This document provides a case study analysis of the animated TV series 'Adventure Time with Finn and Jake'. It discusses the show's creation, themes, popularity with both children and adult audiences, and production details. Regarding production, it notes the involvement of a large community of writers, artists, animators, and designers both on staff and as freelancers. It also compares Adventure Time's production process and team structure to other works like the Scott Pilgrim video game and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

1. ‘Adventure*Time*with*Finn*&*Jake’
A*case*study*by*Fraser*Brown,*Taylor*Madge*and*George*Barnes

2. Deconstructed+Media
• Adventure+Time+with+Finn+and+Jake+(TV+series)
• Scott+Pilgrim+vs.+The+World:+The+Game+(Xbox/PSN
Arcade+Game)
• Avatar:+The+Last+Airbender+(TV+Series)
• Rocket+Dog+(Web+Series)

3. !
!

4. 2D#Animated#series#–#‘Adventure#Time#with
Finn#and#Jake’
• Adventure#Time#follows#the#whimsical
adventures#of#a#young#boy,#Finn,#and
his#magical#dog,#Jake.
• The#series#was#created#by#Pendleton
Ward,#known#for#story#boarding#work
on#‘The#Marvelous#Misadventures#of
Flapjack’.
• After#the#pilot#gained#viral#success
online,#the#show#was#picked#up#by
Frederator#in#2008#and#Cartoon
Network#in#2010.
• The#show#has#heavy#themes#of#highL
fantasy,#with#postLapocalyptic
undertones.

5. Motivation(behind(our
selection?
• As(a(group(we(all(possess(a(joint
interest(in(2D(Animation(and
the(Concept(Process.
• We(felt(that(2D(backgrounds(and
layouts(was(something(vastly
unexplored((or(only(mentioned
in(passing.)
• We(chose(‘Adventure(Time’(as(a
focus(for(investigation(as(we’re
all(fans,(and(a(member(of(the
layout(crew(was(kind(enough(to
answer(some(questions(for(us.
(

6. Audience
• Adventure+Time+is+primarily+marketed+as+a+children's+cartoon,+however+it
caters+to+a+much+wider+demographic,+including+many+adult+fans.
• The+widespread+attention+of+Adventure+Time+can+partly+be+attributed+to
Frederator+and+Cartoon+Network’s+use+of+social+media.+Uploading
content+to+sites+such+as+YouTube+and+Tumblr+allows+for+easier+access+to
their+content+.
• It’s+attraction+to+older+fans+has+a+lot+to+do+with+humor.+Ward+says+the
writers+try+to+“…make+eachother+laugh”+and+work+with+that.
• As+well+as+humor,+Adventure+Time+also+successfully+handles+some+more
mature+themes+which+keeps+the+attention+of+older+viewers.+Although
the+main+aim+of+the+show+is+fun,+there's+more+to+the+characters+than
just+being+20+minute+entertainment+for+kids.+You+can+feel+the+emotion
behind+some+of+the+storylines,+for+example+"I+Remember+You"+which
shows+that+Marcelline+and+The+Ice+King+have+an+untold,+backstory
involving+the+postPapocalyptic+Land+of+Ooo.

7. Industry)Contact:)Thomas)Hunter
• Tom)Hunter)is)an)animator
and)layout)artist.
• He)is)currently)working
freelance.
• Portfolio)includes)layouts
for)Adventure)Time
(Cartoon)Network))and
Rocket)Dog
(Frederator/Cartoon
Hangover)

8. Crew
• Jeremy(Shada(voices(the(main(character(Finn,(along(with(Tom(Kenny(as
The(Ice(King.
• Many(of(the(crew(also(provide(voices(for(the(recurring(or(one@off
characters(along(with(their(art(and(writing,(such(as(Niki(Yang,(ex@
storyboard(artist(who(provides(the(voices(of(Lady(Rainicorn(and(BMO,
and(Pendleton(Ward(who(voices(Lumpy(Space(Princess.
• Adventure(Time(has(a(crew(of(five(artists(that(deal(with(character
designs(and(story(boarding(between(them,(including(Jesse(Moynihan,
Rebecca(Sugar,(Michael(DeForge,(Andy(Ristaino(and(Ian(Jones@Quartey.
• Tom(Hunter(mentioned(how(many(additional(artists(are(employed(on(a
freelance(basis(to(produce(layouts.
• He(attributes(being(asked(to(work(on(Adventure(Time(due(to(exposure
gained(through(his(Tumblr(blog,(and(in(the(case(of(Rocket(Dog,
attending(school(with(the(creator.

