Adult Animated Television Series In The United States
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In the United States, before the enforcement of the
Hays Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
, some cartoon shorts contained humor that was aimed at adult audience members rather than children. Following the introduction of the
Motion Picture Association of America film rating system The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
, independent animation producers attempted to establish an alternative to mainstream animation. Initially, few animation studios in the United States attempted to produce animation for adult audiences, but later examples of animation produced for adults would gain mainstream attention and success. Adult animation in the United States includes shows with superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy elements. Some of the most prominent animations with these mature themes include ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'', ''
BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated Black comedy, black Comedy drama, comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F ...
'', ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'', and '' Archer'', along with other adult animated television series, feature films, and animation in other forms which helped the genre expand over the years.


Pre-Code animation

The earliest cartoon series were based upon popular
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
s, and were directed at family audiences. Most animation produced during the
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
era was not intended to be shown to any specific age group, but occasionally contained humor that was directed at adult audience members, including risqué jokes. Writer Michael Tisserand argued that all animations were "adult swims in the early days of American animation," with shapes which were hand-drawn, frolicking and not behaving "correctly" before audience members who "reacted with shock at this new life they were witnessing." Some scholars, like Jason Mittel, stated that the assumed audience of these early cartoons, particularly ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'', has alternated from their initial unspecific audience, to children, and back to general audiences as "classics". The earliest known instance of censorship in animation occurred when the censorship board of Pennsylvania requested that references to bootlegging be removed from
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's 1925 short '' Alice Solves a Puzzle''. One of the earliest animated pornographic films was ''
Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure ''"Buried Treasure" Featuring Eveready Harton'', also known as ''Pecker Island'', is an American adult animated pornographic cartoon short film made in the United States in 1928 or 1929. It depicts the sexual adventures of Eveready Harton (a pu ...
'', produced circa 1928. It has often been suggested that the film was produced for a private party in honor of
Winsor McCay Zenas Winsor McCay ( – July 26, 1934) was an American cartoonist and animator. He is best known for the comic strip ''Little Nemo'' (1905–14; 1924–26) and the animated film ''Gertie the Dinosaur'' (1914). For contractual reasons, he worke ...
. According to Karl F. Cohen's 1998 book, ''Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America'', rumor held that the film was developed in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
years after it was completed, because no lab in New York City would process the film. When a print was screened in San Francisco in the late 1970s, the program notes attributed the animation to
George Stallings George Tweedy Stallings (November 17, 1867 – May 13, 1929) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 and 1897 to 1898 and manage ...
, George Canata, Rudy Zamora, Sr. and Walter Lantz. The
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
, then known as the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors Association, was established in 1922 as the result of public objection to adult content in films, and a series of guidelines were established, suggesting content that should not be portrayed in films. Until the
Hays Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
was enforced, many animated shorts featured suggestive content, including sexual innuendo, references to alcohol and drug use, and mild
profanity Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...
. In the 1933 short '' Bosko's Picture Show'',
Bosko Bosko is an animated cartoon character created by animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. Bosko was the first recurring character in Leon Schlesinger's cartoon series and was the star of 39 ''Looney Tunes'' shorts released by Warner Bros. He ...
appears to use profanity, although it has also been suggested that the character is saying "
fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
", or even "
mug A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Typically, a mug holds approximately of liquid. A mug is a ...
". Apart from this, in the 1920s and 1930s, X-rated cartoons were produced and shown, building upon the "small non-theatrical industry" which had developed "around pornographic films before WWI." The latter cartoons came at time when the U.S. military began to commission animated films to train recruits. Also see page
2
an
3
/ref> This morphed into the U.S. Army's First Motion Picture Unit, which existed from 1942 to 1945 located at
Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on Ju ...
in
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
. The unit included filmmakers like
Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...
, ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' creator
Rudolf Ising Rudolf Carl Ising (August 7, 1903 – July 18, 1992) was an American animator best known for collaborating with Hugh Harman to establish the Warner Bros. and MGM Cartoon studios during the early years of the golden age of American animation. In ...
, animator Frank Thomas, and cartoonist Dr. Seuss, and it produced hundreds of animated "training films on a continuous schedule." Animation was integral in these films, helping pilots fly airplanes, soldiers learn the fine points of
military camouflage Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by an armed force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. In practice, this means applying colour and materials to military equipment of all kinds, including vehicles, ...
, or train others how to correctly use hand-held weapons. The
Betty Boop Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...
series was known for its use of jokes that would eventually be considered taboo following the enforcement of the Hays Code, including the use of nudity. Betty Boop was initially drawn as a dog, and cast as the girlfriend of another Fleischer character, Bimbo. Betty was redesigned as a human, but the series continued to suggest a love relationship between the two that went further than the normal relationship between humans and their pets. The short '' Is My Palm Read'' contains a scene in which Betty is shown as a child between the ages of four and five, bathing in the nude. In the 1970s, this scene was shown out of context in performances by
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo was an American surrealist street theatre troupe, formed by performer and director Richard Elfman in 1972. The group was led by Richard until 1976, when his brother Danny Elfman took over. The group evolved ...
. Concert audiences were not aware that Betty was supposed to be a baby in the sequence. Another short, '' Bamboo Isle'', contains a sequence in which Betty dances the hula topless, wearing only a lei over her breasts and a
grass skirt A grass skirt is a costume and garment made with layers of plant fibres such as grasses and leaves that is fastened at the waistline. Pacific Grass skirts were introduced to Hawaii by immigrants from the Gilbert Islands around the 1870s to 1880s a ...
. According to animator Shamus Culhane,
Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () is an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of i ...
and
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
were shocked by the sequence, but because it was a major sequence, it could not be cut out of the film. Culhane also states that he does not remember any instance in which the film was censored. Betty's hula animation was reused for a cameo appearance with
Popeye the Sailor Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.of the same name. Following the enforcement of the Hays Code, Betty's clothing was redesigned, and all future shorts portrayed her with a longer dress which did not emphasize her physique and sexuality. Shorts produced following the enforcement of the Hays Code were also less surreal in nature, and Betty was portrayed as a rational adult.


After the Hays Code

By 1968, the Hays Office had been eliminated, and the former guidelines were replaced by the
Motion Picture Association of America film rating system The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
. The lifting of the Code meant that animated features from other countries could be distributed without censorship, and that censorship would not be required for American productions. Some underground cartoon features from the late 1960s were also aimed at an adult audience, such as ''
Bambi Meets Godzilla ''Bambi Meets Godzilla'' is a 1969 black-and-white animated short student film created entirely by Marv Newland. Less than two minutes long, the film is a classic of animation; it was listed #38 in the book ''The 50 Greatest Cartoons'' (1994). ...
'' (1968), and the anti-war films '' Escalation'' (1968), and '' Mickey Mouse in Vietnam'' (1969). ''Escalation'' in particular is interesting because it was made by Disney animator
Ward Kimball Ward Walrath Kimball (March 4, 1914 – July 8, 2002) was an American animator employed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was part of Walt Disney's main team of animators, known collectively as Disney's Nine Old Men. His films have been honored ...
, independently from the
Disney Studios The Walt Disney Studios is an American film and entertainment studio, and is the Studios Content segment of the Walt Disney Company. Based mainly at the namesake studio lot in Burbank, California, the studio is best known for its multifaceted ...
. Film producer John Magnuson completed an animated short based upon an audio recording of a comedy routine by
Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), known professionally as Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of comedy which ...
titled ''
Thank You Mask Man ''Thank You Mask Man'' is an animated short film based upon a comedy routine by Lenny Bruce involving The Lone Ranger and Tonto. The film was produced by John Magnuson, and directed by Jeff Hale (director), Jeff Hale. Plot After years of saving a ...
'' (1971), in which The Lone Ranger shocks the residents of the town he saves when he tells them that he wants to have sex with Tonto. The short was made by
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
-based company Imagination, Inc. and directed by Jeff Hale, a former member of the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
. The film was scheduled to premiere on the opening night of '' Z'', as a supplement preceding the main feature, but was not shown. According to a former staff member of the festival, Magnuson ran up the aisle and shouted, "They crucified Lenny when he was alive and now that he is dead they are screwing him again!" The festival's director told Magnuson that the producer of ''Z'' did not want any short shown that night. Rumors suggested that the wife of one of the festival's financiers hated Bruce, and threatened to withdraw her husband's money if the short was screened. ''Thank You Mask Man'' was later shown in art house screenings, and gained a following, but screenings did not perform well enough financially for Magnuson to profit from the film.


