We’ve all had that childhood show that we’ve never stopped thinking about, whether it’s shows like Dexter’s Lab or Spongebob that everyone can recognize. One of these shows was Adventure Time, aired on Cartoon Network from April 5, 2010, to September 3, 2018. Many grew up with it, and it lives on as a pioneer of Western animation today.
However, two years ago, a new spinoff was announced for the franchise. Known as Fionna and Cake, this would take place as a multiverse adventure that, although it had been experimented with the franchise before, would take its stand.
However, many weren’t certain it would see the light of day.
About three years ago, Adventure Time Distant Lands aired on HBO Max. As time passed, many were concerned that Cartoon Network was beginning to fall from its former glory. This was until 2021 when Fionna and Cake were announced.
This excited fans, new and old, to see the new installment of a classic. Then, once the rise of original stories ended, the decline of animation began.
In November 2022, the HBO Max and Discovery announcement was known to the public. What wasn’t known was how this would affect animation. It was announced that both platforms would lose content.
The HBO Max and Discovery merge removed animation projects left and right, such as “Over the Garden Wall,” “Infinity Train,” and many more to leave the platform. On top of that, many new animated projects were getting canceled. Many thought this was the end of Cartoon Network.
“For me, as an animator planning to do this professionally shortly, it scared me. I wanted to work at Cartoon Network since I was eleven years old and got my first drawing tablet. So seeing the CN building go away and hearing the news that Cartoon Network might shut down, it devastated me. As this would’ve meant I wouldn’t be able to work in the same place as my idols did so many years ago.” Sebastian Zapata, a junior, says.
Then, in an interview with Cartoon Network’s president, Michael Ouweleen, announced that Cartoon Network wasn’t dead and they were to return to their roots with a limited budget.
This made fans of Cartoon Network throw their college hats of joy.
This meant there was a chance Fionna and Cake wouldn’t get canceled at the drop of an executive’s hat.
“I feel bad because if they are going to cancel the series, I won’t be able to finish watching it and I go into despair since at any moment they can stop showing it on television.” Kiara, a senior, says.
As of August 31, 2023, Fionna and Cake’s first two episodes have been released to the public, and fans have been eating it up. So much so that it has been popular among the community on apps like YouTube, X, and TikTok. There’s a chance that more shows will be announced if the popularity keeps rising to this extent.
As of this point, the future of animation still seems unknown, as this could have just been a one-time miracle.
However, one question lies in fans’ minds: How long until another executive decides to cancel everything?
