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Adventure Time
Genre	Comedy, adventure, science-fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, surreal humor, High Fantasy
Created by	Pendleton Ward
Written by	Pendleton Ward Patrick McHale Adam Muto Tim McKeon Merriwether Williams Steve Little Thurop Van Orman Kent Osborne Mark Banker
Directed by	Larry Leichliter
Creative directors	Patrick McHale (season 1-2) Cole Sanchez (season 2-3) Adam Muto (season 3-present) Nate Cash (season 3-present)
Voices of	Jeremy Shada John DiMaggio Hynden Walch Niki Yang Tom Kenny Olivia Olson
Opening theme	"Adventure Time" by Pendleton Ward
Ending theme	"Island Song" by Ashey Eriksson
Composers	Casey James Basichis, Tim Kiefer
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	39 (38 1/2 aired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Fred Seibert Eric Homan Derek Drymon (season 1) Pendleton Ward (season 3-present)
Producers	Kelly Crews Pendleton Ward (season 1-2)
Running time	11 minutes (as of September 6, 2010)
Production companies	Frederator Studios Cartoon Network Studios
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network
Release	April 5, 2010 (2010-04-05) – present

Adventure Time (initially titled as Adventure Time with Finn and Jake; still used in the related merchandise) is an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward and produced by Frederator Studios for Cartoon Network. The series focuses on the adventures undertaken by two best friends, Finn the human boy and Jake the dog with magical powers, who dwell in the Land of Ooo. The series is based on a short produced for Frederator's Nickelodeon animation incubator series Random! Cartoons. After the short became a viral hit on the Internet, Cartoon Network picked it up for a full-length series that had a preview on March 11, 2010 and officially premiered on April 5, 2010. The series has been a critical and commercial success, receiving generally positive reviews. This series is rated TV-PG.

Production

Following the animated short, Frederator Studios pitched an Adventure Time series to Nickelodeon, but the network passed on it twice. The studio then approached Cartoon Network, with creator Pendleton Ward delivering them an early storyboard for "The Enchiridion", showing that the premise could be expanded into a series while maintaining elements from the original short: funny catchphrases and dances, an awkward kiss moment with the princess and an "Abe Lincoln moment". Cartoon Network greenlit the first seerhngcb nason in September 2008, and "The Enchiridion" would become the first produced episode.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Executive producer Fred Seibert compares the show's animation style to thatewsdxof Felix the Cat and the Max Fleischer cartoons but says its world is also equally inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and video cgames.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Ward describes the character Finn as a fiery little kid with xc strong morals, while Jake is based on Bill Murray's character in the movie Meatballs, as a laid-back twenty-something who usually jokes around, but occasionally gives good advice.

Setting

Although not implemented in the short and not directly mentioned within the series, the setting of the "Land of Ooo" is a post-apocalyptic continent, after the Great Mushroom War. According to creator Pendleton Ward, the show takes place "after the bombs have fallen and magic has come back into the world". During a presentation at the Toronto Comics and Arts Festival, Ward said that this will likely never be directly addressed in the series but we will likely see more Easter eggs. in the holiday special "Holly Jolly Secrets", Finn and Jake discover a few secret VHS tapes by the Ice King. The last tape shows Ice King as a human. In the video, Ice King says his name is Simon Petrikov and he was studying to be an antiquarian of ancient artifacts. In his secret tape, he explains he purchased his golden crown from an old dock worker in Northern Scandinavia, a real-world location. This Easter egg almost certainly confirms that the "Land of Ooo" is actually a part of Earth.

