# Grotto Beasts Grotto Beasts is a fictional children's cartoon and trading card franchise invented by Twitch streamer Jerma985 during a March 2021 sketch parodying Pokémon booster pack unboxings. He staged an archaeological dig in the Nevada desert and opened cards for a 90s show that never existed, and within a day fans produced a fake 1997 website, character theme music, and a dedicated subreddit filling in the lore. ## Origin On March 6, 2021, Jerma985 streamed 'The Wonders of Archaeology' on Twitch, filming on location in the Nevada desert with an excavator, a production crew, and a paleontologist from the Nevada Science Center[1]. After digging up a wooden chest said to be left behind by his grandfather, Jerma opened a box of booster packs for the fictional Grotto Beasts franchise and acted as though he had never heard of it[2]. The cards themselves were prepared in advance by artists like @Hollulu and @melscribbles, with their Twitter handles visibly stamped on the art to tip off anyone paying attention[1]. Jerma coined non-existent characters such as 'Chromanova' on stream as he opened each pack[4]. - **Platform:** Twitch (source) / YouTube and Reddit (spread) - **Creator:** Jerma985 - **Date:** 2021 ## Overview Jerma's sketch worked because he stayed in character through the entire archaeological dig, acting shocked when a box of '1997 collectible monster card packs' turned out to be for a franchise nobody could possibly remember[1]. Cards displayed the Twitter handles of their real-life illustrators like @Hollulu and @BellymouthArt, hidden in plain sight as the giveaway clue[4]. Standout designs include the cowboy cat Meowdy and the vegetable kangaroo Veggiroo, which gave fans concrete material for inventing their own characters[1]. The joke works by pretending Grotto Beasts was a real but forgotten 90s cartoon and card game that aired for less than one full season. Participants produce art, fake episode credits, and theme music for individual monsters as if they were reconstructing half-remembered childhood details[8]. Nostalgia pastiche organizes the aesthetic, which is why the lore stays coherent even with dozens of artists contributing. ## How to Use Fans continue the joke by producing new Grotto Beasts characters, card art, and theme music under the premise that the franchise aired in the 90s. A common approach is designing a cryptid-style monster, then writing fake lore for it including type matchups, moveset, and episode appearances[8]. Submissions work best when they look like scanned memorabilia or hazy VHS captures instead of clean modern illustrations. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Grotto Beasts? Grotto Beasts is a fictional children's cartoon and trading card franchise invented by Twitch streamer Jerma985 in a March 2021 sketch[4]. The franchise never existed, but fans produce art and music for it as if it did[1]. ### Where did Grotto Beasts come from? Jerma985 streamed a parody archaeological dig on March 6, 2021, in the Nevada desert, where he opened fake 90s-style card packs for the made-up franchise[2]. The cards were designed in advance by artists including @Hollulu and @BellymouthArt[1]. ### What does Grotto Beasts mean? Grotto Beasts is the fictional name of a fake 90s monster card game Jerma invented for his sketch, and the phrase now refers to the collaborative joke franchise fans extended from it[4]. ### How do you use Grotto Beasts? Fans make original art, cards, music, and fake memorabilia for invented Grotto Beasts characters, maintaining the pretense that the franchise aired on 90s television[8]. The /r/GrottoBeasts subreddit hosts much of the ongoing output[5]. ### Is Grotto Beasts still popular? Peak attention arrived in March 2021 right after Jerma's Twitch sketch, when Kotaku and other outlets covered the gag[1]. The /r/GrottoBeasts subreddit is still active as a smaller fan hub for new character submissions[8]. ## References 1. [https://kotaku.com/a-twitch-streamer-unearthed-cards-from-a-fake-90s-pokem-1846431551]() 2. [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/939671029]() 3. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmtG1e0IE4Y]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/grotto-beasts]() 5. [http://www.grottobeasts.net/]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXMA1Rk54MI]() 7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCt0I3C5EA4]() 8. [https://www.reddit.com/r/GrottoBeasts/comments/m2gcrg/does_anyone_remember_this_one_its_a_hard_find_now/]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/grotto-beasts Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library