Griffin McElroy
Director
Monster Factory (2015)
Season 1
Monster Factory is a web series available in Polygon.com's official YouTube channel. The show is hosted by Griffin McElroy and his older brother Justin McElroy, Polygon's senior video producer and editor-at-large, respectively. The show's premise consists of both brothers opening character creation tools from several video and computer games and use their creations in-game as they cause all sorts of havoc.
Released May 4, 2015
Episode 22 min
17+
Genres: Comedy
Keywords: imdb.web-series, imdb.youtube
Production Companies: Polygon
Network: YouTube
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S1E1 - Randomly Generating Horrifying Faces in Dark Souls 2
In this pilot for a soon-to-be smash hit video franchise, Justin and Griffin create Squirtle using the character creation tools in Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin.
May 4, 2015, midnight
S1E2 - Exploring Skyrim with Garfield
Griffin and Justin create a cybernetic Garfield and kill roughly two-hundred horses in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in this installment of Monster Factory.
May 12, 2015, midnight
S1E3 - Recreating a Beloved Sitcom in The Sims 4
Justin and Griffin turn their dark Monster Factory arts toward The Sims 4, and recreate a beloved television sitcom in the process.
May 29, 2015, midnight
S1E4 - Prepping for Fallout 4 by Ruining Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is a really great game, so Justin and Griffin have decided to destroy it from within during this installment of Monster Factory.
June 4, 2015, midnight
S1E5 - Failing to Clone The Rock in WWE 2K14
Justin and Griffin attempt to clone Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson, but spill a little big of Gogurt into the mix, birthing a Monster Factory creation they've lovingly named "The Pebble."
June 29, 2015, midnight
S1E6 - Exploding Shepard's Face Bones in Mass Effect 2
Justin and Griffin rebuild Commander Truck Shepard into something non-human and non-killable when they take Mass Effect 2 into the Monster Factory.
July 13, 2015, midnight
S1E7 - Dino-crime in Ark: Survival Evolved
In this episode of Monster Factory, Justin and Griffin try to solve a few dino-mysteries with the help of a time-traveling Angela Lansbury in Ark: Survival Evolved.
Aug. 7, 2015, midnight
S1E8 - The Boy-Mayor of Second Life
In this harrowing episode of Monster Factory, we shape a new dictator for Second Life out of some primordial ooze we found in a dumpster behind the Citgo.
Sept. 11, 2015, midnight
S1E9 - Surviving Bloodborne with a Gun-hating Toucan Man
In this installment of Monster Factory, Griffin and Justin abuse the character creation tools of Bloodborne and somehow end up with a human-bird hybrid who adheres to a strict anti-gun platform.
Oct. 12, 2015, midnight
S1E10 - Creating an Army of Banana-Men in Oblivion
Justin and Griffin create an army of beautiful banana men to fight against the noodly final boss of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion in this episode of Monster Factory.
Oct. 27, 2015, midnight
S1E11 - Fallout 4 - Episode 1
Griffin and Justin play around with Fallout 4, and incidentally create one of the most horrific creatures to ever roam the wasteland.
Nov. 12, 2015, midnight
S1E12 - Fallout 4 - Episode 2
Having accepted her terrible losses in the last episode of Monster Factory, The Final Pam carves a path of destruction across the Commonwealth. Things get very, very, very violent.
Nov. 25, 2015, midnight
S1E13 - Fallout 4 - Episode 3
The Monster Factory ballad of The Final Pam comes to a close as we quite literally destroy Fallout 4 from the inside out.
Dec. 15, 2015, midnight
S1E14 - Melting Bart Simpson in Black Desert Online
Griffin and Justin discover the beautiful, intricate character creation system of Black Desert Online, and, naturally, use it to produce a nightmarish version of a beloved cartoon character.
Jan. 14, 2016, midnight
S1E15 - Throwing Everyone in Dragon's Dogma Off a Cliff
Explore the world of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen with a team of legendary heroes: All-Star pitcher Randy Johnson, a boy named Panpan, Elsa from the movie Frozen and TV's Dr. Phil.
