If you blinked, you might have missed it—but only for a second. Because Common Side Effects didn’t just quietly appear on the Adult Swim lineup. It stormed in with a psychedelic swirl of mushrooms, mayhem, and a storyline sharp enough to make Big Pharma sweat. But how did a bizarre, bold animated show like this leap from an international animation festival to become one of Adult Swim’s breakout hits? Buckle up, because this story has as many twists as a fungal mycelium under pressure.
It All Started in Annecy (As Many Great Animated Things Do)
Back in June 2024, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival lit up with its usual global buzz. Animation insiders, critics, and superfans gathered for premieres, panels, and previews. Among the lineup? A pilot from creators Joe Bennett and Steve Hely that had folks talking before the lights even dimmed.
That pilot was Common Side Effects.
And once the screen lit up, so did the audience.
With its wild premise—a mysterious mushroom that can cure any disease—the show raised eyebrows in all the best ways. People didn’t just clap at the end. They leaned forward, whispered “whoa,” and immediately pulled out their phones to find out more.
Bennett, hot off the success of Scavengers Reign, teamed up with Hely, who brought narrative chops from shows like Veep and The Office. This was no accident. They cooked up something fresh, something biting, something weirdly profound. Think less “stoner cartoon,” more “existential trip with jokes that actually land.”
Then Came San Diego Comic-Con: Hype Mode Activated
Just a month later, in July 2024, the buzz followed them to the big leagues: San Diego Comic-Con. Adult Swim showed up swinging with its “Pirate Parrrty” lineup.
Common Side Effects didn’t just blend in with the swag bags and cosplay. It owned the Indigo Ballroom.
Attendees got a sneak peek, but also a rare behind-the-scenes look. Bennett wasn’t there, but co-creator Steve Hely made sure the vibe stayed electric. Director Sean Buckelew added some spice, and the voice cast—including Martha Kelly, Emily Pendergast, Joseph Lee Anderson, and Dave King—lit up the stage.
And yeah, the fans responded.
People lined up. Some asked deep-dive lore questions. Others just wanted to know what strain that mushroom might be.
Enter Adult Swim: Official Premiere and Critical Spark
Fast-forward to February 2, 2025.
Boom. The show hits Adult Swim.
That same night? Twitter erupts. Reviewers drop hot takes. And viewers start connecting dots between the fictional pharma conspiracy and their own reality.
- Polygon called it one of the best new series of 2025.
- Time Magazine listed it among the must-watch shows of February.
Not bad for a show where mushrooms talk. (Okay, they don’t literally talk—but they do kind of whisper truths.)
And critics weren’t just gushing about the trippy visuals. They dug into the story, the satire, the relevance. The fact that Common Side Effects had the guts to tackle something as gnarly and real as the American healthcare system? That hit home.
Steve Hely even said it straight: the villain here isn’t just one shady exec. It’s the whole broken system.
The Fandom Grows: Weirdos, Thinkers, and Everyone in Between
It didn’t take long. Within weeks, the fandom took root. Just like fungi do.
Fan art exploded on Reddit. Theories ran wild on TikTok. And Twitter (or X, or whatever we’re calling it now) saw threads unraveling every frame for secret messages.
What started as niche curiosity turned full-on community.
And it wasn’t just the obvious stuff—like wild plot theories or shipping characters. Viewers latched onto the show’s deeper questions:
- What does it mean to “cure” something?
- Can nature really be weaponized for good?
- Is the real side effect… hope?
Okay, that last one might be pushing it. But you get the idea.
Incoming: Season Renewal FTW
On March 28, 2025, Adult Swim made it official. Common Side Effects scored a season renewal.
Yes, it’s happening.
Joe Bennett and Steve Hely both celebrated with the perfect blend of wit and weirdness. They called it a “wonderful mushroom dream.” And honestly? That fits.
More episodes mean more questions, more conspiracies, and probably more strange creatures sprouting out of tree trunks. Or brains. Or both.
The show’s creative team made it clear: they’re not done. In fact, they’re just getting warmed up.
And So, the Mushroom Spreads…
What started as a strange little pilot at Annecy is now a full-grown phenomenon. The fungus has bloomed, folks.
Common Side Effects is proof that animation still has bite. It can be weird. It can be wild. But it can also be real.
So if you haven’t watched it yet?
Do yourself a favor. Take the trip. Just be ready for some unexpected side effects.
(Hint: You might become a fan.)