Animated series


In the 1990s and 2000s

''
Aeon Flux The word aeon , also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timeles ...
'', which aired from 1991 to 1995, was an American
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
that aired on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. Liana Satenstein called it "cutting edge, bizarrely sexy, and certainly not for daytime television," which has cult-following, while
Peter Chung Peter Chung (born April 19, 1961) is a Korean American animator. He is best known for his unique style of animation, as the creator and director of ''Æon Flux'' and '' Reign: The Conqueror (Alexander Senki)''. Early life and career Peter Chung ...
, the director of the animated show, stated he was inspired by the "very naked images of the late
Helmut Newton Helmut Newton (born Helmut Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-a ...
." Dramatic series such as ''
Aeon Flux The word aeon , also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timeles ...
'' and '' Invasion America'' are less common, and still rarely successful. Discussions involving a series based upon Trey Parker and Matt Stone's video Christmas card, '' The Spirit of Christmas'', led
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
to contact Ralph Bakshi in order to produce an animated series targeted specifically toward adults. Bakshi enlisted a team of writers, including his son, Preston, to develop ''Spicy Detective'', later renamed ''
Spicy City ''Spicy City'' is an adult animated erotic cyberpunk television series which was created by Ralph Bakshi for HBO. It is an anthology series in a similar format as television programs such as ''The Twilight Zone'' and ''Tales from the Crypt''. The ...
'', an
anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...
set in a noir-ish, technology-driven future. Each episode featuring a different story narrated by a female host named Raven, voiced by Michelle Phillips. The series premiered in July 1997, unexpectedly beating ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' to television by over a month and becoming the first "adults only" cartoon series. Although critical reaction was mixed and largely unfavorable, ''Spicy City'' received acceptable ratings. A second season was approved, but the network wanted to fire Bakshi's writing team and hire professional
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screenwriters. When Bakshi refused to cooperate with the network, the series was canceled. FOX's '' The PJs'', airing from 1999 to 2001, featured
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
and his "stop motion animated story of life within the projects," with the name an abbreviation for "the projects." This show lasted three seasons, but later was cancelled in 2001, fading into obscurity. '' Space Ghost: Coast to Coast'' ran on Cartoon Network from 1994 to 2001, then on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
from 2001 to 2004, followed by being on GameTap from 2006 to 2008. The first two seasons of this adult animated parody
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
were presented as a serious talk show with subdued jokes, while the later seasons relied more on
surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
, non-sequitur, and tabloid. Not only was it said to be first original series fully produced by
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
, but it had two spinoff series in the form of ''
Cartoon Planet ''Cartoon Planet'' is an American animated variety show that originally ran from 1995 to 1998 and 2012 to 2014 on Cartoon Network. A spin-off of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', the series centered on Space Ghost recruiting his imprisoned evil neme ...
'' and ''
The Brak Show ''The Brak Show'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Andy Merrill, Jim Fortier, and Pete Smith for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. ''The Brak Show'' serves as a Spin-off (media), spin-off ...
'', while inspiring series such as ''
Sealab 2021 ''Sealab 2021'' is an American adult animated television series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before t ...
''; '' Aqua Teen Hunger Force''; '' Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law''; '' Perfect Hair Forever''; and ''
The Eric Andre Show ''The Eric Andre Show'' is an American surreal sketch comedy television series which began airing on May 20, 2012. The show premiered on Adult Swim and is a parody of late night talk shows. The series is hosted by comedian Eric André and formerl ...
''. The series was described as "zany superhero spoof" which established a formula used on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
and elsewhere, with a specific "randomness and raunchy sense of humor." Beginning in the 2000s, '' Celebrity Deathmatch'' was an American
stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
claymated series created by Eric Fogel for
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. which depicts various celebrities engaging in highly stylized
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
matches. As such, it is known for its large amount of gory violence, including combatants employing different abilities and weapons to deliver particularly brutal attacks, resulting in exaggerated physical injuries. Two
television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
s were broadcast on MTV in January 1998, but the series proper premiered on May 14, 1998, and ended on June 6, 2002, airing for 75 episodes. Then, for a brief period during that year, reruns of the series aired on broadcast network
UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which prod ...
, the series came back for two seasons between 2006 and 2007. Later, in April 2015, MTV2 announced a reboot of the series, but in November 2016, Fogel stated via Twitter that MTV did not pick up the pilot to series. As a whole, the series was called an "off-the-wall show" which has goofy and edgy comedy, becoming a "uniquely appealing romp." In September 2001,
Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
established
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
as a programming block on Cartoon Network, aimed for an adult audience, in contrast to the different demographic targeted for Cartoon Network, which some said was the beginning of "great changes" in the "world of adult animated series" for the next twenty years. Its schedule currently includes original programs such as ''
Rick and Morty {{Infobox television , image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png , alt = , caption = , genre = {{Plainlist, * Animated sitcom * Adult animation * Science fiction * Black comedy * ...
'' and ''
The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animation, adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on ...
'', as well as more "experimental" shows such as '' Aqua Teen Hunger Force and'' '' Squidbillies''. Some said that the programming block was inspired by shows like ''
Beavis and Butt-Head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, ...
'' and ''
Aeon Flux The word aeon , also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timeles ...
''." The programming block also marked the return of ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animation, adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast t ...
'', which ran on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
from 1994 to 2001, Adult Swim from 2001 to 2004, and GameTap from 2006 to 2008. In the case of ''The Venture Bros'', it became a fan favorite due to its callbacks, "fast-paced dialogue" and commentaries about the "dark realities behind American television icons" while ''Rick and Morty'' had "tightly structured, high concept adventures." The creation of Adult Swim, posed in 2000 by Mike Lazzo and Michael Ouweleen after a
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
team saw how many adults were watching their channel, originally confused executives who thought that adults don't watch cartoons, leading them to begin with a small number of shows made of the cheap and aimed at young men. This effort was successful, with the programming block developing "a cult following." Later, adult animation got a boost with the revival of Samurai Jack in 2017 on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
, followed by ''
Primal Primal may refer to: Psychotherapy * ''Primal'', the core concept in primal therapy, denotes the full reliving and cathartic release of an early traumatic experience * Primal scene (in psychoanalysis), refers to the witnessing by a young child of ...
'' and '' gen:LOCK'' in later years. In 2006, R. Thomas Ulmstead reported that while adult animations aired on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
, Anime Network, and on the website of
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, this animation continued to push "television's content envelope beyond anything seen on basic cable," as is the video game business. From 2000 to 2005, ''
Sealab 2021 ''Sealab 2021'' is an American adult animated television series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before t ...
'', an American adult animated television series, aired first on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
before the official inception of the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
block on September 2, 2001, with the final episode airing on April 24, 2005. ''Sealab 2021'' is one of the four original Williams Street series that premiered in 2000 before Adult Swim officially launched, the others being '' Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', ''
The Brak Show ''The Brak Show'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Andy Merrill, Jim Fortier, and Pete Smith for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. ''The Brak Show'' serves as a Spin-off (media), spin-off ...
'' and '' Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law''. Much like Adult Swim's ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animation, adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast t ...
'', the animation used stock footage from a 1970s
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
cartoon, in this case the short-lived, environmentally-themed ''
Sealab 2020 ''Sealab 2020'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 9 to December 2, 1972, on Saturday mornings. The series was created by Alex Toth, who also created such other Ha ...
'', along with original animation. The show was a satirical parody of both the original ''Sealab'' series and the general conventions of the 1970s animated children's series. While there was initial resistance from several of the original series' creators to the reuse of their characters, production moved forward on the series. ''Sealab 2021'' was produced by 70/30 Productions, which eventually closed on January 9, 2009. The series was noted as an "underwater cartoon comedy" that fans of
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
should revisit, saying there is a "unique charm and historical significance" to the show, as it was said to "pioneer the modern-day trend of goofy and occasionally lude satirical animation." From 2006 to 2008, '' Frisky Dingo'', an animation created by those who had worked on ''
Sealab 2021 ''Sealab 2021'' is an American adult animated television series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before t ...
'', aired on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
. It was described as having nuanced and original animation which is "rife with crazy moments," while having various "epic moments and funny action film parodies." '' Sit Down, Shut Up'' was cancelled after its first season in 2009. In this series, Andrew LeGustambos is a flamboyant and bisexual drama teacher whose last name in Spanish roughly translates to "he likes both", a reference to his sexual orientation. He is in love with Larry Littlejunk and Miracle Grohe, with whom he hopes to get into a relationship should they become a couple. In 2011, '' Good Vibes'' aired on MTV, but was cancelled after one season. This surfer
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
was described by some critics as "criminally underappreciated," while equipped with engaging plotlines, hilarious gags, vibrant animation, and lamented for only lasting one season. From 2014 to 2015,
Stone Quackers ''Stone Quackers'' is an American adult animated television series created by Ben Jones. The series premiered October 27, 2014 on FXX as part of their Animation Domination High-Def block. Despite the Animation Domination High-Def block originall ...
aired on
FXX FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Walt Disney Television unit of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and fea ...
as part of their Animation Domination High-Def block. While only running for 12 episodes, critics described it as having colorful episodes, having hilarious and memorable characters, and said it effectively mixes "black comedy with genuine heartfelt moments," making it one of the "most fun and inventive adult cartoons" of the 2010s.