9. Comparison:+‘Scott+Pilgrim+vs.+the
World:+The+Game’
• Paul+Robertson+is+an+Australian+Animator+behind
the+‘Scott+Pilgrim’+PSN/Xbox+Arcade+game.
• The+game+was+a+success,+winning+both+“Best
Downloadable+Game”+and+“Best+Adapted+Video
Game”
• Robertson+worked+with+‘Scott+Pilgrim’+creator
Bryan+Lee+O’Malley+to+draw+and+animate
everything+in+the+game,+from+entire+level
backdrops+to+individual+character+animations+and
items.
• This+game+had+a+small+team+of+encoders+and
producers,+with+Robertson+and+O’Malley+being
the+main+working+force+behind+the+gameplay+and
design.
• Interesting+to+note+the+popularity+of+the+game
with+gamers+and+critics+alike+was+achieved+with
such+a+small+crew,+and+a+design/animation+team
of+two.
+

12. Production
• *Writer*and*storyboard*artist*Rebecca*Sugar*composes*many*of*the
songs*that*the*characters*sing*throughout*the*show.
• The*show*is*hand*drawn*and*animated*digitally,*animators*can*vary*from
season*to*season.
• Casey*James*Basichis*and*Tim*Kiefer*work*together*to*compose*the
show's*background*music.
• Pendleton*Ward*has*said*that*the*look*of*Adventure*Time*is*thanks*to
the*wide*range*of*talented*artists*working*on*the*show,*and*it's*all
orchestrated*by*Nick*Jennings,*the*art*director.
• Ward*has*gone*on*to*say*in*an*interview*that*he*tries*to*make*working
on*AT*as*fun*as*possible,*because*he*knows*what*a*grind*it*can*be.*His
attitude*here*is*thanks*to*his*previous*boss*Thorup*Van*Orman*who*he
said*would*allow*him*to*get*a*look*at*how*his*cartoon*'Flapjack'*was
being*edited,*the*animatics*or*at*the*music*behind*the*episodes

13. Comparison*to*‘Avatar:*The*Last
Airbender’*(Layouts)*–*Hye*Jung*Kim
• Layout*design*in*‘Avatar’*is*vastly*different*to
that*of*Rocket*Dog*or*Adventure*Time,*as*the
process*is*stretched*over*long*distance*with
a*smaller*margin*for*error.
• I*managed*to*ask*some*questions*of*Hye*Jung
Kim,*a*layout*designer*and*painter*for
Avatar.**
• Jung*Kim*agreed*that*she*was*limited*in*her
creative*freedom,*as*the*creators*of*the
Avatar*universe*also*direct*all*the*art
created*for*the*series*to*better*aide
continuity*and*the*vision*they*wished*to
create.
• She*doesn't’t*consider*this*a*bad*thing,*it*just
elevates*the*pressure*for*her*to*create*work
to*their*high*standards.

14. Process'and'Timescale'(Layouts)
• On'Adventure'Time,'Tom'is'provided'with'“rough'storyboard'panels”'as'a'base.
• He'“sketches'rough'ideas”,'either'digitally'or'by'hand'before'beginning'to'work'the'piece'up
in'further'layers.
• 3'or'4'rough'layers'are'completed'before'lines'and'colour'are'applied.
• The'turn'around'for'Adventure'Time'was'generally'one'week,'whereas'Rocket'Dog'took'up'to
three.'Though'Tom'mentions'that'he'did'all'of'the'backgrounds'for'the'first'episode'of'Rocket
Dog,'which'was'a'large'workload.
• There'were'however'fewer'specifics'in'Rocket'Dog,'allowing'for'freer'designs.'Though'Tom
did'often'take'artistic'liberties'with'the'Adventure'Time'layouts,'he'encountered'no
problems.
• He'has'worked'both'from'home'and'in'a'studio.'His'preference'however'remains'at'home,
due'to'comfort'and'the'specifics'of'his'work'setHup.
'
'

15. Conclusion
One+thing+to+take+away+from+the+production+of+Adventure+Time+is
the+sense+of+an+extended+community,+rather+than+set+crew.+Though
there+is+a+solid+crew+at+it's+core,+writers,+designers+and+artists+are
often+brought+in+on+a+one@off+commission+basis.+This+keeps+ideas
strong+and+varied.+It+also+shows+just+how+many+people+are+involved
in+the+production,+a+stark+contrast+to+small+teams+seen+in+the
independent+industry,+where+Indy+games+and+web+cartoons+alike
are+producing+professional+content+from+drastically+different+input.
+
+

16. Bibliography
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Series).3Milwaukie:3Dark3Horse3Books.3p1Bp184.
• Frederator3Studios.3(2009B2013).3Adventure'Time.3Available:3http://frederator.com/.3Last
accessed31st3May32013.
• Eddy,3M.3(2012).3Inside'the'Fun'Factory:'An'Elucidating'Discussion'with'Pendleton'Ward,'the
Creator'of'Adventure'Time.3Available:3http://www.geekosystem.com/pendletonBwardB
interview/.3Last3accessed34th3May32013.
• Wikipedia.3(May32009).3Available:
http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Adventure_Time_with_Finn_and_Jake_Wiki.3Last
accessed35th3May32013.
• Wikipedia.3(May32009).3"Incendium".3Available:
http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Incendium.3Last3accessed33rd3May32013.
• Wikipedia.3(May32009).3”Princess'Cookie".3Available:
http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Cookie.3Last3accessed33rd3May32013.
• Ward,3P.3(20093B32013).3Pendleton'Ward's'Cartoon'Tumblr'Archive.'Available:
http://pwcartoons.frederator.com/.3Last3accessed35th3May32013.
• Hunter,3T.3(20103B32013).3Mr'Buffalo'Tumblr'Archive.3Available:
http://mrbuffalo.tumblr.com/archive.3Last3accessed35th3May32013.