Perhaps the most curious example of this phenomenon is the transformation of “First Blood,” a gritty action film starring a Vietnam War veteran grappling with PTSD, into a 65-episode cartoon series complete with a toy line. Equally surprising is the animated adaptation of Kevin Smith’s R-rated film “Clerks,” a satirical take on retail work. These projects raise questions about whether the creators had even watched the original films before green-lighting the animated versions.

For those intrigued by these unusual crossovers, a treasure trove of such adaptations awaits in the archives. Many of these series can be found on platforms like YouTube, offering a chance to discover—or revisit—what you might have missed. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned fan, these shows promise a unique viewing experience.

Interestingly, the horror punk band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 captures the essence of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character in “First Blood” with their track “Rambo”: “He is a killing machine. He’s the best combat vet that you’ve ever seen. And now he’s all alone, and what you call hell, he calls home.” This vivid description highlights the intensity of John Rambo, a character who embodies relentless determination and combat prowess.

Horror punk band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13’s barn-burning track “Rambo” provides an eerily accurate summary of Sylvester Stallone’s character in one of the best action movies of the ’80s, “First Blood”: “He is a killing machine. He’s the best combat vet that you’ve ever seen. And now he’s all alone, and what you call hell, he calls home.”

John Rambo takes no prisoners, and isn’t afraid to unleash a one-man war on anyone who dares cross him. So, imagine the surprise when a significantly toned-down animated series titled “Rambo: The Force of Freedom” rocked and rolled into 1986. While it may seem a puzzling decision to make a  kids’ show about such a violent character, it’s easy to see that the intent was to turn this into the next “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.” Just look at the setup: Colonel Trautman puts together a special team called the Force of Freedom, led by Rambo, who protects the world from the dastardly S.A.V.A.G.E. (Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion). It’s “G.I. Joe” with a different coat of paint.

No main actor from the movie returned, while Rambo is voiced by Neil Ross, whom animation fans should recognize as Norman Osborn from “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.” Stallone wasn’t impressed with the toy line nor the cartoon adaptation, telling the Chicago Tribune “that isn’t Rambo” and he was “embarrassed” by the toys. 

Watching a Troma film is an out of body experience. This is the company that produced master(trash)pieces like “Tromeo and Juliet” (co-written by a certain James Gunn) and, of course, “The Toxic Avenger,” one of the best superhero films of the 1980s. If you recall anything about 1984’s “The Toxic Avenger” and its sequels, it’s that it’s gruesome, off-the-wall, and utterly hilarious in an R-rated way — not a movie you would show to children.

In the early ’90s, there was a drive from networks to make environmentally conscious programming, such as “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.” So someone had the bright idea: “Hey! Let’s do that, but make Toxie from ‘The Toxic Avenger’ the lead character!” And in 1991, “Toxic Crusaders” bubbled into existence. This time, though, Toxie isn’t alone, as he has a team of misfits, such as Junkyard and Major Disaster, to help him defeat pollution and the forces of evil such as the aptly titled Dr. Killemoff and Polluto.

The weirdest part about “Toxic Crusaders” is that it somehow all works. Troma’s irreverent humor, even when dialed down, delivers the cackles — and the double entendre of its jokes appeals to adults. The show didn’t last long, though, receiving only one season. However, it received a boost in popularity in recent times, thanks to a relaunched comic book series and video game.

Paul Verhoeven’s “RoboCop” is a smart satire about how your boss will try to get you to come to work even after you’ve died. Jokes aside, it’s a thought-provoking story about the dangers of corporate greed and society’s loss of identity. The 1987 movie also features a gnarly scene where Peter Weller’s RoboCop shoots a perpetrator in the junk. Not exactly kid-friendly, right?

That said, there’s no denying that the shiny aesthetic of “RoboCop” looked cool to children of the ’80s, so it made some sense why Marvel Productions chose to bring the cyborg law enforcer to the animated realm. In 1988’s “RoboCop,” the premise stays largely the same, as RoboCop and his partner, Anne Lewis, work to keep Old Detroit safe. None of the original actors reprise their roles, and the cartoon removes most of the film’s deeper themes, focusing more on a more traditional “good guy stops bad guy” dynamic. The violence is also all but gone here; bullets and bombs are major no-nos, as everyone opts for non-lethal laser weapons.