In the 2010s

In 2017,
Rick Moranis Frederick Allan Moranis (; born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian actor, comedian, musician, songwriter, writer and producer. He appeared in the sketch comedy series ''Second City Television'' (''SCTV'') in the 1980s and several Hollywood (film indu ...
pitched a cartoon about him as a demon slayer titled ''The Gatekeeper'' but
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
passed on the idea. Even though the idea had been developed, even with the drawing of concept art, Adult Swim cancelled the project, concerned about their "target audiences." In September 2020, a ScreenRant writer, Lucas Bermudez, called on Adult Swim to consider the idea once again. The cancellation of Moranis's show came at a time that
SYFY Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
, then owned by NBC Broadcasting and Sports, was rebranded, with Chris McCumber, who had become SYFY's president, adding "adult animation, live pop-culture coverage, podcasts and other programming" to the network. In 2019,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
ordered 10 episodes of an adult animation produced by
Fremulon Fremulon is an American television production company founded by television producer and writer Michael Schur. It is known for producing the long-running series ''Parks and Recreation'', ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', ''Master of None'', and ''The Good ...
and
3 Arts Entertainment 3 Arts Entertainment is an American talent management and television/film production company founded by Erwin Stoff, Michael Rotenberg and Howard Klein in 1991. The company has gone on to produce TV shows such as ''King of the Hill'', ''The Off ...
titled '' Q-Force'', which focuses on LGBTQ superspies, as part of its original programming, with its release date currently unknown. '' Love, Death & Robots'' began streaming on Netflix in March 2019. VFX editor and supervisor Brad Minnich described it as "an R-rated, adult animated feature" with various different styles, and that he discovered that there are various animators, and other creatives, who don't get a chance to work on this type of subject matter. Other reviewers said that the show is an "adult animation" with animators deciding this means "tits and profanity...rather than, well, stories fit for adults." In December 2019, Reuben Baron, an animation critic for '' CBR'' pointed out the recent negative toward adult animation, with people calling it "being ugly, immature and generally inferior to cartoons aimed at children," saying that while they make some sense as criticisms of a "lot of the cheaper Adult Swim series," they are exceptions, due to the wide "variety of high-quality adult animation options." He argued that the common criticism of such animation, even a few years before could be true as adult cartoons were comedic while dramatic or action storylines were in children's animation. He stated that apart from the CG animation in '' gen:LOCK'', shows like ''
Seis Manos ''Seis Manos'' (''Six Hands'') is an American adult animated streaming television series created by Brad Graeber and Álvaro Rodríguez. The plot is set in the fictional town of San Simon in 1970s Mexico and revolves around three orphans trained ...
'', '' Love, Death and Robots'', ''Primal'', ''Undone'', ''Outsiders'', and ''Harley Quinn'' are well animated, challenging the stereotype they are "ugly." Reuben further stated that adult animation, however, has to increase the "representation of women's perspectives" like in children's animation, while noting that ''Big Mouth'' has become "the de facto punching bag for complaints about adult animation" even though it has a female co-creator named Jennifer Flackett and it "tries hard to be socially conscious." He also noted that "old standbys" like ''Bob's Burgers'', ''Rick and Morty'' and ''Bojack Horseman'' continue to hold weight, even as he noted the failings of ''Family Guy'' and ''South Park'', while believing that dismissal of adult cartoons is due to "defensiveness from fans of kids' cartoons." He concluded by looking forward to "existing adult animation" to come in 2020, while stating that we might be "in an adult animation Renaissance."


