For the comic book series continuation of the television series, see Invader Zim

(comics). For the Netflix film adaptation of the series, see Invader Zim: Enter the
Florpus.
Invader Zim
Invader Zim title card.png
Genre
Science fiction[1][2][3][4][5]
Dark comedy[1][6][7][8][9]
Horror fiction
Created by Jhonen Vasquez
Directed by
Jordan Reichek (pilot)
Steve Ressel
Voices of
Richard Steven Horvitz
Andy Berman
Rosearik Rikki Simons
Melissa Fahn
Jhonen Vasquez
Rodger Bumpass
Lucille Bliss
Wally Wingert
Kevin McDonald
Theme music composer Kevin Manthei
Mark Tortorici
Composers
Michael Tavera (pilot)
Kevin Manthei
Country of origin United States
Original language English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 27 (46 segments) (+1 pilot) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Jhonen Vasquez
Mary Harrington[10]
Producers
Monique Beatty
Christine Griswold
Steve Ressel
Animator Sunwoo Entertainment
Running time 23 minutes
Production companies
Wumberlog Productions (pilot)
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Distributor MTV Networks
Release
Original network
Nickelodeon (2001–2002)
Nicktoons (2006)
Picture format NTSC
Original release March 30, 2001[11] –
August 19, 2006[12]
Chronology
Followed by Invader Zim (comics)
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus
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.

Nickelodeon contacted Jhonen Vasquez about pitching ideas for an animated series
for their older demographic[13][14][15] and Invader Zim was the first thing he
pitched. In Vasquez's words "it went from pitch to series without hardly any
waiting".[16] As the series went on, ratings declined and budgetary issues became
more frequent.[17] Before the second season was completed, Nickelodeon cancelled
the series, leaving several episodes unfinished.[18] The show originally aired on
Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2002,[17][11] 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.
[17][12]

Invader Zim received positive reviews from critics and audiences,[17] 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.[19][20][21][22][23] 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,
[17] including video games, toys, clothing and accessories, among many other
products. Despite its early cancellation, due to increasing popularity and above-
average merchandise sales[9][24][25] it has been widely regarded as a cult classic.
[9][25][26][27][28][29]

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.[30][31] A film based on the television and comic series,[32][33] titled
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, premiered on Netflix on August 16, 2019.[34]

Contents
1 Plot
2 Episodes
3 Production
3.1 Conception and early development
3.2 Animation
3.3 Voice acting
3.4 Music
3.5 Challenges and censorship
3.6 Bloody GIR
4 Cancellation
5 Broadcast history
6 Reception and legacy
6.1 Critical reception
6.2 Ratings
6.3 Awards and nominations
6.4 InvaderCON
6.5 Influence
6.6 Controversy
7 Related media
7.1 Netflix film
7.2 Video games
7.3 Podcasts
7.4 Comic book series
7.5 Other literature
7.6 Theme park ride
7.7 References in other media
8 Merchandise
8.1 Home video
8.2 Figurines and toys
8.3 Other merchandise
9 Failed revival attempts
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
Plot

From left to right. Top: Zim, Zim in his human disguise, GIR, GIR in his dog
disguise, Dib, and Gaz.
Bottom: Professor Membrane, Ms. Bitters, Almighty Tallest Red, and Almighty Tallest
Purple.
The series centers on Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz),[35] a member of the
Irken Race, an imperialistic extraterrestrial race from the planet Irk, who are
bent on universal conquest and whose social hierarchy is based solely on height
rather than any type of skill or intellect. The two Irken leaders, known as The
Almighty Tallest (Wally Wingert and Kevin McDonald), rule the Irken Empire together
because they are the tallest individuals in their society and exactly the same
height. As recounted in series premiere, "The Nightmare Begins", Zim is a
delusional Irken outcast who is very short, and also overzealous, narcissistic, and
megalomaniacal. He was banished to the Irken food court planet, Foodcourtia, for
absentmindedly nearly destroying Irk and his own race during their first invasion
known as Operation Impending Doom I.

