title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson's main argument is that pesticides have detrimental effects on the environment; they are more properly termed "biocides", she argues, because their effects are rarely limited to the target pests. DDT is a prime example, but other synthetic pesticides come under scrutiny, many of which are subject to bioaccumulation. Carson also accuses the chemical industry of intentionally spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. Most of the book is devoted to pesticides' effects on natural ecosystems. However, four chapters also detail cases of human pesticide poisoning, cancer, and other illnesses attributed to pesticides. About DDT and cancer, the subject of so much subsequent debate, Carson says only a little:


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson predicted increased consequences in the future, especially as targeted pests develop pesticide resistance. At the same time, weakened ecosystems fall prey to unanticipated invasive species. The book closes with a call for a biotic approach to pest control as an alternative to chemical pesticides.


title: Rachel Carson

text: In regards to the pesticide DDT, Carson never actually called for an outright ban. Part of the argument she made in "Silent Spring" was that even if DDT and other insecticides had "no" environmental side effects, their indiscriminate overuse was counter-productive because it would create insect resistance to the pesticide(s), making the pesticides useless in eliminating the target insect populations:


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson further noted that "Malaria programmes are threatened by resistance among mosquitoes" and emphasized the advice given by the director of Holland's Plant Protection Service: "Practical advice should be 'Spray as little as you possibly can' rather than 'Spray to the limit of your capacity' ... Pressure on the pest population should always be as slight as possible."


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson and the others involved with the publication of "Silent Spring" expected fierce criticism. They were particularly concerned about the possibility of being sued for libel. Carson was also undergoing radiation therapy to combat her spreading cancer and expected to have little energy to devote to defending her work and responding to critics. In preparation for the anticipated attacks, Carson and her agent attempted to amass as many prominent supporters as possible before the book's release.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Most of the book's scientific chapters were reviewed by scientists with relevant expertise, among whom Carson found strong support. Carson attended the White House Conference on Conservation in May 1962; Houghton Mifflin distributed proof copies of "Silent Spring" to many of the delegates and promoted the upcoming "New Yorker" serialization. Among many others, Carson also sent a proof copy to Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas, a longtime environmental advocate who had argued against the court's rejection of the Long Island pesticide spraying case (and who had provided Carson with some of the material included in her chapter on herbicides).


title: Rachel Carson

text: Though "Silent Spring" had generated a relatively high level of interest based on pre-publication promotion, this became much more intense with the serialization in "The New Yorker", which began on June 16, 1962, issue. This brought the book to the attention of the chemical industry and its lobbyists and a wide swath of the American populace. Around that time, Carson also learned that "Silent Spring" had been selected as the Book of the Month for October; as she put it, this would "carry it to farms and hamlets all over that country that don't know what a bookstore looks like—much less "The New Yorker"." Other publicity included a positive editorial in "The New York Times" and excerpts of the serialized version in "Audubon" magazine, with another round of publicity in July and August as chemical companies responded. The story of the birth defect-causing drug thalidomide broke just before the book's publication as well, inviting comparisons between Carson and Frances Oldham Kelsey, the Food and Drug Administration reviewer who had blocked the drug's sale in the United States.


title: Rachel Carson

text: In the weeks leading up to the September 27, 1962, publication, there was strong opposition to "Silent Spring" from the chemical industry. DuPont (a main manufacturer of DDT and 2,4-D) and Velsicol Chemical Corporation (exclusive manufacturer of chlordane and heptachlor) were among the first to respond. DuPont compiled an extensive report on the book's press coverage and estimated impact on public opinion. Velsicol threatened legal action against Houghton Mifflin and "The New Yorker" and "Audubon" unless the planned "Silent Spring" features were canceled. Chemical industry representatives and lobbyists also lodged a range of non-specific complaints, some anonymously. Chemical companies and associated organizations produced a number of their own brochures and articles promoting and defending pesticide use. However, Carson's and the publishers' lawyers were confident in the vetting process "Silent Spring" had undergone. The magazine and book publications proceeded as planned, as did the large Book-of-the-Month printing (which included a pamphlet endorsing the book by William O. Douglas).


title: Rachel Carson

text: American Cyanamid biochemist Robert White-Stevens and former Cyanamid chemist Thomas Jukes were among the most aggressive critics, especially of Carson's analysis of DDT. According to White-Stevens, "If man were to follow the teachings of Miss Carson, we would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once again inherit the earth." Others went further, attacking Carson's scientific credentials (because her training was in marine biology rather than biochemistry) and her character. White-Stevens labeled her "...a fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature," while former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, in a letter to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, reportedly concluded that because she was unmarried despite being physically attractive, she was "probably a Communist."


title: Rachel Carson

text: Many critics repeatedly asserted that she was calling for the elimination of all pesticides. However, Carson had made it clear she was not advocating the banning or complete withdrawal of helpful pesticides but was instead encouraging responsible and carefully managed use with an awareness of the chemicals' impact on the entire ecosystem. In fact, she concludes her section on DDT in "Silent Spring" not by urging a total ban but with advice for spraying as little as possible to limit the development of resistance.


title: Rachel Carson

text: The academic community, including prominent defenders such as H. J. Muller, Loren Eiseley, Clarence Cottam, and Frank Egler, by and large, backed the book's scientific claims; public opinion soon turned Carson's way as well. The chemical industry campaign backfired, as the controversy greatly increased public awareness of potential pesticide dangers, as well as "Silent Spring" book sales. Pesticide use became a major public issue, especially after the "CBS Reports" TV special "The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson" that aired April 3, 1963. The program included segments of Carson reading from "Silent Spring" and interviews with several other experts, mostly critics (including White-Stevens); according to biographer Linda Lear, "in juxtaposition to the wild-eyed, loud-voiced Dr. Robert White-Stevens in white lab coat, Carson appeared anything but the hysterical alarmist that her critics contended." Reactions from the estimated audience of ten to fifteen million were overwhelmingly positive, and the program spurred a congressional review of pesticide dangers and the public release of a pesticide report by the President's Science Advisory Committee. Within a year or so of publication, the attacks on the book and Carson had largely lost momentum.


title: Rachel Carson

text: In one of her last public appearances, Carson testified before President John F. Kennedy's Science Advisory Committee. The committee issued its report on May 15, 1963, largely backing Carson's scientific claims. Following the report's release, she also testified before a United States Senate subcommittee to make policy recommendations. Though Carson received hundreds of other speaking invitations, she could not accept the great majority of them. Her health was steadily declining as her cancer outpaced the radiation therapy, with only brief periods of remission. She spoke as much as she was physically able, however, including a notable appearance on "The Today Show" and speeches at several dinners held in her honor. In late 1963, she received a flurry of awards and honors: the Audubon Medal (from the National Audubon Society), the Cullum Geographical Medal (from the American Geographical Society), and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Weakened from breast cancer and her treatment regimen, Carson became ill with a respiratory virus in January 1964. Her condition worsened, and in February, doctors found that she had severe anemia from her radiation treatments and in March they discovered that the cancer had reached her liver. She died of a heart attack on April 14, 1964, in her home in Silver Spring, Maryland.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Her body was cremated and Carson's ashes were divided for burial beside her mother at Parklawn Memorial Gardens, Rockville, Maryland, and the rest scattered along the coast of Squirrel Island, near Sheepscot River in Maine.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson bequeathed her manuscripts and papers to Yale University to take advantage of the new state-of-the-art preservations facilities of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Her longtime agent and literary executor Marie Rodell spent nearly two years organizing and cataloging Carson's papers and correspondence, distributing all the letters to their senders so that only what each correspondent approved would be submitted to the archive.


title: Rachel Carson

text: In 1965, Rodell arranged for the publication of an essay Carson had intended to expand into a book: "The Sense of Wonder". The essay, which was combined with photographs by Charles Pratt and others, exhorts parents to help their children experience the "...lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world ... available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life."


title: Rachel Carson

text: In addition to the letters in "Always Rachel", in 1998, a volume of Carson's previously unpublished work was published as "Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson", edited by Linda Lear. All of Carson's books remain in print.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson's work had a powerful impact on the environmental movement. "Silent Spring", in particular, was a rallying point for the fledgling social movement in the 1960s. According to environmental engineer and Carson scholar H. Patricia Hynes, ""Silent Spring" altered the balance of power in the world. No one since would be able to sell pollution as the necessary underside of progress so easily or uncritically." Carson's work, and the activism it inspired, are at least partly responsible for the deep ecology movement and the overall strength of the grassroots environmental movement since the 1960s. It was also influential on the rise of ecofeminism and on many feminist scientists.


title: Rachel Carson

text: While there remains no evidence that Carson was openly a women's rights activist, her work and its subsequent criticisms have left an iconic legacy for the ecofeminist movement. Attacks on Carson's credibility included criticism of her credentials in which she was labeled an "amateur." It was said that her writing was too "emotional." Ecofeminist scholars argue that not only was the dissenting rhetoric gendered to paint Carson as hysterical but was done because her arguments challenged the capitalist production of large agri-business corporations. Others, such as Yaakov Garb, suggest that in addition to not being a women's rights activist, Carson also had no anti-capitalist agenda and that such attacks were unwarranted. Additionally, the way photos of Carson were used to portray her are often questioned because of few representations of her engaging in work typical of a scientist, but instead of her leisure activities.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson's most direct legacy in the environmental movement was the campaign to ban DDT in the United States (and related efforts to ban or limit its use throughout the world). Though environmental concerns about DDT had been considered by government agencies as early as Carson's testimony before the President's Science Advisory Committee, the 1967 formation of the Environmental Defense Fund was the first significant milestone in the campaign against DDT. The organization brought lawsuits against the government to "establish a citizen's right to a clean environment," and the arguments employed against DDT largely mirrored Carson's. By 1972, the Environmental Defense Fund and other activist groups had succeeded in securing a phase-out of DDT use in the United States (except in emergency cases).