Jan. 29, 2016, midnight
S1E16 - Horrors of All Shapes and Sizes in Blade & Soul
Griffin and Justin make a couple of Monster Factory children in the new MMO Blade & Soul, but end up getting completely shut down by Big Analog.
Feb. 11, 2016, midnight
S1E17 - What If Dark Souls Were Made Of Pizza?
Justin and Griffin play through an absolutely ruined version of Dark Souls while role-playing as a pizza-destroying mascot. Please note that framerate hiccups are on our end, not yours. Because, like we said, this version of Dark Souls is sick.
March 7, 2016, midnight
S1E18 - Recreating Ourselves in WWE 2K16
Justin and Griffin attempt to recreate themselves in WWE 2K16, but along the way, something goes horribly wrong.
March 29, 2016, midnight
S1E19 - Making a Rowdy, Dirty Boy in Dark Souls 3
Griffin and Justin play Dark Souls 3 on launch day, create a rowdy, dirty boy version of The Joker, and then get absolutely manhandled by every enemy in the game. Welcome to Monster Factory!
April 15, 2016, midnight
S1E20 - Second Life, Second Chances - Part One
Welcome to Second Life, Second Chances, a three-week miniseries Monster Factory event, sponsored by Totino's. Can the Boy Mayor of Second Life reclaim his throne on the hard, hard campaign trail? Or will the endless march of Second Life sex clubs finally wear him down?
May 16, 2016, midnight
S1E21 - Second Life, Second Chances - Part Two
The Boy-Mayor and his campaign manager, Totino's, do a quick makeover, then make some highly targeted appearances all across the wonderful world of Second Life.
May 23, 2016, midnight
S1E22 - Second Life, Second Chances - Part Three
The day of reckoning is upon the Boy-Mayor of Second Life. It's Election Day, and we're honestly unsure whether Totino's and the Boy Mayor's actions have gained or lost them votes. Either way: We're going to throw the greatest party this video game has ever seen.
May 31, 2016, midnight
S1E23 - Cosplayers and Leather Daddies in Soul Calibur 5
Can Mëlissa complete her nearly perfect Sly Cooper costume before the big con? Or will her attempts at cosplaying be thwarted by her nemesis, Leather Daddy Voldo? Find out in this installment of Monster Factory, featuring the character creation tools of Soul Calibur 5.
June 24, 2016, midnight
S1E24 - Making a Golf All-Star in Tiger Woods '08
Now we're getting into our core competency: Being good at Golf. In this episode, we borrow the core facial structure of a late, great character actor, and then mold it into something dark and profane. Behold: DAZ.
July 8, 2016, midnight
S1E25 - Stopping All of the Crimes in Saints Row: The Third
There is one thing you need to know about Trüllbus — this tough dude absolutely hates crime. He hates it nearly as much as he loves Dairy Queen, and boy, does he love Dairy Queen.
July 22, 2016, midnight
S1E26 - Creating The Sequel To Dogs in Spore
Look at your current household pet. What a sweetheart! Now, pick them up and put them in the garbage can. Because here at Monster Factory, we dream big. Why would you ever own a dog or cat or a fish or a bird when you could own ... a JAA'M? Thanks to Spore, that dream can be a reality.
Aug. 9, 2016, midnight
S1E27 - Reviving The Shrek Franchise With Spore
We weren't anticipating our encounter with Spore to turn into the latest three-part Monster Factory saga, but here we are. The game is so rich with potential, but also so rich with game-ruining crashes and design problems that it makes it difficult to stick with any one creation. Hence our abandonment of the "Sequel to Dogs" project — our apologies, Jaa'm — and our migration to a new cause: The long-overdue revitalization of the Shrek intellectual property.
Aug. 30, 2016, midnight
S1E28 - Building an Even Better Shrek in Spore
Justin and Griffin perfect their Shrek-like creation, and — thank God — bring their time in Spore to a close.
Oct. 7, 2016, midnight
S1E29 - Training a Perfect Super-Athlete in Wii Sports Resort
Meet Turbovicki: Sports Champion, Ruthless Warrior and our latest Monster Factory creation. None can stand in her way on her quest for Wii Sports Resort domination — though a particular former vice president will try.