When Zim learns the Irkens are planning a new invasion called Operation Impending
Doom II, he, not understanding the purpose of his exile, "quits being banished" and
leaves Foodcourtia and travels to the convention center planet called Conventia,
for the Great Assigning, an event where Irken Elite soldiers are chosen to become
Invaders and are then assigned by The Tallest to a planet. Invaders are soldiers
whose missions are to blend in with the indigenous life forms of their assigned
planet, collect information about the planet and its inhabitants and prepare the
planet for conquest by the Irken Armada. Zim is determined to regain his status as
an Invader and pleads with The Tallest to assign him a planet. In a desperate act
to get Zim as far away as possible and ensure he would not ruin things the second
time around, The Tallest send Zim on a fake "secret mission" to a "mystery planet"
located on the outskirts of their known universe which they do not think even
exists, in order to keep him occupied and away from the real invasion. Zim is
joined in his mission by GIR (Rosearik Rikki Simons), an ineffective and erratic
Standard Issue Information Retrieval (SIR) unit which was hastily made out of spare
parts found in a trash can.

After a six month long trip across the universe, Zim finally arrives at this
"mystery planet" which not only really does exist, but also coincidentally happens
to be a dark, dystopian, and satirical version of Earth. Delighted with his find,
Zim quickly goes to work and succeeds at setting up his base of operations in a
random suburban area on Earth, much to the dismay of The Tallest. Due to his short
stature, Zim disguises himself as a human child, albeit one with a green complexion
that he explains away as a "skin condition", and attends a local school (spelled
"Skool") in an attempt to collect knowledge about Earth and learn the planet's
weaknesses. The remainder of the show focuses on Zim's time "infiltrating" the
human race at school or at his home base, planning attempts at world domination,
and the enslavement of humanity. 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 Zim as an alien and thwart his plans for world domination, despite the
hostility and mockery he receives from his oblivious peers for doing so.

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.

Episodes
Main article: List of Invader Zim episodes
Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired Network
Pilot
May 11, 2004 (DVD)
December 24, 2011 (TV) Nicktoons
1
20 March 30, 2001 July 12, 2002 Nickelodeon
2
7 6 June 10, 2006 August 19, 2006 Nicktoons
1 December 10, 2002[n 1] Nickelodeon[n 1]
Enter the Florpus
August 16, 2019 Netflix
Production
Conception and early development

Invader Zim creator Jhonen Vasquez

There was no way I was gonna say 'no'. The fact that they took a chance on someone
a lot of people wouldn't of given a kids show to is one of the coolest things that
ever happened to me in my life. — Jhonen Vasquez[16]

Prior to the creation of Invader Zim, Nickelodeon desired a series to suit its 11–
15 year old demographic.[36][37] 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.[38][39][40]

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.[39] 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.[40] 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.[41]
A pilot for Invader Zim was pitched to Nickelodeon in 1999,[40][42] 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".[4] However,
he said the experience of working on Invader Zim was "incredibly gratifying", but
also "fiendishly frustrating".[4][43]

Animation
Invader Zim was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios with Nick Digital
providing the CGI animation services and Sunwoo Entertainment 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.[44] 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.[43]

Invader Zim was one of the first animated television shows to merge 2D animation
with CGI animation.[43] 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".[43]

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.[43]

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. 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.[43]

Voice acting

Richard Steven Horvitz was the third and final casting choice for Zim.
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.[43][45]

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.[43] 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.[46]

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.[43] 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".[47] 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.[43]
Vasquez said he gave Simons the part of GIR because he was "bad at it", and that
fit the character.[48] 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.[46]

Music
Kevin's music wasn't just an addition to the show, it was crucial for the show to
be what it was. Without his intense sounds lending a sense of urgency and
seriousness to the ridiculous proceedings within Zim, I could never have given the
good little children of the Earth as many nightmares as I did. — Jhonen Vasquez[49]

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.[50][51]

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.[51] 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."[51] Tavera's cover version of Tortorici's theme
music did not appear in the pilot as there was no opening credits sequence.[51]
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.[46][51]

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.[51] Manthei's music for
the series is industrial and techno in nature.

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.[52][46]

Kevin Manthei's message says:

When I was approached by Richard E. Rae about the possibility of an internet radio
show featuring hours and hours of my "Invader Zim" music, I was thrilled. What a
great opportunity to let the fans of "Invader Zim" hear the music!