title: Rachel Carson

text: The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Nixon Administration in 1970 addressed another concern that Carson had brought to light. Until then, the same agency (the USDA) was responsible both for regulating pesticides and promoting the concerns of the agriculture industry; Carson saw this as a conflict of interest since the agency was not responsible for effects on wildlife or other environmental concerns beyond farm policy. Fifteen years after its creation, one journalist described the EPA as "the extended shadow of "Silent Spring"." Much of the agency's early work, such as enforcing the 1972 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, was directly related to Carson's work.


title: Rachel Carson

text: In the 1980s, the policies of the Reagan Administration emphasized economic growth, rolling back many of the environmental policies adopted in response to Carson and her work.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Various groups ranging from government institutions to environmental and conservation organizations to scholarly societies have celebrated Carson's life and work since her death. Perhaps most significantly, on June 9, 1980, Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. A 17¢ Great Americans series postage stamp was issued in her honor the following year; several other countries have since issued Carson postage as well. In 1973, Carson was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.


title: Rachel Carson

text: The University of California, Santa Cruz, named one of its colleges (formerly known as College Eight) Rachel Carson College in 2016. Rachel Carson College is the first college at the university to bear a woman's name.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Munich's Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society was founded in 2009. An international, interdisciplinary center for research and education in the environmental humanities and social sciences, it was established as a joint initiative of Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and the Deutsches Museum, with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson's birthplace and childhood home in Springdale, Pennsylvania, now known as the Rachel Carson Homestead, became a National Register of Historic Places site and the nonprofit Rachel Carson Homestead Association was created in 1975 to manage it. Her home in Colesville, Maryland where she wrote "Silent Spring" was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. Near Pittsburgh, a hiking trail, called the Rachel Carson Trail and maintained by the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, was dedicated to Carson in 1975. A Pittsburgh bridge was also renamed in Carson's honor as the Rachel Carson Bridge. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection State Office Building in Harrisburg is named in her honor. Elementary schools in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland, Sammamish, Washington and San Jose, California were named in her honor, as were middle schools in Beaverton, Oregon, Queens, New York (Rachel Carson Intermediate School) and Herndon, Virginia (Rachel Carson Middle School), and a high school in Brooklyn, New York.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Two research vessels have sailed in the United States bearing the name R/V "Rachel Carson". One is on the west coast, owned by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), and the other is on the east coast, operated by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Another vessel of the name, now scrapped, was a former naval vessel obtained and converted by the United States EPA. It operated on the Great Lakes. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary also operates a mooring buoy maintenance vessel named the Rachel Carson.


title: Rachel Carson

text: The ceremonial auditorium on the third floor of EPA headquarters, the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building, is named after Carson. The Rachel Carson Room is close to the EPA Administrator's office. It has been the site of numerous important announcements, including the Clean Air Interstate Rule.


title: Rachel Carson

text: A number of conservation areas have been named for Carson as well. Between 1964 and 1990, 650 acres (263 ha) near Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland were acquired and set aside as the Rachel Carson Conservation Park, administered by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. In 1969, the Coastal Maine National Wildlife Refuge became the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge; expansions will bring the size of the refuge to about 9,125 acres (3,693 ha). In 1985, North Carolina renamed one of its estuarine reserves in honor of Carson, in Beaufort.


title: Rachel Carson

text: Carson is also a frequent namesake for prizes awarded by philanthropic, educational and scholarly institutions. The Rachel Carson Prize, founded in Stavanger, Norway in 1991, is awarded to women who have made a contribution in the field of environmental protection. The American Society for Environmental History has awarded the Rachel Carson Prize for Best Dissertation since 1993. Since 1998, the Society for Social Studies of Science has awarded an annual Rachel Carson Book Prize for "a book length work of social or political relevance in the area of science and technology studies." The Society of Environmental Journalists gives an annual award and two honourable mentions for books on environmental issues in Carson's name, such as was awarded to Joe Roman's "" in 2012. The Sierra Club and its foundation recognize donors who have provided for the club in their estate plans as the Rachel Carson Society. The Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany) awards post-doctoral fellowships in the area of the environment and society.


title: Rachel Carson

text: The "Rachel Carson" sculpture in Woods Hole, Massachusetts was unveiled on July 14, 2013. Google created a Google Doodle for Carson's 107th birthday on May 27, 2014. Carson was featured during the "HerStory" video tribute to notable women on U2's tour in 2017 for the 30th anniversary of "The Joshua Tree" during a performance of "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" from the band's 1991 album "Achtung Baby".


title: Rachel Carson

text: The centennial of Carson's birth occurred in 2007. On Earth Day (April 22), "Courage for the Earth: Writers, Scientists, and Activists Celebrate the Life and Writing of Rachel Carson" was released as "a centennial appreciation of Rachel Carson's brave life and transformative writing." It contained thirteen essays by environmental writers and scientists. Democratic Senator Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland had intended to submit a resolution celebrating Carson for her "legacy of scientific rigor coupled with poetic sensibility" on the 100th anniversary of her birth. The resolution was blocked by Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. The Rachel Carson Homestead Association held a May 27 birthday party and sustainable feast at her birthplace and home in Springdale, Pennsylvania, and the first Rachel Carson Legacy Conference in Pittsburgh with E. O. Wilson as keynote speaker. Both Rachel's Sustainable Feast and the conference continue as annual events.


title: Allen Covert

text: Allen Stephen Covert (born October 12, 1964) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for his starring role in the 2006 comedy film "Grandma's Boy", and his supporting actor role in the movie "Strange Wilderness" (2008). He is a frequent collaborator with actor and friend Adam Sandler with prominent roles in such films as "Happy Gilmore" (1996), "The Wedding Singer" (1998), "Big Daddy" (1999), "Little Nicky" (2000), "Mr. Deeds" (2002), "Anger Management" (2003), "50 First Dates" (2004) and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (2007).


title: Allen Covert

text: Covert was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of Elizabeth Ann (née Duhy) and Stephen Covert. His father was Jewish, and his mother was a Southern Baptist. He studied theater at New York University, where he was a classmate of Adam Sandler. Covert has served as a performer, writer, and/or producer for almost every film and comedy album Sandler has ever released.


title: Allen Covert

text: He married Kathryn Ashley Hagstrom on February 14, 2006. In July 2019, Hagstrom filed for divorce; it was finalized in November 2019.


title: Allen Covert

text: Covert's first film role was a cruise ship bartender in Sandler's 1989 film "Going Overboard" which also was Sandler's first cinematic appearance. Covert had minor parts in several subsequent Sandler films such as Otto the homeless caddy in "Happy Gilmore", before his first prominent role in 1998's "The Wedding Singer" alongside Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Covert would continue to have roles in Sandler's next four films, including one in "Little Nicky" for which he gained 40 pounds. He eventually settled back into walk-on and single-scene appearances in Sandler's films beginning with "50 First Dates" in 2004.


title: Allen Covert

text: In 2006, Covert starred in the comedy film "Grandma's Boy", his first (and only) lead role. Sandler served as an executive producer. Covert has also had small roles in four films that neither star nor are produced by Sandler: "Never Been Kissed", "Late Last Night, Heavyweights, and The Cable Guy."


title: Allen Covert

text: Although Covert's on-screen presence has been reduced in recent years, he has continued to serve an active role in Sandler's movie production company, Happy Madison Productions, where Covert is an executive producer and sometimes co-writer on most of the company's films. In addition, Covert has contributed heavily to Sandler's many comedy albums, and frequently receives co-songwriting credits on the original songs that Sandler performs in many of his films.


title: Allen Covert

text: Covert appeared as himself, along with Adam Sandler, in an episode of the television series "Undeclared". The show's creator, Judd Apatow, is another friend and former college classmate of Covert and Sandler.


title: Invader Zim

text: Invader Zim is an American animated science fiction dark comedy television series created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez for Nickelodeon. The series centers on an extraterrestrial named Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz), from the planet Irk, and his mission to conquer Earth and enslave the human race along with his malfunctioning robot servant GIR (Rosearik Rikki Simons). He is antagonized by Dib (Andy Berman), a young paranormal investigator who is determined to stop Zim from succeeding.


title: Invader Zim

text: Nickelodeon contacted Jhonen Vasquez about pitching ideas for an animated series for their older demographic and "Invader Zim" was the first thing he pitched. In Vasquez's words "it went from pitch to series without hardly any waiting". As the series went on, ratings declined and budgetary issues became more frequent. Before the second season was completed, Nickelodeon cancelled the series, leaving several episodes unfinished. The show originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2002, with six of the completed second-season episodes initially going unreleased. These episodes were first made available on DVD in 2004 and later made their television debut on the Nicktoons Network in 2006.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" received positive reviews from critics and audiences, with praise primarily directed at its humor, writing, animation, art-style, and the way it pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on children's television. In the years following its cancellation, "Invader Zim" has often been listed as one of Nickelodeon's best shows. The series won an Annie Award, an Emmy Award and a World Animation Celebration Award, and received nominations for seven additional Annie Awards and two Golden Reel Awards. "Invader Zim" has spawned its own fan convention called InvaderCON and a plethora of official merchandise, including video games, toys, clothing and accessories, among many other products. Despite its early cancellation, due to increasing popularity and above-average merchandise sales it has been widely regarded as a cult classic.


title: Invader Zim

text: A monthly comic book series of the same name was released on July 8, 2015, as a continuation of the television series and published by Oni Press until August 4, 2021. A film based on the television and comic series, titled "", premiered on Netflix on August 16, 2019.


title: Invader Zim

text: The series centers on Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz), a member of the extraterrestrial Irken species and the Irken Empire from the planet Irk. The imperialistic empire's goal is universal conquest and has a social hierarchy based solely on physical height. The empire's leader is called The Almighty Tallest; at the beginning of the series the position is jointly held by two equally tall individuals (Wally Wingert and Kevin McDonald.) Zim is an outcast; he is delusional, very short, overzealous, narcissistic, and megalomaniacal.