Oct. 28, 2016, midnight
S1E30 - Turbovicki vs. The Foot Clan in Wii Sports Resort
In this, the second part of our exploration of Wii Sports Resort, Hyper-Athlete Turbovicki faces her greatest challenge yet: The endless hordes of the Cheney Foot Clan.
Nov. 14, 2016, midnight
S1E31 - Saving the World One Knife at a Time in Champions Online
Knife Dad is not the hero that the world needs, but he is also not the hero the world deserves. It MIGHT be a stretch to call him a hero at all — he could be more accurately described as "a bunch of knives stuffed into a shirt."
Jan. 13, 2017, midnight
S1E32 - Forming a Super Group With Knife Dad's Family
In the last episode, a legend was born — a legend made out of knives and, like, rat fur. But leveling up in an MMORPG takes too long, so in this episode we seek help from dozens of monstrous, heroic strangers.
Jan. 27, 2017, midnight
S1E33 - Having a Nude Bonanza in Conan Exiles
Please do not tell on us to YouTube for this episode. We tried to hide every bepis that we saw, but we saw A LOT of them.
Feb. 17, 2017, midnight
S1E34 - Flying Through Dragon Age Inquisition with a Slime DJ
WARNING: Individuals with photosensitive epilepsy should be advised that this video contains flashing lights and could be dangerous to those susceptible to seizures. Viewer discretion is advised.
March 10, 2017, midnight
S1E35 - Monster Factory Wrestling Federation: MONSTER MANIA
In this special episode, Eleven of Polygon's most dangerous monsters collide in the squared circle at Monster Mania. See friendships tested, rivalries unleashed, and barriers broken. This is the grandest stage-- the final confrontation. This is Monster Mania!
April 2, 2017, midnight
S1E36 - Sweeps Week Ep. 1: Improving Your Favorite TV Sitcoms
We're kicking off a new miniseries here in the Monster Factory! It's called Sweeps Week, and it's going to CHANGE THE FACE OF TELEVISION AS YOU KNOW IT.
April 7, 2017, midnight
S1E37 - Sweeps Week Ep. 2: Making Full House Too Full
In the second episode of Monster Factory "Sweeps Week", Griffin and Justin play a fun game with the Full House family and make Dharma and Greg pay the blood price.
May 5, 2017, midnight
S1E38 - Sweeps Week Ep. 3: Boba Fett Hates Raymond
"Everybody Loves Raymond"? Not Boba Fett, he HATES HIM. Featuring the cast from the OC.
May 19, 2017, midnight
S1E39 - Sweeps Week Ep. 4: Todd Coolbody's Sitcom Spectacular
In the conclusion of Monster Factory Sweeps Week, television exec Todd Coolbody wraps up his streak of improving all the classic sitcoms you know and love. And Family Guy.
June 2, 2017, midnight
S1E40 - CoolGames Inc Presents: Super Mario Bros. Maker
Nick, Griffin and a team of anonymous external contractors have collaborated to create the most exciting piece of software to come out of E3 2017: Super Mario Bros. Maker.
June 12, 2017, midnight
S1E41 - Cid Finalfantasy’s Cat Man Quest
Griffin and Justin create a sad brain man who yearns to be a cat man.
June 30, 2017, midnight
S1E42 - Stang Is Totally Not Sting Trying To Play Basketball
Griffin and Justin play some b-ball with Stang, who is absolutely not Sting in a disguise.
Aug. 18, 2017, midnight
S1E43 - Just Like Art: The Pink Man
Welcome to Monster Factory: Just Like Art, a new series where we push Skyrim's character customization to the limit in an attempt to create genuine, gallery-worthy masterpieces.
Sept. 13, 2017, midnight
S1E44 - Making a SWEET ALIEN BOY in Everybody's Golf
Griffin and Justin try to teach a small alien boy how to play golf in a respectable way.
Sept. 15, 2017, midnight
S1E45 - Just Like Art: Chomp Mom
Welcome to the second episode of Monster Factory: Just Like Art, a series where we push Skyrim's character customization to the limit in an attempt to create genuine, gallery-worthy masterpieces. This week, we learned two very valuable lessons: a) art isn't always beautiful, and b) motherhood is its own reward.