Characters

Protagonists

Finn the Human (voiced by Zack Shada in the pilot short, where his name was "Pen", and by Jeremy Shada in the TV series) is a 13-year-old (previously 12 in the short and the series until "Mystery Train") human boy who loves nothing more than going on adventures and saving the day. He wears a self-proclaimed 'awesome hat' that covers his extremely long, beautiful, flowing blond hair (which he cuts off in "To Cut a Woman's Hair" and is seen to have grown back in "Mortal Folly", but returns to short in "No One Can Hear You",then again grows hair but is only shoulder length in "Beautopia"), and is prone to strange exclamations and outbursts. Considering himself a hero, Finn has a lust for adventure and swore long ago that he would help anyone in need (except the Ice King), but, being so full of energy, he has trouble in situations that require him to do things other than fight monsters. He is the main protagonist of the show and likely takes his name in the short, Pen, from the show's creator, Pendleton "Pen" Ward. Finn was raised by Jake's parents, as explained in "Memories of Boom Boom Mountain" and shown in "Memory of a Memory."

Jake the Dog (voiced by John DiMaggio in both the pilot and series) is Finn's best friend, a 28-year-old dog with magic powers that allow him to stretch or shrink any part of his body to any shape and almost any size, ranging from becoming gigantic to cover ground quickly to becoming so small that, in "It Came from the Nightosphere," he spends the entirety of an episode in Finn's shirt pocket. Acting as a confidant and mentor to his energetic pal (though he has a tendency to give somewhat sketchy advice), Jake has a laid-back attitude in most situations, but loves adventure and will eagerly fight when he needs to. His powers help Finn considerably in combat and transportation, but are also sometimes used as nothing more than jovial forms of expression. Jake is dating Lady Rainicorn, whom he met in the pilot. He is shown to be quite skilled at playing the viola.

Recurring characters

Princess Bonnibelle Bubblegum (voiced by Paige Moss in the pilot short, and Hynden Walch in the TV series, and Isabella Acres when turned younger) - Princess Bubblegum is a bubble gum/human hybrid. She rules the Candy Kingdom, where all of the inhabitants are composed of types of dessert and are sentient or as Finn refers to as "having aspirations". Her proficiency in science and fluency in German are a testament to her high intelligence. Finn has a crush on her, but is too shy to admit it, though in the "Mortal Recoil", he finally admits to liking Bubblegum "a lot", and in "Too Young" and "Wizard Battle," the two kiss. While she is typically kind and well-mannered, her temper can be a powerful force when provoked. Marceline reveals that Bubblegum's first name is "Bonnibelle" in "Go with Me". In "Mortal Folly", she admits that she cares about Finn and gives him a sweater she knitted to keep him warm, which proves to save his life against The Lich. In "What was Missing," it is implied that she and Marceline may have had some sort of relationship in the past. In the Season 2 finale "Mortal Recoil", after being possessed by The Lich, she is accidentally shattered and returned to life as a 13-year-old due to the doctors not having enough gum to work with, though it appears that her memories have remained intact. In "Too Young," she becomes 18 again by absorbing the parts sacrificed by her candy subjects in order to reclaim her kingdom from the Earl of Lemongrab.

Lady Rainicorn (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the pilot short, and Niki Yang in the TV series) - Princess Bubblegum's half-rainbow, half-unicorn rainicorn. She can turn objects and people different colors. Her origins can be traced back according to the episode "Her Parents," in which Jake explains how rainicorns and dogs have been battling over the Crystal Dimension for centuries. The episode also alludes to Rainicorns having a taste for human flesh, when her parents attempt to eat Finn, however Lady herself has never shown hostility toward Finn and always has a kind disposition with him. She can fly because her body intercepts light and can dance on it, which also explains her movement and why she has a rainbow pattern. She's Jake's girlfriend and she frequently plays the viola for him while he dances. Jake describes her as "the Rowdy Queen" because she can have fun and fight evil. In the pilot short, she makes pigeon-like sounds to communicate, but in the TV series, she speaks Korean. In both cases, despite being unable to speak the main language of the series, she is able to understand it.