From 2020 to present

In January 2020,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
and an animation studio,
Titmouse, Inc. Titmouse, Inc. is an American animation studio that develops and produces animated television programming, feature films, music videos, title sequences, commercials, and short films. The studio opened in 2000, and has offices in Los Angeles, New ...
, came to an agreement to produce "multiple original adult animated series" the names of which are yet to be announced. The next month, it was reported that
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
agreed to create "a system of defining criteria for children." Some criticized this as the AI they implemented viewed animated content as for children, saying this is an incorrect assumption, pointing to shows like ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'', ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'', ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—who r ...
'', '' Big Mouth'', ''
BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated Black comedy, black Comedy drama, comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F ...
'', and '' Happy Tree Friends''. She further stated that animation can cover various subjects and should be taken seriously in the ability to create a wide array of content than be labeled as "for children." In March 2020, a
white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
written by John Evershed, stated that adult animation is growing thanks to streaming platforms, a continued loss of cable viewers, animations going beyond comedy, shows which are not comedies are "easier to export," and the shortage of talent in this area even with "the sheer demand for adult animation." Dan Sarto Animation World Network also wrote about the report, stating that non-comedy adult-focused animation "appears to be a growing part of their current and future animation development and programming plans." In his report, Evershed wrote that before 2020, adult animation was either irreverent, were family sitcoms, or
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, but this changed by 2020. Evershed highlighted companies like
Titmouse, Inc. Titmouse, Inc. is an American animation studio that develops and produces animated television programming, feature films, music videos, title sequences, commercials, and short films. The studio opened in 2000, and has offices in Los Angeles, New ...
, Williams Street, and Bento Box producing adult animations, while customers are willing to pay for various streaming services. He also differented between
all-ages animation Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...
and adult animation, and noted the adult animation strategy of major streaming services, specifically pointing out that
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
eschewed adult animated content. In April 2020, it was reported that Syfy was expanding its 90-minute
TZGZ The following is a list of TV programs for the American channel Syfy, including both original and acquired programming. Current programming The following programs first aired in their entirety or had specific seasons on American Syfy channel. Prog ...
animation block with three new series and two pilots, specifically ''Hell Den'', '' Wild Life'', ''Dr. Havoc's Diary'', ''
Plutonians ''Rick and Morty'' is an American adult animated multimedia franchise originating with the Adult Swim television series of the same name created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, which premiered in 2013, which revolves around Rick Sanchez, an ...
'', and ''Psycho Psalms''. In June, this expanded when Syfy ordered the animated series, ''Devil May Care''. Carole Horst '' Variety'' also reported that animated featured outside the U.S. have a history of "Telling difficult stories" and that adult animation is increasing across the world, while noting that creators of such animation are embracing it and thinking what they can do with their ability to do effective storytelling, some even calling it "liberating" or a perfect medium to talk about social issues. This included ''Santa Inc.'' showrunner Alexandra Rushfield, Shadowmachine co-founders Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico, ''
Crossing Swords , creator = John Harvatine IV and Tom Root , voices = {{Plainlist, * Nicholas Hoult * Luke Evans * Alanna Ubach * Adam Pally * Tara Strong * Tony Hale * Adam Ray * Seth Green * Breckin Meyer * Wendi McLendon-Covey ...
'' creators John Harvatine IV and Tom Root, ''Fireheart'' creator Laurent Zeitoun, and Trioscope studios founders L.C. Crowley and Brandon Barr. Horst also stated that as those distributing content and streaming platforms are taking chances with these animations, it is a "golden age of animation as creatives discover the freedom of tooning up." Later in November 2020, Animation World Network interviewed the showrunner of ''Hell Den'', coming into its second season, Neil Garguilo. He stated that the adult animation block,
TZGZ The following is a list of TV programs for the American channel Syfy, including both original and acquired programming. Current programming The following programs first aired in their entirety or had specific seasons on American Syfy channel. Prog ...
, encouraged them to go "as far as we'd like in terms of the comedy" and stated that they did not face any pushback. In July 2020, critics talked about the "boom" in adult animation. Some highlighted new series like ''
BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated Black comedy, black Comedy drama, comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F ...
'', '' Big Mouth'', ''
Solar Opposites ''Solar Opposites'' is an American science-fiction animated sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. Originally created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, the project was shelved before being bought by Hulu and given a two-seaso ...
'', '' Disenchantment'', '' F is for Family'', ''
Final Space ''Final Space'' is an adult animated space opera comedy drama television series created by Olan Rogers and developed by Rogers and David Sacks. The series involves an astronaut named Gary Goodspeed and his immensely powerful alien friend Mooncak ...
'', '' Duncanville'', and '' Harley Quinn'', adding that these series have been in the making for years due to the length of the development process. It was also reported that a comic, ''Sweet Paprika'' by Mirka Andolfo, would be developed into an adult animation in partnership with a veteran of
Dreamworks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
, Gabriele Pennacchioli, which Andolfo calls an "urban fairy tale for adults." It is still in development. As of November 2020, the show is in production. Also in July 2020, Chris McCarthy, an executive in charge of ViacomCBS, was quoted as saying that
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
will "double down on adult animation in a really, really big way" despite the number of adult animations out in the "landscape of content." As ''
Rick and Morty {{Infobox television , image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png , alt = , caption = , genre = {{Plainlist, * Animated sitcom * Adult animation * Science fiction * Black comedy * ...
'' entered its fifth season, the company producing the show began collaborating with Wrangler to create a set of show-appropriate apparel. In early July 2020,
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
hosted the first ever Hilarious Animated Hulu Awards (HAHA) which is meant to celebrate "adult cartoons, characters, and moments" from those animations streaming on the streaming site. Viewers were allowed to vote on the winners, with awards for the Most Epic Battle Scene, Best Hangover Performance, Best New Show, Best Dance Performance, Best Talking Pet, Most Awkward Moment, Most Insulting Insult, Best Catchphrase, Breakout Star of the Year, and even Best Fart Performance. In later July, the HAHA winners were announced, with characters from ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'', ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—who r ...
'', ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'', ''
American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...
'', '' Archer'', ''
Cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...
'', and ''
Solar Opposites ''Solar Opposites'' is an American science-fiction animated sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. Originally created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, the project was shelved before being bought by Hulu and given a two-seaso ...
'' winning awards. In August 2020, it was reported that the ViacomCBS was expanding its adult animation offerings, as did
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
. Even so, animation critics noted that in the past, many adult animations didn't have enough momentum to "run longer than a few seasons," even though they gained "cult fan bases" and that in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
, unlike other parts of the entertainment industry, the idea of adult animation is seen as "novel." ''
The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animation, adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on ...
'' had been slated to be renewed for an eighth and final season, but was cancelled in September 2020. On September 5, an illustrator for the show, Ken Plume, said he would be sorry if the show was cancelled, which was confirmed by series creator Jackson Publick, with season 8 being axed. Not long after,
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
stated that they were working to "find another way to continue the ''Venture Bros.'' story"." A number of creators weighed in on the decision. For instance, '' The Owl House'' creator Dana Terrace criticized the cancellation, as did animator
Bryan Brinkman Bryan Brinkman is a cartoon animator and Crypto_art creator from the United States of America. Biography Brinkman grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, before studying animation at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Currently Brinkman works in Ne ...
, '' DuckTales'' producer Frank Angones, and other fans of the show. In December 2020, Sean Cubillas of
Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
said that ''The Venture Bros.'' should continue on
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