Richard went way beyond what I thought the show was going to be, and he poured his
heart and soul into producing the "Zim-phony". Richard is not just a fan, he's a
professional who uses his passion for music and his willingness to work hard at it
to produce great shows. I am honored that he and Tom took the time to put the "Zim-
phony" and this "Special Edition" together.

Happy listening!

Richard Rae's message says:

We took chances with the "Zim-phony Special".

I took a chance by approaching Kevin Manthei with the idea. Kevin took a chance in
trusting his music to someone he only knew from e-mail. My friend Tom took a chance
too, okaying a show with music from an American cartoon series instead of a
Japanese Anime. These chances definitely paid off! The "Zim-phony Special" broke
every Anime Stuff R ratings record, thanks to the overwhelming response to this
show from you, the "Invader Zim" fans. Of course, the "Zim-phony" is all about the
excellent music of the remarkable Kevin Manthei. I certainly owe Kevin more thanks
than I can ever hope to articulate for his terrific support during this once-in-a-
lifetime experience.

This Mini CD you're holding is proof that some chances are definitely worth taking.
Thank you for listening!

Challenges and censorship

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."[53]: 
70  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."[53]: 77 
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."[53]: 
71 

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.[46][40]

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.[54] 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."[53]: 
60 

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.[43][55][56] The
original version of this scene can be found online.[57] 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."[53]: 
85 

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.[40][43]

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.[39]

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.
[46]

Vasquez wanted to add some red blood splatters to certain violent scenes in the
episode "Bestest Friend", but Nickelodeon forbade this.[46] 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.[58][59]

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".[46]

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".[58][60]

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.[43]

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.[61]

Bloody GIR
"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.
[43][62] 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,[63] and Ressel also confirmed its existence in interviews.[62][64]
The image of Bloody GIR was reportedly scattered throughout the "last fourteen
episodes" of the series by Ressel and Graham.[65][46] Bloody GIR can be seen the
most clearly during the intro to the episode "Mortos der Soulstealer".[66] 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.[46]

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.[39]

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.

Cancellation
The kids who loved SpongeBob were not fans of Zim. SpongeBob was Nick's flagship
show [and] Invader Zim [wasn't popular with the same audience, thus it] was
cancelled. This ended up being tragically ironic, since the market for cartoons
that appealed to older audiences was just a few years away with shows like
Adventure Time and Regular Show. — Sean Aitchison from Screen Rant[67]
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.[68] 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."[69]

Nearly nine years later in 2019, Vasquez was interviewed by Syfy and said:

I never point to any one particular thing [as the reason for why Invader Zim was
cancelled.] The show could've come out at any point in history and I don't think it
would ever really be appropriate... I think there's always horrible things
happening in the world and genuine comedy comes from horrible things. At the time,
it just happened to be things like Columbine and 9/11 and then people freak out
because they don't want to offend anyone's sensibilities. It's a justified response
to a certain extent; there's people who have been affected and they don't want to
be reminded of this awful stuff... I just think that it did not jive well with
Nickelodeon's image.[70]

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

There's been a lot of rumors that have abounded for years about why Invader Zim was
canceled. People think it's the Bloody GIR episode, because there's a quick
subliminal shot of GIR all bloodied, but that's not it at all. Nickelodeon knew
about that shot and they didn't seem to mind. But what [the cancellation really
was] is this plain simple fact: We had horrible ratings. There were two things that
were going on in 2001. Our ratings were not doing well, our demographic at the time
was not The Fairly OddParents demographic, which is what we premiered with, and we
premiered to really, really good critical acclaim. But ratings-wise, the only real
barometer [was the] target audience, 6 to 10 year olds, and I think that it was a
little too much for that [demographic], and the parents also might have thought it
was a little graphic for them. Our ratings never really got off the ground. One
other thing that people often forget, is that the show premiered in March of 2001.
By September of 2001, we had the horrible downing of the twin towers. Given the
mood of the country at the time, I don't think people wanted to see shows that were
about any kind of destruction or anything that had to do with someone trying to
conquer the Earth.[35]

Broadcast history
Invader Zim was too dark and subversive for Nick's core demographic — and much of
the humor flew past the heads of their younger viewers — but in retrospect Vasquez
and his director Steve Ressel did everything right. The episodes never play it
safe, nor are predictable. It marches to its own drummer – and that's as it should
be. — Jerry Beck, Animation Historian[71]

