Orrin Scott: Archiving Animation with Home Media - Cartoon Network Physical Home Media Releases

I’m so excited to reach this final section of my Archiving Animation with Home Media project. Of the three big networks, Cartoon Network has always been my favorite channel. I love cartoons! And there’s a channel dedicated to them! What more is there to say? Well, lots of things. The history and impact of Cartoon Network is immense. They’ve changed the name of the game multiple times and have aided in changing public opinion from cartoons being for children to being for everybody. If there was no Cartoon Network, I wouldn’t be where I am today, no buts about it. So let’s jump right into it!

The Moxy Show (1993) was the first original programming from Cartoon Network and ran for a single season of 24 episodes. It is also the first series in this entire project to be considered lost media, as not only are there no home media releases of the show, there is barely any material online. Only two episodes have been archived. You can learn about the material collected at the Lost Media Wiki.

Source:

https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Moxy_Show_(partially_found_episodes_of_CGI_anthology_series;_1993-2000)

The Moxy Show Logo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moxy_Show

Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994) ran for 11 seasons and is the only show in Cartoon Network’s history to be a Cartoon Network original as well as an [adult swim] original. It’s tenth and eleventh seasons premiered on Turner’s GameTap, an early digital distribution system before Turner sold the rights to French company Metaboli. The first three seasons have been released on DVD and have had a large distribution. Seasons four, five, and six were an exclusive release through [adult swim]’s online shop which closed in 2014. There was also, briefly, a Build-Your-Own DVD service through [adult swim]’s website that allowed all seasons to be burnt to DVD-R, but as far as official releases, I am counting the first six seasons as available.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Ghost_Coast_to_Coast#Home_media

https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20387

Space Ghost Coast to Coast Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Ghost_Coast_to_Coast

What a Cartoon! (1995), the show that would launch a hundred shows, ran for a single season. If you were to ask me the most important show in the last 50 years, this show would be it. Not only did it change the way cartoons and their staff were paid, it would be the launch pad for not only a large group of creator’s careers, but would serve as the backbone to Cartoon Network early animation programming. When the experimental project was repeated over at Nickelodeon, it too would launch new careers and IPs. Coincidentally timed, last month Vulture (a website owned and run by New York Magazine) had a lookback on the series impact which you can read here. Due to the pilot nature of the show, it has not been released on DVD, though some pilots of series that were greenlit can be found on full series sets.

Source:

https://www.awn.com/animationworld/fred-seibert-interview-part-1

https://frederator.com/series/what-a-cartoonworld-premiere-toons/

https://www.vulture.com/amp/article/what-a-cartoon-animation-history-remembered.html

What A Cartoon! Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Cartoon_Cartoons

Dexter's Laboratory (1996) ran for four seasons and a movie. The movie, Ego Trip, has been released on VHS. The first season in its entirety has been released on DVD. Season Two’s "Dexter’s Lab: A Story", "Picture Day", "Quiet Riot", and "Last But Not Beast" were all released on a Episode Compilation, Greatest Adventures, on VHS. Season two’s "Dexter Vs. Santa’s Claws" was released on the Cartoon Network episode compilation, Christmas 2: Christmas Rocks DVD. In addition, Season two’s "Snowdown" was featured on another Christmas themed episode compilation, Yuletide Follies.

Sources:

http://tviv.org/Cartoon_Network/Cartoon_Network_Christmas:_Yuletide_Follies

http://tviv.org/Cartoon_Network/Cartoon_Network_Christmas_2:_Christmas_Rocks

https://www.amazon.com/Dexters-Laboratory-Greatest-Adventures-VHS/dp/B00005BCN4/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=dexter%27s+lab&qid=1603667565&s=movies-tv&sr=1-16

https://vhscollector.com/movie/dexters-laboratory-greatest-adventures

Dexter’s Laboratory Logo

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Dexter%27s_Laboratory

Johnny Bravo (1997) ran for four seasons and a movie. Only the first season has been released on DVD. An episode from season three, "Frankenbravo", appears on the Cartoon Network episode compilation, Halloween 2: Grossest Halloween Ever. The movie, Johnny Goes to Bollywood, has never aired in North America and was produced for an Indian audience.