The Substitute

A new substitute teacher, The Screech, begins teaching class, preferring to play Slime Ball and other games instead of assigning homework and scares. All the students like The Screech except Oblina, who is suspicious of his intentions. She convinces Ickis and Krumm that The Screech has captured The Gromble, and they make a plan to rescue him. But when Ickis and Krumm disappear as well, can Oblina save them all?

Ickis, Marine, Krumm, Snorch, Oblina, The Gromble, Ultra Monster, Cower, Zimbo, Auggie, Kriggle, Bulldozer Guy, Dizzle, Zooeuh, Drill Sergeant, Todd, Marine, Skritch, Smeldra, Police Monster, Students, Teens, Children

Weirder than weird, grosser than gross, the Real Monsters were a perfect fit with Nickelodeon's gooey, goopy reputation. Created by the same studio that produced that network's Rugrats (Klasky Csupo), AAAHH!!! Real Monsters pushed the bounds of the bizarre to new extremes.

The stars of the show were a trio of students at the Monster Academy, located beneath a city landfill. Ickis was the neurotic one, a long-eared pipsqueak with a mischievous streak. Big, dumb Krumm was the hairy, gaseous slacker who held his eyes in his hands. The third member of this ghastly gang was Oblina, who looked like a black-and-white candy cane with eyes and lips. The brain of the group, Oblina also had a famously bad temper.

Training under the direction of the Gromble, Monster Academy's blue, four-legged (all in red pumps) Headmaster, the threesome took lessons on how to scare correctly. When the lessons went poorly, punishment was meted out by "punishment masters" the Snorch and Zimbo.

Human boy Bradley was a partner-in-fright with Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina, but not all humans were so friendly. Hot on the trio's trail was Simon the Monster Hunter, committed to ridding the world of monsterkind.

Both the animation and the storylines edged toward the outrageous. In one episode, Krumm broke out with an enormous, living zit that ended up becoming more popular than he was. If parents were grossed out, they didn't stop their kids from watching it, as AAAHH!!! Real Monsters became a multi-season hit for Nick.