Bloody Robotboy

**Bloody Robotboy** is an Easter egg that appears throughout *Robotboy*. Bloody Robotboy was born when Cartoon Network refused to allow a scene involving Robotboy being covered with blood. The series' crew then inserted the forbidden image into single frames in a few episodes. Well known and confirmed appearances are in "Bad, Bad Proto Robot" and "Kamikazi der Robotstealer," but it has been said to be scattered throughout the last fourteen episodes of the show.

## Origins and behind the scenes

Bloody Robotboy has its origins from when creator Jan Van Rijsselberge illustrated the character Robotboy covered in blood and wanted this to happen in the series; however, both Alphanim and Cartoon Network prohibited it. Directors Charlie Bean and art director Chris Garbutt then snuck the drawing into a single frame (*pictured; left*) of the episode "Bad, Bad Proto Robot." The frames were reportedly scattered throughout the "last fourteen episodes" of the series by Bean and Garbutt.

According to Bean, Cartoon Network never discovered a Bloody Robotboy before the episode aired. He also hinted at another Bloody Robotboy location:

> "Hint- look at a few of the opening sequences in the fifth season. Unless Cartoon Network switched them out, there should be at least one with a Bloody Robotboy."
>
>

This Bloody Robotboy (*pictured; left*) was later found to be in the intro of "Kamikazi der Robotstealer." Many believed that this image was the reason behind the cancellation of *Robotboy*, though Jan Van Rijsselberge, the creator of the show, revealed at an RoboCon panel that Cartoon Network did not find out about the image until after the show's end. Rijsselberge also stated that when it was discovered, CN wasn't particularly bothered by it.

Although the idea for Bloody Robotboy was confirmed by Bean not to have surface until the time of "Bad, Bad Proto Robot," some claim to find it in early episodes of the series, such as "The Old Switcharobot" and "The Return of Robotgirl." Some have also claimed that Bloody Robotboy was meant to debut in the episode "The Tune Up," where Robotboy was supposed to be covered in blood while becoming berserk while destroying the city. However, this is directly contradicted by Bean's statements on the matter.

Certain images of Bloody Robotboy can only be seen in frame-by-frame viewing. Otherwise, it will be a flash, or, in some cases, blend into the movement of the animation. He is never animated; Bloody Robotboy will always appear as a still image. However, the opacity and size of the Bloody Robotboy is varied.

## Appearances

### Confirmed

* "Bad, Bad Proto Robot": When Robotboy's Super-activation sequence is shown, a faint image of Bloody Robotboy can be seen (If you have a laptop, tilt it and it can be seen more easily). Bloody Robotboy can be seen in the *very* middle of the screen, and it appears when Robotboy's Super-activated mode is shown behind the activated mode.
* "Kamikazi der Robotstealer": During the opening sequence, when the screen transitions from Robotboy's blueprints to Dr. Kamikazi laughing, a faint picture of Bloody Robotboy is viewed. This one is easiest seen by the naked eye. Viewers can see this on the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd second. It can possibly be seen only by a frame by frame viewing.

### Likely

According to Charlie Bean, Bloody Robotboy appeared several times in the last fourteen episodes of the series. However, it is unknown if the locations listed below are entirely correct; some may be compression artifacts or coloring errors.

* "Kurt's Father": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Brother Bjorn": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Crying Time": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "The Tune Up": When Tommy is about to cry and Robotboy's CD drive opens, a very small and faint image of Bloody Robotboy can be seen on the drive

* "Party Out of Bounds": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Constantine Rising": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Soothsayer": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Vitamin Sucker": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Tragic Magic": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "The Old Switcharobot": When the mouse bites Robotboy's circuits near Protoboy's body, a Bloody Robotboy can be seen inside one of the white sparks the circuits emit.
* "The Return of Robotgirl":
	+ When Gus puts the butt body part on his butt, a small image of Bloody Robotboy appears on Gus's butt.
	+ Another is when Robotgirl almost falls into the lava near the end of the episode.
* "The Reporter Who Cried Alien": A Bloody Robotboy appears right when Vance Cosgrove gets out of his car.
* "Robotboy Eats Food": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.
* "Gus, Taster of Pork": Right after hot dogs explode out of Gus's belly button, under one of them in the upper right corner one of Bloody Robotboy's ears can be seen.
* "Proto-Defeat": *Location unknown; confirmed to have been in the episode*.

### Unconfirmed

Bloody Robotboy has debuted in "Bad, Bad Proto Robot" as well as the final fourteen episodes of the series (which includes its most definite appearance in "Kamikazi der Robotstealer"). However, some fans of the series claim to have spotted the Easter egg in episodes outside of these designations. None of these appearances have been confirmed by anyone other than fans, and some may very well be fake.

* "Dog-Ra": When the battle between Robotboy and Dog-Ra starts, you can faintly see the ears of Bloody Robotboy on the teeth of Dog-Ra.
* "Teasebots": As Robotboy destroys the final Tease-bot, a Bloody Robotboy appears on the ocean.
* "Bambi-Bot": A Bloody Robotboy appears when Bambi-Bot surrenders to Robotboy near the end of the fight.
* "Door to Door": A Bloody Robotboy is said to appear right before the credits begin.
* "Six Million Euro Man": When Robotboy (without a hand and a leg) prepares to Super-activate, a Bloody Robotboy can be seen. This is the first Bloody Robotboy to appear in the Super-activation sequence, the second being in "Bad, Bad Proto Robot".

## Tips on how to find Bloody Robotboy

**Look for the ears, hands and legs**. Everything else might be unclear, but the ears, hands and legs are still somewhat glowing red. However, once you find them, check to make sure some other part of the body is visible. If you only see the ears, the Bloody Robotboy you have just found may just be a smudge of red from a mistake in the coloring.

* The one from Kamikazi der Robotstealer is the easiest to find. The ones in The Return of Robotgirl are the hardest. Do the easiest first to build skill, and build up from there.
* In some cases get close to your TV.
* If you are watching it on DVD or VHS, you can pause the system you are watching it on and go into frame-by-frame mode. (The mode can be started by pressing the 'pause' button and then repeatedly pressing the 'next' button. Also bear in mind that starting this mode is varied by both the age of your system and the brand, so check the owner's manual for details.) This is one of the easiest ways to find a hidden image on any VHS tape or DVD disc. It is also a way to spot animation errors.
* Don't watch episodes online if you're looking for Bloody Robotboy. The compression artifacts will confuse you, and they can be mistaken for the outline of Bloody Robotboy. If you're looking for one, use the DVDs.

## Trivia

* Some believe that Bloody Robotboy caused the cancellation of the show. This is not true and is just a rumor.