A CARTOON SERIES created
by
Robert Schlunze
HARDBOILED
is a retro-futuristic-vegan-film-noir satire set in a bizarre 1940s-inspired world where the hero is an egg and the villains are vegetables.
Imagine SIN CITY meets SPONGEBOB — dark, gritty, and sophisticated, but with a cartoony twist.
The series centers around MAX STRAMMER, a hard-boiled “Private Ei” (an egg with a heavy German accent) navigating the mean streets of NEW YOLK CITY, a sprawling metropolis where art deco skyscrapers loom over flying cars and corrupt politicians. MAX is an egg with a tough shell but a soft center, always on the verge of cracking — literally.
In each episode, MAX gets pulled deeper into a conspiracy led by the sinister tech billionaire, RUT ABAGA, a right-wing mogul obsessed with controlling the world through climate manipulation and high-tech schemes. Along the way, MAX encounters a seductive artichoke femme fatale, a jazz band of brown eggs, and a cast of zany vegetables with sharp tongues and darker secrets.
With tongue-in-cheek humor, satirical takes on modern-day issues, and visually stunning sets inspired by Streamline Moderne, HARDBOILED is a sharp, intelligent, and often absurd adult animated series that takes on everything from corporate greed to class struggles — and does it all with a cracked smile. And … it´s not for kids!
Look development
Project in development. Designs not final. Get in contact for further informations.
THE SET UP:
HARDBOILED is planned as an 8-issue comic book miniseries and an 8-episode motion comic / animated series.
HARDBOILED is a political satire and a criticism of the political shift to the right, with politicians the world over using lies and misinformation for their own benefit.
NEW YOLK CITY is a metaphor for modern America. It is populated mainly by VEGETABLES, but many low-paid jobs are done by FRUIT! FRUIT are the “illegal – and legal – immigrants” in our story! McDONALD and RUT hate FRUIT and are constantly blaming them for everything.
EGGS are not real citizens either, but eggs are not as hated as fruit!
MAX is an immigrant. He came from “Germanegg” to flee from fascism – only to find NEW YOLK CITY turning into a neo-fascistic city little by little.
Although the overall design is that of a (retro-futuristic) film noir, the characters are using computers and smartphones. There are two news media outlets in the story:
The “mainstream radio and television”. There’s the satirical “TOO LATE NIGHT SHOW with JIMMY ZUCCHINI”, that is seen in the story from time to time.
The “(a)social media platform – FACX”, owned by RUT ABAGA, is spreading hate and misinformation. The CHERRY TOMATOES are stars on FACX – but they are much more subversive than most of their followers can comprehend.
THE CHARACTERS:
MAX STRAMMER – Private Ei
Species: Egg
Private Investigator. Gritty, cynical, sharp-tongued, but with a soft center (pun intended). Max is world-weary and sarcastic, but despite his bitter exterior, he’s still trying to make the world a better place. His constant struggle is staying uncracked (literally) in a world that constantly beats him down. Max speaks with a heavy German accent and uses phrases like “Heiliger Bimbam”, “Potzblitz”, and “Ach Herrjeh” all the time.
ARTIE CHOKE – The Femme Fatale
Species: Artichoke
Used to be a nightclub singer (because every noir needs one). Engaged to a rich and obscure scientist. Mysterious, seductive, and unpredictable, ARTIE hires MAX to find her missing fiancé (the Potato Scientist). She is the classic femme fatale, with layers that MAX can never quite peel back (artichoke humor).
RUT ABAGA – Tech Billionaire / Arch-Villain
Species: Rutabaga
Billionaire tech mogul, conspiracy theorist.
Charismatic yet paranoid, RUT was once a visionary who believed technology could save the world. Now, he’s become obsessed with bizarre right-wing conspiracy theories, which he is spreading on his social media platform FACX. RUT is cold, calculating, and slightly unhinged — always ranting about everything from aliens to climate hoaxes. RUT secretly pulls the strings behind nearly every criminal activity in New Yolk City, from corporate corruption to environmental disasters. His endgame is world domination through technological manipulation and social control.