“RoboCop” lasted for only one season, though it wasn’t the only effort to bring the character to animation. In 1998, “RoboCop: Alpha Commando” was released. The show was created by Eric and Julia Lewald, who worked on “X-Men: The Animated Series,”and also ran for a sole season. Maybe this character isn’t meant for a cartoon; the jury’s still out if RoboCop belongs in professional wrestling, though.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Cimmerian warrior Conan flexed and hacked his way through serpentine enemies in 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian” and its sequel, both based on author Robert E. Howard’s classic character. But let’s just say that a barbarian’s rage isn’t exactly renowned for being an all-ages affair.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, so Conan traded in the barbarism for adventure in “Conan the Adventurer,” an animated series that ran for two seasons and featured an earworm of a theme song. In the show, Conan still has beef with the Serpent Men, as Wrath-Amon proves to be his deadliest foe. However, Conan isn’t alone, as other worthy warriors and a chatty phoenix known as Needle join his quest. Surprisingly, the scenes involving the Serpent Cult are actually quite frightening for kids’ TV standards, and it’s clear that the creators fully committed to the sword and sorcery aspect. A sequel series, “Conan and the Young Warriors,” slashed its way onto screens in 1994, but lacked the excitement of its predecessor, lasting only a single season.

Don’t confuse “Conan the Adventurer” with the 1997 live-action series of the same name, though. While it’s also about Conan, here played by Ralf Moeller, it’s not an adaptation of the animated version, but rather its own entity.

Kevin Smith has a way with words, creating films whereby characters engage in lengthy and hilarious conversations about seemingly nonsense — albeit entertaining nonsense. It’s as if someone took out a camera and recorded a real discussion between close friends. That’s essentially what 1994’s “Clerks” is, following a day in the life of pals Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) at their jobs as they discuss working-class woes. Outside their stores are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), who loiter and pester customers.

“Clerks” is very R-rated, given its strong language and sexual content. Yet, it received an animated adaptation titled “Clerks: The Animated Series” in 2000. To be fair, though, this was strictly targeted at mature audiences, being one of Disney’s initial attempts at breaking into the adult animation market. Despite bringing back the original cast and featuring the likes of Alec Baldwin, Judge Reinhold, and Gwyneth Paltrow, this show lasted a whopping six episodes. Yes, you read that number right.

The truth about “Clerks: The Animated Series” is that there were numerous reasons for its early cancelation. Smith blamed ABC (and parent company Disney) for pulling the support and moving the air date, while the company pointed at the various delays in the production. In the end, this version of “Clerks” closed shop way too early.

Who could ever forget 1986’s “Highlander?” It introduced us to Christopher Lambert’s immortal warrior Connor MacLeod and kicked off a smorgasbord of “Highlander” movies and TV shows. It’s easy to see the appeal, since there’s a lot of lore to unpack, such as the pros and cons of immortality. But was an animated series on anyone’s bingo card?

Fans ate good in 1994, with the sequel “Highlander III: The Sorcerer,” the third season of the live-action show starring Adrian Paul, and “Highlander: The Animated Series.” The latter brings the mythology to the future and follows the adventures of Quentin MacLeod, the prophesied chosen one and the last of Clan MacLeod. He learns the tricks of the trade from Don Vincente Marino Ramírez and sets his sights on facing off against Kortan.

The cartoon aired for two seasons. Unlike other animated shows of its time, it wasn’t afraid to show death (yes, the beheadings are still present) and venture into darker storylines. “Highlander: The Animated Series” also braves uncharted waters in the narrative department by introducing new characters like Quentin and making the decision to cull someone like Connor. Is it the best story in the franchise? Nope, but it at least does something to stand out rather than being a sanitized regurgitation of the original.

