Sink or Swim
By Tina Benitez -- Playthings, 7/1/2006
Animated shows for adults? They're covered. From talking french fries to stop-motion versions of 1980s teen heartthrobs to an animated lawyer whose clients are former Hanna-Barbera stars, Adult Swim fans get it.
In fact they get the Cartoon Network's late-night programming bloc so much that its shows are some of the highest-rated in the time slot, holding their own against nighttime staples like Late Show with David Letterman. According to Cartoon Network, Atlanta, the shows in the bloc also account for 10 of the top-rated 50 programs among adults 18–34.
Characters from Adult Swim series like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Brak and Robot Chicken and others will get the merchandising treatment this year, says John Friend, vice president of marketing for the Cartoon Network.
But since fans across the board say they most want the shows on DVD, releasing them will be the initial focus of the effort. And the DVDs move fast. The recent Venture Bros. DVD was the fourth-highest selling title on Amazon.com during its first week of release, according to Cartoon Network.
The very first Adult Swim video game, based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, will be released in early 2007 from Midway. Friend tells Playthings that his goal this year is to find licensees who are doing something different, perhaps T-shirts that speak when pushed or that change colors.
The network plans to work closely with specialty retailers to promote the DVDs and future related products. “I like specialty a lot,” says Friend. “You can be more creative and unique. There's a huge, passionate fan base, and there's an opportunity to bring Adult Swim to them.”
