For the past three decades, Cartoon Network stood as an icon of the animation industry and has given dozens of the most cherished animated series to this day. However, the studio has faced several stumbling blocks, losses, and funding cuts in the past few years. As such, the company’s future now hangs in the balance.
Recently, rumors sprung up about whether the animation giant is finally shut down for good. Regardless, there are many smaller questions attached to this one. Here is a breakdown of the current state of Cartoon Network and the animation industry overall.
Has Cartoon Network Shut Down?
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According to The Statesman, Cartoon Network recently responded to rumors that it had shut down. Cartoon Network confirmed that it was still running and had several projects in the works, such as Adventure Time and Foster’s Home spinoffs. It seems reports of their death were greatly exaggerated. That the official account had to step in to debunk these rumors shows their extent online.
These rumors began with a well-intentioned post from Animation Workers United giving a rundown of the studio’s current situation. They posted a summary from famed educator Adam Conover, the ruiner of everything. They asked users to share their love for the network to keep it going. However, these rumors tumbled into the idea that the studio had officially shut down and dissolved. At the very least, they got users standing up for the studio and animation and voicing their love of its work.
A Fumbling Network
While Cartoon Network may not be officially dead yet, several indicators suggest the company is facing severe hardship. When the pandemic began, animation was one of the few art forms that could be done remotely. However, executives repaid them by canceling projects, firing animations en masse, and outsourcing work, per the Statesman article above.
This wouldn’t be the first time that the studio went through the doldrums. For example, take the dreaded live-action block from the late Aughts. However, they seem to have returned nowadays, as the channel no longer has as many classics holding it up. While fans love Craig of the Creek from Steven Universe’s crew, there are not as many originals, such as Adventure Time and The Clone Wars, holding up the channel. It’s a far cry from the massive catalog of diverse titles they had decades ago.
While the channel is not dead, it is grossly underfunded, and many of its artists are unemployed. One of the most infamous images in recent memory was the co-founder of Adult Swim, who was forced to work as a delivery man. Since the days of Cartoon Cartoons, the channel has given some of the most iconic pieces of Western animation. A blow to this network would be a blow to the entire industry.
A Changing Climate in Animation
As bleak as Cartoon Network’s outlook is, the same stories can be found throughout animation. Due to corporate greed, much of the animation industry was hit by the same drawbacks as CN. These concerns run in tandem with last year’s massive SAG-AFTRA protests against corporate meddling and AI-generated art.
One of the worst examples would easily be the Coyote vs. Acme drama, also from Warner Bros. Despite being a completed film, executives wiped the film away as a tax write-off. The entire animation community rallied behind #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme. On the flip side, many independent studios like Spindlehorse and Glitch Productions have taken off. In general, it’s up to animation fans to stand up to executives and show their support.
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