An animated series is a set of animated television works with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either a finite number of episodes like a miniseries , a definite end, or be open-ended, without a predetermined number of episodes. They can be broadcast on television, shown in movie theatres, released on the internet or direct-to-video . Like other creative works, animated series can be of a wide variety of genres and can also have different target audiences : both males and females, both children and adults .
42-475: Kid Cosmic is an American animated superhero television series created by Craig McCracken and developed by McCracken, his wife Lauren Faust and Francisco Angones for Netflix . The series was based on his 2009 comic The Kid from Planet Earth . Produced in-house by Netflix Animation , the show is McCracken's first to have a serialized format, as well as his second foray into the superhero genre, having previously created The Powerpuff Girls . Illustrated in
84-437: A "generic rural southwest desert vibe", is presumed to be New Mexico . However, McCracken said in an interview for Den of Geek : "It could be New Mexico, it could be California [or] it could be Arizona . Basically it's a remote enough place where a spaceship could crash and not a lot of people would know about it." Stylistically, the show is meant to resemble the visual look of classic comics such as Hank Ketcham 's Dennis
126-460: A "retro 2D" style inspired by comics such as Dennis the Menace and The Adventures of Tintin , the series follows Kid, a young boy who gets a chance to become a superhero and fight evil aliens alongside other characters with different abilities. The first season of the series titled The Local Heroes! was released on February 2, 2021. The second season, subtitled The Intergalactic Truckstop! ,
168-407: A career in publishing his own comics or graphic novels, a more "intimate [and] direct approach to cartooning" in contrast to working with a large crew for a television network. During that time he made a comic strip entitled The Kid from Planet Earth , about a young boy who fantasized about becoming a superhero. He was inspired by the idea of how different reality would be if the character actually got
210-518: A child-friendly show, shifted its target group to ages 12 and up, resulting in a darker and more mature storyline. Animated film theatrical series include all early animated series: Animated Weekly (1913), The Newlyweds (1913 — 1915), Travelaughs (1913, 1915 — 1918, 1921 — 1923), Doc Yak (1913 — 1915), Colonel Heeza Liar (1913 — 1917, 1922 — 1924), Kapten Grogg [ sv ] (1916 — 1922), Les Aventures des Pieds Nickelés (1917 — 1918),
252-399: A cliffhanger ending. Vulture editor John Maher included the show as one of the stand-out animations from early 2021, praising the "patient character development, subtle world-building flourishes, and a willingness to explore just how hard it is to grow up." Likewise, Los Angeles Times named Kid Cosmic one of the 13 best TV shows of that year. Amanda Dyer of Common Sense Media described
294-459: A darker tone or that could work as a movie, something that television channels "might shy away from". Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the series team had to continue working at home since March 2020, slowing down the production process. According to McCracken, completing a season takes a year and a half of hard work, from writing start to finish. The main setting of the show, an arid landscape with
336-552: A four-year-old girl who can become a 40-foot giant; and Tuna Sandwich (The Precognitive Cat), a cat that can predict the future with a third eye on his forehead. They are accompanied by Stuck Chuck, an alien invader stranded on Earth after the destruction of his ship. Stuck Chuck's mission is to steal the Cosmic Stones for his Great Leader. In the second season, the Local Heroes are teleported into space and have to go on
378-598: A local station of a television network broadcasts an animated series as a part of its own programming, the time-slot will vary by region. All early animated television series, the first being Crusader Rabbit (1950 — 1959), are comic cartoon series. However, later series include sports ( Speed Racer , Captain Tsubasa , Slam Dunk ), action ( Hajime no Ippo , G.I. Joe ), science fiction ( Mobile Suit Gundam , Tenchi Muyo ), drama ( Neon Genesis Evangelion ), adventure ( Dragon Ball ), martial arts ( Baki
420-751: A quest to find the other eight Stones of Power to fight against Erodius the Planet Killer. In the third and final season, the Local Heroes, now the Global Heroes, find out that there is actually a fourteenth silver Cosmic Stone of Power of healing, and learn further revelations about Erodious and the world they're currently in, requiring that they must make great sacrifices. Each episode was directed by Craig McCracken , but various others co-direct with him. The aliens are captured by Earth Force as The Local Heroes are escorted away by armed soldiers. Chuck subdues his captor and uses their weapon to reclaim