. In September 2020, reviewers noted the changing adult animation field in a so-called "golden age" and the growing demand for adult animation, thanks in part to efforts from streaming services. In October 2020, Genndy Tartakovsky's ''
Primal Primal may refer to: Psychotherapy * ''Primal'', the core concept in primal therapy, denotes the full reliving and cathartic release of an early traumatic experience * Primal scene (in psychoanalysis), refers to the witnessing by a young child of ...
'', a mature animated series, began airing on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
. It would be praised for its narrative approach which completely lacks dialogue. The same month, Bradley Lane wrote about the division between
children's entertainment A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
and adult animation, noting the rise of animation which tries to be "enjoyed equally by both young and old viewers alike" like ''
Over the Garden Wall ''Over the Garden Wall'' is an American animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. The series centers on two half-brothers who travel across a mysterious forest to find their way home, encountering a variet ...
''. Also in October 2020, Michael Price, a former writer of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' and creator of '' F is for Family'', talked about adult animation, adding that animation naturally "leads to a heightened, distorted version of things," while stating that he did "deeper and more emotional" writing of ''F Is For Family''. Additionally, Jorge Gutiérrez and Mexopolis, his production company, came to an agreement to produce new animations, including
preschool animation Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...
s,
all-ages animation Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...
s, and adult animations. Also, it was reported that
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...
, who works on
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
, was creating a team to create a ''Smokey and the Bandit'' adult animation, Genndy Tartakovsky was said to be beginning a new animation, which would be heading to
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
, titled ''Unicorn Warriors Eternal'' and it was announced that Marvel's upcoming adult animation, '' M.O.D.O.K'' would "directly advertise Marvel comic books." On the negative site, when Quibi shut down, it left animation projects set to be on the site in the lurch, like '' Doomlands'', ''Filthy Animals'', ''Futha Mucka'', ''Gloop World'', ''Micro Mayhem'' and ''Trill League'', with their status unknown. In late October 2020, it was also was reported that ViacomCBS was "ramping up its adult animation programming" with CBS All Access launching in 2021 as Paramount+, welcoming series like '' Tooning Out the News'' and ''
Star Trek: Lower Decks ''Star Trek: Lower Decks'' is an American adult-oriented animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth ''Star Trek'' series and was launched in 2020 ...
''. In November 2020, it was said that animation was at the front of the "war" between streamers like
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
,
Apple TV+ Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
, CBS All Access,
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
,
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
, and
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
as all try to "take note of animation's foothold in our collective tastes" even as the barrier to access for fans increases. The same month, a report by A2Z Market Research stated that some of the top companies in this market are the
Fox Broadcasting Company The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
, Sony Pictures Animation, VIA (a division of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
), and Studio Ghibli. Others included Sunrise Inc.,
DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
, Illumination Entertainment,
Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and Williams Street Productions. The report covered adult animation in film and in TV series. It was also reported that one of C21 Media's events at the virtual Content London conference would be a panel titled "Adult Animation Comes Of Age" which would bring together three individuals in the field who would discuss the popularity of the genre and "how their own work is pushing boundaries in the space." Lupus Films producer Camilla Deakin, Submarine co-founder Femke Wolting, and Trioscope Studios CEO L.C. Crowley were panelists. Also in November 2020, the upcoming
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
series ''
Onyx Equinox ''Onyx Equinox'' is a Mexican-American adult animated streaming television series created by Sofia Alexander for Crunchyroll. It is based on the mythologies of Mesoamerica, featuring deities of Aztec, Maya and Zapotec myth, while also making ref ...
'' was said have a "serious adult aspect." Others reviewers stated that ''
Blood of Zeus ''Blood of Zeus'', formerly known as ''Gods & Heroes'', is an American adult animated fantasy action streaming television series created and written by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides for Netflix. Produced by Powerhouse Animation Studios with the a ...
'' was an adult animation, with some calling it "an epic narrative with grandiose music and striking imagery" and good use of tropes, while noting occasional choppy animation and noting it is part of Netflix's effort to have more productions which appeal to adults. It was also reported that ''
The Liberator Liberator or The Liberators or ''variation'', may refer to: Literature * ''Liberators'' (novel), a 2009 novel by James Wesley Rawles * ''The Liberators'' (Suvorov book), a 1981 book by Victor Suvorov * ''The Liberators'' (comic book), a Britis ...
'', an adult animated series, was originally "being developed by the History Channel" but then was taken up by Trioscope Studios. Brandon Barr, chief content officer at Trioscope Studios and production coordinator behind adult animation, stated that although the project was "particularly challenging" and a lot of work, while saying that anime opened the door for other visual techniques and styles. He also hoped that the company could be part of "bringing nuanced emotional drama to that broader adult animation push." O November 11, season 1 of ''The Liberator'', began streaming on Netflix. Others reported that
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
's deal with
Jeff Dunham Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Comedy Central Presents'', ''The Tonigh ...
was part of the channels move away from live-action series and toward "event programming, topical shows and adult animation." Some reported that Amazon Studios would said to be producing an animated series titled "Oaklandia" which would star the rapper
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
and actor
Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...
, with producers including Daniel Dominguez who worked on '' Gen:Lock''. The same month, Eric Powers talked about his animation, ''Attack of the Demons'', saying he is trying to move away from being compared to ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', adding that he wants to tell different stories and use humor differently than what ''South Park'' is doing, saying that the idea of "what an adult animated show or movie should look like or can look like" is open. He clarified that he doesn't want to tell stories with the "gross-out humor" that ''South Park'' employs. Others reported that the head of
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
, Andy Forssell, teased that the streaming platform is working on reviving ''
The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animation, adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on ...
''. On November 23, 2020, the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' did a piece focusing on the expansion of adult animation on streaming platforms, first highlighting adult animations like ''
M.O.D.O.K. MODOK (also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former e ...
'' on Hulu and ''Invincible'' on
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
. The article also stated that the number of streaming services has been a "key catalyst for the recent boom in adult animation," with
Mike McMahan Mike McMahan is an American comedy writer and television producer. He is the creator of the animated comedies ''Solar Opposites'' (with Justin Roiland) and '' Star Trek: Lower Decks''. Career McMahan, a native of Chicago, first worked in prod ...
quoted as saying that "different streamers are really finding their voice" for various shows, as streamers compete for subscribers. The article stated that of all the streaming platforms, that HULU has the "largest library of adult animated TV shows among all the platforms," and quoted executives at Amazon who argued that adult animation is important to "meet the needs of our younger viewers" and that what is happening now "feels like a renaissance." In addition, the article noted adult animations on the
Animation Domination Animation Domination (also called AniDom, Fox AD, and AD) is an American animated programming block which has aired in two iterations on the Fox broadcast network, featuring a lineup solely made up of prime-time animation and adult animation carr ...
programming block of Fox,
SYFY Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
,
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, and
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
, and that streaming has changed the business of animation on television, along with its "narrative structure and aesthetics." The article concluded by noting that animation has not been affected by the pandemic as much as other industries, and quoted McMahan as hoping that what is happening now will "open up doors" for shows to come in the future. It was also reported that ViacomCBS, which owns
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, is "going all-in on adult animation" more than before. In December 2020, it was announced that
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
would add a separate section for adult content, which will be available starting in February 2021, even though Hulu has become Disney's place for "more adult-focused programming." The separate section for adult animated content may be a reference to Disney Star. It allows those Canada, New Zealand, and various European countries to see series like '' King of the Hill'', ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'', ''