Sept. 20, 2017, midnight
S1E46 - Just Like Art: Jerry Potter
Welcome to the third installment of Monster Factory: Just Like Art, a series where we push Skyrim's character customization to the limit in an attempt to create genuine, gallery-worthy masterpieces.
Sept. 27, 2017, midnight
S1E47 - Just Like Art: Snakel from Frands
What's the one thing that could make Skyrim better? Recreating one of the most popular '90s sitcoms inside of it. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Snakel from Frands.
Oct. 11, 2017, midnight
S1E48 - Just Like Art: The Real Boogerman
In the final episode of Monster Factory: Just Like Art, Griffin and Justin give themselves an easy task: creating the most powerful and poignant work of art in the history of mankind.
Oct. 18, 2017, midnight
S1E49 - Tony Hawk???? The Skateboarding Flat Man
On the latest episode of Monster Factory, Griffin and Justin make a rebellious, long-armed skateboarder whose three dimensions are seriously in question.
Oct. 20, 2017, midnight
S1E50 - Zeke Teenweed Takes Us To Fart School
Zeke Teenweed is just your typical teen. He loves skateboarding, drawing Shrek graffiti, and not being an undercover cop.
Nov. 3, 2017, midnight
S1E51 - Adult Cool Needs More Hats
Griffin and Justin's galactic adventure with Adult Cool is just getting started.
Dec. 8, 2017, midnight
S1E52 - Adult Cool's Powerful Kicks Are Unstoppable
Griffin and Justin take Adult Cool on a galactic kicking adventure in part two of their Phantasy Star Online 2 extravaganza.
Dec. 15, 2017, midnight
S1E53 - Arby "The Meathead" McDonald Is Back in the Ring
It's been a while since Arby "The Meathead" McDonald donned his wizard shirt and stepped in the ring. So maybe it's high time Griffin, Justin, and special guest Wrestling Expert Patrick Gill bring Arby's famous tooth out of retirement.
Feb. 2, 2018, midnight
S1E54 - Arby McDonald Dearly Loves His Sons
Griffin and Pat get Arby ready for his first match by spending entirely too much time on his intro. Still worth it.
Feb. 23, 2018, midnight
S1E55 - Arby's True Nemesis is Revealed
Alliances are broken. Enemies become friends. Will Arby be able to pull off his special finisher? All that and more on the exciting conclusion of Arby "The Meathead" McDonald's epic trilogy.
March 9, 2018, midnight
S1E56 - Halo 666 Finishes the Fight
Monster Hunter: World is so metal and it doesn't even know it.
April 13, 2018, midnight
S1E57 - Dr. Sexgun's Menagerie of Deadly Secrets
The boys are back in town, baby! Gather the children 'round, cause this new hidden object game is guaranteed to be fun for the whole family.
Dec. 5, 2018, midnight
S1E58 - Dr. Sexgun is back with a brand new invention
If you thought you'd seen the last of Dr. Sexgun and his clandestine cache of audacious armaments, think again.
Jan. 2, 2019, midnight
S1E59 - Jim "Captain Cool" Johnman's Don Bradman Cricket 14
Donny, you're out of your element.
Feb. 6, 2019, midnight
S1E60 - Jim Johnman is playing baseball in Don Bradman Cricket 14
At long last, it's Jim Johnman's turn at bat. And also pitching. And also refereeing.
March 6, 2019, midnight
S1E61 - Freddy "Slimeburger" Jr. emerges from Vault 76
On this episode of Monster Factory, the brothers try very hard to create a character in Fallout 76 despite Todd's best efforts.
April 3, 2019, midnight
S1E62 - Nothing will stop Slime Burger from going to Camden Park
Slime Burger goes on a journey through Todd's twisted vision of West Virginia in search of legendary Camden Park in Fallout 76.
May 1, 2019, midnight
S1E63 - Tammy Radbody loves tree beef
A wise forest elf, Tammy Radbody always knows the best places to find river Skittles.
June 5, 2019, midnight
S1E64 - Tammy Radbody will absolutely set a forest on fire
Tammy Radbody may be a protector of the forest, but she'll totally start a forest fire for a new dress and some baguettes.
