If you’ve heard one “D’oh!” or
“They killed Kenny!” too many, Cartoon Network has the
show for you.
The 24-hour animated network will be promoting “Adult
Swim,” their 3-hour adult cartoon block, at Madison’s
in Westwood tonight, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. There will be giveaways
and prizes, as well as money to spend at the bar.
“You know, the Simpsons aren’t as good as they used
to be, and South Park can get repetitive,” said Harp Pekin, a
second-year business economics student and planner of the event.
“”˜Adult Swim’ is a really funny show and really
popular with the college crowd.”
Since its debut on Sept. 2, 2001, “Adult Swim” has
expanded from two to five nights per week, acknowledging its large
adult audience.
“We always knew we had a large following with
adults,” said Jim Babcock, director of public relations for
Cartoon Network. “About 30 percent of our audience is over
18, so the more programming we aim at this audience, the
better.”
“Adult Swim” airs 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to
Thursday, when many adults turn the dial for decent late-night
programming.
“It’s great because college students are usually
busy with school or work, and they’re up late anyway,”
said Pekin.
“Adult Swim” builds their programming largely with
older programs such as Matt Groening’s
“Futurama,” recently acquired from the FOX network.
While shows like “Futurama,” “The Oblongs”
and “Home Movies” were only minor successes on network
television, “Adult Swim” breathes new life into these
otherwise obscure programs.
“Not every show can make it right out of the gate on
network television, live or animated; it’s the law of the
jungle,” Babcock said. “A lot of people know of these
shows from the networks but perhaps haven’t seen every
episode. “˜Adult Swim’ is a second chance for these
solid, funny shows.”
In addition to rebroadcasting shows like “Futurama,”
the cartoon block features a host of original programming. There
are entirely new creations, like “Ripping Friends” and
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” There are also cartoons that
reinvent older cartoon superheroes, including “Harvey
Birdman, Attorney at Law” and the cult hit animated talk show
“Space Ghost: Coast to Coast.”
“Our shows are not that expensive to create, so we have
more of a chance to give it more time, and build a fan base,”
said Babcock.
Action-driven Anime series, such as “Outlaw Star”
and “Pilot Candidate,” flesh out “Adult
Swim’s” lineup, taking advantage of the late-night
placement, according to Babcock.
“The anime shows on “˜Adult Swim’ often have
too much action for earlier in the day, so there’s more than
enough room here,” he said.
What makes “Adult Swim” truly unique is its
ever-changing lineup, featuring different cartoons every night:
“Sealab 2021″ one night, and “Cowboy Bebop”
the next. Cartoon Network hopes that this tactic will enable shows
to stay fresh and avoid accusations of stagnance that have befallen
“The Simpsons” and “South Park.”
“We’re constantly rotating in shows, changing up the
schedule,” Babcock said. “The one thing we don’t
want is someone to watch our show and go, “˜We’ve seen
all of this before.'”