462-460: A set time period in "segments", including several such shorts. When advertising is taken into account, the cartoon itself may be only 15 — 20 minutes of the half hour, although Netflix and many other streaming companies do not show commercials. There are also series with a very short episodes lasting approximately five minutes; they have recently become more common in Japanese animation . If
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#1732791629295504-538: Is also a reflection of the creator's young daughter. Kid Cosmic also plays on the theme that "heroes help, not hurt", which means the characters often show a compassionate attitude toward their adversaries. This strays in tone from McCracken's first popular work, The Powerpuff Girls , which he described as a " campy parody of superheroes". He declared: "I really didn't want to tell a story to kids that said, 'Hey, if you get great powers, then you can go and beat up bad guys and be violent and win.' I didn't want that to be
546-566: Is an American animated television series that aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD . Created by Craig McCracken , it follows the adventures of the optimistic Wander, who travels across the galaxy to help the inhabitants of various planets live freely despite the intentions of Lord Hater to rule the universe. The series premiered on Disney Channel on August 16, 2013. New episodes were moved during its first season to Disney XD on March 31, 2014, while episodes still did air on Disney Channel until October 4, 2014. The series ran for two seasons with
588-401: Is episodic; there are very few strong ties between episodes, and they can be viewed independently of each other. In the second season, however, a more sequential story is introduced; as Lord Dominator begins to conquer the galaxy, the show's tone becomes more serious and the focus moves from stopping the rather incompetent Lord Hater to stopping the extremely competent Lord Dominator. As a result,
630-721: The Tom and Jerry cartoon short films released in movie theatres from 1940 to 1967, and many others. Direct-to-video animated series include most Japanese original video animations (OVAs). The first OVA series (and also the first overall OVA) was Dallos (1983 — 1985). Almost all hentai (pornographic) anime series are released as OVAs. Animated web series are designed and produced for streaming services . Examples include Happy Tree Friends (1999 — 2023) and Eddsworld (2003 — present). They can also be released on YouTube , such as Asdfmovie , which debuted in 2008. Wander Over Yonder Wander Over Yonder
672-530: The Disney Channel on September 13, 2013. A sneak peek was screened at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con . An early preview of the first episode, "The Picnic", was aired on the network on August 16, 2013, following the premiere of Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel . Premieres of new episodes were moved to sister network Disney XD during its first season, on March 31, 2014. Shortly after, Disney Television Animation executive Eric Coleman announced that
714-478: The 1990s, more mature content than those of traditional cartoon series began to appear more widely, extending beyond a primary audience of children. These cartoon series included The Simpsons , South Park , Family Guy , Futurama , The Ren & Stimpy Show , Rocko's Modern Life , Beavis and Butt-Head , King of the Hill , and Duckman . Canadian computer-animated series ReBoot , which began as
756-459: The Grappler ), and other genres. The first animated sitcom was The Flintstones (1960 — 1966), produced by Hanna-Barbera . It was followed by other sitcoms of this studio: Top Cat (1961 — 1962), Jonny Quest (1964 — 1965), The Jetsons (1962 — 1963, 1985, 1987) and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972 — 1974), an adult-oriented animated series in
798-452: The Menace and Hergé 's The Adventures of Tintin , where every action is grounded in reality: "A lot of the choices that we made in Kid were based on the fact that these are real people in the real world [...] So with the animation we avoided overly smooth and flowy actions or lots of squash and stretch, things that you associate with cartoons," McCracken said. Stuck Chuck's design is a nod to
840-548: The Netflix Features YouTube channel on February 3, 2021. The trailer for season 2 was released on August 10 of that year, with the episodes debuting later on September 7. The trailer for season 3 was released on the Netflix website at January 6, 2022 and on the official Netflix Futures YouTube channel on January 13 of that year, with the last 6 episodes debuting later on February 3 of that year. Kid Cosmic
882-613: The UK and Ireland on March 10, 2014. The previewed episode was seen by roughly 2.9 million viewers. The series received generally positive reviews The A.V. Club ' s Kevin McFarland wrote that the series continues the "zany legacy" of the Cartoon Network's " golden age " on a competing network. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media describes the series as flash and funny, stating it would "appeal to kids." She also argued it
