Adult Swim: The Search For More Viewers
by Darius Washington

Continuing my quest to learn a bit about the Cartoon Network, I visited the second "Adult Swim" panel on Saturday. Following a montage taken from several series including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, 12 oz. Mouse, The Venture Bros., and Harvey Birdman, creators and crew members from Adult Swim answered fans’ questions about their favorite shows.

The team behind Aqua Teen Hunger Force fielded questions about their feature film, which is slated to be released to theaters in early 2007. Fans hoping for an origin story in the movie may be disappointed. “Yeah but no,” was the crew’s response, though they did mention the prominent presence of Dr. Weird in ATHF’s beginnings. The film, which was made over two years, will feature a fifth Aqua Teen voiced by Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness), as well as the recurring character, Steve.  A cameo by Cameo (the singing group) was shot, but was edited out.

Attention turned to a new series which will debut September 15, Frisky Dingo, starring Brendon Small of Home Movies. Frisky Dingo tells the story of Killface, a white monster who wants to build a giant engine and push it into the sun, although he really isn’t looking for any trouble. He will come into conflict with Awesome X, a rich and powerful hero who has defeated all villains in his city, making it crime free.

One fan focused on The Venture Bros., saying it was "better than being just a Johnny Quest parody." Creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer called their efforts “mostly just us trying not to be bored. We’re fans of the show and have the power to make stuff happen.” The duo also hinted that the character known as Dr. Girlfriend is the boys’ real mother but joked later that the season finale may be delayed due to this comment.

In other announcements, Harvey Birdman will begin new episodes on October 1^st. Moral Oral will air 20 new episodes this fall. Squidbillies will debut new episodes Sept. 17, in which the creators said they’ll tackle big issues such as drinking, health care, and Patrick Swayze. 

Fans asked many good questions, but the one that got everyone’s attention received no answer: “Do any minorities actually work on Minoriteam?”