title: Invader Zim

text: An absentminded Zim nearly destroyed Irk and the Irkens during the empire's first invasion, "Operation Impending Doom I". He was punished by exile to the Irken food court planet Foodcourtia, although he failed to recognize the reason for his banishment. After learning that "Operation Impending Doom II" was being planned, Zim unilaterally "quits being banished" to attend the Great Assigning on the convention center planet Conventia. At the Great Assigning, The Tallest appoints Irkens as Invaders, advance scouts tasked with infiltrating and preparing target planets for conquest by the Irken Armada. Zim successfully pleads to be made an Invader, and receives a "secret mission" intended to prevent interference with the invasion; the target "mystery planet" is on the outskirts of the known universe and is not confirmed to exist. He is issued GIR (Rosearik Rikki Simons), an ineffective and erratic Standard Issue Information Retrieval (SIR) unit hastily made from spare parts found in a trash can.


title: Invader Zim

text: After a six month journey across the universe, Zim arrives at the "mystery planet" which turns out to be dark, dystopian, and satirical version of Earth. A delighted Zim quickly goes to work and sets up his base in a random suburb; The Tallest are dismayed by his success. A short-statured Zim disguises himself as a human child with a green complexion (which he claims is caused by a "skin condition".) The show follows his attempts to conduct espionage by attending a local school (spelled "Skool"), and planning to conquer and enslave the world at his base. Opposing Zim is his classmate Dib (Andy Berman), a paranoid young boy who is obsessed with the paranormal and supernatural and the only human (besides his sister) who sees through Zim's disguise. Dib is determined to expose and thwart Zim, despite the hostility and mockery he receives from his oblivious peers for doing so.


title: Invader Zim

text: Supporting characters include Dib's cynical and apathetic sister Gaz (Melissa Fahn); Zim and Dib's demonic teacher Ms. Bitters (Lucille Bliss); and Dib and Gaz's famous, but neglectful father Professor Membrane (Rodger Bumpass). Later in the series, other alien characters begin to appear, including Tak (Olivia d'Abo), a fellow Irken seeking revenge against Zim; Lard Nar (Fred Tatasciore), the leader of a resistance group called The Resisty who wants to overthrow the Irken Empire; and Sizz-Lorr (Jim Wise), Zim's former employer from Foodcourtia who attempts to recapture him.


title: Invader Zim

text: Prior to the creation of "Invader Zim", Nickelodeon desired a series to suit its 11–15 year old demographic. Nickelodeon producer Mary Harrington was searching for something that had a similar "edge" to "The Ren & Stimpy Show," when she came across a comic book called "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" and was impressed with the art-style and character designs in the series. Harrington contacted the creator of "JtHM", then-22-year-old Jhonen Vasquez, who had zero experience in animation at the time, and asked him if he would like to pitch an animated series to Nickelodeon. Vasquez accepted the offer.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vasquez knew from the start that his previous works were definitely not suitable for Nickelodeon, so instead of adapting something he had already done, he decided to make something new. Since he was creating a show for a children's network, Vasquez compiled together many things he loved during his own childhood, including robots, monsters, horror films, science fiction films, paranormal investigators, Monty Python, the works of Douglas Adams, and aliens. Before settling on the darker concept of an alien invader, Vasquez briefly considered doing a more light-hearted show along the lines of "Mork & Mindy", with a zany alien misunderstanding Earth customs and ultimately, learning a lesson at the end. Vasquez said that while this idea probably would have found more success on Nickelodeon, he quickly dropped the idea, believing it would not fit his style of writing. Vasquez came up with the entire premise for "Invader Zim" in about an hour, while sitting in bed when he could not sleep. He was inspired by the idea of an alien who came from an incredibly advanced race and has access to such powerful and advanced technology that he could easily take over or destroy the Earth single-handedly, but instead he decides to stay in school all day, never even thinking to sneak out.


title: Invader Zim

text: A pilot for "Invader Zim" was pitched to Nickelodeon in 1999, which led to the series being green-lit. Vasquez indicated that very little of his writing style was changed over the course of "Invader Zim", other than restricting certain language and visuals that may not be suitable for children. Vasquez cited that the biggest change for himself was going from working alone on a comic to working with thousands of people at Nickelodeon, saying "it's an absolute misery". However, he said the experience of working on "Invader Zim" was "incredibly gratifying", but also "fiendishly frustrating".


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California with Nick Digital providing the CGI animation services and Sunwoo Entertainment in South Korea providing the 2D animation services. Salami Studios provided the post-production and sound services for most episodes of the series, and Encore and Hollywood Digital provided the post-production services for a few episodes in season one. In season two, the animation style became slightly more stylized and pronounced in motion than in season one. "Invader Zim"s art style is stylized with sharp edges, thick black outlines, big heads, small or elongated bodies, and big eyes for the characters. "Invader Zim"'s art-style was initially difficult for the animators to learn. Director Steve Ressel even admitted that it was the hardest style he had ever worked on, citing the characters' heads as the most complicated aspect of their designs.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" was one of the first animated television shows to merge 2D animation with CGI animation. When the development on "Invader Zim" was first getting started, Steve Ressel consulted with the crew of "Futurama" to figure out how to integrate 2D animation with CGI animation, since they were one of the first animated television shows that merged the two mediums. When the "Futurama" crew saw the show they were very impressed by how seamlessly the "Invader Zim" crew integrated both mediums, specifically in the episode "The Wettening".


title: Invader Zim

text: While the average episode of an eleven-minute animated television show usually has around 80–120 pages of storyboards per episode, "Invader Zim"s storyboards were around 250–350 pages per episode. This is because "Invader Zim" has a very dedicated attention to detail outlining every ounce of a character's movements and method of acting, which is something Nickelodeon was very impressed by.


title: Invader Zim

text: The episode "Zim Eats Waffles" was originally supposed to be one long shot, panning between Dib's reaction and his computer screen. This was because the animators wanted to try to have the longest single shot in animation history.


title: Invader Zim

text: However, this idea was scrapped, due to it limiting the episode's storytelling capabilities and it being too difficult to animate. Despite this decision, the majority of "Zim Eats Waffles" still ended up being one continual scene.


title: Invader Zim

text: When casting voice actors for "Invader Zim", Vasquez did not want actors who were just capable of doing zany voices because it sounded less natural to him. He made a point to cast people with speaking voices that were naturally distinct and out of the ordinary so that the cast did not have to do unnatural voices, but could instead just speak naturally.


title: Invader Zim

text: Mark Hamill was originally hired to do the voice of Zim for the pilot episode, but was replaced before the pilot was shown to Nickelodeon executives because Vasquez felt his voice did not feel right for the character. Hamill was replaced by voice acting professional Billy West, who remained the voice of Zim for the pilot. After the show was picked up for a full series, Vasquez decided to replace West with Richard Steven Horvitz, saying that West was "too well known" and that he wanted all of the voices for the main characters to be unique and not voices people had heard before. Also, due to "Futurama" still being on the air at the time, Vasquez did not want the same voice actor to be the lead in two contemporaneous sci-fi comedies.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vasquez wanted someone with no experience in voice acting to play the part of GIR, as a reflection of how broken and messed up GIR really is. Vasquez wanted someone who sounded unprofessional, but all of the actors who auditioned for GIR were "good actors" who just did a "stock crazy robot voice", which he found dissatisfying. Vasquez then asked his friend, Rosearik Rikki Simons, who was working with him on his comic called "I Feel Sick" at the time, to try to audition for GIR, saying he "couldn't screw it up anymore than anyone else". Simons did a few different voices for his audition for GIR, including one where he was trying to imitate his mother-in-law, but decided it was too "shrieky". He then remembered when he used to play with hand puppets with his father as a kid and tried to do one of those voices. Simons was also a colorist on "Invader Zim" and in November 1998, the same month he auditioned for GIR, he also helped color the pilot episode. Vasquez said he gave Simons the part of GIR because he was "bad at it", and that fit the character. When voicing GIR, Simons' voice was edited to make it sound higher-pitched and metallic. While Simons eventually learned to perform the voice without the high-pitch editing, the metallic quality still had to be added. Unedited versions of Simons' voice-overs can be heard in voice recordings for the unfinished episodes.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vasquez asked his friend Mark Tortorici to come up with the theme music for "Invader Zim". Vasquez said all he really wanted for the theme music was military music to represent Zim mixed with futuristic electric orchestral music. Once the direction for the music was settled on, Tortorici produced the theme music on an Alesis QS8 very quickly and it did not go through many changes, but they did reorchestrate it for the TV series and stuck with it from that point on.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vasquez's team selected Michael Tavera, who is known for composing the music for "The Land Before Time", "An American Tail", and "Stitch! The Movie", to compose the music for the pilot episode of "Invader Zim". Vasquez said that he asked for several of the tracks that Tavera produced to be discarded and that ultimately the team had less than half of the number of tracks that they planned to submit. According to Vasquez, he and Tavera were not "a great fit" for one another creatively. Vasquez described the pilot music as having a "more 'children's television' sound," with a "much more traditional and not as surprising" theme as he wanted, but added that the music "worked for the pilot." Tavera's cover version of Tortorici's theme music did not appear in the pilot as there was no opening credits sequence. Vasquez said that members of the "Invader Zim" crew laughed at Tavera's version of the theme because it was "cheesy," adding that the reaction was not mean-spirited and that Tavera had received little information about the series before submitting the music.


title: Invader Zim

text: Tavera did not become a part of the regular "Invader Zim" crew, and was replaced with Kevin Manthei, who is also known for composing the music for "Generator Rex", "The Sims 2", and "Robot Chicken", to compose the series' music. Manthei's music for the series is industrial and techno in nature.


