Cartoon Network Block Party (comic)

Cartoon Network Block Party is the current title to an ongoing series of anthology comic books published by DC Comics featuring Cartoon Network's programming. It began publishing in June 1997 as Cartoon Network Presents, but has since changed its title to Cartoon Network Starring and Cartoon Cartoons, restarting at issue #1 each time, before taking on its current name in September 2004.

History

Cartoon Network Presents

The comic began as Cartoon Network Presents in June 1997, when DC acquired the comic licensing rights to Cartoon Network's programming, among them the Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Before Turner Entertainment's merger with Time-Warner in 1996, the Hanna-Barbera license had already been in use by Archie Comics, and it wasn't until the license expired in April 1997 that DC got the rights.

Cartoon Network Presents was published alongside two separate comic books featuring three of Hanna-Barbera's most popular cartoons - Scooby-Doo, and The Flintstones and The Jetsons (the latter of which lasted for 21 issues, while the former is still in publication today). Cartoon Network Presents consisted of stories based off of just AbOUT every Hanna-Barbera-produced show on the network except for those three (although the last issue prominently featured Scrappy-Doo, despite the character's lack of popularity); these were mainly billed as Cartoon All-Stars. Stories based on the shows in the Toonami programming block and new shows Dexter's Laboratory (mainly the Dial M For Monkey segments; Dexter himself was only featured in the first issue), Cow and Chicken, and Space Ghost: Coast to Coast (the only Adult Swim show to be featured in these comics) were also abundant in this title.

Notably, Cartoon Network Presents marked the last new comic book title to feature the classic Hanna-Barbera characters (excluding Scooby-Doo). Its run ended after two years. Given that the comic still features stories based on original shows that Cartoon Network no longer airs, it is unknown why the classic characters have never returned to comics.

Issue Guide

Cartoon Network Starring

In July 1999, the comic was restarted as Cartoon Network Starring. Though it followed the same formula as its predecessor, the comic shifted focus away from the older cartoons that had been featured previously, instead focusing on the network's original programming, the Cartoon Cartoons (even though Space Ghost: Coast to Coast was never labelled as such). In this title, The Powerpuff Girls and Johnny Bravo made their comic debuts.

Cartoon Network Starring was published alongside a new monthly comic based off of Dexter's Laboratory, which ran for 34 issues, lasting until February 2003. The Powerpuff Girls would also get their own monthly comic book in March 2000; it ran for 70 issues, ending in January 2006.

Issue Guide

Cartoon Cartoons

In January 2001, the comic book restarted at issue #1 once again, this time having the same title as the name given for the shows it was based on. Unlike the previous incarnations, though, the issues now featured stories based on multiple shows rather than just one show per issue.

At 33 issues, this version of the comic has lasted the longest (so far), and it is also under the title Cartoon Cartoons that the most new shows joined in on being featured in the comic: I Am Weasel, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Sheep in the Big City at issue #1, and Grim and Evil and Codename: Kids Next Door made their comic debut in issue #14 (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy went solo in issue #22). In addition, following the cancellation of the its own comic book, new stories based on Dexter's Laboratory were added to this anthology in issue #17.

The last issue of Cartoon Cartoons was published in August 2004.

Cartoon Network Block Party

With the revival of Johnny DC as a mascot, the Cartoon Network anthology comic was renumbered and retitled again to its current monnikor. In spite of the new name, however, there does not seem to be any major difference between this and its previous incarnation.

In March 2006, The Powerpuff Girls were moved to this comic following their own comic book's cancellation, showing up in issue #19, and after a three-issue mini-series, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi was added in the 22nd issue in June. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and Camp Lazlo will be joining the title in the 25th issue, scheduled to be published in September.

Cartoon Network Action Pack

In May 2006, Cartoon Network Action Pack!, a new anthology title, began publication. This one features stories based off of Cartoon Network's action-oriented shows, including Samurai Jack, Megas XLR, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, and Ben 10. The Codename: Kids Next Door stories will also be moving to this new title, and it is also featuring stories starring The Rowdyruff Boys.