AWA Cartoon Network Panel Report

[talibancity]

Once again, CN was at AWA this year. However, they stated that this year it was all Adult Swim, no Toonami or other stuff. The three people representing AS was a guy named Hamid (very funny guy, used to write the action bumps), MC Chris (yes!!! MC Chris is an incredibly funny guy in person, and he does know his stuff about anime not just comedy shows; at one point during the panel he rapped an entire verse from one of his songs on literally one breath), and then a guy named Mason (represented CN, didn't really say anything at all). They started by showing a clip. It started with a bump saying, he's some stuff you've seen, and then showed just about every promo (action and comedy) they've made over the past 6 months or so. It was a little boring at first. But then they broke out a promo for Tom Goes to the Mayor, including a bunch of footage. The town is called Jefferton, and the animation is really crazy. That's all I got from it. Then they showed a long promo with a bit of footage for Squidbillies. Two squids, husband squid and granny squid were out on the porch. Husband squid was spitting in the air and then shooting it, while granny was hoisted up on one of those old people walkers. They always showed new promos for GitS: SAC and Read or Die. Both look really good. Then they went on to some Q&A:

I don't know if any of this stuff has been revealed prior to this, I'm posting anything that I thought was new. Also, this isn't an exact transcript of what was said, it's just to the best of my knowledge.
Interesting Questions-
Q: Blah blah something about Family Guy.
Hamid: We [AS] will show Family Guy shortly after it comes out on Fox. And we've also got American Dad, I believe. Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to say that. Uh, forget that I said that.
Q: (This question was asked by a stuttering OLD OLD lady) I want Outlaw Star back!
MC Chris: OK, I'll tell Chewbacca.
Q: (Same old lady) What exactly is your criteria for anime?
MC Chris: Well, it's gotta be a cartoon. That's pretty much the guideline for anything we show, although we will be breaking that rule very soon (ooh, no telling what that could be).
Q: Invader Zim?
Mason: Definetely not, it would cost SO much money to buy from Viacom.
Q: Movies?
Someone: 2 Inuyashas, Bebop movie in the fall, Metropolis in summer (I thought it was on 1/1/2005?)
Q: Char's Counterattack again?
Hamid: Umm, I can't comment on that right now.
MC Chris: We're REALLY getting into movies next year.
Q: When are the next DVDs coming out?
MC Chris: The next ATHF DVD is out in November, it contains Karaoke plus Answering Machine Messages from Carl and Meatwad, plus a 36 (I might have misheard the number) minute documentary on ATHF. The Brak DVD will contain anything Brak has ever done (possibly some Cartoon Planet, definetely Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak and those Brak newspots he used to do). Next Sealab DVD will contain many special features, unfortunately I left the list in my car. The next Space Ghost DVD will contain a documentary entitled A Day in the life of George Lowe (he said it was very creepy).

That's all I can remember, but I don't anything else of importance was said. At the end of the panel, they showed a clip of a Puffy AmiYumi concert in Japan that will be aired on Cartoon Network soon as part of Puffy's new show. MC Chris threw out some copies of his CD 'Eating's not Cheating', and I caught one, but I haven't listened to it yet.:D

[livingfruitvirus]

So much for SwimTorrent saying there wouldn't be any CN presence at AWA.

[Swordfish_II]

Breaking the "cartoon only" guideline? I wonder WTF that means...

[Demonic Raven]

Breaking that rule isn't the smartest of ideas. This is Cartoon Network still. Anything other than cartoons and other animated things shouldn't be allowed.

[Youko Recca]

Breaking the "cartoon only" guideline? I wonder WTF that means...
My sentiments exactly.

[NewLib]

I think they mean Seth Green's action figure show.

[Artemis]

I think they mean Seth Green's action figure show.
Well that's still animation....just in a different sense.

[Beat]

The odds of it being any good?

[Killtacular]

Q: Char's Counterattack again?
Hamid: Umm, I can't comment on that right now.
MC Chris: We're REALLY getting into movies next year.
..so.. gundam f91?

[Beat]

That might explain it appearing on AS On Demand before it was released on DVD...

Someone should have asked about Jubei Chan.

[TnAdct1]

The Brak DVD will contain anything Brak has ever done (possibly some Cartoon Planet, definetely Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak and those Brak newspots he used to do). Yes, that means the disc will include the legendary "Cucumber" song. :anime:

[The_Dominion]

I was also there, and I was somewhat dismayed with the panel. I was expecting something new from them, since this is their home turf and all, nothing. The thing that really urked me though, was that they didn't even remember Full Metal Alchemist was going to air, at least not until someone actually had to remind them. It wasn't in the promos and they didn't even mentioned they had it. Things might had been better had MC Chris not left the paper with all his dates and information on it. However I didn't enjoy getting to meet MC Chris and free stuff like stickers, and an MC Chris CD. Oh, and one other noteworthy mention is they are indeed looking over bringing on-deman programming onto the regular schedule.

