In 2006, Thomas "TomSka" Ridgewell was very confident to make his own animated web series. But sadly, he couldn't animate that well. He had the energy to work with Edd Gould (now deceased) for his webtoon, Eddsworld. In 2010, he decided to use the money he was making on YouTube to a fully-funded animated web-series. He didn't know what the show focuses on or if he had to use his friends or original characters. He settled on original characters, and eventually created Crash Zoom.
More info can be found here about the concepts & stages of how the shorts where eventually finalised into what they are today. (One of the only major changes to note was that Elliot was changed into a female named Lucy in the final version).