American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...
'', ''
Solar Opposites ''Solar Opposites'' is an American science-fiction animated sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. Originally created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, the project was shelved before being bought by Hulu and given a two-seaso ...
'', ''
Archer (2009 TV series) ''Archer'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed for FX which premiered on September 17, 2009. The show follows the exploits of a dysfunctional intelligence agency, centered on Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) ...
'', ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'', ''
The Cleveland Show ''The Cleveland Show'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A spin-off of ''Family Guy'', the series centers on Cleveland Brown, his new wife Donna Tubbs, a ...
'', and ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—who r ...
'' while "Disney+ will be the home for ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''." In February 2021, the
Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
, a hub within the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
streaming service for television and film content intended for an adult audience, was launched. Other articles noted that the creator of ''
Star Trek: Lower Decks ''Star Trek: Lower Decks'' is an American adult-oriented animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth ''Star Trek'' series and was launched in 2020 ...
'',
Mike McMahan Mike McMahan is an American comedy writer and television producer. He is the creator of the animated comedies ''Solar Opposites'' (with Justin Roiland) and '' Star Trek: Lower Decks''. Career McMahan, a native of Chicago, first worked in prod ...
had inked a deal with
CBS Studios CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...
to "produce all television content created and developed" by him going forward. The same month, it was reported that a new series, titled ''Light Year'' will focus on Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story but have a "more adult sci-fi imprint" In late December it was reported by Cartoon Brew that ViacomCBS had created an upcoming channel known as Comedy Central Animation which will be launched by Pluto TV, including animated series from
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, created as part of ViacomCBS's Adult Animation Unit. This would put the channel in direct competition with other streaming services like Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access). In January 2021, a raunchy YouTube web series, ''The Chronicles of PB&Jay'', by animator Christopher Cromwell, continued releasing its episodes.
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
unveiled a new landing page for some of the best animations on the streaming service, including a section on adult animation, listing series like ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', ''
Rick and Morty {{Infobox television , image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png , alt = , caption = , genre = {{Plainlist, * Animated sitcom * Adult animation * Science fiction * Black comedy * ...
'', ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'', '' Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons'', ''
The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...
'', ''
Close Enough ''Close Enough'' is an American animated sitcom created by J. G. Quintel. Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, the project faced various delays and setbacks before eventually premiering on HBO Max on July 9, 2020. The series has received ...
'', ''
Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...
'' and '' Harley Quinn''. In late January, it was announced that HBO Max had begun developing a ''Game of Thrones'' animated series, which would be an adult animation. It will likely be similar to the ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' TV series. It was also announced that Netflix authorized a 10 episode order for an adult animation, and animated sitcom, produced by Roger Black and Waco O’Guin titled ''Farzar'' which follows Prince Fichael and his crew as "they venture out of their domed human city to fight the evil aliens that want to kill and/or eat them." In February 2021, in an interview with ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'',
Mike McMahan Mike McMahan is an American comedy writer and television producer. He is the creator of the animated comedies ''Solar Opposites'' (with Justin Roiland) and '' Star Trek: Lower Decks''. Career McMahan, a native of Chicago, first worked in prod ...
, the creator of ''
Star Trek: Lower Decks ''Star Trek: Lower Decks'' is an American adult-oriented animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth ''Star Trek'' series and was launched in 2020 ...
'' said he focused on the support crew of the ship because no one had told "stories about the crew on the lower decks" or about a ship that wasn't "important," and that he wanted a funny show about Star Trek. He also noted that work on the show was done when everyone was " in lockdown" in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
because of the coronavirus pandemic and praised the amount of detail put into the show, saying that the show's crew wanted the show to look like an adult animated comedy "in a primetime Sunday night setting." He also confirmed that Mariner is named after his sister and that she he can't pick between Marine, Brad, Tendi, and Rutherford over which one is his favorite, while saying that Star Trek is about "the friendships." It was also announced that the companies of Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre, Idris's wife, would be developing an
Afrofuturist Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, and philosophy of science and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technocultu ...
adult animated, and sci-fi, series, tentatively titled ''Dantai'', for
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
, which would be about a time when
biotech Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
has "created an ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots." Additionally, it was announced that Fox had greenlighted an unnamed adult animated series by
Dan Harmon Daniel James Harmon (born January 3, 1973) is an American writer, producer, and actor. He is best known as the creator and producer of the NBC/Yahoo! Screen sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), creator and host of the comedy podcast ''Harmontown ...
which would be set in
Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...
. The same month,
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
announced four upcoming adult animated series on the streaming service: ''Hello Paul'' by musician Sean Solomon, ''Obi'' by Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society, ''Uncanny Valley'' by Brendan Walter and Greg Yagolnitzer, and ''Cover'' by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack. The latter is based on a short-lived
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
series of the same name, which ran for six issues between 2018 and 2019. It was also reported that HBO Max was adding two new series: '' Clone High'', and ''Velma''. The latter which focuses on the "origin story of
Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short pink pleated skirt (or in later episodes an A-line skirt, or sometimes shorts), knee socks, Mary Jane ...
" of Scooby-Doo and will be produced by
Mindy Kaling Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the N ...
. It was also reported that the streamer had ordered ''Fired on Mars'', a "workplace comedy set on the campus of a tech company," which is set to feature comedian Pete Davidson. Lesley Goldberg of
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
noted that HBO content chief Casey Bloys expanded the existing "adult animation slate" of
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
beyond ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', which HBO paid an "estimated $500 million" for exclusive streaming rights, which includes a revived ''Clone High'', ''Velma'', ''Fired on Mars'', ''Harley Quinn'', ''Game of Thrones'', ''The Boondocks'', ''Gremlins'', ''The Prince'', and four other series. Goldberg noted that HBO Max is not alone in this, as Netflix entered the "adult-focused animation space" with ''
BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated Black comedy, black Comedy drama, comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F ...
'', '' Big Mouth'', and '' Disenchantment'', Disney is expanding the genre on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
, Apple brought in the show, ''Central Park'', and Amazon is bringing in ''Invincible''. Bloys told
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
that their adult animated slate is a "great compliment to the fan favorites we already have on the platform and an important investment in ensuring that HBO Max is a destination for adult animation content." It was also announced that
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...
had greenlighted a new animated series titled ''Pantheon''. The cast of '' Critical Role'' stated that they went with Amazon to develop and distribute ''
The Legend of Vox Machina ''The Legend of Vox Machina'' is an American adult animated fantasy television series produced by Critical Role Productions, Titmouse, Inc., and Amazon Studios, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 28, 2022. It is based on campai ...
'' (2022) in order to keep it as an adult animation project; other potential platforms were more interested in changing the show to have a PG rating or adapting it as a children's show. Sam Riegel acknowledged that those changes could potentially increase the accessibility of the show, however, the cast wanted to maintain "the original story and the original sort of vibe of the Vox Machina characters. They were bawdy and rowdy and dirty, and we knew that we couldn't shy away from that. We had to embrace it". Sometime in 2022, the second season of Natasha Allegri's '' Bee and Puppycat'', which has "cleanness and stylistic commonalities" with shows like ''
Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...
'', will be premiering on Netflix.