title: Invader Zim

text: The anime internet radio station, ""Anime Stuff R"" did a radio broadcast special called, ""The Kevin Manthei Invader Zim-phony Special"" which featured a majority of the music Kevin Manthei composed for "Invader Zim". The broadcast special was hosted by Kevin Manthei, DJ Richard Rae and Tom Mitchell (DJ Tomzer1) and was broadcast from September 13, 2002, to October 15, 2002. The entire broadcast is 5 hours, 26 minutes, and 28 seconds long and includes music from every episode of "Invader Zim", except for "The Most Horrible X-mas Ever". The broadcast was extremely popular, so Anime Stuff R (temporarily renamed "Anime Stuff Z" for the special) decided to release a CD of the broadcast. However, due to financial reasons, they only made 100 copies of this CD. There are 325 tracks on the CD and the interior of the CD cover features messages from both Kevin Manthei and Richard Rae.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader ZIM" would frequently find itself at odds with network censorship. In "The Medium-Sized Book of ZIM Scrips Vol. 1", series writer Eric Trueheart would characterize the relationship between the "ZIM" staff and the executives at Nickelodeon as "a little dysfunctional", and that "the executive assigned by Nickelodeon to oversee our show - who was, and still is, a decent guy, by the way - probably felt like he had to keep a lid on an inexperienced show creator, and as a result clamped down harder than he should have." Trueheart also speculated that the channel's other programming also had an effect on how the executives treated the show, stating that "Nickelodeon probably looked to "Rugrats" as the model of what a cartoon should be ... "Invader ZIM" was none of these things." Ultimately, "There was a just a conflict in personalities, intentions, and modus operandi ... The reality was just not a great fit, and yes, it was a problem."


title: Invader Zim

text: In some episodes, it was originally intended for certain characters (such as Keef and Iggins) to be killed off at the end of an episode, but Nickelodeon would not allow any characters to be killed off and demanded the crew add certain details suggesting that they survived or in some cases, rewrite the episodes to where they would not die. They complied, however did so in an intentionally forced and sarcastic way to purposely convey their disagreement and reluctance toward the decision, such as the sarcastic "No characters were harmed in this episode" end-card message at the end of the episode "Hamstergeddon" where many background characters "died" onscreen.


title: Invader Zim

text: In the DVD commentary for the episode "Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy", Jhonen Vasquez reveals that the original idea for the episode was for Zim to kill Dib off permanently, and for Dib to be replaced with a new kid named Louie. But once again, Nickelodeon would not allow any characters to be killed off permanently and so this did not end up happening. However, the episode's writer, Eric Trueheart, has stated that this was only meant to be taken as a joke, and that "Jhonen at no point thought he would actually kill off one of the lead characters in the series."


title: Invader Zim

text: In "Door to Door" the virtual reality world that Zim shows people was originally going to involve a demolished city that resembled New York, but Nickelodeon demanded that this be changed due to its similarities to 9/11. On reflection, Vasquez said that he prefers the new virtual reality world to the old one, since he does not like the idea of a real-life city existing in "Invader Zim". The original version of this scene can be found online. Additionally, the episode "Hamstergeddon" had only aired once prior to the attacks on the World Trade Center, and would shortly thereafter be temporarily withheld from rotation as "[executives] thought the sight of falling buildings would not go over well with sensitive viewers."


title: Invader Zim

text: One of the biggest problems Nickelodeon had with the show before it premiered was with Dib's design. Vasquez wanted Dib to wear a trench coat, but Nickelodeon opted against this because they feared Dib's clothing would remind people of the Columbine High School massacre, in which the two teenagers responsible for the shootings both wore trench coats during the attack. Nickelodeon ultimately lost this fight and Dib ended up wearing a trench coat in the show.


title: Invader Zim

text: Later, Nickelodeon wanted to cut Dib from the show outright because they did not think he was funny or interesting enough. Vasquez fought back with a project called "God Save the Dib", which involved making slight changes to Dib's character to make him more funny and interesting in order to avoid Nickelodeon cutting him from the show. One notable change that came out of "God Save the Dib" was making Dib's head bigger than his body, which became a reoccurring joke throughout the series.


title: Invader Zim

text: The original name for Gaz's handheld game console was going to be "Game Slave Advanced", a spoof of Nintendo's handheld game console, the Game Boy Advance. However, the people at Nintendo did not like this parody and threatened to sue Nickelodeon if the name was used. So the name was changed to "Game Slave" instead.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vasquez wanted to add some red blood splatters to certain violent scenes in the episode "Bestest Friend", but Nickelodeon forbade this. Also, at end of "Bestest Friend", Keef was originally going to fall off of a building and onto a power line, which would have electrocuted him, but Nickelodeon was worried that kids might try to imitate this behavior and demanded that it be changed. The next idea was that Keef gets run over by a car, and spins around on the tire as it drives away, but Nickelodeon denied this scene too, this time for being "too violent". In the final version, Keef gets attacked by a squirrel and falls off of a building, which Nickelodeon was fine with.


title: Invader Zim

text: In the episode "Hobo 13", Skoodge was going to be shown eating his own skin to survive, but Nickelodeon denied this scene and even the "Invader Zim" crew admitted that they thought it was "too much".


title: Invader Zim

text: In the original ending of the episode "Walk of Doom", Zim and GIR were dropped off in a ghetto with Mexican music playing in the background and a banner reading "Welcome to Mexico". Feeling that it would come off as racist, Nickelodeon denied this and the scenery was changed to a vaguely Mexican-looking, but still filthy town, the music was changed to disco music and the banner was changed to say "CARNE", which translates into "MEAT".


title: Invader Zim

text: Originally, the episodes "Dark Harvest" and "Bestest Friend" were supposed to air together, but Nickelodeon would not allow this, saying that those two episodes are "too twisted" to air together. So instead, "Dark Harvest" aired with "Germs" and "Bestest Friend" aired with "NanoZim". Additionally, "Dark Harvest" was originally supposed to be called "The Hearts and Lungs of Zim's Darkness", but Nickelodeon denied this title.


title: Invader Zim

text: In response to these censorships and restrictions, the writers of "Invader Zim" slipped in ways to poke fun at Nickelodeon, or to simply go against their wishes. This includes the character Nick, who is a boy that is always happy and a not-so-subtle reference to Nickelodeon's frequent demands that Vasquez make the show "happier" and more appealing to certain viewers, which Vasquez always detested.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Bloody GIR", which depicts an image of GIR covered in blood, was created when series creator Jhonen Vasquez illustrated GIR covered in blood and wanted to put this drawing into an episode of "Invader Zim". Nickelodeon, however, prohibited it. Director Steve Ressel and illustrator Chris Graham then snuck the forbidden drawing into a single frame of the episode "Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy". Post-production supervisor Jason Stiff has confirmed that the image does indeed appear in that episode, and Ressel also confirmed its existence in interviews. The image of Bloody GIR was reportedly scattered throughout the "last fourteen episodes" of the series by Ressel and Graham. Bloody GIR can be seen the most clearly during the intro to the episode "Mortos der Soulstealer". Although the idea for Bloody GIR was confirmed by Ressel not to have surfaced until the episode "Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy", some claim to have found it in earlier episodes of the series, such as "Dark Harvest" and "Attack of the Saucer Morons". Additionally, some people have claimed that Bloody GIR was meant to debut in the episode "GIR Goes Crazy and Stuff", in which GIR was supposed to be covered in blood while floating with the data canister and draining humans, but this directly contradicts Ressel's statements on the matter.


title: Invader Zim

text: Many people believe that Bloody GIR was the reason behind the cancellation of "Invader Zim". However, Vasquez has revealed that Nickelodeon did not find out about the image's inclusion until after the show's cancellation. Vasquez also stated that when it was discovered by Nickelodeon, they were not particularly bothered by it, since kids would not notice it anyway.


title: Invader Zim

text: Certain images of Bloody GIR can only be seen in a frame-by-frame viewing. Otherwise, it will be a flash, or, in some cases, blended into the movements of the animation. Bloody GIR is never animated and will always appear as a still image. However, the opacity and size of the Bloody GIR is varied.


title: Invader Zim

text: On January 18, 2002, Nickelodeon issued a statement announcing the show's cancellation after completing 27 episodes, instead of fulfilling the original 40 episodes order. On this subject, creator of the show Jhonen Vasquez said, "I could go on and on with variations of the most fantastic reasons for why the show was cancelled, but in the end, even I couldn't give you the whole and accurate truth for why the show got pulled," he wrote in a lengthy post on his website in 2010, nearly eight years after the show wrapped. "The most likely culprits are simply ratings and the sheer expense of the show, which was monstrously expensive at the time, especially when compared to more modern, flash-based savings fests."


title: Invader Zim

text: In an interview with Syfy in 2018, Richard Horvitz, the voice of Zim, was questioned about why the show got cancelled; he responded:


title: Invader Zim

text: When "Invader Zim" was green-lit, Nickelodeon had desired a block of "mature, action-oriented" programming for an older demographic to compete with some of the stuff that Cartoon Network was doing at the time. But for unknown reasons, "Invader Zim" was the only series green-lit for this experiment and this block of "mature, action-oriented" shows never ended up happening. By the time the show was made, Nickelodeon had decided that they were no longer interested in trying to reach an older audience, which left "Invader Zim" hard to place in an appropriate time slot suitable for its originally intended demographic. "Invader Zim" ultimately ended up being sandwiched between "The Fairly OddParents" and "Rocket Power", which did not feel like a suitable time slot for the show, according to the creator. "Invader Zim" was originally intended for 11–15 year olds, but due to its poor time slot placement, it ended up being viewed primarily by 6–10 year olds, many of whom were turned off by the show's dark and disturbing nature, resulting in the show receiving poor ratings and viewership.


title: Invader Zim

text: Even though "Invader Zim" usually aired later at night, the show never found a time slot that the creators of the program thought was suitable for it and the show continuously suffered in ratings amongst 6–10 year olds, Nickelodeon's core demographic.