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.[72] 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.[72][40][73] By the time the show
was made, Nickelodeon had decided that they were no longer interested in trying to
reach an older audience,[14] 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.[72][40]
Invader Zim was originally intended for 11–15 year olds,[36] 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.[35][69][37][74]

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.[40][74][37]

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.[40]

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).[75][76][77] In August 2001, Nickelodeon
officially renewed the series for a second season, which was originally planned to
consist of 20 episodes.[74]

Invader Zim's Friday night time slot ceased with the episode, "Door to Door" which
was originally scheduled to premiere on September 14, 2001.[78] 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.[40][78][56][35][55] 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.[40][35]

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.[56][79]

Online petitions [to bring the show back] went up everywhere, and people rallied
for the return of [Invader Zim], and those followings have become stronger over
time, especially with the advent of the Internet." — Tim Jones from The Daily
Collegian[9]

In January 2002, Nickelodeon announced that they had plans to cancel the series.
[74] Upon hearing this announcement, many fans became outraged at Nickelodeon for
scheduling Invader Zim for poor and frequently changing time slots towards the end
of its run and for not providing the show with a good amount of promotional
attention compared to some of their other shows at the time.[80] Almost immediately
after the announcement was made, fans launched an online petition to try to change
Nickelodeon's mind or get the show picked up by a different network, and even
though the petition collected over 55,000 signatures by April 2002, it was not
enough to prevent Nickelodeon from canceling the show.[81]
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.[43][82]

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[81] leaving at least 17 episode segments
unfinished.[46] 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.[12]

On December 24, 2011, the series' pilot made its television debut on Nicktoons (it
had previously only been seen on DVD)[83] after an eight-hour marathon and followed
by the result of Nicktoons' "Girreatest Zim Moments" online poll.[84]

Reruns of Invader Zim have been airing on Nicktoons[39] 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[85] before returning nightly as of January 7,
2020.[86]

Both seasons of Invader Zim are available for download on the Xbox Live
Marketplace[87] and PlayStation Store. In addition, the entire series is available
for purchase on Vudu, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes.[88] The entire series is
also available for streaming on Amazon Video and Paramount+.[89][90]

Reception and legacy

Critical reception
There really aren't any attempts to be subtle with the material. It is flat out
disgusting at times, and that's what makes it shine. The truly random and dark
humor of Invader Zim was too unique to be copied, but a nice representation of the
kinds of programming seen at the time, with shows like Rocko's Modern Life and Are
You Afraid of the Dark? pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable
children's television. From Zim growing a massive pimple with hypnotic powers, to
the class pet hamster, Peepi, evolving into a colossal beast known as "Ultra
Peepi", to the glorious introduction of Mini Moose, the show had enough originality
to last it a decade.

—Tim Jones from The Daily Collegian[9]

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."[19] 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."[91] 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."[92]

There were some elementary schoolers who fell hard and fast for [Invader Zim],
while their older siblings — or parents — found a reason to tune into Nickelodeon
again.

—Allegra Frank[25]
Allegra Frank from Polygon said:
[The series is laid out] in a story-focused half-hour unlike anything ever aired on
Nickelodeon previously. Invader Zim had a villain at its center, years before
Breaking Bad and Mad Men popularized that dramatic convention for adult audiences.
As a character, Zim was mostly unlikable; the show's color palette was narrow and
unfriendly, and the entire design of the series — interiors covered in grime,
streets covered in garbage, on-screen televisions full of screaming ads — dared
viewers to be turned off. While jokes could easily revolve around the high-pitched
screams of Zim's useless robot companion, GIR, the comedy was also often derived
from much darker places, like harvesting organs from living children and lice
outbreaks and characters slowly turning into a sentient [bologna]. Dib wanted to
kill Zim, after all; that's not usually the subject of children's TV.[25]

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."[22] 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."[93] 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."[71]

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."[65] 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."[94] 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."[76]

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."[95] 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."[96] 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."[97] 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."[98]

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."[99] 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."[100] 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."[101] 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."[11]

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.[102] 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.[103] 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."[104]
[105][106] 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.[43][107]

