Cartoon Network boss details Warner Bros. Discovery’s animation strategy

President of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim Michael Ouwelen A lot of questions have rightfully been asked about the future of animation networks since the start of the Warner Bros. Discovery era. He recently spoke to Variety about how things have changed and I’m really impressed with how he’s handling everything.

For one thing, networks are alive and well. While there has been much speculation surrounding Cartoon Network’s demise following the decision to merge Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation under one entity, Ouweleen assured us that not only are they alive and well, but, “We have next year there’s more to come than we’ve had this year.” That said, some cancellations were inevitable as was the fate of Tuca and Bertie which Adult Swim had saved after Netflix canceled it. Even though he was cut, I think Ouweleen has a really good attitude about maintaining good relationship with creators when he said:

I was glad that we were able to give it two more seasons and be able to let that thing evolve in front of people… …We’re not trying to cancel shows. It’s just that we need to allocate the money we have in ways that we think will have the greatest impact and please the greatest number of people. You want to maintain those creative relationships with people and see what else you can do.

With HBO Max canceling tons of animation projects and essentially exiting the kids and family business, it will be up to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim to pick up the slack and provide new shows for those who still love animated shows. Ouweleen says plans to compete with Disney in the children’s and family business have been shelved. As a result, the new plan is a return to form for Cartoon Network. That’s the most exciting part for me, it seems like Cartoon Network is aiming to go back to the kind of programming it had when I was a kid. Not just children’s programming, but animation that appeals to a wide range of tastes and audiences. As Ouweleen says,

When I joined the network [in 1996], in our view it was not a children’s network, it was an entertainment network… …We said it was for a psychographic, not a demographic. The best animation works on a couple of levels and works for a couple of different audiences at the same time. And I think that’s where Cartoon Network is coming back.

The task I think for us now is to go back to being the best animation of Cartoon and Adult Swim, and serve the audience that is still there, starting with linear, which is adult.

Quotes like this help me make sure the network is in the right hands. Animation is a wonderful medium that can be used to tell so many different stories, not just for kids but for everyone. Ouweleen points to similar shows Adventure time as the brand guide for the network moving forward. Recognizing that it’s not just kids who enjoy animation helps make room for more creators and more creativity in the field. Ouweleen has run Cartoon Network long enough to know what animation can be and luckily now she has some bigger name adult animation like Rick and Morti aim to show people that animation can be just as popular and profitable as live shows. In his words:

When we stop thinking of Cartoon Network as just living and dying on kids’ income, it actually frees us up to do more things and lean into what has always been our core, which is, let’s advance what the art form of animation can make and create iconic things

This interview Ouweleen did with Variety is very encouraging. Not only is the network clearly going nowhere, but it looks like it will be allowed to become what Cartoon Network was always meant to be, an animation channel that appeals to all age groups. I love animation, the kind of stories told through it are amazing and definitely shouldn’t be seen just for kids. I’m excited to see what comes out of the network in the future.