The “Police Academy” films know how to deliver the goods. You can’t help but burst into fits of laughter while watching the motley crew of cadets who become police officers but behave more like ordinary troublemakers. But here’s something most people forget: The original 1984 “Police Academy” is a surprisngly raunchy R-rated movie. 

By the time the animated “Police Academy” show appeared in 1988, the franchise was far more family-friendly, and its cartoonish humor translated perfectly to, well, a cartoon. The series features the same lovable cast of characters — as well as a few new ones including talking pooches — but the original actors don’t reprise their roles. So, don’t expect to hear Steve Guttenberg as Carey Mahoney or Michael Winslow as Larvell Jones; instead, the characters are voiced by Ron Rubin and Greg Morton respectively.

“Police Academy” aired for two seasons, but debuted at a time in which the franchise had become stale. From 1984 to 1989, there was a new movie released each year. That’s overkill. While diehards might have had a good time with the animated series, the average person may only think, “Ugh! Another ‘Police Academy’ thing?! Gimme a break!”

Think about F. Gary Gray’s 1995 comedy “Friday” for a minute. It’s a film about slackers Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) who smoke it up and find themselves owing $200 to drug lord Big Worm (Faizon Love) by that evening, or else. Ice Cube and Tucker were in top form, and the film’s success resulted in more sequels, all of which strictly catered to mature audiences. Such a concept could never become a cartoon — or could it?

In 2007, Craig and Smokey received the animated treatment in “Friday: The Animated Series.” While neither Ice Cube nor Tucker voice their characters, Khary Payton and Phil LaMarr do a more than commendable job of stepping into the sneakers of Craig and Smokey respectively. Airing on MTV2, this show was able to dive deep into the same mature humor as the films and unleash a plethora of wacky mishaps. Craig and Smokey are outrageous characters, and this series captures their bonkers personalities to a T.

“Friday: The Animated Series” received only an eight-episode run, and is the last installment in the franchise at this time of writing. However, Ice Cube knows that fans are frustrated about not getting another “Friday” sequel, and it appears like “Last Friday” is still planned to happen.

In 1997’s “Starship Troopers,” filmmaker Paul Verhoeven brought his signature provocative style to this sci-fi blockbuster. Much like Verhoeven’s “RoboCop,” it drips with stinging satire about topics such as patriotism and propaganda. It’s also R-rated, due to its gory violence and sexual content. Lest we forget when these alien bug creatures attack, body parts go flying and people get squashed.

In 1999, “Starship Troopers” descended into 3D animation, receiving the series titled “Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles,” which was co-executive produced by Verhoeven. The show borrows elements from the 1997 movie, as well as the Robert A. Heinlein book that the franchise was based on, chronicling the ongoing war between the bugs and humans. Interestingly, the series breaks down the storyline into eight arcs, with each taking place in a different location or planet. It’s a neat addition, keeping viewers excited to see where the action goes next.

There were a multitude of production problems with “Roughnecks,” resulting in various reruns airing because there simply wasn’t enough content to fill the slots. Ultimately, the show received a 40-episode single-season run, and that was that.

Set in the ’70s, 2009’s “Black Dynamite” is a Blaxploitation film centered on the eponymous character (Michael Jai White), an ex-CIA and army vet who takes matters into his own hands after the death of his brother. All the baddies in his neighborhood learn very fast that he’s super bad, he’s outta sight, and he’s Black Dynamite. Mixing comedy, satire, and action into 84 addictive minutes, “Black Dynamite” gained an audience who adored this love letter to various cinematic influences.

In 2011, the “Black Dynamite” animated series popped its way onto Adult Swim. While it doesn’t follow all the established canon from the movie, it brings back popular characters such as Honeybee, Bullhorn, Cream Corn, and, of course, Black Dynamite. The best part? The actors reprise their roles in a beautifully animated show that maintains the outrageous action and humor from the original film.

“Black Dynamite” aired for two seasons and received rave reviews, holding an overall 100% critical approval score and 92% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s nothing to sniff at. As a matter of fact, it may well be the best cartoon based on an R-rated movie ever.