Archer is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX that aired from September 17, 2009, to December 17, 2023. The show follows the exploits of bumbling secret agent Sterling Archer and his dysfunctional colleagues. The show is set in an anachronistic Cold War–esque universe and caricatures espionage, Western culture and society, and the human condition. Archer is distinguished by artistic reinvention in contemporary episodes, foregoing the standard setup of a workplace sitcom for self-contained anthologies. It returned to its spy parody roots after the tenth season.
The core Archer characters from left to right: Cheryl Tunt, Ray Gillette, Lana Kane, Sterling Archer, Malory Archer, Cyril Figgis, Pam Poovey, and Dr. Algernop Krieger.
Archer's characters are composed in Adobe Illustrator using referential material, such as photos of models and actors in costume (pictured above).
Image: Adam Reed at San Diego Comic Con
Image: Matt Thompson by Gage Skidmore
An animated sitcom is a subgenre of the sitcom that is animated instead of live-action and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, and Family Guy are four of the longest-running animated sitcoms.
Photo of Bill Hanna (right) and Joseph Barbera (left) in 1965; Hanna and Barbera were the co-creators of The Flintstones.
The Simpsons cast and crew at a stamp unveiling in Los Angeles, California, in May 2009
Dan Harmon, one of the creators of Rick and Morty, in July 2016
Street-art of Luci, a character from Disenchantment, seen at Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne in November 2018