In 2006, IGN ranked Invader Zim at number 22 on their list of the Top 25 Primetime
Animated Series of All Time[108] and in 2009, IGN ranked Invader Zim at number 57
on their list of the Top 100 Animated Series.[109] In 2016, Entertainment Weekly
ranked Zim as the 18th Most Memorable Nickelodeon Character.[110] That same year,
Screen Rant ranked Invader Zim at number 9 on their list of the 25 Best Nickelodeon
Shows[19] and The Guardian ranked Invader Zim as the third Best Nickelodeon
Cartoon.[22] In 2017, CBR ranked Invader Zim at number 5 on their list titled, 15
Incredible Cartoons That Were Canceled For No Good Reason.[14] In 2018, Paste
Magazine ranked Invader Zim at number 60 on their list of The 100 Best Sci-Fi Shows
of All Time.[111] In 2018, IGN included the episode "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever"
on their list titled, 10 of the Best Holiday TV Episodes Ever.[112]

Ratings
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.[74] As the show went on,
ratings and viewership began to decline amongst Nickelodeon's target audience of 2–
11 year olds.

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,[113][39][81][56] 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.[24][113][56] 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.[39][114]

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.[113] 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 Avatar: The Last
Airbender.[114]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2001 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation
Kyle Menke (Storyboard Artist) Won [115]
29th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement in a Primetime or Late Night Animated
Television Production Nickelodeon Animation Studio for Invader Zim Nominated
[116]
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television
Production Steve Ressel for "The Nightmare Begins" Won
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music Score in an Animated Television
Production Kevin Manthei Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television
Production Jhonen Vasquez
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television
Production Steve Ressel for "Dark Harvest"
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an
Animated Television Production Richard Horvitz as Zim
World Animation Celebration Awards Best Title Sequence Jhonen Vasquez, Steve
Ressel, Mary Harrington Won [117]
2002 30th Annie Awards Best Animated Television Production Invader Zim Nominated
[118]
49th Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television Animation [119]
2020 47th Annie Awards Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Richard Horvitz as Zim in Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus [120]
67th Golden Reel Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical
Animation Long Form Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus [121]
InvaderCON
Invader Zim has its own fan convention known as InvaderCON,[122][123][17][124] 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.[125])
Special guests included cast members Richard Steven Horvitz, Melissa Fahn, Rosearik
Rikki Simons, Andy Berman and writer Eric Trueheart.[126] 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".[127][128] One dollar of each ticket
purchased for InvaderCON was donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF).[129] The choice of charity was selected by Richard Horvitz,[46] who was one
of the first guests to be booked. In the end, InvaderCON raised almost $2,000 for
JDRF.[130] InvaderCON was not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported,
directly or indirectly, by Viacom International, Inc. or Nickelodeon.[125] But it
was confirmed that a few representatives of Nickelodeon attended to observe the
turnout and were quoted as being "overwhelmed".[131]

InvaderCON was originally intended to be a one time event,[125] 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[132] (except for Andy
Berman)[133] with the addition of series creator Jhonen Vasquez,[134] 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.[135][136] During this
convention there was a panel where the voice cast read the script for the
unfinished episode "The Trial".[137]

According to InvaderCON's official website:

Since the first InvaderCON was on the East Coast (Atlanta) and due to travel
requests on Jhonen's part, we opted to host InvaderCON II: DOOMCON in California.
This was a MASSIVE undertaking on our part since our production team is based in
Florida and Georgia. We made it happen, though. Over 1,000 fans from 42 different
states and 7 countries showed up near Los Angeles for two days of Invader ZIM
fandom goodness. The show was an expensive risk and a major stress on the Green
Mustard Entertainment team – but it was worth it for us to see the fans and
families that all appeared to share in the experience. Autographs, panels,
breakfast, dinner, puppets, surprise guests, and more added up to a once in a
lifetime weekend for the cast, crew, and attendees.[138]

With over 10,000 fans on Facebook asking for another InvaderCON, Wasabi Anime
decided to do InvaderCON "one last time".[139] The third InvaderCON was funded via
Kickstarter on June 21 – July 21, 2013.[139] 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.)[139] InvaderCON III: FINAL DOOM took place on July 26–27, 2014
in Austin, Texas.[122] Special guests included cast members Richard Steven Horvitz,
Melissa Fahn, Rosearik Rikki Simons, Rodger Bumpass and writer Eric Trueheart.[140]
At this convention there was a panel where the voice cast read the script for the
unfinished episode "Ten Minutes to Doom".[141]

