The Oblongs is a animated television program, aimed at adults and teenagers. It was created by Angus Oblong and is very loosely based on a series of characters he introduced in a picture-book entitled Creepy Susie & 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children.

The show centers around the antics of a family who live in a poor valley community, and as a result of extreme pollution and radiation, are all severely handicapped and deformed. The pollution is the direct result of the lavish lifestyle of a rich community known as "the Hills", who continue to exploit and harm the valley residents, with little regard for their safety or well being.

The show was heavily criticised for its apparent mocking of the disabled, but the show's producers have rejected such accusations, saying that The Oblongs instead portrays the disabled in an honest, non-patronizing manner. Indeed, the show rarely focuses on the character's disablities and instead is mostly about the Oblong family's adventures in dealing with common problems of modern living. Much of the humor comes not from the fact that the characters are handicapped, but rather from their often overly eager attempts to overcome their physical disadvantages. As well, the Oblongs are portrayed as a generally happy family, and usually display good values.

It premiered in April 2001 on The WB but it failed to find an audience. On May 20,2001 The WB aired "Disfigured Debbie," the second episode produced as the season finale, leaving 5 of the episodes unaired. A fan of the series who was writing an episode guide at TV Tome, informed Angus Oblong of the show's cancellation and rallied fans of the series to petition and encourage the network to renew the show. Ultimately, the petition was unsuccessful. Later that same year, Canada's Teletoon network began airing the series. Quickly, a large fanbase began to bloom. In August of 2002, the series found a home on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, where many American fans first discovered the series. When shown in Australia in 2003, the show was pulled in the middle of the first episode. In 2005, the show began airing on TBS Superstation and also found a life on DVD.

• Bob Oblong, the father, who was born without any arms or legs and works at a poison factory. He can drive vehicles like any other person. Voice: Will Ferrell

• Pickles Oblong, the chain-smoking, alcoholic mother, who was originally a Hill resident, but moved to the valley after meeting Bob. All her hair has since fallen out, and she is now regarded as an outcast by her former Hill friends. Voice: Jean Smart

• Milo Oblong, the middle child, who is afflicted with numerous mental and social conditions, including everything from attention deficit disorder to diabetes. Voice: Pamela Segall

• Chip and Biff Oblong, teenage conjoined twins who are attached at the waist. Biff is gay and Chip is straight. Voices: Randy and Jason Sklar

• Beth Oblong, the youngest child, who has an odd pink pickle-shaped tumor growing out of her head. Slowie is Beth's doll on a stick. Voice: Jeannie Elias

• Grammy Oblong, Bob's vegetable mother, who resides in a motorized wheelchair.

• Lucky Oblong, the family cat, who constantly smokes cigarettes.

• Scottie Oblong, Milo's dog, who became narcoleptic after being used as a test animal at Globocide.

Milo's friends, "The Clubhouse Kids:"

• Helga Phulgy, an obese, toad-like little girl. Voice: Lea DeLaria

• Creepy Susie, a goth girl who floats on air and speaks in a French voice. Voice: Jeannie Elias

• Peggy Weggy, the one-breasted girl who lacks a lower jaw. Voice: Becky Thyre

• Mikey Butts, a boy saddled with an unfortunate, dangling posterior.

Other characters include:

• George Klimer, Bob's rich, snobby boss. Voice: Billy West

• Pristine Klimer, wife of Bob's boss, Pristine was friends with Pickles before Pickles married Bob. Now she spends her days condescending to her former friend. Voice: Becky Thyre

• Jared Klimer, the annoying and not-so-bright son of George and Pickles who likes to taunt the clubhouse kids, along with best friend Blaine.

• The Debbies, a gang of annoying and similar-looking teenage girls. Voice: Becky Thyre

• Anita Bidet, a pre-op transexual who owns The Rusty Bucket, the bar that Pickles hangs out at. Voice: Billy West

• Principal Davis, the principal of the school.

• Nurse Rench, who has a scary operating contraption in place of her right arm. Voice: Laraine Newman

• James, Bob's hunchbacked co-worker. Voice: Billy West

• Mayor Johnny "The Mayor" Bledsoe, the town's mayor, a masked professional wrestler. Voice: Billy West

• Mr Leland Bergstein, the kids' homeroom teacher. Voice: Billy West

• Sheriff Pepper, Hill Valley's inept law enforcement.

• Homeless Bill, Hill Valley's resident street urchin. Voice: Billy West

• The Girl with a Beak, an aptly-named classmate of the Clubhouse kids. Voice: Becky Thyre

• Mrs. Hubbard, the town's conservative old biddy. Voice: Laraine Newman

• The Coach, Biff and Chip's school coach, who Biff has an unhealthy obsession with. Voice: Will Ferrell

• Dr. Hofschneider, the Oblongs' condescending doctor.

• Verdelle Diver, the regional coordinator of The L'il' Amazons, a Girl Scouts-like troupe. Voice: Lea DeLaria

• Tommy Vinegar, a spoof of Tommy Hilfiger Voice: Maurice LaMarsh

• Velva, the Warrior, The Oblongs' version of Xena, who young Beth adores.

• Funzie, the Oblongs' spoof of Fonzie from Happy Days. Voice: Maurice LaMarsh

• Dusty, Bob's one-time coworker, a lifeguard who's "fairly riddled with implants."

• The Oblongs - Official website.

• TV.COM - Episode Guide.

• Adult Swim - Cartoon Network's site for the show.