The Ice King (voiced by John Kassir in the short and Tom Kenny in the TV series) - The main antagonist of the series, around 600 years old, the Ice King frequently steals princesses throughout Ooo to forcefully marry them, Princess Bubblegum being his usual target. His magic powers (freezing things by hurling frozen lightning bolts, summoning snow monsters, and flying with his beard) come from the magical crown he wears. Though defined as a sociopath by many, the Ice King is actually lonely and misunderstood, having a generally benevolent relationship with the penguins (primarily one named Gunther, although he is shown in the two-part "Holly Jolly Secrets" episodes naming all penguins Gunther), along with the snow and ice beasts who populate the his realm, and secretly envious of Finn and Jake for being such good friends. Ice King's origins are revealed during the events of "Holly Jolly Secrets" when one of his home-video movies showed that he was originally an antiquarian named Simon Petrikov who was taping a documentary of a crown he bought from an old dock worker in northern Scandinavia, predating the Mushroom War. Wearing the crown, Petrikov begins to lose both his mind and then his fiancée Betty, the source of his subconscious need for princesses, deteriorating in both mind and body over the years into his current state.. In "Ricardio the Heart Guy," one of Ice King's schemes accidentally caused him to temporarily lose his heart, who became the namesake character of the episode, Ricardio (voiced by George Takei). In a couple of episodes the Ice King has had a more positive role by helping Finn and Jake, and in "Hitman" saving their lives from a hitman named Scorcher (although it was the Ice King who hired Scorcher in the first place).

Marceline the Vampire Queen (voiced by Olivia Olson) - A 1,000-year-old vampire girl introduced as a villain who steals Finn and Jake's home (twice), but later reveals that she only wanted to scare them for fun. Marceline plays a bass guitar, which she made from her family's heirloom battle-axe as revealed in "It Came from the Nightosphere", and occasionally jams with Finn and Jake. She appears to be ambidextrous because she plays her bass right handed in some episodes, and opposite in others. She reveals that vampires actually drink "red" by sucking the color out of red things, and that they only occasionally choose to drink blood. Like a traditional vampire, Marceline is vulnerable to sunlight and is capable of turning into an anthropomorphic bat varying in size. The show generally portrays her as a close friend of Finn and Jake, but she often lets her own interests come before others. The two wounds on her neck imply that she was once human. Also, she is a survivor of the "mushroom war" as stated by series creator Pendleton Ward, and in "Memory of a Memory" a trip into Marceline's mind shows her as a child wandering around the outskirts of a destroyed city. Marceline is the only person to ever address Princess Bubblegum by her first name, Bonnibelle. In "What was Missing," it is implied they may have had some sort of relationship in the past. Though Marceline has many things in common with Finn and teases him for fun (kissing him on the cheek just to embarrass him on more than one occasion), the two have made it clear in "Go with Me?" that they do not "like each other in that way". The younger version of Marceline in "Memory of a Memory" was voiced by Ava Acres (the sister of Isabella Acres, voice actress of 13-year-old Princess Bubblegum).

Lumpy Space Princess (voiced by Pendleton Ward) - As her title suggests, Lumpy Space Princess, "LSP" for short, is the princess of Lumpy Space, an alternate dimension. Like all her people, LSP is an extraterrestrial creature known as a "Lumper" which looks like a floating purple cloud with arms and a face, and can convert other beings into Lumpers by biting them, as per "werewolf rules". LSP is spoiled and sarcastic, constantly seeking to impress her peers to the point of cosmetic surgery and punching herself into a ball for a clean-shaven Ice King. She is often shown living outdoors with salvaged furniture and appears to be homeless (although in "Heat Signature," Finn told Jake that LSP "lives like a hobo" instead of "being homeless"), because she has either run away from home or seeks independence as a typical rebellious teenage girl. After Finn and Jake attempt to find Lumpy Space Princess and bring her home in "The Monster", Lumpy Space Princess realizes her parents' true love for her, leading her to go home. She speaks with a thick (albeit masculine) valley girl accent. Her parents are the king and queen of Lumpy Space. It appears that LSP can only float above the ground and cannot fly, although she can turn this off by touching the star on her forehead.