Animated feature films


Ralph Bakshi

By the late-1960s, animator Ralph Bakshi felt that he could not continue to produce the same kind of animation as he had in the past. Bakshi was quoted in a 1971 article for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' as saying that the idea of "grown men sitting in cubicles drawing butterflies floating over a field of flowers, while American planes are dropping bombs in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
and kids are marching in the streets, is ludicrous." With producer
Steve Krantz Stephen Falk Krantz (May 20, 1923 – January 4, 2007) was a film producer and writer, most active from 1966 to 1996. Career Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Krantz graduated from Columbia University and went on to serve in the U.S. Army Air Fo ...
, Bakshi founded his own studio, Bakshi Productions, establishing the studio as an alternative to mainstream animation by producing animation his own way and accelerating the advancement of female and minority animators. He also paid his employees a higher salary than any other studio at that time. In 1969, Ralph's Spot was founded as a division of Bakshi Productions to produce commercials for
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and ''
Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse ''Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse'' is a 1967 Canadian animated television series produced by Steve Krantz, which originally aired in Canada in 1967 and became popular in several parts of the world, most notably the United States, where it was syndic ...
'', a series of educational shorts paid for by
Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
. However, Bakshi was uninterested in the kind of animation he was producing, and wanted to produce something personal. Bakshi soon developed '' Heavy Traffic'', a tale of inner-city street life. However, Krantz told Bakshi that studio executives would be unwilling to fund the film because of its content and Bakshi's lack of film experience. While browsing the East Side Book Store on St. Mark's Place, Bakshi came across a copy of Robert Crumb's ''
Fritz the Cat ''Fritz the Cat'' is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a feline con artist who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began d ...
''. Impressed by Crumb's sharp satire, Bakshi purchased the book and suggested to Krantz that it would work as a film. ''
Fritz the Cat ''Fritz the Cat'' is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a feline con artist who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began d ...
'' was the first animated film to receive an
X rating An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...
from the MPAA, and the highest grossing independent animated film of all time. While the film is widely noted in its innovation for featuring content that had not been portrayed in American animation before, such as explicit sexuality and violence, the film also offered commercial potential for alternative and independent animated films in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, as the film offered a mature, satirical portrayal of the 1960s, including portrayal of drug use, political tension and race relations. Bakshi has been credited for playing an important role in establishing animation as a medium where any story can be told, rather than a medium for children. As a result of the acceptance of Bakshi's features, the director suggested that '' War and Peace'' could be produced as an animated film. Because of the perception that ''Fritz the Cat'' was pornographic, Krantz attempted to appeal the film's rating, but the MPAA refused to hear the appeal. Praise from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', and the film's acceptance into the
1972 Cannes Film Festival The 25th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 4 to 19 May 1972. The Palme d'Or went to the Italian films ''The Working Class Goes to Heaven'' by Elio Petri and ''The Mattei Affair'' by Francesco Rosi. The festival opened with the French film ...
cleared up previous misconceptions. Bakshi then simultaneously directed a number of animated films, starting with '' Heavy Traffic''. Krantz was nervous about showing too much nudity and sexual content, and had several versions of some scenes animated. Thanks to ''Heavy Traffic'', Bakshi became the first person in the animation industry since
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
to have two financially successful films released back-to-back. Although the film was critically praised, it was banned by the film censorship board in the province of
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, Canada when it was originally released. Bakshi's next film, '' Coonskin'' was produced by
Albert S. Ruddy Albert Stotland Ruddy (born March 28, 1930) is a Canadian-American film and television producer. He is known for producing ''The Godfather'' (1972) and '' Million Dollar Baby'' (2004), both of which won him the Academy Award for Best Picture, as ...
. The film, culled from Bakshi's interest in African-American history in America, was an attack on racism and racist stereotypes. Bakshi hired several African-American animators to work on ''Coonskin'' and another feature, '' Hey Good Lookin''', including Brenda Banks, the first African-American female animator. After the release was stalled by protests from the Congress of Racial Equality, which accused both the film and Bakshi himself of being racist, the film was given limited distribution, advertised as an exploitation film, and soon disappeared from theaters. Bakshi avoided controversy by producing
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...
s, including '' Wizards'', ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' and '' Fire and Ice''. Bakshi did not produce another animated feature film after the 1992 release of '' Cool World''. In 2015, after securing funding through a
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign, he released the short film ''
Last Days of Coney Island ''Last Days of Coney Island'' is a 2015 American Adult animation, adult animated short film written, produced, directed and animated by Ralph Bakshi. The story concerns a NYPD detective, the sex worker he alternately loves and arrests, and the seed ...
'' on the internet.


Other animated features

Although some adult-oriented animated films achieved success, very few animation studios in the United States produced explicitly adult animation during the 1970s, and much of the adult-oriented animation produced in the 1980s and 1990s was critically and commercially unsuccessful. Krantz produced '' The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat'' without Bakshi's involvement, and it was released in June 1974 to negative reviews.
Charles Swenson Charles Gregory Swenson (born March 28, 1941) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, sound designer, producer and director who worked with animated film for many years. In 1978 he joined Fred Wolf Films, working on ''Teenage Mutant ...
developed ''
Down and Dirty Duck ''Down and Dirty Duck'', promoted under the abbreviated title ''Dirty Duck'', is a 1974 American adult animated comedy film written and directed by Charles Swenson and starring Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo & Eddie) as the voices of a strai ...
'' as a project for
Flo and Eddie Flo & Eddie is a comedy rock duo consisting of Mark Volman (Flo, short for Phlorescent Leech) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie). The two were the original founding members of the Top 40 mid-to late 1960s rock and pop group The Turtles. After the Turtl ...
( Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, formerly of The Turtles and
The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...
) under the title ''Cheap!'' The film, produced by Roger Corman, was released on 13 June 1977 under the title ''Dirty Duck'', and received negative reviews. However, in 1987, Italian-Canadian cartoonist
Danny Antonucci Daniel Edward Antonucci (, ; born February 27, 1957) is a Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer. Antonucci is known for creating the Cartoon Network animated comedy series ''Ed, Edd n Eddy''. He also created ''Lupo the Butcher'', ''Car ...
, who would later create the television series '' Ed, Edd n Eddy'' for
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
, released a successful short film titled '' Lupo the Butcher''. The short follows the story of a psychotic, temperamental butcher who swears at his meat when the smallest things go wrong. Produced by Marv Newland's International Rocketship Limited, ''Lupo the Butcher'' has become a cult following and opened floodgates to irreverent adult animated series. Animated films portraying serious stories began to regain notice from mainstream audiences in the beginning of the 21st century. '' Persepolis'', a 2007 adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, won the
Jury Prize A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England durin ...
at the
2007 Cannes Film Festival The 60th Cannes Film Festival ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. The President of the Jury was British director Stephen Frears. Twenty two films from twelve countries were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The awards were announced on 26 May. ''4 M ...
, and was later nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...
. The
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian government protested the film's inclusion in the Festival, but later allowed the film to be screened in a censored version, which altered the film's sexual content. The 2008
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i film '' Waltz with Bashir'', an animated documentary involving the
1982 Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
, was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
. In 2007, the then world-famous adult animated show ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' generated a feature film produced by 20th Century Fox. Unlike previous films such as '' South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut'', ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'' was rated PG-13 for 'some irreverent humor throughout'. The movie was received with positive reviews by critics as well as teens and adults and grossed $536.4 million at the box office. A 2021 sequel is being planned at FOX by the title of '' The Simpsons Movie 2''. Some years later, in December 2015, '' Anomalisa'', an American
stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between t ...
comedy-drama film was released. It was later nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is given each year for animated films. An animated feature is defined by the Academy as a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes in which characters' performances are created using a frame-by- ...
, a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and five
Annie Awards The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally desig ...
. It became the first animated film to win the
Grand Jury Prize A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...
at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, after premiering at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 2015. Some critics called it a meditation on "loneliness and mental disturbance" and reviewed it positively despite only getting less than $4 million at the box office in the U.S., saying it indicates how rare it is for "non-Hollywood animated features" to become a success in the U.S. The 2016 film '' The Killing Joke'' was the first film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series, and the first animated
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
film to receive an R rating from the
MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
, with Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register explaining, "From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the original story—regardless of the eventual MPAA rating... We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience—the comics-loving community—with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well." The film was released in a limited theatrical screening on 25 July 2016. '' Sausage Party'', released in 2016, became the first CGI film to be rated R by the MPAA. It grossed over $140 million worldwide, becoming the most successful R-rated animated film of all time. Following the success of ''Sausage Party'', two other adult animated movies, ''
Isle of Dogs The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ham ...
'' and ''
Loving Vincent ''Loving Vincent'' ( pl, Twój Vincent) is a 2017 experimental adult animated biographical drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh, and, in particular, about the circumstances of his death. It is the first fully painted animat ...
'', were also released theatrically. In 2019, Sony Pictures Animation announced the creation of an "Alternative Animation Initiative" dedicated to producing films aimed at more mature audiences. The
adult animation Adult animation, also known as mature animation, and infrequently as adult-oriented animation, is any type of animation, animated motion work that is catered specifically to adult interests, and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and ...
film ''
Cryptozoo ''Cryptozoo'' is a 2021 American adult animated drama film written and directed by Dash Shaw. It features an ensemble cast as Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie, Louisa Krause and Thomas Jay Ry ...
'' by Dash Shaw was released at the
2021 Sundance Film Festival The 2021 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 28 to February 3, 2021. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 15, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, the festival combined in-person screenings at the Ray ...
. Some reviewers described it as "gloriously colorful" and praised the animated film.