July 3, 2019, midnight
S1E65 - Yoba Skywalker Starwars goes to infinity and beyond
Boldly going where no forehead has gone before.
Aug. 7, 2019, midnight
S1E66 - The search for Yoba Skywalker Starwars' cool outfit
Yoba Skywalker Starwars has a killer outfit, but Starfleet is making him wear nerd armor. Where did his sick fashions get too? THE SEARCH IS ON!
Sept. 5, 2019, midnight
S1E67 - Invite your friends to the inescapable world of Avakin life
You're losing money by NOT signing up, come on!
Oct. 16, 2019, midnight
S1E68 - Finding the video game in Avakin Life
Avakin Life let's you do a lot of things, but is there a video game in there? Join your friend Nanci Budin 73 as we found out!
Nov. 6, 2019, midnight
S1E69 - Snack Braff is Zach Braff if he'd just commit to going to the gym an hour a day
Zachary "Zack Boy Bradley" i.e. SNACK BRAFF is really just Zach Braff if only he'd just get off his duff and commit to going a little harder at the gym in 2020.
Dec. 4, 2019, midnight
S1E70 - Sweet Gene can have little a revenge, for Snack
We gather here today in memory of Snack "Zachary Zach Boy Bradley" Braff, not to mourn, but to celebrate his brief but exceptional life, and in his memory raise a bright new star, burning with revenge for Snack.
Jan. 15, 2020, midnight
S1E71 - The one where they actually play WWE2K20
Well, it's come to this. Griffin and Justin are actually going to do the unthinkable and play WWE2K20.
Feb. 16, 2020, midnight
S1E72 - Creating a seriously scary vampire in Code Vein
Don't talk to me or my vampire son ever again!
March 11, 2020, midnight
S1E73 - Exploiting the gig economy in Code Vein
Dugls n’ Richard are adventuring with their friends, fighting weird slime boys and hunting for that magical elixir we all crave, Awake MJ018.
April 8, 2020, midnight
S1E74 - Making a physical manifestation of the word ‘meh’ in Dark Souls 3
Yep, let's go into battle. *long sigh* See you guys in the adventure.
May 20, 2020, midnight
S1E75 - Pushing Dark Souls 3 EXTREME EDITION to the limit
He might have to become large, indestructible, and turn all his enemies into barrel, but dang it, Hungry-Faced Gil is going to beat Dark Souls 3 EXTREME EDITION.
July 8, 2020, midnight
S1E76 - Can Gil forge a sword big enough to kill God?
Can glitches and crashes prevent Gil from beating Dark Souls 3 EXTREME EDITION? Unfortunately the answer is yes, but there's still a lot of fun to be had along the way!
Aug. 19, 2020, midnight
S1E77 - Crafting a monster in Woodworking Simulator
Monster Factory is de-industrializing and making a bespoke, handcrafted monster for a change.
Sept. 30, 2020, midnight
S1E78 - jIM jELLY is doing gymnastics their way
jIM jELLY likes two things: Buffalo Wilds Wings and completely re-writing the rules of gymnastics... and jIM's all out of wings.
Oct. 28, 2020, midnight
S1E79 - Ronnie Faeburger is a fresh take on Ronald McDonald
The first NEXT GEN Monster Factory fully utilizes the power of the PS5 to create an updated version of McDonald's burger clown.
Dec. 16, 2020, midnight
S1E80 - Creating a baby monster in Crusader Kings 3
In a Monster Factory first, the boys create a monster that's zero years old: a baby king that everyone hates. Huzzah!
Jan. 27, 2021, midnight
S1E81 - Making Whoville's Anti-Grinch Guardian in Elden Ring
Monster Factory is back! We’ve got a fistful of boiled prawns and we’re diving into the world of Elden Ring to see if we can answer the age-old question, “What if a Who kicked ass?”
March 25, 2022, midnight
S1E82 - Humdinger The Grinch Hunter WILL find the Elden Ring
The Humdinger returns. He’s shirtless and ready to hunt Grinches, collect fingers, and snack on his beloved prawns.
