Here Come Cartooniverses! Cartoon Network Is Moving Beyond TV

Since the early '90s, Cartoon Network has been a mainstay of cable TV—and in that time become a trove of iconic characters. From early staples like The Powerpuff Girls to Adventure Time's Jake and Finn, the company has built a literal *ahem* cartoon network. But networks aren't what they used to be, so Cartoon Network is moving beyond the small screen ... to an even smaller one.

Through its artist incubator Cartoon Network Studios, the company launches its first original mobile game today. *OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo *has a CN pedigree (it was developed by Steven Universe’s Ian Jones-Quartey and coproduced with Regular Show storyboard artist Toby Jones) and sounds like exactly what you'd expect from the network: child superheroes, robo-villains, colorful scenes, and a flick at evil superstores trying to destroy small businesses for the good guys. But the game represents much more than just CN bringing its sensibility to mobile gaming.

OK K.O. marks a significant shift for Cartoon Network: it's the first time the network has opened a new universe of characters outside of its TV shows. And it's the beginning of a new strategy for the company. “We're no longer just about creating TV series, we're really about creating animated worlds,” Rob Sorcher, Cartoon Network's chief content officer, says. “And so we want the ability to unfold those [worlds] onto any platform---and ultimately all platforms.”

OK K.O.'s story started much like those of other Cartoon Network characters. Jones-Quartey developed the world of *Lakewood Plaza Turbo *as a pilot short that was part of Cartoon Network Studios' story artist program. The program, Sorcher says, often has been a pathway for the development of TV series in the past—but this time, instead of developing a show based on K.O. and his friends, Cartoon Networks decided to use the Lakewood Plaza universe as an opportunity to try something new.