title: Invader Zim

text: In an interview with "IGN" in 2004, Jhonen Vasquez said that when it became apparent that Nickelodeon was the "place for kids" but not "kids who want their eyes ripped out", they had asked for "Invader Zim" to be transferred to MTV or a more "adult network" similar to what Nickelodeon had previously done with "The Ren & Stimpy Show", as the series did not feel right on Nickelodeon and would have likely found greater success elsewhere. This never ended up happening and instead, Nickelodeon buried the show with ever-changing time slots, which further hurt the show's ratings.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" premiered on March 30, 2001, and contains 20 episodes in its first season. At the beginning of the series, new episodes of "Invader Zim" were aired on Friday nights usually at 9:00PM (ET/PT). In August 2001, Nickelodeon officially renewed the series for a second season, which was originally planned to consist of 20 episodes.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim"'s Friday night time slot ceased with the episode, "Door to Door" which was originally scheduled to premiere on September 14, 2001. But after the attacks of 9/11, three days prior, "Door to Door" and its paired episode "FBI Warning of Doom" ended up getting abruptly pulled from Nickelodeon's schedule and pushed back over six months to March 2002. This was partly because "Door to Door" contained a violent scene which resembled the attacks of 9/11, that now needed to be cut and re-done; but also due to the "blanket fears that anything remotely violent would be received as being in poor taste" given the atmosphere and condition of the country at the time. "Invader Zim" suffered creatively after 9/11 and Nickelodeon began frequently and inconveniently changing the shows' time slots with little promotion for new episodes which led to an even further drop in ratings and viewership.


title: Invader Zim

text: The uncut version of "Door to Door" was accidentally aired on Nickelodeon on March 29, 2002, which was the first time the episode premiered. All subsequent airings of "Door to Door" were of the cut version.


title: Invader Zim

text: The episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" was broadcast out of order, as evident by the presence of the new character, Minimoose, who did not get a proper introduction. Minimoose's introductory episode is called "Nubs of Doom" and was originally intended to air before "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", but because Nickelodeon was planning on canceling the series, the show's staff had to pick and choose their final episodes very carefully and Jhonen Vasquez said he was more excited for "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", so that episode was made instead, leaving "Nubs of Doom" unfinished.


title: Invader Zim

text: The final episode of the series, "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", premiered on Nickelodeon on December 10, 2002. The show finished with a total of 27 of its initially contracted 40 episodes leaving at least 17 episode segments unfinished. Concept art, scripts, voice recordings, storyboards and animatics for some of these unfinished episodes can be found in the special features of some of the DVDs or online. Six of the completed second-season episodes initially went unreleased. These episodes would first appear on DVD in 2004 and later made their television debut on Nicktoons from June 10 to August 19, 2006.


title: Invader Zim

text: On December 24, 2011, the series' pilot made its television debut on both Nickelodeon and Nicktoons (it had previously only been seen on DVD) after an eight-hour marathon and followed by the result of Nicktoons' "Girreatest Zim Moments" online poll.


title: Invader Zim

text: Reruns of "Invader Zim" have been airing on Nicktoons since the channel's launch on May 1, 2002. The series premiered on NickSplat for the first time on January 2, 2019, with a seven-hour marathon before returning nightly as of January 7, 2020.


title: Invader Zim

text: Both seasons of "Invader Zim" are available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. In addition, the entire series is available for purchase on Vudu, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. The entire series is also available for streaming on Amazon Video and Paramount+.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Screen Rant"'s Spencer Coriaty wrote: "Backed by some of the most cutting edge animation at the time, and still breathtaking by today's standards, "Invader Zim" is like a "Mystery Science Theater" fan's dream come true. It seamlessly blends sci-fi, action and comedy into one twisted and hilarious cartoon with superb voice acting and visionary direction." Kristy Punchko from "Nerdist" praised the series' satirical themes and how it "relished in weird, pushed boundaries, and dared to be unapologetically stupid". Punchko also offered praise for the humor in "Invader Zim", saying: "Colliding the sublimely silly with the cerebral, "Invader Zim" played as seminal precursor to subversive sci-fi shows like "Rick and Morty."" Becca James, writing for "The A.V. Club" said, ""Invader Zim" was destined for a cult following. From its seemingly bizarre nature to its too-early demise, ["Invader Zim"] brought a darker form of entertainment to [Nickelodeon and] welcomed critical acclaim for straddling the line between child and adult entertainment [and the] constant depiction of Earth as a complete shitcan only adds to this dingy, but delightful program."


title: Invader Zim

text: Allegra Frank from "Polygon" said: Sam Thielman from "The Guardian" said, "["Invader Zim"]'s sense of humor is somehow dark without being bleak; even when the show takes its cues from horror movies it's often quite scary, but it's somehow never too much. [...] "Invader Zim" didn't last nearly long enough, but it did spawn a cult following almost immediately and became a password for alienated millennials and teenagers everywhere." Alex Bedder, from "NYU Local", said, "Essentially the black sheep of the animated Nickelodeon family, "Invader Zim" never quite stuck its landing, but it became a beloved and off-kilter fan favorite. [...] There are random, twitchy characters, the word "doom" is overused, and there are countless other illogical outbursts. But the common thread weaving all of the madness together is its original, sick, and sometimes oddly-intelligent sense of humor." In an article he wrote for "Cartoon Brew", animation historian, Jerry Beck said: "I always thought highly of ["Invader Zim"], but watching it again this weekend reminded me how good it truly was. [...] I laugh long and hard at incidents, situations and visuals on ["Invader Zim"], and if there is any justice it should be ranked alongside the likes of "South Park" and "The Simpsons"."


title: Invader Zim

text: Mary Grace Garis from "Bustle" praised "Invader Zim" for how it does not sugarcoat reality, saying, "You can't deny that ["Invader Zim"] really put in some heavy, soul crushing messages between "The Doom Song" and all those rubber piggies. And I'd say that a la "The Powerpuff Girls", they did a really good job of hiding adult lessons in a children's cartoon, but well... I'm pretty sure they were a bit more blatant in delivering the news that we were all doomed." Kayla Cobb, of "Decider" said, "If you prefer your humor to be equal parts dark and random, then it's time to re-watch this short-lived Nicktoon. ["Invader Zim"] can best be characterized by its sarcasm, cruelty, and violence. This is a show that creates a disturbing giant monster baby fusion in one episode and labels the ultimate face of horror as a room with a moose the next. So yeah. It's kind of all over the place, which is why we love it." Lana Berkowitz, from The "Houston Chronicle" praised "Invader Zim"'s art-style and color palette saying, "The series has an appropriately gloomy look of impending doom colored with dark reds and black, and a dash of alien green. The animation's angular look and the characters' big, expressive eyes give "Invader Zim" a distinctive look."


title: Invader Zim

text: "Variety"'s Steven Oxman, wrote, "["Invader Zim"] captures a nice blend of the innocent and the satirical". Further stating that, "The artwork [in the show] isn't especially original but still manages to create a nicely off-center vision of Earth and its inhabitants. Vasquez and co-writer Rob Hummel throw in some clever quips at life on this planet, taking aim particularly at the doomsaying schoolteacher, Ms. Bitters [and] Kevin Manthei's music provides strong accompaniment to the escapades." Sean Fitz-Gerald from "Thrillist" wrote: "Though "Invader Zim" came from Jhonen Vasquez, the same beautifully twisted mind behind "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac", the [show] manages to hold off on graphic violence and obscenities without losing all its bite. The spastic [Zim], along with the world around him, capitalizes on cheeky, masochistic, and random humor in ways viewers of all ages can appreciate." Joe Matar writing for "Den of Geek" wrote: ""Invader Zim" is a brilliant piece of unsettling, grotesque horror, with a heart of goofiness, which is a big part of its appeal. [...] The incorporation of cel-shaded CGI and lots of sharp geometric shapes actually enhanced the look [of the show] rather than came off as a cheap shortcut." Andy Patrizio of "IGN" praised the colors and the CGI imagery in "Invader Zim", but criticized how Zim is "always shrieking and yelling at the top of his lungs" and the inconsistencies between episodes, but added "When the show hits, it hits big."


title: Invader Zim

text: George Dvorsky, from "io9", specifically praised the character GIR, saying, "Science fiction has portrayed its fair share of glitchy and bumbling robots over the years, but none hold a candle to "Invader Zim"'s GIR. Quite possibly the most erratic and unhelpful robot to ever hit the screen, GIR has become one of the most loved and often quoted characters to appear in a sci-fi cartoon in years." Lynne Heffley, writing for "Los Angeles Times" said "The deliriously original "Invader Zim" rocks" offering praise for the show's humor and art-style, calling it a "visual feast of geometric lines, strange angles, vaulting curves, fantastic, transforming machines and odd, shadowed places." Sean Aitchison from "CBR" said, ""Invader Zim" not only holds up incredibly well, it also feels like it was rather ahead of its time and maybe it would have lasted longer today. [...] The weird humor, the eccentric characters and even the premise all feel like a show that would have easily gotten green-lit in the modern cartoon renaissance that began with "Adventure Time". The show only ran for two seasons, which makes it such a shame when you realize how much it would have thrived in modern times." On the review aggregator website "Rotten Tomatoes", "Invader Zim" currently holds a 100% approval rating based on 13 reviews. The website's critical consensus for season one reads: "The right balance of dark humor and spastic earnestness make "Invader Zim" a creepy kid's cartoon worthy of its cult following."


