Cartoon Network Studios
American animation studio behind Cartoon Network's original series.
Cartoon Network Studios, Inc., also known as CNS or CN Studios, is an American animation studio under the Television Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery. It began in 1994 as a branch of Hanna-Barbera. The studio mainly creates animated shows and shorts for Cartoon Network, its Adult Swim and Cartoonito blocks, and the streaming service HBO Max. Over three decades, it has produced many influential series, including Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Evil Con Carne, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, Ben 10, Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, Clarence, Over the Garden Wall, We Bare Bears, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Craig of the Creek, Summer Camp Island, and Infinity Train.
In 1996, Time Warner bought Turner Broadcasting System, which owned Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera. The next year, Hanna-Barbera merged its operations with Warner Bros. Animation, moving into their facilities in 1998, where Cartoon Network Studios also worked briefly. Hanna-Barbera shut down for good in 2001, and Warner Bros. Animation has managed its intellectual property since then, occasionally using the Hanna-Barbera name as a label.
In 1999, Cartoon Network bought a large building in Burbank, California, to serve as the studio's headquarters after it split from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Animation. This move allowed Cartoon Network Studios to become an independent entity focused on original series, while Warner Bros. Animation handled existing properties. The studio opened on May 22, 2000, and stayed in that building for more than 20 years.
During the 2020s, after several corporate mergers, the studio was folded into Warner Bros. Animation but continued as a separate division. It relocated to Second Century Development, the company's new headquarters, on August 1, 2023. Sam Register, president of both studios in Burbank, also leads Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe (formerly Cartoon Network Studios Europe) in London, alongside Vanessa Brookman.
History
1990s
In the 20th century, animation became popular on television.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Animation
- Film production
- Television production
- Predecessor
- Hanna-Barbera
- Founded
- 21 October 1994
- Products
- Television shows; Feature films
- Divisions
- Alive and Kicking, Inc.
- Rent Now Productions
- Factual Productions
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cartoon Network Studios began in 1994 as a division of Hanna-Barbera, focusing on original children's programming for Cartoon Network. Its first productions included the anthology series What a Cartoon! (1995), which served as a pilot showcase; the first successful series from this was Dexter's Laboratory (1996). In 1996, Time Warner acquired Turner Broadcasting System, which owned Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera. Hanna-Barbera consolidated with Warner Bros. Animation in 1997, moving into their facilities in 1998, where Cartoon Network Studios also operated briefly. Hanna-Barbera closed permanently in 2001, and Warner Bros. Animation has managed its intellectual property since.
In 1999, Cartoon Network acquired a large building in Burbank, California, to serve as the studio's headquarters after its effective separation from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Animation. The studio opened on May 22, 2000, and operated there for over 20 years. Notable early productions at the new offices included Samurai Jack and Time Squad (both 2001). In the 2020s, after multiple corporate mergers, the studio was consolidated into Warner Bros. Animation, continuing as a separate division, and relocated to Second Century Development on August 1, 2023.
Reader's Guide
Cartoon Network Studios played a central role in defining the aesthetic and creative direction of Cartoon Network from the mid-1990s onward. Its series, such as Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe, became cultural touchstones and influenced a generation of animators and viewers. The studio's output spanned children's comedy, action, and surrealist storytelling, and it also contributed to Adult Swim's programming. Its legacy includes pioneering the use of short-form pilots through What a Cartoon! and The Cartoonstitute, and maintaining a distinct identity separate from Warner Bros. Animation. Despite corporate consolidations, the studio's body of work remains a significant part of American television animation history.
Did You Know?
- The studio's Burbank building was previously a commercial bakery and before that a Pacific Bell telephone exchange.
- In 2006, Cartoon Network Studios collaborated with sister studio Williams Street for the first time on the pilot Korgoth of Barbaria.
- The studio produced its only theatrical film to date, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, released in 2002.
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