Beemo (a.k.a. BMO; voiced by Niki Yang) - Beemo is a sentient video game console that lives with Finn and Jake. Its appearance contains elements of Vectrex, Game Boy, and Atari 2600 game hardware. Beemo also has the ability to transform into other household objects, such as a camera in "Conquest of Cuteness". The letters on its side spell "BMO", but it has never been stated if this actually stands for anything. Beemo has magical powers that can bring people into a video game by pressing a button on its face. The button only works if Beemo presses it, and potentially releases game monsters into reality, as revealed in "Guardians of Sunshine". Beemo speaks English with East Asian accent.

Episodes

Each Adventure Time episode is approximately eleven minutes in length, although episodes are often telecast in a pair to form a half-hour program. The series has completed two seasons of thirteen episodes each, and a third season premiered on July 11, 2011. In April 2011, Pendleton Ward stated that writing on a fourth season was underway.

Some episodes were drafted, such as "Jake Suit", but were not used; instead, they were incorporated into other episodes.

Reception

Reviews

"Adventure Time makes me wish I were a kid again, just so I could grow up to be as awesome as the kids who are currently watching Adventure Time will be."

The show has received positive reviews and has developed a cult following among both teens and adults alike. Television critic Robert Lloyd, in an article for the LA Times covering the new series, said it "strikes as a kind of companion piece to the network's currently airing Chowder and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Each takes place in a fantastical land peopled with strange, somewhat disturbing characters and has at its center a young male person or person-like thing making his way in that world with the help of unusual, not always reliable, mentors." He went on to say that the show is "not unlike CN's earlier Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, about a boy and his imaginary friend, though darker and stranger and even less connected to the world as we know it." Lloyd also compared it to "the sort of cartoons they made when cartoons themselves were young and delighted in bringing all things to rubbery life." The show has also garnered much more of an adult and teen fan base than the creators expected. Metacritic, a site that reviews shows and movies, gives Adventure Time a 9.2, indicating "universal acclaim" for season 1. Entertainment Weekly named Adventure Time #20 on their The 25 Greatest Animated Series Ever list.

Awards and nominations

Pilot

The animated short "Adventure Time" aired as part of Frederator Studios' Random! Cartoons on December 7, 2008, subsequently leading to the creation of the animated series.

The short focuses on a boy named Pen (the character who would later be renamed Finn) and a dog named Jake as they learn from Lady Rainicorn that the Ice King has kidnapped Princess Bubblegum, in the hope of marrying her. Declaring that it's "Adventure Time", Pen and Jake set off for the Ice King's mountain lair. Pen and the Ice King fight while Jake remains outside flirting with Lady Rainicorn, ignoring the battle. Just when Pen seems to be gaining the upper hand, the Ice King uses his "frozen lightning bolts" to freeze Pen in a block of ice. For unexplained reasons, this transports Pen's mind "back in time, and to Mars" where he has a short motivational conversation with Abraham Lincoln. After being told to believe in himself, Pen is returned to the present, just in time to see the Ice King fly away with Princess Bubblegum. Chasing after him using Jake's extendable legs, Pen rescues the princess from the Ice King's grasp. Jake pushes the magical crown off the Ice King's head, thereby removing the King's source of power. The Ice King then plummets off screen, yelling a long list of complex threats of things he will do when he returns. The story closes with Princess Bubblegum giving Pen a kiss, which he enjoys but which embarrasses him greatly. He attempts to leave, but Jake claims that they have nowhere else to go and that there are no adventures that need them. Fortunately, some nearby ninjas are stealing an old man's diamonds, and they both run off in pursuit.

Other media

Licensed merchandise

Jazwares has produced an assortment of 2, 5, 10 and 20-inch licensed action figures for the series, which launched in Fall of 2011. "Grow Your Own" characters that expand more than 500 percent when immersed in water also hit markets. Role playing toys have also be produced, with a 24-inch "Finn Sword" being released first.

Comic books

On November 19, 2011, Boom! Studios announced plans for an Adventure Time comic book series written by independent web comic creator Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics). The limited edition series is set to launch in February 8th, 2012, with art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb.