title: Invader Zim

text: The now-defunct magazine "Christian Parenting Today" negatively criticized "Invader Zim" in their May 2001 issue, written by Jennifer Mangan, calling the show "non-Christian", "immoral", "offensive", "blasphemous", "unsuitable for Christian children" and "insulting towards Christian values and beliefs" due to the show's dark nature and negative characters like Gaz and Ms. Bitters, among other complaints. "Common Sense Media"'s Andrea Graham wrote more negatively of "Invader Zim", praising the show's "laugh-out-loud" humor, but criticizing the way that Zim has a complete lack of concern for all life, how humans are depicted as less-than-intelligent life forms, how human society is depicted as a terrible disgusting place, the very frequent use of verbal insults, and that there is no good messages or good role models in the show. Some parents have criticized "Invader Zim" for its pessimistic portrayal of humanity, the near constant-level of screaming among the characters, as well as the large amounts of verbal insults and threats, and the disturbing and disgusting content, calling it "unnecessary", "misanthropic", "too scary for children" and "inappropriate for children." According to director Steve Ressel, Nickelodeon held a test screening for the episode "Dark Harvest" during which one kid ran out of the room crying before the episode was over and others were visibly shaken and clearly terrified at what they saw.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2006, "IGN" ranked "Invader Zim" at number 22 on their list of the Top 25 Primetime Animated Series of All Time and in 2009, "IGN" ranked "Invader Zim" at number 57 on their list of the Top 100 Animated Series. In 2016, "Entertainment Weekly" ranked Zim as the 18th Most Memorable Nickelodeon Character. That same year, "Screen Rant" ranked "Invader Zim" at number 9 on their list of the 25 Best Nickelodeon Shows and "The Guardian" ranked "Invader Zim" as the third Best Nickelodeon Cartoon. In 2017, "CBR" ranked "Invader Zim" at number 5 on their list titled, 15 Incredible Cartoons That Were Canceled For No Good Reason. In 2018, "Paste Magazine" ranked "Invader Zim" at number 60 on their list of The 100 Best Sci-Fi Shows of All Time. In 2018, "IGN" included the episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" on their list titled, 10 of the Best Holiday TV Episodes Ever.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" garnered decent ratings for its premiere episode, with a 6.0 rating/17 share (about 1.8 million views) among kids ages 2–11. As the show went on, ratings and viewership began to decline amongst Nickelodeon's target audience of 2–11 year olds.


title: Invader Zim

text: While "Invader Zim" was popular during its original run, Nickelodeon did not think the show was doing well because they were only focusing on a certain age group of viewers: 2–11 year olds. Even though "Invader Zim" was praised by critics and popular with viewers ages 14–18, the ratings amongst Nickelodeon's core demographic were just not high enough for the network to justify the expenses being put into the show, as "Invader Zim" was the most expensive show they were producing at the time. When Nickelodeon saw that some of their other shows with half the budget of "Invader Zim" were getting double the desired ratings amongst the 2–11 year old demographic, canceling the show just seemed to be the logical thing to do from a business perspective.


title: Invader Zim

text: Despite the poor ratings the show received during its original run, reruns of "Invader Zim" tend to receive average to above average views and ratings. In March through July 2010, reruns of "Invader Zim" were aired on Nicktoons. These reruns became the second highest-rated show on the network, behind "".


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" has its own fan convention known as InvaderCON, run by Wasabi Anime (also known as "Green Mustard Entertainment"). The initial event was created to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of "Invader Zim" and took place in Atlanta, Georgia on March 26–27, 2011. (The convention's date was set exactly ten years, to the weekend, from when the show first premiered: March 30, 2001.) Special guests included cast members Richard Steven Horvitz, Melissa Fahn, Rosearik Rikki Simons, Andy Berman and writer Eric Trueheart. The convention had over a thousand in attendance and featured many "Invader Zim"-related panels and activities; including a panel where the voice cast read the scripts for the unfinished episodes "Mopiness of Doom" and "Day of da Spookies". One dollar of each ticket purchased for InvaderCON was donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The choice of charity was selected by Richard Horvitz, who was one of the first guests to be booked. In the end, InvaderCON raised almost $2,000 for JDRF. InvaderCON was not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Viacom International, Inc. or Nickelodeon. But it was confirmed that a few representatives of Nickelodeon attended to observe the turnout and were quoted as being "overwhelmed".


title: Invader Zim

text: InvaderCON was originally intended to be a one time event, but due to the success of the first InvaderCON and demand from fans, an encore presentation of the convention, InvaderCON II: DOOMCON, took place on July 28–29, 2012, in Los Angeles, California, featuring all of the previous year's guests (except for Andy Berman) with the addition of series creator Jhonen Vasquez, character designer Aaron Alexovich, voice of Professor Membrane Rodger Bumpass, post-production supervisor Jason Stiff, storyboard artist Ian Graham and a surprise appearance from voice of Almighty Tallest Red Wally Wingert. During this convention there was a panel where the voice cast read the script for the unfinished episode "The Trial".


title: Invader Zim

text: With over 10,000 fans on Facebook asking for another InvaderCON, Wasabi Anime decided to do InvaderCON "one last time". The third InvaderCON was funded via Kickstarter on June 21 – July 21, 2013. The Kickstarter was a success and exceeded its initial goal of $33,333. Wasabi Anime said they wanted the third InvaderCON to be located "in the middle" of where the previous InvaderCONs were located. Thus, Austin, Texas was chosen as its location since it is approximately 1,000 miles from Atlanta (InvaderCON 2011) and 1,300 miles from Los Angeles (InvaderCON 2012.) InvaderCON III: FINAL DOOM took place on July 26–27, 2014 in Austin, Texas. Special guests included cast members Richard Steven Horvitz, Melissa Fahn, Rosearik Rikki Simons, Rodger Bumpass and writer Eric Trueheart. At this convention there was a panel where the voice cast read the script for the unfinished episode "Ten Minutes to Doom".


title: Invader Zim

text: Even though InvaderCON III: FINAL DOOM was originally intended to be the last InvaderCON, fans, as well as Wasabi Anime, continued to express interest in doing another InvaderCON. In the years following InvaderCON III: FINAL DOOM, the founder of Wasabi Anime, Tom Croom, repeatedly teased fans on Twitter with the possibilities of another InvaderCON on multiple different occasions.


title: Invader Zim

text: On August 16, 2019, Wasabi Anime launched a Kickstarter to test the waters for a potential fourth InvaderCON event. The Kickstarter reached its $2,500 goal in just four days. In February 2020, it was officially announced that there would be a fourth InvaderCON event which was originally scheduled to take place in Boston, Massachusetts on August 7–9, 2020, as part of Fan Expo Boston. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to August 6–8, 2021, along with Fan Expo Boston. The fourth InvaderCon event was later postponed again indefinitely. On March 30, 2021, InvaderCON hosted a Twitch livestream celebrating the twentieth anniversary of "Invader Zim". It featured Richard Horvitz, Rikki Simons, Rodger Bumpass, Melissa Fahn, Olivia d’Abo, Wally Wingert, Aaron Alexovich, Eric Trueheart and Kevin Manthei. On November 13, 2021, Wasabi Anime revealed that they no longer have any plans for another InvaderCON event in the near future, but remain open to the possibilities of another convention.


title: Invader Zim

text: InvaderCON, unlike some other projects done by Wasabi Anime (such as "Florida Anime Experience"), is not an annual show done in a city near where Wasabi Anime is located. InvaderCON's attendees at all three conventions were only about 20% locals. Over 80% of InvaderCON attendees came from outside the convention's host state. This made predicting attendance and budgeting for InvaderCON "very tricky and extremely risky" according to Wasabi Anime.


title: Invader Zim

text: Bryan Konietzko, the co-creator of the Nickelodeon animated series "", was a storyboard artist and art director on "Invader Zim". Konietzko has said that the character of Aang was inspired by a drawing of an adult character he had originally designed while working on "Invader Zim". When Konietzko first redesigned the character as Aang for "Avatar: The Last Airbender" he left visible "traces of Jhonen Vasquez's idiosyncratic style in the character's poses."


title: Invader Zim

text: Rebecca Sugar, the creator of the Cartoon Network animated series "Steven Universe", is a fan of "Invader Zim" and has admitted to reading and writing fan fiction and drawing fan art for "Invader Zim" when she was a teenager. Sugar has said, "I owe a whole lot to Jhonen Vasquez. His show "Invader Zim" was my gateway drug to the independent comic world. [...] Someday I hope to meet [Jhonen Vasquez] and thank him for changing my life." Additionally, Sugar provided the foreword for "The Art of Invader Zim", in which she further discussed the positive impact the show has had on her life and career.


title: Invader Zim

text: Vivienne "VivziePop" Medrano, the creator of "Hazbin Hotel" and "Helluva Boss", is a fan of "Invader Zim" and has gone on to say that "Invader Zim" had a "huge influence" on her and her work.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2018, Wally Wingert, the voice of Almighty Tallest Red, noted during an interview with "Den of Geek" that "[T]he reason other shows like "Adventure Time" are [able to do some pretty intense stuff] is because the trail was blazed by [Jhonen Vasquez]. When "Invader Zim" came out, [the intense stuff we did on the show] was the new barometer by which you could get away with something. Up until then, all the other cartoons were relatively tame, but now you're seeing way darker stuff [in cartoons] than we ever did on "Zim"."


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2019, "Screen Rant"'s Maddy Cohen observed that "[A]rguably, "Invader Zim" is one of the most influential animated shows to come out of [the early 2000s], with echoes of its humor and tone present in "Adventure Time", "Regular Show", "Gravity Falls", and "Steven Universe"." That same year, Eric Vilas-Boas from "Thrillist" wrote "["Invader Zim"] remained an influential cult classic, informing future cartoons like "" all the way up to "Steven Universe", "Gravity Falls", "Rick and Morty", and beyond."


