Crowd-Funded TV Animation

They're doing it for live-action, so why not cartoons?

Veteran producer James Manos Jr., creator of "Dexter," and fellow Emmy-winning producer Bill Schultz of "The Simpsons," are joining forces to launch a crowdfunding campaign to support the creation and production of the proposed "Jimmy Stones," animated series. ...

With a goal of raising $100,000, Manos and Schultz plan use the money to produce 10 three-minute fully animated episodes using voice actors, artists, and animators - as well as music and post production. Once produced, the episodes will go online to create support for the proposed half hour and grow a fan base. "If we reach our goal, we will be able to put greenlight the first animated series of its kind! Adult, dark, clever, sophisticated and extremely funny with self-effacing, sarcastic humor. ...

There have been variations of this over the years, of course.

Cartoon Network was launched in a similar manner, with animated shorts pitched by Hanna-Barbera's staff, and Ted Turner's company underwriting the production of six to eight-minute cartoons from favored pitches. If television audiences took to the resulting product, more and longer episodes would be made.

Johnny Bravo, Power-Puff Girls and Dexter's Lab began life this way; the result was successful animated series and the launch of CN. Naturally enough, funding sources were different than the Jimmy Stones model, but the approach was (is) the same: Make animated shorts, throw the resulting handiwork out to the general public, then build on the cartoons to which the public cottons.

We wish the best of luck to Manos and Schultz with their new endeavor, and urge them to sign a TAG contract just as soon as Jimmy Stones catches fire.