Also later outside I got to meet SwimTorrent. He looked just looked like every other AWA goer, he had no Adult Swim advertisments on him at all. It wasn't until he asked the Vice President of my anime club for her picture dressed up as Hawkeye until I noticed him.

Overall it was a fun experience in which I suppose I was expecting more from it than was realistic.

EDIT: I would also like to add something I heard at the ADV panel. Cartoon Network is offered almost all the shows ADV has to offer, but they think the reason they don't pick up the ADV shows is because of ADV being a competitor of Time Warner. They also reconfirmed the Japanese version of Milk-Chan, saying that is the one Cartoon Network came in requesting.

[Sketch]

..so.. gundam f91?
Well it sure ain't airing on Toonami. I'll tell ya that much.

[Conan-san]

Q: (Same old lady) What exactly is your criteria for anime?
MC Chris: Well, it's gotta be a cartoon. That's pretty much the guideline for anything we show, although we will be breaking that rule very soon (ooh, no telling what that could be).


For those who are lacking in the MP. This simply means Super Milk chan. Anime + Live action can only meen that.

Cause, By god it ain't Pritty Guardian Sailor moon an' taht's the only other example I can think of...

[Umino]

Cause, By god it ain't Pritty Guardian Sailor moon an' taht's the only other example I can think of...
As awesome as PGSM is, it's just like the anime series, it's not Adult Swim.

[Conan-san]

As awesome as PGSM is, it's just like the anime series, it's not Adult Swim.

Thus my "by god it ain't gona be PGSM". I could see the tagline, "Ballet-fu"

[Mysteryinfoman]

Let's hope for some F91, "breaking the rule" wonder what can possibly come outta that.

[Jimmy Kustes]

I don't think it's going to turn into the "anything but" Cartoon Network, they will probably just show hybreds like Roger Rabbit.

[Demonic Raven]

Oh, and one other noteworthy mention is they are indeed looking over bringing on-deman programming onto the regular schedule. Good. I've been wanting to see s-CRY-ed for some time.

[TylerL]

I want the promos they showed.
Somebody steal their tape/disc.

[Killtacular]

They also reconfirmed the Japanese version of Milk-Chan, saying that is the one Cartoon Network came in requesting.
Did they say
WHY?!

:/

[talibancity]

For the Ghost in the Shell promo, at the end it says 'Ghost in a Shell'.

Also, 2 other things I forgot to mention. The pilot of Tom Goes to the Mayor will guest-star Kyle Gass (I think that's his last name), Jack Black and David Cross. And secondly, ROD TV will NOT be picked up, or at least not in the foreseeable future.

[The_Dominion]

Did they say
WHY?!

:/No they said they had no idea why. Also they sounded like they were suprised that Cartoon Network did not request the english-ized version, I would say almost bitter about it.

[RedBoot]

I don't think it's going to turn into the "anything but" Cartoon Network, they will probably just show hybreds like Roger Rabbit.
Well, they have already shown Osmosis Jones, although that's not AS...

I'm also dumbfounded that out of all of ADV's shows, Milk-chan was the only one they ever bothered to specifically request. I mean, say what you want about ADV's catalog (Eva lol), but Milk-chan is far from the best thing they've got, especially since they're opting for the obscure as hell japanese dub version.

[talibancity]

I think they're trying to lure in some comedy viewers for this show. At the con they said they were still watching it and trying to do decide what to do with it.

[Karl Olson]

EDIT: I would also like to add something I heard at the ADV panel. Cartoon Network is offered almost all the shows ADV has to offer.


So that is 4 cons now at which ADV has said they've pitched virtually everything.

And really, it's great to hear that CN is getting seriously into airing movies in the coming year and maybe experimenting with bumping content from the on-demand to the linear. That should really provide for a lot more variety in content, and really keep things fresh all the time for a long time.

[livingfruitvirus]

So that is 4 cons now at which ADV has said they've pitched virtually everything.

And really, it's great to hear that CN is getting seriously into airing movies in the coming year and maybe experimenting with bumping content from the on-demand to the linear. That should really provide for a lot more variety in content, and really keep things fresh all the time for a long time.
At Dragon*Con CN mentioned that ADV wouldn't let Cartoon Network run Evangelion because they wanted to use it to push the Anime Network.

[Beat]

Well, that makes sense, especially with that big, fancy Platinum Edition coming out.

