Tubi recently announced its first-ever star-studded original animated series, The Freak Brothers, based on the cult classic underground comic series that documented counterculture lifestyle since the ’60s. The first two episodes are set to debut on Tubi this weekend on Sunday, November 14. Tubi shared an uncensored version of the trailer, exclusively with High Times.

On Sunday, viewers will get a sneak peek at The Freak Brothers during a special 90-second trailer airing on FOX’s Animation Domination block during Family Guy (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). Additional episodes from Season One will drop on Sundays—once every week—ending with the finale on Sunday, December 26.

The Freak Brothers features an impressive roster of voice actors including Academy Award-nominated Woody Harrelson, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner John Goodman, Emmy Award and Grammy Award winner Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson, as well as Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Andrea Savage, La La Anthony and Rapper ScHoolboyQ.

The Freak Brothers is the story of three fictional characters who constantly embark on pot-fueled adventures. It follows laid-back Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek (Harrelson), child-like Fat Freddy Freekowtski (Goodman), the usually paranoid Phineas T. Phreakers (Davidson) and their snarky cat Kitty (Haddish). 

After smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969, the trio are transported 50 years into the future to 2020, bringing their counterculture lifestyle to the modern world. 

“We can’t wait for Tubi viewers to freak out to The Freak Brothers, with its unforgettably irreverent comedy infused with heart, alongside an iconic ensemble voice cast and a stellar team of elite producers and writers,” said Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson. “This comedy is 50 years in the making and we are thrilled to have it debut on Tubi as our first original animated comedy, marking a new step for Tubi as we expand our adult humor offerings.”

If the animation style looks familiar—it probably is: Starburns Industries and Pure Imagination Studios, the teams behind Rick & Morty and The Simpsons: Brick Like Me, handled the animation. The animated series is produced by WTG Enterprises and distributed by global content leader Lionsgate.

The Freak Brothers’ theme song was created and performed by TDE recording artist Ray Vaughn. Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, the Grammy Award-winning producer and founder of TDE, one of the most notable music labels, produced the music for The Freak Brothers and is an executive producer on the series, along with Mike Concepcion.

The Freak Brothers History Lesson

The brothers have evolved quite a bit since their first appearance in the late ‘60s. The animated series is based on the classic underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers created by comic book legend Gilbert Shelton.

After leaving projects like the underground newspaper East Village Other, Shelton self-published Feds ‘n’ Heads in 1968, followed by his most famous comic, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. He also contributed greatly to Zap Comix with fellow artist R. Crumb. That was followed by spinoff comic books like Fat Freddy’s Cat and the creation of Rip Off Press.

In the comic, Fat Freddy will usually get burned over some bunk grass, or somehow lose his money, while Phineas is the intellectual. Meanwhile, Freewheelin’ Franklin ended up with the most iconic quote of all three: “Dope will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no dope.”

Underground comics paved the way for publications like High Times, when most other publications refused to publish pot and psychedelic drug references. Comic book publishers pushed the boundaries of how cannabis and other adult themes could be executed.

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic eventually sold over 45 million copies in 16 languages and was hailed by The Comics Journal as “One of the 100 Greatest Comics of the Century.” 

The Freak Brothers revival is a testament to the comics’ lasting power in pop culture.

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