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#1732791629295924-670: The aliens from the 1996 film Mars Attacks! and other science-fiction movies. Spaceships, cars, and major locations like Mo's Oasis Café are often represented by 3D models. McCracken affirmed that some of the ideas explored within the show are also based on things that he personally experienced, such as the loss of his father at the age of 7, similar to the protagonist, who lost both of his parents. The dynamics between Kid and Jo are loosely based on McCracken's relationship with his older sister and are similar to those of Mac and Frankie in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends . Rosa's "playful spirit"
966-462: The chance of fulfilling his dream. When the stones attract alien invasions, he forms a motley team of superheroes to defend the Earth from them. This team, with each member having a stone giving them a unique power, consist of Kid's grandpa, George "Papa G" (Old Man Many Men), who can create multiple clones of himself; Kid's friend Jo (Portal Girl), who has the ability to teleport; Rosa (Niña Gigantica),
1008-412: The chance to fulfill such an aspiration. McCracken wanted to "tap into this naïve confidence that all kids have" of being a superhero, while also basing the concept on his early years of wanting to become a professional artist. He later realized that, in order to have the characters "learn, grow and change," he would have to tell the story with a serialized format. Knowing that "[no network] would want it at
1050-489: The episodes are more closely linked and there are several developments in the overarching plot. Craig McCracken , creator of Wander Over Yonder , previously helmed the Cartoon Network series The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends . Wander Over Yonder is McCracken's first and only foray on a Disney-owned network. McCracken's wife Lauren Faust served as co-producer and story editor for
1092-484: The final episode airing June 27, 2016. The series follows Wander, a nomadic , helpful, and overly-optimistic intergalactic traveler and his best friend and steed, Sylvia the Zbornak, as they travel from planet to planet helping people to have fun, play, and live free, despite the continuing encroachment of Lord Hater, one of the most powerful villains in the galaxy, and his army of Watchdogs. The show's first season
1134-401: The first season written, composed and performed by multi-instrumentalist Andy Bean. He had previously written and composed the soundtrack for McCracken's third series Wander Over Yonder . Kid Cosmic was announced on November 6, 2018, along with other Netflix animated projects. A trailer was released on January 5, and the show debuted on February 2, 2021. Five companion shorts were released on
1176-441: The first season. The eponymous character made his debut on sketchbooks, clothes, and patches that McCracken sold at conventions, as well as in a never-finished graphic novel. McCracken described Wander as a "nomadic, hippie, muppet man". He also said that his approach to each episode was character-driven and that the show's use of color is influenced by Hanna-Barbera , where he used to work. The series made its formal premiere on
1218-548: The green Stone. Kid reassembles his ring, the Earth Force unable to capture him with his unpredictable flying. The rest of the Local Heroes escape in the Kid Cosmobile and rescue the aliens. The Biker tries to run down the heroes with his truck, triggering Kid's memory of his parents' accident. In his moment of distress, Kid levitates everyone off the ground, revealing the green Stone's true power of telekinesis. He uses
1260-418: The idea and ultimately produced an animatic for a 22-minute episode. The series was then pitched to Disney , who ultimately passed on it in favor of The Owl House . Upon learning that Netflix were setting up an animation studio and was looking for new shows, he went to their studios on a Thursday and presented the animatic as a pilot. The executives supported the idea of a 22-minute family show, and greenlit
1302-552: The message. So I asked myself what a real hero is". The series features music by composer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Bean, who had previously worked on soundtracks for animated productions. In February 2021, Netflix released a soundtrack album titled Kid Cosmic and the Sonic Courage . Under the name of the show's fictional "70's psychedelic garage punk band" Dr. Fang and the Gang, the soundtrack features music and songs of
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1344-724: The power to take the rest of the Stones back from the Earth Force and offer them back to the aliens, learning the Stones are the remaining remnants of their worlds, destroyed by the Planet Killer, Erodius. Justin Nichols and Dave Thomas direct every episode, aside from "Kid Cosmic and the Pyramid Puzzle of Pain", which was solely directed by Thomas. Like most of the previous season, Justin Nichols and Dave Thomas directed every episode. Upon completion of his Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends series in 2009, Craig McCracken planned