Tell ADV to license "Re: Cutie Honey" and put that on Adult Swim. j/k

[Swordfish_II]

Tell ADV to license "Re: Cutie Honey" and put that on Adult Swim. j/k

Along side Gantz and Elfen Lied.

[Andrew]

And secondly, ROD TV will NOT be picked up, or at least not in the foreseeable future.This is not surprising, given that it starts airing on Anime Unleashed next week (http://www.g4techtv.com/animeunleashed/episodes/1834/Read_or_Die_The_Papers_Have_Landed.html).

(Just a heads up...I would recommend not watching the TV series until you've seen the OVA.)

[livingfruitvirus]

This is not surprising, given that it starts airing on Anime Unleashed next week (http://www.g4techtv.com/animeunleashed/episodes/1834/Read_or_Die_The_Papers_Have_Landed.html).

(Just a heads up...I would recommend not watching the TV series until you've seen the OVA.) Well son of a gun. And here I thought G4TechTV had given up on Anime Unleashed. (I hear the OAV is better anyway)

[Killtacular]

This is not surprising, given that it starts airing on Anime Unleashed next week (http://www.g4techtv.com/animeunleashed/episodes/1834/Read_or_Die_The_Papers_Have_Landed.html).
People keep telling me Pioneer's relations with CN are healthy.

Then why does Pioneer keep taking their anime to other networks?

[Beat]

That's easy. CN rejects an anime, they go to ADV, so they can get it on the air.

[Sketch]

Couldn't tell ya... I wish Anime Unleashed would air Gad Guard. It's becoming painfully obvious it ain't coming to Toonami.

I hope they give Adult Swim Samurai Champloo if they don't then we can say for certain Geneon and CN wont be working together in the foreseable future.

[Killtacular]

That's easy. CN rejects an anime, they go to ADV, so they can get it on the air.
Why would CN reject ROD TV after purchasing ROD OAV? It's become more commonplace for CN -not- to extensively screen anime (thus the straight dub of Milk Chan) so they definitely would've purchased ROD TV. IF IT WAS OFFERED TO THEM.

[Dr Crocodile]

ROD TV on TechTV?!?!?! That would have been great for CN. This certainly casts some doubts on the whole CN-Geneon relationship.

[LordByronius]

ROD on TechTV, huh? Thanks for the heads-up. Had no idea.

Anyway, AS probably didn't bother with picking up the TV series just yet because a) the TV and OAV portions are divvied up amongst two seperate companies, and b) the TV series really bites in comparison to the OAV anyway. Not that the show is bad, or anything. The Paper Sisters just aren't as cool as Yomiko and Miss Deep and Joker.

And for Samurai Champloo NOT to appear on Adult Swim would be a massive error in judgement on behalf of BOTH companies.

[MeggieMay]

You and most of the G4TechTV regulars had no idea. One really has to wonder about G4TechTV and there complete lack of Anime Unleashed promotion :sweat: .

[li_mangaman]

No ADV = More Bandai?

And whats this, the Milk-Chan that will be played on [adult swim] will not be the one by ADV?

[livingfruitvirus]

No ADV = More Bandai?

And whats this, the Milk-Chan that will be played on [adult swim] will not be the one by ADV?
they're all by ADV

[Karl Olson]

Why would CN reject ROD TV after purchasing ROD OAV? It's become more commonplace for CN -not- to extensively screen anime (thus the straight dub of Milk Chan) so they definitely would've purchased ROD TV. IF IT WAS OFFERED TO THEM.


Matt, I've asked Geneon the same question I've been asking ADV past few years and the answer has always been the same. Geneon is also pitching everything they've got to CN, and their relations are, in-general, healthy. CN might have been waffling enough on ROD TV (which wouldn't surprise me as the tone is decidedly different from the OVA in someways) that G4TechTV might have snatched it out from under them because they clearly wanted it. It happened with Lain back in the day, which CN was waffling on for so long that Geneon up sold it to Tech instead who needed it, and fast. Considering that Geneon prelicenced ROD TV, they could have easily pitched it a long while ago (atleast half a year ago or more,) and CN might have been saying "maybe" for too long given that G4Tech was clearing saying "heck yeah" right now.

[William C. Maune]

G4TechTV could have also just plain outbid Cartoon Network, if I recall correctly that was the story with Last Exile.

[Karl Olson]

G4TechTV could have also just plain outbid Cartoon Network, if I recall correctly that was the story with Last Exile.

Sounds plausible. CN may want to limit how much it spends on an anime unless it's DB series or Champloo.

