Cartoon Network changed animation forever – Warner Bros shouldn’t let it die
- Written by Jacqueline Ristola, Lecturer in Digital Animation, University of Bristol
Many people – myself included – remember Cartoon Network as their favourite TV channel to watch after school. Launched in 1992, Cartoon Network became a global cable brand, available in over 180 countries.
But while the channel had international recognition and commercial success with original hits such as The Powerpuff Girls[1] (1998-2005) and Adventure Time[2] (2010-2018), lately its iconic status has been diminished in the backdrop of the streaming platform wars[3].
In fact, Cartoon Network is an excellent case study for how the conditions of media conglomeration shape how media is made and curated. And in making a wide variety of animation available, Cartoon Network also helped make audiences think differently about animation.
The network’s story began in 1991, when media mogul Ted Turner bought the animated television titan Hanna-Barbera Productions. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the studio created more than 100 animated television series that dominated Saturday morning programming[4].
Turner bought Hanna-Barbera not for the studio itself, but for its impressive content library – which provided much of Cartoon Network’s initial programming. But while Cartoon Network began as a rerun channel, its programmers were ambitious for something more.
Cartoon Network series also paved the way for queer representation in children’s media. Adventure Time and Steven Universe featured both implicit and explicit queer representation throughout. These series were immensely popular with children and adults alike, and paved the way for other series to represent queerness in animation[16].
Since its debut, Cartoon Network has always attracted a broad audience of adults[17]. This is what prompted the launch of Adult Swim in 2001 – an adult-oriented programme block with edgy and subversive[18] series, many of which were animated. Adult Swim pushed the envelope, creating animation that was crass, crude – and sometimes profound.
Much of the humour of early Adult Swim series was predicated on the contrast between the assumption that animation is “for kids” and the crass material depicted. At the same time, they helped push animation to be considered as a form for everyone, regardless of age.
Lost in the shuffle of media conglomeration
Built through the resources of Turner’s media conglomerate, Cartoon Network established itself in a competitive cable marketplace – and such corporate conglomeration has continued to shape the channel, its content and brand. But the sale of Warner Bros. to Discovery in 2022[19] and subsequent corporate strategy shifts has left the channel and its content lost in the shuffle.
Characters like the Powerpuff Girls have been firm fan favourites for years.
Jamaica Parambita/Dupe[20]
During AT&T’s ownership of Warner Bros. (2018-2022), Cartoon Network was positioned as the central brand[21] to reach kids and family audiences worldwide.
But in 2022, AT&T sold the company to Discovery, creating Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This merger produced turmoil in the media industry, as the newly formed conglomerate quickly announced layoffs and cut content, including animated[22] content[23].
While WBD publicly committed to reaching family audiences, several animated works (kid-focused or otherwise) got the axe[24]. These apparent discrepancies[25] between the company’s content and business strategies have arguably produced brand confusion[26], with Cartoon Network caught in the middle.
Since 2024, most of Cartoon Network’s content has been cut from streaming libraries[27]. What was once a prominent brand in the Warner Bros. portfolio seems forgotten. But as industry analysts note, kids content, animated or otherwise, remains an important component in any media portfolio[28]. WBD should recognise the value Cartoon Network offers with its great animation and unique history.
References
- ^ The Powerpuff Girls (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Adventure Time (www.youtube.com)
- ^ streaming platform wars (www.paramount.com)
- ^ Saturday morning programming (www.nrm.org)
- ^ telling them (www.latimes.com)
- ^ I argue (doi.org)
- ^ What a Cartoon! (cartoonnetwork.fandom.com)
- ^ Dexter’s Laboratory (www.youtube.com)
- ^ platform to share their work (www.jstor.org)
- ^ Sign up here (theconversation.com)
- ^ Samurai Jack (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Steven Universe (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Infinity Train (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Johnny Bravo (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo (www.alamy.com)
- ^ represent queerness in animation (www.papermag.com)
- ^ broad audience of adults (variety.com)
- ^ edgy and subversive (www-taylorfrancis-com.bris.idm.oclc.org)
- ^ sale of Warner Bros. to Discovery in 2022 (variety.com)
- ^ Jamaica Parambita/Dupe (dupephotos.com)
- ^ positioned as the central brand (press.wbd.com)
- ^ animated (variety.com)
- ^ content (variety.com)
- ^ got the axe (variety.com)
- ^ These apparent discrepancies (variety.com)
- ^ produced brand confusion (variety.com)
- ^ Cartoon Network’s content has been cut from streaming libraries (collider.com)
- ^ important component in any media portfolio (www.latimes.com)
