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by Gwynn Grandy
The last time my mother and my brother agreed to watch a TV show together it was Star Trek, the Next Generation. Until I went home and caught them both watching the latest Invader Zim DVD.
Zim is a failed alien Invader who is sent off by his leaders to the remote planet Earth to keep him out of the way. Zim doesn't realize this, and does his best to conquer the earth, crazy neighbors, scary Chihuahuas, germs and all. Most of the hilarity comes from Zim trying to stay under cover . . . as a human kid (with a green skin condition) while completely failing to grasp what is 'normal' for humans. That and Gir. Zim's insanely amusing--or is that amusingly insane--robot sidekick GIR steals the show. To paraphrase one of my favorite scenes with GIR and Zim:
"Why did you leave the locating device at home?"
"To make room for the cupcake!"
The original story is by Jhonen Vasquez, who is best known for Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Invader Zim, unlike Johnny, was written for kids, but mostly that just means no sex or drugs. The appeal is hardly limited to kids, who probably miss most of the subtle social criticism. (Don't worry--there's not enough to get in the way of your enjoying the show.) It's in cartoon format, but it's not at all in cartoon formula. I highly recommend watching the first episode so you know what's going on. After that episodes are pretty much in optional order. My personal favorites include Room with a Moose, and Invasion of the Saucer Morons.
If you haven't seen Invader Zim, you should.
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