1386-432: The series as a "fun superhero comedy teaches patience" but warned of the "mild violence." She also stated that character in the series learn "valuable lessons about teamwork and what makes a true superhero" and said the series is a "great option for family viewing" especially for those who grew up watching The Powerpuff Girls . Animated series Animated television series are presented daily or on certain days of
1428-484: The series the following Wednesday. "It was really quick and quite an incredible experience!", McCracken recalled in 2021. The show was eventually retitled to Kid Cosmic to avoid confusion with The Last Kids on Earth , another Netflix cartoon. McCracken and his old friend Rob Renzetti served as executive producers for the show. With the use of the Toon Boom Harmony software, Mercury Filmworks animated
1470-777: The series was renewed for a second season, with comic book writer ND Stevenson joining the writing team. This season premiered on August 3, 2015, with "The Greater Hater", a special half-hour episode. A set of 11 one-minute shorts were produced in promotion of this season premiere; the network released them starting in July. Internationally, Wander Over Yonder made its premiere on Family Channel in Canada on October 13, 2013, on Disney XD in Australia on June 9, 2014, on Disney Channel in Israel on September 1, 2014, and on Disney XD in
1512-462: The show in Ottawa , Canada, with a staff of 110 employees. The company had done animation services previously for the first season of Wander Over Yonder , McCracken's previous creation. Netflix's animation division is leading production with a team of approximately 45 people. Having produced solely for television in the past, McCracken felt that he now had more creative freedom to pitch projects that had
1554-400: The side characters lacking development, instead focusing on Kid's emotional process as a superhero. She also described him as "an extremely challenging character to sit with", and synthesized this season as a "merely entertaining show." Karen Han from Slate magazine said that the season "is all about opening the gates and letting people in", with the main team "finally finding its groove" and
1596-1046: The style of All in the Family . The Alvin Show from Ross Bagdasarian Sr. and Beany and Cecil from Bob Clampett are also sitcoms. The 1980s and 1990s were a renaissance of the animated children and adult television series. Various broadcast networks and media companies began creating television channels and formats designed specifically for airing cartoon and anime series. Companies that already had these types of formats in place began to revamp their existing models during this time. Most of this animations were American-based or Japanese anime. Listed below are examples of television networks and channels that include animated programs. American British Japanese Canadian Australian Examples of animation-focused networks and channels are listed below; but some of them aired live-action programs occasionally. American South Korean Canadian Japanese During
1638-420: The time", he put the idea aside until 2015, when the industry of animation became more accepting of serialization within kids' animated series. After the cancellation of Wander Over Yonder , McCracken, alongside his wife Lauren Faust , his friend Francisco Angones, as well as several former Wander Over Yonder staff members including Andy Bean, Chris Tsirgotis, Justin Nichols and Dave Thomas, further expanded
1680-430: The week during a prescribed time slot , including for example saturday-morning cartoons , prime time cartoons , late night anime , and weekday cartoons ; series broadcast only on weekends. The duration of an episode also varies. Traditionally, they are produced as complete half-hour or nearly half-hour programs; however, many are presented as animated shorts of 10 — 11 minutes, which can be combined for filling
1722-480: Was met with positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes , the first season holds a 100% approval rating based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. Adrián Carande from the Spanish magazine Cinemanía called it "a little miracle [that is] flawlessly animated" and brings McCracken back to his roots, while being "sincere" "fast-paced", and "effective". IGN 's Nicole Clark said that the first season wrapped up with
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1764-464: Was released on September 7, 2021. The third and final season, subtitled The Global Heroes! , was released on February 3, 2022. Kid Cosmic follows Kid, a 9-year-old boy who fantasizes about becoming a superhero , living in a junkyard in a thinly populated stretch of desert in New Mexico . When a spaceship crashes in the area, he discovers it has onboard five "Cosmic Stones of Power" that give him
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