Home media

Region 1

Region 2

References

1. "Cartoon Network Premieres Adventure Time with Finn & Jake ~ ApnaDesi". Apnadesi.net. 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
2. Kenny, Charles (2010-04-14). "Adventure Time Season 2 Starts This Monday?". The Animation Anomaly. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
3. http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?290181-Adventure-Time-Is-Moveing-7-30-Next-Year.
4. ^ ""The Enchiridion" Storeraryboards". Frederatornasd Studios. 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
5. "Cartoon Brew, August 29, 2008". Cartoonbrew.com. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
6. Cite error: The named reference awn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
7. "Not sure if it's been asked, but is Ooo a continent, country, island, or the whole world? | Formspring". Formspring.me. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
8. "Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Pendleton Ward Interview)". Wizards of the Coast LLC. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
9. ^ Orange, B. Alan. "SDCC 2011 EXCLUSIVE: Adventure Time Cast Interviews". Movie Web. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
10. ^ "Toonzone recap". Toonzone.net. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
11. ^ "Lesbian controversy". Autostraddle.com. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
12. "How old is The Ice King? - Formspring". Formspring.me. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
13. "Ice King's Origin - Frederator | frederator.com". Retrieved 2011-12-06.
14. "Marceline (Young)". Behind The Voice Actors. 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
15. Homan, Eric (2010-09-30). "The Secret's Out - "Adventure Time" Gets Third Season". Frederator Studios Blogs.
16. "OVGuide - Conquest of Cuteness". OVGuide. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
17. "Adventure Time Returns July 11 It's the premiere of..." Frederatorblogs.com. 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
18. Cite error: The named reference mtv was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
19. ""Jakesuit" Story Notes". Archives.frederatorblogs.com. 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
20. ^ Lloyd, Robert (2010-04-05). "'Adventure Time With Finn & Jake' enters a wild new world". The Los Angeles Times.
21. "Adventure Time: Season 1". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
22. ^ Lambert, David. "Adventure Time with Finn and Jake - Press Release, Box for 'It Came From the Nightosphere'". TV Shows On DVD. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
23. The 25 Greatest Animated TV Series: You Ranked 'Em!
24. "37th Annual Annie Nominations and Awards Recipients". Annie Awards. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
25. "Emmy Nominations" (PDF). Emmy Online. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
26. "Adventure Time Nominated for an Annie". Frederator Studios Blogs. 2010-12-06.
27. "Emmy Nominations" (PDF). 2011-07-14.
28. ^ Goellner, Caleb (2011-08-16). "Jazwares Rolls Out 'Adventure Time' Toy Images". Comicsalliance.com. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
29. It’s ADVENTURE TIME at Boom! in February
30. Goellner, Caleb (November 19, 2011). "'Adventure Time' Comic Series Coming From Boom! in February". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
31. Adventure Time Goes KABOOM! This February!
32. Ryan North Talks 'Adventure Time' Comic: "The Zombies Represent Friendship" [Interview]
33. ^ "Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People DVD on September 27th". Toon Barn. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
35. ^ Liu, Ed. "PR: "Adventure Time: It Came From the Nightosphere" on DVD on March 6, 2012". Toon Zone. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
36. "Adventure Time: Säsong 1 - Vol. 1 - DVD - Film - CDON.COM". CDON.COM. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
37. "Adventure Time: Säsong 1 - Vol. 2 - DVD - Film - CDON.COM". CDON.COM. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
38. "Adventure Time: Säsong 1 - Vol. 3 - DVD - Film - CDON.COM". CDON.COM. Retrieved December 9, 2011.

External links

Template:Misplaced Pages books

• Adventure Time on Cartoon Network
• Pendleton Ward's Official Website
• Frederator Studios, the series production company
• Production blog
• Template:Bcdb
• Adventure Time at IMDb
• Animation Blog

• 2010s American animated television series
• 2010 American television series debuts
• Fantasy television series
• Cartoon Network programs
• Abraham Lincoln in fiction
• Mars in fiction
• Post-apocalyptic television series
• Vampires in television
• Shapeshifting in fiction
• Cartoon Network Studios series and characters
• Cartoon Network Studios superheroes
• Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters
• Size change in fiction
• Animated duos