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" became a controversial series when the show was mentioned at Scott Dyleski's murder trial in 2006. Dyleski, who was 17 at the time of the trial, was convicted of murdering his neighbor, and cited the "Invader Zim" episode "Dark Harvest" as his motivation for committing the murder. Dyleski said that after watching "Dark Harvest" he became "fascinated with collecting body parts" and "curious as to how the human body would function without certain organs", which inspired the murder—although the people who defended Dyleski said these comments were made in jest.


title: Invader Zim

text: On November 8, 2016, "Harvey Beaks" and "Chowder" creator, C. H. Greenblatt was asked by a fan on Tumblr if he would work with Jhonen Vasquez on an hypothetical "Invader Zim" movie, and Greenblatt responded, "Jhonen IS making an "Invader Zim" movie for Nick. I'm not a part of it, but I'm excited." However, Vasquez initially denied this on his Twitter, most likely because he was under contract to not say anything at the time and was forced to dismiss it as a rumor.


title: Invader Zim

text: On April 4, 2017, over sixteen years since the series' debut and eleven years since the last unaired episode premiered in the United States, Nickelodeon officially announced that they had green-lit a 71-minute television film based on the series with three teaser trailers being released in a span of the following four days. Vasquez returned as executive producer and as the voice of Zim's computer, along with Kevin Manthei as the composer and Jenny Goldberg who worked on the Invader Zim comic book series as the Art Director for the movie. Most of the cast members from the television series reprised their roles in the movie including: Richard Steven Horvitz as Zim, Rosearik Rikki Simons as GIR, Andy Berman as Dib, Melissa Fahn as Gaz, Wally Wingert as Almighty Tallest Red, Kevin McDonald as Almighty Tallest Purple, Rodger Bumpass as Professor Membrane, Olivia d'Abo as Tak and Paul Greenberg as Poonchy.


title: Invader Zim

text: At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Jhonen Vasquez explained that Nickelodeon had been asking him about doing more "Invader Zim" for years and that he always had to decline their offers either because he was busy working on something else or due to not being able to come to an agreement with Nickelodeon on a budget for a "Invader Zim" revival. But being completely miserable with the other things he was working on at the time, Vasquez accepted Nickelodeon's latest offer to do more "Invader Zim". Nickelodeon initially wanted a new "Invader Zim" television series, but Vasquez suggested a six-episode miniseries instead. He soon changed his mind to a television movie, since doing a movie would be "infinitely less stressful".


title: Invader Zim

text: "" had a panel at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2018. During the panel, some never before seen production art such as backgrounds and turn-around charts for the movie were revealed. A trailer put together out of unedited first take animation for the movie was also shown at the panel accompanied by some original music composed for the trailer by Kevin Manthei. During the panel, Vasquez explained that he put the trailer together out of some random animated footage he had for the movie that he thought looked presentable enough to show people and that most of the shots used in the trailer were going to be sent back overseas to be re-animated. Vasquez also revealed that they had written the movie in 2015 and that at the time of the panel, they were currently in the process of getting first take animation back from their overseas animation team, Maven Animation Studios, in South Korea.


title: Invader Zim

text: On May 10, 2019, Viacom president Robert Bakish revealed in a conference call that Netflix has acquired the distribution rights to "Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus". The movie was released on Netflix on August 16, 2019.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" has yet to have a stand-alone video game release, but has been featured in several Nickelodeon related video games.


title: Invader Zim

text: The 2002 game, "Nickelodeon Party Blast" includes Zim as a playable character in every version of the game. There are also multiple "Invader Zim"-themed stages in "Nickelodeon Party Blast", including a level in which the player competes against Dib and Gaz. Although they are not playable characters, GIR can be seen in the background of several levels and Almighty Tallest Purple is shown in the background of the level where the player competes against Dib and Gaz.


title: Invader Zim

text: In the 2004 Game Boy Advance exclusive game, "", the final stage of the game takes place on Zim's ship and Zim and GIR are the final boss of the game, but Zim becomes a playable character once the photo album is complete. Additionally, GIR, Dib, Gaz, Keef, Dirge, Ms. Bitters (mistakenly called "Mr. Bitters") and Bill the Paranormal Investigator (mistakenly called "Prof. Membrane") appear in the photo album as well as in the background of various levels throughout the game.


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim's Voot Cruiser and house can be seen briefly in different worlds in the console versions of the 2006 game "".


title: Invader Zim

text: In the console versions of the 2007 game "", the EvilToyCo Factory, Zone 3 (Part 2) and the Master Model Chamber are Irken-themed. Additionally, GIR appears in the game as a Master Model (unlockable) and becomes a playable character once he is rescued. Both Zim and GIR are unlockable and playable characters in the Nintendo DS version of "Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots", although there are no Invader Zim-themed levels in this version of the game.


title: Invader Zim

text: Both Zim and Dib are playable characters in every version of the 2008 game, "". In the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions of the game, the second world is modeled after and called Zim's Town, and the boss battle of the world takes place inside Zim's house and is against GIR. In the Nintendo DS version of the game, the fifth world takes place on Zim's space station and the boss battle of the world is against The Almighty Tallest.


title: Invader Zim

text: The 2008 game, "Nicktoons: Android Invasion", exclusively released on the educational Didj platform, is set entirely inside Zim's base. Zim is the final boss in the game and several other characters from the series make appearances throughout the game.


title: Invader Zim

text: The 2009 arcade-exclusive game "Nicktoons Nitro" includes Zim as a playable character in his Voot Cruiser, and there is a race course called "Irken City".


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim and Gaz are playable characters in every version of the 2011 game "Nicktoons MLB". GIR appears in the game as one of the announcers, and there is a ballpark called "Irken Field". Other characters from the show appear in the game as cameos when the game is loading and on the character cards.


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim and GIR are playable characters in the 2019 official mobile game "Nickelodeon Super Brawl Universe". There is also a location in the game set inside Zim's base and an "Invader Zim" themed challenge called "Doomsday Challenge".


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" characters and locations are included in the racing game, "", released on October 6, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and released on December 1, 2020, for Microsoft Windows.


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim is a playable character in the fighting game, "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl" released on October 5, 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim is a playable character in the mobile game, "Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis" released on January 21, 2022 exclusively on Apple Arcade. Zim's secret base is also a location in the game.


title: Invader Zim

text: The online game "Smite" did a crossover with Nickelodeon on July 12, 2022. The crossover featured a handful of Nickelodeon characters, including Zim, as skins. However, the crossover attracted criticism for its decision to replace Richard Horvitz as the voice of Zim, with Horvitz himself calling the decision "offensive" and "disrespectful."


title: Invader Zim

text: There are two episodes of the "Nickelodeon Animation Podcast" that primarily discuss "Invader Zim". The first one is season one episode fourteen, an interview with series creator Jhonen Vasquez, which was released on August 12, 2016. The second one is season two episode twenty-seven, an interview with the "Invader Zim" cast, which was released on January 6, 2017. Both episodes are available on YouTube, iTunes and SoundCloud.


title: Invader Zim

text: On February 20, 2015, American publishing company, Oni Press announced that they would be releasing an official Comic Book series based on "Invader Zim", in collaboration with Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon. A pre-issue 0 was released on May 23, 2015, as a zine and foreshadow to the comic book series. The first issue was released on July 8, 2015, and since then most issues are released on a monthly basis.


title: Invader Zim

text: On February 11, 2020, it was announced that the monthly "Invader Zim" comic would end with issue #50, which was released in March 2020, and a new comic series titled "Invader Zim Quarterly" would begin in June 2020, releasing on a quarterly schedule. Additionally, in July 2020, Oni Press will launch a new "Best of..." trade paperback collections, which will collect a selection of stories from Oni Press's monthly "Invader Zim" comic series.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" made appearances in "Nickelodeon Magazine" between 2001 and 2008, which include "Invader Zim" trivia, exclusive interviews, and an official four-page comic titled, "Invader Zim: Quick! Run While You Still Have Your Insides!!!" by Jhonen Vasquez.


title: Invader Zim

text: A book titled "Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!" was published on October 29, 2007, and written by animation historian Jerry Beck. The book collects more than five hundred illustrations, images, storyboards, concept art, quotes, interviews and anecdotes, among other special behind-the-scenes content for Nickelodeon's first thirty-one cartoons. "Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!" contains a short chapter about "Invader Zim", featuring some storyboards, images, illustrations, turn-around charts, character model sheets and short, exclusive interviews with series creator Jhonen Vasquez, executive producer Mary Harrington and head writer Frank Conniff.


title: Invader Zim

text: An official art book titled "The Art of Invader Zim" was released on July 28, 2020. Published by Abrams Books and written and designed by Chris McDonnell, "The Art of Invader Zim" contains the definitive history of the original "Invader Zim" television series, the "Invader Zim" comic book series, and the television movie, "". It offers a fully authorized, all-access compendium of never-before-published production art, storyboards, behind-the-scenes photos, and ephemera. The art book also features exclusive interviews with Jhonen Vasquez and other key crewmembers that reveal the origins, art, and imagination behind the "Invader Zim" franchise.


title: Invader Zim

text: Series writer Eric Trueheart wrote a book titled "The Medium-Sized Book of Zim Scripts: Vol. 1: Pigs 'n' Waffles: The stories, and the stories behind the stories of your favorite Invader", which was released digitally on April 2, 2020, and a paperback version was released on July 27, 2020. The book collects the original scripts from the episodes: "Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy," "Hamstergeddon," "GIR Goes Crazy and Stuff," "Zim Eats Waffles," "Mortos der Soulstealer," and the unfinished episode, "Pants!," which was later adapted into an issue of the "Invader Zim" comic book series. The book also contains commentary on the writing process of "Invader Zim".


title: Invader Zim

text: There is an "Invader Zim" theme park ride at American Dream's Nickelodeon Universe called "Invader Zim's Flip & Spin... OF DOOM!" which opened on October 25, 2019, along with the park. The ride is a bumper cars style attraction where riders can spin and flip upside down on impact. The official summary of the ride states "You've been recruited for battle onboard Irk's latest militarized spacecraft. Help Zim's invasion as you flip, spin and bump into poor, unsuspecting humans."


title: Invader Zim

text: Zim and GIR flying in the Voot Cruiser made a cameo appearance in the now-defunct simulator ride Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast at Universal Studios Florida.


title: Invader Zim

text: In the 2013 animated feature film "Escape from Planet Earth", the word "Zim" can be seen written on the floor in graffiti in one brief scene, along with the names of multiple other aliens from various different movies and television shows.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" was featured as a clue on the July 29, 2013, episode of "Jeopardy!". The clue was for $2000 under the category "What a Character!" and it read "Irk is the home planet of this title 'invader.'" None of the contestants were able to answer the question correctly.


title: Invader Zim

text: Ms. Bitters made a cameo appearance in the Nickelodeon animated series "The Loud House" during the episode "Linc or Swim", alongside several other elderly characters from other Nicktoons series.


title: Invader Zim

text: In the 2016 short film "TMNT: Don vs Raph", which was written by Jhonen Vasquez, a picture of Zim is seen on the side of a building.


title: Invader Zim

text: Questions about "Invader Zim" have been featured in several episodes of the 2021 game show "Tooned In".


