Inanimate Insanity (series)

This is an article about the full series. You may be looking for the original first season or the remaster of the first season.

Inanimate Insanity is an American animated reality TV web series on YouTube created by Adam Katz, Brian Koch, and formerly Justin Chapman and Taylor Grodin on the YouTube channel AnimationEpic. The series is about a group of anthropomorphic objects that compete for one million dollars, led by the host, MePhone4. It first premiered on April 1st, 2011, although all of the original first episodes were deleted by former voice actor Nate Groth before being reuploaded. The series has finished airing three seasons. Taylor Grodin and Justin Chapman have since been removed from the show, along with their credits in any future episodes.

Outside of the full episodes, the series has expanded into animated shorts, webcomics, several soundtrack albums and merchandise (such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and plush toys). Inanimate Insanity won Favorite Web Program at the Cartoon Crave Awards in 2022.^[1]

Staff[]

Adam Katz - creator, director, producer, animator, voice actor, storyboard artist, writer
Brian Koch - director, writer, voice actor
Justin Chapman (formerly) - director, writer, voice actor, editor
Taylor Grodin (formerly) - director, sound editor, voice actor, animator, storyboard artist, writer

About[]

“

Inanimate Insanity is an online animated series on the AnimationEpic YouTube Channel, produced by Adamation, Inc. The story centers around MePhone4, a shrewd and sentient cell-phone that creates his very own elimination-based reality show! With an ability to generate challenges and obstacles of practically any scope, there's seemingly no limit to what he can do!

A cast of contestants suit up to begin a crazy game and (hopefully) compete in fun-filled challenges, so long as everything stays on schedule! While the contestants may seem like simple lightbulbs, baseballs, and various other common items, they quickly prove that looks can be deceiving! Whoever fails to earn immunity is at risk of being sent off the show and into the unknown. In the end, one contestant will outlast all the rest and claim the million dollar prize!

The team is currently producing and airing Season 2. Season 1 has been fully created and released with 18 episodes, and Season 3 has also been fully created and released with 19 episodes.

”

—Inanimate Insanity Website

Inanimate Insanity revolves around a group of anthropomorphic objects competing in a reality show with the grand prize of one million dollars. The reality show is created by their host, MePhone4, an anthropomorphic smartphone manufactured by Meeple Inc.. While the contestants compete in various challenges, they develop relationships with each other and form alliances, but every contestant is challenged to see who can outlast the others. The style of the show is similar to that of Total Drama Island and Survivor in that the contestants compete in challenges for rewards and immunity and avoid elimination from this competition show. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted out by their fellow-contestants (formerly by viewers) until only one remains to be awarded the grand prize.

The series takes large inspiration from Survivor, Total Drama Island, and Battle for Dream Island.

Format[]

As the show revolves around a competition, the format of Inanimate Insanity follows the contestants gameplay each season. The group of contestants are split into teams that compete against one another. Each episode, a challenge is introduced to the contestants by the host to determine a winner, whether it be one contestant or an entire team, to win immunity for that round. The contestants, or team, that does not win the challenge is put up for elimination, which is either decided by viewers of the series through (formerly) viewer voting, or the contestants themselves. The player who receives the most votes is eliminated and kicked out of the competition, rarely given the chance to rejoin.

When there is less than 9 contestants, the teams can dissolve, known as the "Merge", and each contestant fights for themselves, though alliances can be formed. Strategic gameplay along with positive relationships are highly sought after in the competition, and lack therefor may result in elimination.

The two contestants who outlast the others and avoid elimination are entered into the finale, who go head to head in a final challenge to win the grand prize.

Seasons[]

There are currently three seasons in the Inanimate Insanity series.

The series' first season, entitled Inanimate Insanity, or II, premiered on April 1, 2011 on DuncanEpic and later AnimationEpic, where all future seasons and content would remain. The series tells a story about MePhone4, a sentient smartphone, who spontaneously creates a competition between sixteen, later eighteen, anthropomorphic objects, who compete against each other in various challenges for a grand prize of one million dollars. An ongoing remaster of the season named Inanimate Insanity Season 1 Remastered premiered on March 15, 2025.^[2]

The series' second season, entitled Inanimate Insanity II, or II2, premiered on April 2nd, 2013, two years and one day after the first season. The second season continues the same story from the first season of MePhone4 once again creating a competition between nineteen, later twenty, then nineteen again anthropomorphic objects, who compete against each other for another million dollars. The story, while following the same template as the first season, branches off into more developed storylines with characters and intensive themes. Additionally, an alternate season exists called Inanimate Insanity Infinity, which takes place in an alternate timeline of Inanimate Insanity II.

The series' third season, entitled Inanimate Insanity Invitational, or III, premiered on April 3rd, 2021, eight years and one day after the second season, and ten years and two days after the first season. The third season ran simultaneous to the second season, though it tells a new separate story that was stated to have no effect on the second season's story.

The series' ongoing fourth season, entitled Inanimate Insanity IV, or II4, premiered at the BFDI & Inanimate Insanity 2025 Tour, on dates ranging from June 27 to July 13, 2025, and uploaded to YouTube on July 14, 2025.^[3]

Spinoffs[]

Throughout Inanimate Insanity's history, there have been various spinoffs that have branched from the show's characters and lore.

The Taco Show - a short-lived spinoff where Taco interviewed contestants.
Enanimat Ensanetay - a crudely-made spinoff version of Inanimate Insanity, featuring short episodes with characters using distorted voices and partaking in absurd stories and challenges.
Inanimate Battle - a live-action competition where contestants, both familiar and new, compete against each other.
Fan's Fantastic Features - an animated spinoff series hosted by Fan where he interviews eliminated contestants from the first two seasons of Inanimate Insanity.
Inanimate Answers - a live-action side series hosted by Justin Chapman, where they take on a persona and asks various Inanimate Insanity characters for advice.
Exit Interview - an interview centric spinoff series introduced in tangent with Inanimate Insanity Invitational.

Comics[]

There was a series of webcomics created by Cakebrunch called Inanimate Comics on July 8, 2020. There are currently six issues, with the official website saying "More comics coming soon!" The comics are created by Charles Case. Volume #1 ran from July 8, 2020 to September 9, 2020, and Volume #2 started on April 16, 2021.

Merchandise[]

Main Page: List of merchandise

The official store is hosted on Spring, and sells various merchandise such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, posters, stickers and more.
Various soundtracks have been released on iTunes and Spotify featuring music from Inanimate Insanity II.
A plush toy of Lightbulb was announced during the Inanimate Direct, and was available at the BFDI X II 2022 Meetup on July 30, 2022. It was later available on the Inanimate Insanity website shop along with a Yin-Yang plush. As of November 2024, there are 13 Inanimate Insanity plushies. The Floor would receive a floor rug on November 11, 2023.