbing. The show’s creators found humor in his constant weeping in commercials, making one wonder about the unbroadcasted content. When imitating Bloaty’s voice, it sounds like a man crying hysterically, which Vasquez finds incredibly amusing. In Vasquez’s opinion, any animal costume character portraying sadness is the funniest thing imaginable.

Bloaty’s Reign of Terror

Title of one episode in Invader Zim’s first season was “Bloaty’s Pizza Hog,” which introduced a monstrous character resembling Chuck E. Cheese within the Nickelodeon universe. Gaz, Dib’s sister, was eager to savor pizza and encounter Bloaty, making it her priority to visit this establishment. Despite Dib and Zim’s escalating feud, the episode concluded with Gaz finally meeting Bloaty, and the Membrane family enjoying their pizza together.

The original “Invader Zim” television show ended in 2006, but it returned with a feature-length film called “Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus” on Netflix in 2019. This movie marked the franchise’s comeback after years of absence. However, creator Jhonen Vasquez has not disclosed any plans to revive the series again. Nevertheless, the show remains popular among fans and continues to sell merchandise even though it hasn’t been on air for a while.

Without a doubt, followers of Vasquez are well aware that “Invader Zim” wasn’t even close to being the most unsettling tale the creator had crafted. Instead, it was the comic book series titled “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac“, first published in 1995, which depicted a character on a violent spree that would certainly never fly on Nickelodeon. Fingers crossed that both stories will resurface at some point, but for now, it seems like Jhonen isn’t planning to bring either back into focus for the time being.

Curious about the future of Zim? Keep track of it through Team Anime on egmr.ru, or leave a comment below for updates.

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2025-09-02 21:41