Cable Cartoons

... continue to prosper.

Across June Primetime (Broadcast definition) rankings, Adult Swim ranked #1 among basic cable networks for overall delivery of adults 18-34. Compared to June 2012, Primetime delivery increased by double digits (11%-28%) across the board –adults 18-24 grew by 25%, adults 18-34 by 19%, adults 18-49 by 13%, men 18-24 by 28%, men 18-34 by 18% and men 18-49 by 11%.

Adult Swim’s June 2013 Total Day Delivery averages ranked #1 among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 on basic cable. Compared to June 2012, Total day delivery grew among adults 18-24 by 10%, adults 18-34 by 7%, adults 18-49 by 3%, men 18-24 by 6% and men 18-34 by 4%.

New episodes of Adult Swim original series The Venture Bros. (Sunday, 12 a.m.) claimed #1 in its timeslot among men 18-34 and grew by double digits across the board vs. the same time period last year. Similarly, new episodes of Bob’s Burgers (Sunday, 11 p.m.) increased delivery among adults 18-24 & 18-34 and men 18-34 between 6% - 10% vs. the same time period last year. ...

Feature animation work in Los Angeles has become more project-to-project. Disney hires a large staff to get its annual feature out. Sony in Culver City bulks up when production crunches happen.

DreamWorks Animation, which prided itself on a large staff working on a large number of features has changed its studio structure: fewer employees during slack periods, more employees during production crunches. (The company hasn't admitted to this new structure, but a few DWA supervisors have told me this is the future they see.)

And Sony, even though a lot of its production work is created in Vancouver, continues to have a large presence in Culver City. Like other feature producers, its staffing levels are driven by deadlines.

Television animation is the genre that has really kept employment numbers up in animation, because t.v cartoons continue to increase their reach across viewing platforms. Employment levels have gone up right along with the audience numbers, and an increasing number of cable outlets have cartoon blocks.

Happily, this means that an increasing number of artists, writers and directors make their living doing animated cartoons.