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.[142][143][144]
[145][146]

On August 16, 2019, Wasabi Anime launched a Kickstarter to test the waters for a
potential fourth InvaderCON event.[147] The Kickstarter reached its $2,500 goal in
just four days.[148] 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.[149][150]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to August 6–8, 2021, along with Fan
Expo Boston.[151][152][153] 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.[154][155] 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.[156]

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.[157] This made predicting attendance and budgeting for InvaderCON "very
tricky and extremely risky" according to Wasabi Anime.[139]

Influence
Bryan Konietzko, the co-creator of the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last
Airbender, 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.[158] 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."[159]

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.[160] 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."[161] 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.[160]

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.[162][163]

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."[164]

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."[165] That same year, Eric Vilas-Boas from Thrillist wrote
"[Invader Zim] remained an influential cult classic, informing future cartoons like
Avatar: The Last Airbender all the way up to Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, Rick
and Morty, and beyond."[166]
Controversy

It has been suggested that this article should be split into a new article titled
Dark Harvest (Invader Zim). (discuss) (March 2022)
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.[8][167][168][169]

Related media
Netflix film
Main article: Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus
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.[170]

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[171] television film based on the
series with three teaser trailers being released in a span of the following four
days.[172] 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.[173]

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".[174]
[175]

Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus 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.[174][175]

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.
[176] The movie was released on Netflix on August 16, 2019.[34]

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

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.[177]

In the 2004 Game Boy Advance exclusive game, Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy, the
final stage of the game takes place on Zim's ship and Zim and GIR are the final
boss of the game,[178] 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.[179]

Zim's Voot Cruiser and house can be seen briefly in different worlds in the console
versions of the 2006 game Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island.[180][181]

In the console versions of the 2007 game Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots, the
EvilToyCo Factory, Zone 3 (Part 2) and the Master Model Chamber are Irken-themed.
[182][183] 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.[184][185]

Both Zim and Dib are playable characters in every version of the 2008 game,
SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom.[46] 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.[186] 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.[187]

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.
[188]

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".[189]

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.[190]

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[191] and an Invader Zim themed challenge called "Doomsday Challenge".[192]

Invader Zim characters and locations are included in the racing game, Nickelodeon
Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix, released on October 6, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox
One, and Nintendo Switch, and released on December 1, 2020, for Microsoft Windows.
[193]

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.[194]

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.[195]

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."[196]

Podcasts
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.[48] The second one
is season two episode twenty-seven, an interview with the Invader Zim cast, which
was released on January 6, 2017.[47] Both episodes are available on YouTube, iTunes
and SoundCloud.

The complete Invader Zim series was covered on "Wizard and the Bruiser" on February
21, 2019.[197]

Comic book series

Main article: Invader Zim (comics)
I'm always confused when people say how much they miss Invader Zim because the show
never stopped running in my head, and then I remember everyone else isn't in my
head. I try to imagine the world for all those people who don't know what Zim's
been up to since the show went off the air and it makes me shudder. How can people
live that way? Hopefully this comic helps make the world a better place. — Jhonen
Vasquez[30]

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.[30][31]

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[198] would begin in June 2020,[199] 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.[198]

Other literature
Invader Zim made appearances in Nickelodeon Magazine between 2001 and 2008, which
include Invader Zim trivia,[200] exclusive interviews,[201] and an official four-
page comic titled, Invader Zim: Quick! Run While You Still Have Your Insides!!! by
Jhonen Vasquez.[202][72]

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.[203]

An official art book titled The Art of Invader Zim was released on July 28, 2020.
[204] 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,
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus. 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.[204]

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.[53][205][206]

Theme park ride

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."[207]

References in other media

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.[208]
[209]

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.[210]

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.[211][212]

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.[213][214]

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.[215][216]
Questions about Invader Zim have been featured in several episodes of the 2021 game
show Tooned In.[217]

Invader Zim comic books and cardboard cutouts were shown in the background of the
2022 Nickelodeon series Warped!.[218]