Festivals

In 1988,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
exhibitor
Expanded Cinema {{italic title ''Expanded Cinema'' by Gene Youngblood (1970), the first book to consider video as an art form, was influential in establishing the field of media arts.Manovich, Lev. 2002. "Ten Key Texts on Digital Art: 1970–2000". Leonardo. 35 (5) ...
screened a compilation of adult-oriented animated shorts under the title "Outrageous Animation". Advertising the package as containing "the wildest cartoons ever", the screenings contained shorts produced outside the United States, as well as independently produced American shorts. Reviews of the festival were mixed. ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' writer Mick LaSalle hated almost everything screened at the festival, with the exception of Bill Plympton's ''
One of Those Days "One of Those Days" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, from her fifth studio album ''Just Whitney'' (2002). Written by Kevin Briggs, Dwight Renolds, Patrice Stewart, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, Christopher Jasper, Kelly Isle ...
''. In '' The San Francisco Examiner'', David Armstrong gave the show a three-star review and described the films screened as having "some of the rude vitality of the great old Warner Bros. cartoons —and a good deal of the sexual explicitness denied those old favorites from a more cautious age." In 1990, Mellow Manor Productions began screening films under the title '' Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation''. Founders Craig "Spike" Decker and Mike Gribble promoted their festival by handing out flyers on the streets rather than with traditional promotional techniques. In 1991, Decker and Gribble screened their first "All Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation", promising "wild and zany films that could never be shown to our 'normal audience'". The festival screened newer independent shorts, as well as older shorts such as ''Bambi Meets Godzilla'', and ''Thank You Mask Man''. Although the festival promoted works by animators who would later gain mainstream success, such as Bill Plympton,
Mike Judge Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director and musician. He is the creator of the animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' (1993–1997, 2011, 2022–present), and the co-cre ...
, Trey Parker and
Don Hertzfeldt Don Hertzfeldt (born August 1, 1976) is an American animator, writer, and independent filmmaker. He is a two-time Academy Award nominee who is best known for the animated films ''It's Such a Beautiful Day'', the '' World of Tomorrow'' series, an ...
, many reviewers dismissed the bulk of the programming as shock value. In 2003, Judge and Hertzfeldt created a new touring festival of animation marketed towards adults and college students.
The Animation Show The Animation Show is a touring festival of animated short films that was first held in fall 2003. It was sponsored by MTV, and was created by award-winning animators Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt. Due to its association with MTV, the showcase w ...
brought animated shorts into more North American theaters than any previous commercial festival.


Young adult animation

For years,
young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
animation, known as YA animation for short, has been discussed by executives and creators, especially those in the United States. In 2000, Tom Freston, the CEO of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, said that his network was at the cutting-edge of young adult animation. A few years later, a H2VEntertainment, a
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
-based animation company, financed three animated features aimed "at the teen and young adult market" which would premiere in spring 2004. Fast forward to the 2010s, when more critics and companies would begin talking about young adult animation. In 2015, one critic stated that the executives in the
animation industry Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
in the United States weren't on board with the idea of young adult animation, leading some to do Indiegogo projects instead. Others wrote about animation for young adults among
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
in Japan, a theme which continued in later years. In 2020, young adult animation came to the forefront once more.
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
was said to have a lot of material "oriented towards young adults" in contrast with
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
. At the same time, some reviewers described ''
The Dragon Prince ''The Dragon Prince'', also known as ''The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos'' after the release of season 4, is a fantasy computer-animated television series created for Netflix by Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, produced by Wonderstorm and ...
'' as a young adult animation and the
NATAS The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, edu ...
gave out various Emmys for young adult programs, like '' Tangled'', differentiating them from children's animation and
preschool animation Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...
. 2020 was the first year that NATAS gave a Daytime Emmy for young adult programs, which includes shows "targeting a tween and teen audience." On October 22, Radford "Rad" Sechrist, the series creator of ''
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts ''Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts'' is an animated television series created by Radford Sechrist and developed by Bill Wolkoff, adapted from Rad's 2015 webcomic ''Kipo''. The series is produced by American company DreamWorks Animation Televisio ...
'' floated the idea of a streaming service creating "a dedicated YA animation division," stating that it would have shows like ''Kipo'', along with a "dedicated YA team to target that audience." In later October 2020, it was announced that
WarnerMedia Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...
would be changing its "oversight of kids and family programming for
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
" from a group led by the latter to one led by Tom Ascheim, a person who formerly worked at Disney and became the president of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics section at WarnerMedia in June. It was also stated that Casey Bloys of HBO would continue to "oversee young adult content and adult animation" for HBO Max, while Ascheim would focus on " kid-specific originals" with a priority to "develop preschool centric programming." On December 8, 2020, Sechrist still expressed support for
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
creating "a section for YA animation." When the upcoming animated movie for a '' Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' was announced, the latter was described as a "young adult series." In January 2021,
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
debuted an animation page, which included
adult animation Adult animation, also known as mature animation, and infrequently as adult-oriented animation, is any type of animation, animated motion work that is catered specifically to adult interests, and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and ...
, older cartoons, and "animation dedicated to teens and young adults." In August 2021, Animation World Network and Deadline described the upcoming '' Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake'' series as a "young adult animated show." In October 2021, a reviewer for ''The Geekiary'' argued that '' High Guardian Spice'' was a young adult animation. In 2022, Hugh Laurie and
Emilia Clarke Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen in '' Game of Thrones''. She has received various accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, ...
are set to lead the cast in an animated film titled '' The Amazing Maurice'' based on Terry Pratchett's 2001 novel, ''
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents ''The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents'' is a children's fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, published by Doubleday in 2001. It is the 28th novel in the ''Discworld'' series and the first written for children. The story is a ...
''. It is said that this film is specifically targeted toward the young adult audience. In July 2022, Hamish Steele, creator of '' Dead End: Paranormal Park'', agreed with an interviewer from
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
and called the series a young adult animation. He noted that even shows like '' Infinity Train'' had to pitch to a younger audiences and declared that Dead End is "a YA kids’ show."


See also

*
Animation in the United States during the silent era Animated films in the United States date back to at least 1906 when Vitagraph released ''Humorous Phases of Funny Faces''.Jeff Lenburg 1991 The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons Although early animations were rudimentary, they rapidly became more ...
*
Animation in the United States in the television era Animation in the United States in the television era was a period in the history of American animation that slowly set in with the decline of theatrical animated shorts and the popularization of television animation during the late 1950s to 1960s, ...
* Modern animation in the United States * List of adult animated films * List of adult animated television series * List of adult animated internet series


References


Bibliography

* * * * Irene Fubara-Manuel
Revolting Animation: The Hierarchy of Masculinities in the Representation of Race and Male Same-Sex Desire in Adult Cartoons
Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, October 17, 2017. * Pedro A González Jr
Adult animation and gender representation – A case study on The Simpsons
Thesis, July 2014. * Sarah Ann Kennedy
Is the Straight role in Comedy essential and why is it usually played by a women[sic] in animation?
University of Central Lancashire , mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun" , established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted) , type = Public , chancellor ...
Repository, 2014 * Hącia Marcelina
Subtitling Adult Animation – Techniques of Dealing with Humour, Cultural References and Profanities in the Polish Translation of Archer on Netflix
Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...
Repository, October 17, 2018. * Andrea Marek
Animating Adulthood: Emotional Resonance, Affective Quality, and the Human Condition in Adult Animated Television An Examination in Theory, Viewership, and Practice
Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
Repository, 2018. * *


External links

* * {{Animation * American animation