A SWORD. A samurai.
Cartoon Network’s next big hit, potentially the channel’s biggest yet, is called “Samurai Jack,” which debuts tomorrow night (8 p.m.).
The highly anticipated cartoon is the latest show to spring from the mind of Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of another Cartoon Network hit, “Dexter’s Laboratory,” and the animation director from the channel’s most famous ‘toon, “Powerpuff Girls.”
“Samurai Jack” is about a mythological samurai who is trained by Robin Hood, the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Africans, kung-fu masters and a slew of others after his kingdom is destroyed by an evil, shape-shifting demon named Aku.
Somehow, this samurai finds himself in a distant, dark future and winds up with the name Jack.
Don’t ask.
“I wanted to do an action show, because there really wasn’t anything around that I was happy with – as an audience member,” said Tartakovsky.
“I figured this would be my opportunity to walk the walk, because I always trashed a lot of shows.”
“Every single action show, like ‘Spiderman’ or ‘X-Men’ and even though I really like ‘Batman’ was still a little slow for me,” he said. “I wanted something more and this is my opportunity to do it.”
But “Samurai” is different. It blends very simple storylines with gorgeous, simple animation and split-screens similar to classic movies such as “The Andromeda Strain” and “The Longest Yard.”
It also features an action hero who doesn’t speak much – but is able to convey as much emotion with his eyes as an Oscar-winning actor.
“I wanted to create a character that loses. Jack loses right away a few times, and he gets hit, so he’s not invulnerable like Superman, where only one thing can hurt him,” Tartakovsky said.
“And because he doesn’t talk, you can almost imagine what he’s thinking. So because you have to work for it a little bit, it almost makes you closer to him and what’s in his head, rather than him saying: ‘I feel happy’ or ‘I feel sad.’ “
Cartoon Network execs are so confident that “Samurai Jack” will strike a chord with viewers that plans for a theatrical movie are already under way. A wide assortment of “Samurai” merchandise from action figures and DVDs to lunch boxes is heading for stores, timed to arrive just in time for the holidays.
“Obviously this is kind of unheard of for a show that hasn’t even hit the air yet,” said Cartoon Network Senior Vice President Mike Lazzo.
“But Genndy could’ve walked in and told us he was doing a show about two rocks, and we would have said ‘OK! Greenlight!’ – he’s that talented.”