DR. RUSSET KARTOFEL – The Missing Scientist
Species: Potato
Scientist, climate change activist, and savior of mankind on the outside … Brilliant but inscrutable, Russet acts as if he is working on groundbreaking climate-change solutions, but his untruthful connections to RUT ABAGA gradually become apparent.
THE CHERRY TOMATOES – Influencers / Entertainers / Informants
Species: Cherry Tomatoes
RITA and LIZ are seductive young vegetables that have their ways to always get the latest information firsthand. They get hired by the crème de la crème of New Yolk City for private parties and events, where they can gather highly classified informations. Strictly speaking, tomatoes are fruit!
McDONALD PUMPKIN – Corrupt Mayor of New Yolk City
Species: Pumpkin
A pumpkin who’s anything but healthy for the city. McDonald is self-serving, corrupt, and deeply involved with RUT ABAGA’s schemes, manipulating the law to protect himself and his wealthy allies. Politically, he is totally right-wing and anti-fruit – but secretly he enjoys cross-dressing as a strawberry.
THE EGG WRECK FIVE – Jazz Band (a Trio, actually)
Species: Brown Eggs
The Night Club Jazz Band in New Yolk’s most famous night club, “The Velvet Leaf”. They not just play good music, man! They are a driving force in the resistance against Rut Abaga and McDonald Pumpkin.
BARB RUHBARBARA – Secretary
Species: Rhubarb
Innocence from the Countryside. She will appear in later episodes. She works for Max (when he can afford a secretary) and falls in love with him. In terms of character, she is the exact opposite of Artie: honest and sincere.
JIMMY ZUCCHINI – Talkshow host
Species: Zucchini
In his “TOO LATE Night Show” Jimmy fights against the bigotry of RUT ABAGA and McDONALD PUMPKIN, exposing their racist and selfish motives.
THE EPISODES:
Episode 1: „Egg on Your Face”
Private detective Max Strammer is introduced in his rundown office, a mix of desperation and cynical optimism.
The femme fatale Artie Choke walks into his office and hires him to find her missing fiancé, the scientist Dr. Russet Kartofel.
The last clue to the scientist’s whereabouts leads to the upscale restaurant “Pastatoni’s”. Here, Max observes a secret meeting in a backroom: Rut Abaga, a ruthless tech billionaire, is meeting with McDonald Pumpkin, the corrupt mayor of New Yolk City.
Introduction of FACX: During his investigation, Max uncovers FACX, Rut Abaga’s social media platform, which spreads misinformation and hate.
The influencers The Cherry Tomatoes (Liza and Rita) are the stars of the platform. However, their content is mostly apolitical and mindless.
At the Velvet Leaf nightclub, Max encounters the “Egg Wreck Five”, a jazz trio consisting of three brown eggs. He meets with Artie again, learning that Dr. Kartofel likely worked for Rut Abaga.
Episode 2: „Shell Shocked”
Max discovers how FACX deliberately stirs prejudice against “illegal fruits” and eggs, blaming them for all societal problems.
FACX is also used to promote Rut’s high-tech climate solutions, portraying Rut as a brilliant philanthropist and savior of the world. McDonald Pumpkin’s policies are supported by FACX’s propaganda machine.
“The TOO LATE Night Show” hosted by Jimmy Zucchini highlights the absurdity and corruption in the city’s elite circles through satire.
Max uncovers the first clues about McDonald Pumpkin’s secret preferences and the lies he sells to the public.
Max infiltrates a FACX event featuring the Cherry Tomatoes and gains insight into how Dr. Kartofel was manipulated and drugged by Rut Abaga to ensure compliance.
Episode 3: „Hard Times in New Yolk City”
Jimmy Zucchini’s TOO LATE Night Show serves as a satirical counterweight to FACX, gaining popularity despite violent attacks from Rut’s and McDonald’s extremist supporters.
Max discovers a factory where Rut exploits fruit as cheap labor while manufacturing drugs.