Merchandise
Main article: Invader Zim merchandise
Home video
On October 13, 2003, Media Blasters announced that they were planning on releasing
DVD collections of Invader Zim through their Anime Works imprint.[219][220] They
released the first volume titled Doom Doom Doom on May 11, 2004.[221] On August 31,
2004, volume two titled Progressive Stupidity[222] was released and on October 12,
2004, volume three titled Horrible Holiday Cheer[223] 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,[224]
[225] 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.[226]
In 2004, Media Blasters also released two Invader Zim MiniDVDs, each containing one
episode.[227][228]

On May 4, 2010, the complete Season 1 of Invader Zim was released on DVD via
Manufacture on demand in a DVD-R format.[229] A Season 2 DVD was released in that
same format on April 2, 2010. Neither of these DVDs contain audio commentaries or
special features.[230]

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.[231]

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".[232] (Nickstravaganza! 2 was also
released in a VHS format which contains the exact same contents as the DVD
version.)[233] A DVD titled Classic Nickelodeon Halloween Specials, which was
released on October 1, 2015, contains the episode "Halloween Spectacular of Spooky
Doom".[234] 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.[235]

Figurines and toys

Series two of the Invader Zim figures produced by Palisades Toys

Two series of collectible Invader Zim articulated figurines were produced by the
company Palisades Toys and released from 2004 to 2006.[236] The first series
includes: Zim, GIR, Dib, Ms. Bitters, and Almighty Tallest Purple.[237] The second
series includes: Zim in his human disguise, GIR in his dog suit, Gaz, Almighty
Tallest Red, and the Robo-Parents.[238] 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.[239] 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,[236][240] and GIR in his dog disguise with hood down.
Palisades Toys released the Invader Zim Miniature Figurine Set... of DOOM![241] 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,[242] the Voot
Cruiser,[243] GIR on the giant Piggy with a UFO Convention background display[244]
and a "Mega GIR" figurine that is twelve inches in height and included a removable
dog disguise were also released.[245][236] 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.[246][236]

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.[247][236]

Multiple official Plushies were made to promote the Invader Zim series. This
includes plushies of: Zim, Germ Zim, Pustulio Zim,[248] Piggy, Robot GIR, GIR with
hot dog, GIR eating pizza, Doggie GIR, Chinese takeout GIR,[249] GIR with Piggy,
Germ GIR, GIR fuzzy car dice,[250] GIR plush backpack,[251] GIR eating cupcake and
GIR eating ice cream.[252][253] Plushies of Zim and GIR were released as part of
the Nick '90s Jumbo Plush set that was made for crane machines.[254][255]

Funko has released many Pop! Vinyl figures of GIR in several variations including:
GIR in his dog suit,[256] Robot GIR,[257] GIR with cupcake,[258] glow in the dark
GIR,[259] Zim and GIR,[260] Zim and GIR on the pig,[261] and a mini GIR keychain.
[262] 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.[263][264]

In 2015, a company called Ikon Collectables released an officially licensed 9-inch

tall limited edition statue of GIR on the pig.[265]

In 2016, Zag Toys released some officially licensed Invader Zim Original Minis[266]
and Plush Clip-Ons.[267]

In 2017, Vision Toys released some officially licensed laser cut 3D keychains of
some Invader Zim characters.[268]

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.[269][270][271]
[272] 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.[273]

FOCO released some Eekeez figurines of Zim[274] and GIR in his dog suit that were
exclusively available at New York Comic Con in 2018.[275] 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.[276] An Eekeez figurine metallic variant
of GIR was released as an WonderCon 2019 exclusive.[277][278] An Eekeez figurine
metallic variant of Zim was released as an Emerald City Comic Con 2019 exclusive
and limited to 300 units.[279][280]

In 2020, Hot Topic released some officially licensed rubber Bend-Ems figures of Zim
and Dib.[281][282]

Other merchandise
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,[9][24][25] all commonly sold at stores like Hot Topic,[283] Newbury
Comics,[284] Spencer's[285] and other speciality retailers.

Invader Zim merchandise has been included in subscription boxes such as Loot Crate
in September 2017[286] and The Nick Box in fall 2020.[287][288]

Failed revival attempts

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.[24][46][114][56][289]

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.[39][43] 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."[56]

Notes