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" comic books and cardboard cutouts were shown in the background of the 2022 Nickelodeon series "Warped!".


title: Invader Zim

text: On October 13, 2003, Media Blasters announced that they were planning on releasing DVD collections of "Invader Zim" through their Anime Works imprint. They released the first volume titled "Doom Doom Doom" on May 11, 2004. On August 31, 2004, volume two titled "Progressive Stupidity" was released and on October 12, 2004, volume three titled "Horrible Holiday Cheer" was released, completing the series' initial DVD release. All three volumes contain animatics, Irken subtitles and digitally restored and remastered picture and sound. They also include audio commentaries for the majority of episodes, exclusive interviews with the voice actors, writers, and the post production staff and the series pilot. A box set shaped like Zim's house, known as the "House Box Set" has also been released, which includes all three volumes, plus an extra disc for bonus features, which includes the uncut version of "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", voice recordings for seven of the unfinished episodes, interviews with Kevin Manthei on the sound design and music of "Invader Zim", and a soundtrack of Kevin Manthei's main compositions for the show. Originally, this set included a duty-mode "GIR" figurine in the roof compartment of the box set, but Media Blasters silently stopped including it with the termination of Palisades Toys, the company that had been producing "Invader Zim" figurines. Another DVD box set for "Invader Zim" called the "Complete Invasion Box Set" was released in 2006, featuring all three of the DVD volumes boxed together, with the art of Volume One on the cover. This box set does not contain an extra disc for bonus features like the "House Box Set" included. In 2004, Media Blasters also released two "Invader Zim" MiniDVDs, each containing one episode.


title: Invader Zim

text: On May 4, 2010, the complete Season 1 of "Invader Zim" was released on DVD via Manufacture on demand in a DVD-R format. A Season 2 DVD was released in that same format on April 2, 2010. Neither of these DVDs contain audio commentaries or special features.


title: Invader Zim

text: On February 22, 2011, an "Invader Zim" DVD was released called "Operation Doom". This DVD contains the eight highest-rated episodes that reran on the Nicktoons Network throughout 2010.


title: Invader Zim

text: Episodes of "Invader Zim" have been featured in several Nickelodeon compilation DVDs. This includes "Nickstravaganza! 2", which was released on September 2, 2003, and contains the episode "The Nightmare Begins". ("Nickstravaganza! 2" was also released in a VHS format which contains the exact same contents as the DVD version.) A DVD titled "Classic Nickelodeon Halloween Specials", which was released on October 1, 2015, contains the episode "Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom". The episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" was featured in a DVD called "A Very Nickelodeon Christmas", which was released on November 4, 2015.


title: Invader Zim

text: Two series of collectible "Invader Zim" articulated figurines were produced by the company Palisades Toys and released from 2004 to 2006. The first series includes: Zim, GIR, Dib, Ms. Bitters, and Almighty Tallest Purple. The second series includes: Zim in his human disguise, GIR in his dog suit, Gaz, Almighty Tallest Red, and the Robo-Parents. The figurines vary in height from 4-8 inches (10–20 cm). All of the characters in each series come with a detailed display base, as well as multiple character-appropriate accessories. A third series was planned to include: Zim in his Santa Suit, GIR as an elf, Professor Membrane, Tak, and Nightmare Ms. Bitters, but this series was not made because Palisades Toys, the manufacturer, ceased operations in early 2006. A multitude of other collectible "Invader Zim" figurines were produced before the termination of Palisades Toys. This includes figurines of: Germ Fighting Zim, Germ GIR, Zim in his old man disguise, Angry Zim, and GIR in his dog disguise with hood down. Palisades Toys released the "Invader Zim Miniature Figurine Set... of DOOM!" a separate set of smaller non-articulated figurines, featuring: Zim in his human disguise first seen in "The Girl Who Cried Gnome", Gaz in her Beaver Suit, Bologna Dib and GIR riding the Piggy. A miniature replica of Zim's house, the Voot Cruiser, GIR on the giant Piggy with a UFO Convention background display and a "Mega GIR" figurine that is twelve inches in height and included a removable dog disguise were also released. The "Invader Zim Special Edition set of Doom!" was produced by Palisades Toys, but released after the company had shut down. This set contains figurines of: Screaming Zim in his human disguise, Doggie Suit Duty Mode GIR, Neutral Faced Almighty Tallest Red, Hypnotized Dib, and Shadow Ms. Bitters.


title: Invader Zim

text: Several "Invader Zim" figurines made by Palisades Toys were released as Hot Topic exclusives. These include figurines of: Angry Almighty Tallest Purple, Contemplative Almighty Tallest Red, Duty Mode GIR, Screaming GIR, Robot GIR with removable dog disguise, Haywire Robo-Parents, Snarling Ms. Bitters, Pustulio Zim, Angry Dib and Freakout Gaz.


title: Invader Zim

text: Multiple official Plushies were made to promote the "Invader Zim" series. This includes plushies of: Zim, Germ Zim, Pustulio Zim, Piggy, Robot GIR, GIR with hot dog, GIR eating pizza, Doggie GIR, Chinese takeout GIR, GIR with Piggy, Germ GIR, GIR fuzzy car dice, GIR plush backpack, GIR eating cupcake and GIR eating ice cream. Plushies of Zim and GIR were released as part of the "Nick '90s Jumbo Plush" set that was made for crane machines.


title: Invader Zim

text: Funko has released many Pop! Vinyl figures of GIR in several variations including: GIR in his dog suit, Robot GIR, GIR with cupcake, glow in the dark GIR, Zim and GIR, Zim and GIR on the pig, and a mini GIR keychain. These are usually sold as Hot Topic exclusives. A Pop! Vinyl figure of Zim with Minimoose was released as a San Diego Comic-Con 2020 exclusive.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2015, a company called Ikon Collectables released an officially licensed 9-inch tall limited edition statue of GIR on the pig.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2017, Vision Toys released some officially licensed laser cut 3D keychains of some "Invader Zim" characters.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2018, Diamond Select Toys released some Vinimates figurines of Zim, Zim in his human disguise, GIR and GIR in his dog disguise. All four of these figurines were released as Hot Topic exclusives and limited to 1,000 units each. Another set of "Invader Zim" Vinimates called "Extra Doom Edition" contains figurines of shadowy Zim and shadowy GIR. This set was released as a San Diego Comic-Con 2019 exclusive and limited to 250 units.


title: Invader Zim

text: FOCO released some Eekeez figurines of Zim and GIR in his dog suit that were exclusively available at New York Comic Con in 2018. FOCO also released some Eekeez figurines variants of Zim and GIR in his dog suit that were exclusively available at San Diego Comic Con in 2018. An Eekeez figurine metallic variant of GIR was released as an WonderCon 2019 exclusive. An Eekeez figurine metallic variant of Zim was released as an Emerald City Comic Con 2019 exclusive and limited to 300 units.


title: Invader Zim

text: Nickelodeon has licensed a multitude of official "Invader Zim" products including: a wide variety of clothing, fashion accessories, makeup, jewelry, tabletop games, backpacks, bags, home accessories and decorations, office supplies, car accessories, household appliances, novelty items, holiday decorations, hygiene items and more, all commonly sold at stores like Hot Topic, Newbury Comics, Spencer's and other speciality retailers.


title: Invader Zim

text: "Invader Zim" merchandise has been included in subscription boxes such as Loot Crate in September 2017 and The Nick Box in fall 2020.


title: Invader Zim

text: In March through July 2010, reruns of "Invader Zim" were aired on Nicktoons. The reruns were the second highest-rated show on the network, and according to Jhonen Vasquez, were part of a plan by the network to see if a revival of the series would be feasible. However, the budget Nickelodeon proposed was not quite big enough for what the crew wanted to do, so they respectfully declined the offer. Vasquez also asserted that, despite the widespread rumor suggesting otherwise, he would have returned to the show again had Nickelodeon not deemed the revival "too expensive" for what the crew wanted to do with it.


title: Invader Zim

text: In 2011, Nickelodeon approached Rikki Simons, the voice of GIR, about doing some animated shorts revolving around GIR. While Simons was open to reprising his role, nothing ever came of these shorts for unknown reasons. During an "Invader Zim" panel at Long Beach Comic Con 2019, Simons said the reason why these GIR shorts never went anywhere might have been because "It's kinda weird to do GIR by himself. I don't know what that would be."


title: Douglas A-26 Invader

text: The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Cold War conflicts. A limited number of highly modified United States Air Force aircraft served in Southeast Asia until 1969. It was a fast aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load. A range of guns could be fitted to produce a formidable ground-attack aircraft.


title: Douglas A-26 Invader

text: A redesignation of the type from A-26 to B-26 led to confusion with the Martin B-26 Marauder, which first flew in November 1940, some 20 months before the Douglas design's maiden flight. Although both aircraft were powered by the widely used Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder, double-row radial engine, they were completely different and separate designs, with some 5,300 Marauders produced to 2,503 Invaders.


title: Douglas A-26 Invader

text: Designed by Ed Heinemann, Robert Donovan, and Ted R. Smith, the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar-flow airfoil wing of the A-26 was the work of project aerodynamicist A.M.O. Smith.


title: Douglas A-26 Invader

text: The Douglas XA-26 prototype (AAC Ser. No. 41-19504) first flew on 10 July 1942 at Mines Field, El Segundo, with test pilot Benny Howard at the controls. Flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling, but engine-cooling problems led to cowling changes and elimination of the propeller spinners on production aircraft. During testing, the nose wheel was found to be structurally inadequate, thus the nose gear was redesigned and made more structurally sound.


title: Douglas A-26 Invader

text: After about 1,570 production aircraft, three guns were installed in each wing, coinciding with the introduction of the "eight-gun nose" for A-26Bs, giving some configurations as many as 14 .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in fixed forward mounts. An A-26C nose section could be replaced with an A-26B nose section, or vice versa, in a few hours, thus physically (and officially) changing the designation and operational role. The "flat-topped" canopy was changed in late 1944 after about 820 production aircraft, to a clamshell style with greatly improved visibility.