Evidence suggests that Dr. Kartofel developed “The Big Freeze” technology for Rut Abaga.
At the Velvet Leaf, Max sees Artie meeting a shady contact on her own, raising his suspicions further.
Episode 4: „Boiling Point”
Max hires a new secretary, Barb Ruhbarbara, an innocent young rhubarb from the countryside who brings fresh energy to Max’s chaotic office. Her sincerity, ambition, and admiration for Max sharply contrast with Artie’s manipulative nature.
Max connects with a secret resistance group of fruits and eggs fighting against Rut and McDonald.
Max realizes that the Cherry Tomatoes use their superficial influencer personas as a cover to gather secret intelligence and support the resistance, aided by the Egg Wreck Five. Their headquarters is the Velvet Leaf.
Artie admits to having worked for Rut in the past, further fueling Max’s mistrust.
Rut Abaga plans to silence Jimmy Zucchini, whose show is gaining significant influence.
Episode 5: „Sunny Side Down”
Max infiltrates a FACX facility, uncovering how algorithms manipulate public opinion. Barb begins assisting Max more actively, showing her determination by hacking into Rut’s systems — a side of her that impresses Max.
Together, Max and Barb find compromising videos showing McDonald Pumpkin as a hypocritical crossdresser (he disguises himself as a strawberry) and a ruthless exploiter of fruits. Rut uses this to blackmail and control Pumpkin.
Max starts sowing discord between Rut and McDonald.
The Cherry Tomatoes inspire fruits, eggs, and vegetables to rise against Rut and Pumpkin.
Max tries to convince Dr. Kartofel to reveal the details of “The Big Freeze,” but the scientist escapes.
Episode 6: „The Big Freeze”
Rut Abaga’s evil plan is set in motion, freezing parts of New Yolk City and plunging the city into chaos.
FACX blames fruits for the disaster, while Jimmy Zucchini’s TOO LATE Night Show works to expose the truth.
Barb steps up during the crisis, proving her strength and dedication to Max’s mission. He begins to see how much he can rely on her.
Dr. Kartofel meets Max at the Velvet Leaf, realizing the destruction Rut is causing with his technology.
Max and Dr. Kartofel break into Rut’s headquarters to shut down “The Big Freeze.”
Meanwhile, McDonald Pumpkin betrays Rut, forcing him to accelerate his plans and ramp up propaganda to secure victory in the upcoming mayoral election.
Episode 7: „Cracked Wide Open”
The resistance reaches its peak: the Cherry Tomatoes lead a large-scale uprising.
The Cherry Tomatoes hack FACX, exposing damning data about Rut Abaga and McDonald Pumpkin.
Showdown: Max and Dr. Kartofel sabotage the “Big Freeze” machines but are caught by Rut and his henchmen.
Max sacrifices himself, allowing Dr. Kartofel time to deactivate “The Big Freeze” once and for all.
Barb plays a crucial role by rescuing Max during his capture. Her bravery and loyalty deeply move him, making him realize her true value.
Episode 8: „The Last Omelette”
Barb and the Cherry Tomatoes release the incriminating evidence, turning public opinion against Rut Abaga.
Jimmy Zucchini exposes McDonald’s corruption and hypocrisy on live television, leading to his political and social downfall.
Dr. Kartofel’s Redemption: He takes responsibility for his actions, dismantling Rut’s technology and helping to restore the city.
Max catches Artie Choke trying to flee with Rut’s fortune. It’s revealed that she was actually Rut’s fiancée, and her relationship with Dr. Kartofel was just a ruse to set her plans in motion.
Artie initiated the entire case to get her hands on Rut’s wealth. Max is devastated by her betrayal and his own blindness. However, he allows her to escape with her loot — he no longer cares.
Max realizes that Barb’s honesty and loyalty mean more to him than Artie’s seductive but manipulative nature ever could.
Rut Abaga and McDonald Pumpkin are arrested.
The series ends on a bittersweet note, hinting at Rut Abaga’s potential return.
THE END