[Sketch]

Come now... how long did it take for us to see all of DBZ? They never spent too much on it. Though that is partially on FUNimation's side of the deal... CN could have bought a huge chunk and made it 5 or 6 seasons instead of 7. They were pretty generous with their Dragonball pick up though. New episodes within a year the first batch aired is something that isn't too common on CN. I'm really suprised CN picked up more TMNT so soon for that matter.

[roguebfl]

Breaking the "cartoon only" guideline? I wonder WTF that means...Well isn't Super Milk-Chan ment to have live action scenes?

[Andrew]

G4TechTV could have also just plain outbid Cartoon Network, if I recall correctly that was the story with Last Exile.Perhaps, but if G4TTV spent such an large amount on it to wrangle it away from CN, why put it on the air without telling anyone and without any advertisement?

Seems counter-productive.

[livingfruitvirus]

Come now... how long did it take for us to see all of DBZ? They never spent too much on it.
You're saying $25,000,000+ isn't much?

[Beat]

It would be if paid all at once. But when you consider the whole series was bought in brackets, the total cost becomes a bit more resonable.

[William C. Maune]

Even in brackets that's a heck of a lot.

[Ben]

Let's find out.

[$25,000,000+]

Wow, I think it really does seem like less that way.

I'll go away now.

[Beat]

I'm also willing to bet that as the show grew in popularity, so did the eps in cost. So it's probably not an equal distribution.

[Killtacular]

I'm also willing to bet that as the show grew in popularity, so did the eps in cost.
You would win with that bet.

[The Landstander]

Let's find out.

[$25,000,000+]

Wow, I think it really does seem like less that way.*rim shot*

[talibancity]

$25mil for the whole series? DBZ has how many episodes? 291? That's $85K an episode, CHEAP AS HELL! And think about how many kiddies watched it at its prime. I think it was 1.5m for 6-11 kids. Well worth it.

[William C. Maune]

$25mil for the whole series? DBZ has how many episodes? 291? That's $85K an episode, CHEAP AS HELL! And think about how many kiddies watched it at its prime. I think it was 1.5m for 6-11 kids. Well worth it.

Compared to the cost for Cartoon Network to produce episodes of an original it may be cheap, but it is no necessarily cheap by acquisition standards. Big O only cost about $13,000 an episode the first time around if I remember correctly.

[livingfruitvirus]

$25mil for the whole series? DBZ has how many episodes? 291? That's $85K an episode, CHEAP AS HELL! And think about how many kiddies watched it at its prime. I think it was 1.5m for 6-11 kids. Well worth it.
It's miles away from cheap. A lot of the shorter anime series that CN buys costs somewhere in the lower 5 digit range (probably close to what Maune estimated) to even 4 digits if the distributor is incredibly desperate. By the time DBZ was nearing its end, CN was paying over $115,000 an episode, which is probably what the show originally cost to make. Try selling that to Tech TV or International Channel without bankrupting them.

[Sketch]

Holy crap that's how much an aquisition costs? DANG. So why are we complaining about DVD prices AND that CN edits anime?

[Artimus Gigan]

Holy crap that's how much an aquisition costs? DANG. So why are we complaining about DVD prices AND that CN edits anime?Because movies like LOTR costed way more and the entire trilogy can be had for around $60 on DVD. and it's around the 3 extended editions are the same length as a full 26 episode series(12-13 hours), Also Starwars, three 90 minute movies and one big ass extras disc for 40 bucks(that's 10 bucks a disc), you couldn't get 9 episodes of a new and recent anime series for that ammount, I mean if they did that most 26 episode series would be three volumes in total

so with that logic anime should be cheaper on DVD

10 bucks a volume, 15 max

it would only cost 60 to get a 6 volume collection with a 4 episode per disc ratio(like Excel Saga is doing)

However anime is still nitche and not as big as other properties like I mentioned above, so they have to re-coups costs somehow...I guess

[William C. Maune]

Because movies like LOTR costed way more and the entire trilogy can be had for around $60 on DVD. and it's around the 3 extended editions are the same length as a full 26 episode series(12-13 hours), Also Starwars, three 90 minute movies and one big ass extras disc for 40 bucks(that's 10 bucks a disc), you couldn't get 9 episodes of a new and recent anime series for that ammount, I mean if they did that most 26 episode series would be three volumes in total

Movies like LOTR also make 100s of millions of dollars in theaters before they ever get to DVD.

[Artimus Gigan]

Movies like LOTR also make 100s of millions of dollars in theaters before they ever get to DVD.Yeah I ment to add that in

[William C. Maune]

Yeah I ment to add that in

Thus, because anime doesn't have that big initial revenue stream, more money has to come from the DVD sales, thus they cost more.