April 20, 2022, midnight
S1E83 - Saving the Avatar franchise with Chimeraland
Someone call Jimmy Cams - we used Chimeraland to make a new version of Avatar 2 starring Uncleberry, the uber-sexy sharkman made exclusively of fins.
Nov. 9, 2022, midnight
S1E84 - Uncleberry dabbles in the dark cuisine in Chimeraland
Join Uncleberry as he tackles Chimeraland’s many fantastical challenges, like cleaning, cooking, caring for pets, and playing video games! Try to kill a 500 year-old demigod, learn the importance of following the recipe, and unwind with some aspirational home decor programming. It’s Chimeraland!
Dec. 7, 2022, midnight
S1E85 - Creating a Beefy Prince in Street Fighter 6
Lower body? Check. Pudding fist? Check. Turbo cupping scars? Also a check. We used only the most powerful shapes to build this ass-kicking prince, and he’s gonna give Prince Friday what for.
July 5, 2023, midnight
S1E86 - Unleashing Prince Legday on Metro City
Prince Legday hits the streets, putting pros, death robots, and lit majors alike to sleep, in hopes of getting enough sweet sweet cash to step up his fashion with some truly haute couture looks.
Aug. 2, 2023, midnight
S1E87 - Creating a Toothsome Warrior in Starfield
Toddddddd, we fixed your game – you’re so welcome. Just jammed in a whole buncha extra sliders for our own personal uses, so we can create the twisted villain of a man we needed. You know how it is.
March 6, 2023, midnight
S1E88 - Molar Mike da Wisdom Toot Takes to the Skies in Starfield
He’s here to fight tooth decay but he’s not above taking a little cereal treat for himself when he can find one. Everyone needs little treats sometimes, you know?
March 20, 2024, midnight
S1E89 - It's an Any% Killford Speedrun In Dragon's Dogma 2
Despite Capcom's efforts to the contrary, we're kicking off a new season of Monster Factory with some pro strats and manips to speedrun building our new friend Killford in Dragon's Dogma.
Oct. 23, 2024, midnight
S1E90 - Recruiting the Perfect Pupating Gorge Washin in Dragon's Dogma 2
Killford is preparing for his quest by recruiting the perfect squad: our pupating lord Gorge Washin, the teacher's pet Speical Boy, and the ever-judgemental Dr. Hotdog. Surely they'll find something productive to do other than throwing people to the brine eels.
Oct. 30, 2024, midnight
S1E91 - Discovering Eco-Friendly Combat Strategies in Dragon's Dogma 2
Killford and the gang rely on the kindness of strangers as they head into the questionable frame rates of scenic Vermund and take on a foolproof plan for regicide that may in fact be a little foolish.
Nov. 6, 2024, midnight
S1E92 - Ripping Huge, Healthy Cotton With Nutricia in Wo Long
Our newest creation is bringing a real Lord Farquaad silhouette and a new non-nicotine, non-branded, nutrient-rich, cool-for-kids vape product. It’s definitely not a pyramid scheme.
Nov. 13, 2024, midnight
S1E93 - Becoming a Girlboss Vape Wizard in Wo Long
The Vita-Vape CEO is back and she’s out to spread the good word of her powerful, nutritious vapes. The marketing strategy is a little heavy on the violence, we’ll admit, but there are also free samples!
Nov. 20, 2024, midnight
S1E94 - Crafting a Man-Park in Indoorlands
This time around, Justin is in the driver’s seat. He’s taking big swings and asking big questions like, “What if the man is a park?” or “Where can you go if you want to get wet AND you want to prove the existence of ghosts and aliens?”
Nov. 27, 2024, midnight
S1E95 - Searching for the heart of the Man-Park in Indoorlands
Come for the super sloppy meditation experience, toilet toes, and Sprute’s drink it al, stay for the kid-friendly greasy prices and the horridor.
Dec. 4, 2024, midnight
S1E96 - Bringing Peter Point to life
Justin’s inadvertent love affair with fences continues as the boys construct a coaster that swiftly reaches into the realm of non-euclidean existence, and discover the face of their monster at last.
Dec. 11, 2024, midnight
YouTube
22 min/ep
2156 min
May 4, 2015
Dec. 11, 2024, midnight
Returning Series
TV-MA / 17+
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