Cartoon Network has had no shortage of iconic and unforgettable animated shows in its nearly 30-year history. Anyone who grew up with eyes glued to their television can wax nostalgic for hours about the vast catalog, all having their own personal favorite choice of cartoon comfort viewing.

One show, however, happened to come by at quite the experimental period for the network, which at the time was unsuccessfully flirting with the idea of hosting live-action programming on its traditionally animation-only channel. The failure of the CN Real block sent shock waves through the network, leading it into what many longtime viewers have labeled as "the dark age" for the channel. With ratings at an all-time low, there was no better time for a fresh new idea to take Cartoon Network (and subsequently the animation medium) by storm. Luckily for viewers and network executives alike, Adventure Time arrived to do just that.

Wrong Place, Right Time

Simultaneously, the soon-to-be award-winning animated powerhouse was also having trouble finding a place to stretch its legs and call home. Creator Pendleton Ward first pitched the idea for his cartoon to the rival animation network Nickelodeon, producing a short in 2007 for Fred Seibert's animation highlight series Random! Cartoons. The five-minute short demonstrated the main concept of the show-- best friends Finn the Human and Jake the Dog living in the mythical Land of Ooo, seeking out adventure while befriending and/or fighting a collection of colorful and distinctively weird inhabitants.

The tone and dialogue of the short were conceptualized by Ward and his team to be playfully casual, with characters speaking to one another in lax and comfortable tones, often times making up goofy expressions or catchphrases to trade back and forth. While going viral online, Adventure Time's pilot didn't impress Nickelodeon executives, and the attempt for a series deal was promptly shut down. Across the pond, Cartoon Network caught wind of the oddball short making the rounds on the internet, and being in no position to turn down a potential success, jumped right in to offer both Ward and Seibert commission for a full-length series.

Related: Will Adventure Time: Distant Lands Get a Second Season on HBO Max?

Growing With an Audience

Equipped with new voice actors, a vibrant art style, and varied supporting cast, Adventure Time premiered its first season in April 2010 to widespread praise. Carrying over the general plot, tone and characters from the pilot, the show began as an episodic comedy with original and imaginative plot lines for each episode. Ward and Seibert's creation immediately fostered an audience of not only the younger child demographic it initially aimed for, but young adults and teenagers as well, so much so that later seasons began gradually using more mature storylines and themes.

Simon comforts Marceline
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

It became clear as time went on that the showrunners had something more in mind after the charmingly juvenile stories of the first season. As the cartoon grew older, so too did its audience, and episodes slowly worked in more emotionally complex and character-driven plots, ones that would span multiple episodes rather than being self-contained. More focus was put on backstory, world building, and character development all while maintaining the same distinct style of informal dialogue and light-heartedness that fans found comfort and familiarity in.

It wasn't commonplace at the time for a show generally seen for kids to challenge its viewers with storylines that could contain dark themes and narratives, and to not always be going for a laugh. However, episodes that highlight characters' mental struggles often came out as the most poignant and beloved of the series. Pioneering how animated television can handle taking about real-life issues, the team behind Adventure Time never shied away from impactful and heavy subjects, in some tear-jerking cases drawing parallels to the harsh reality of dealing with disorders and diseases such as PTSD and dementia. The show also received heavy praise for being one of the first cartoons to bravely feature LGBTQ+ representation, with characters of the same sex having complex and heartfelt romantic relationships, during a time when the concept was deemed controversial for children's entertainment.

An Imitable Style

The 2010s were ripe with new ideas and creative concepts for the world of animation, some pushing boundaries not yet attempted by the network, though in many cases had Adventure Time's influence to thank. The show acted as an incubator not only for budding talent, but for a visual style that would be mirrored in similar shows of the era. Whether they be lovingly crafted original concepts with minor inspiration, or unfortunate failures that missed the mark on what made the style special, many subsequent shows revealed the undeniable footprint Adventure Time left on the industry, and Cartoon Network was all the richer for it.

thundercats roar cast
Warner Bros. Television Distribution 

The art style presented in the show, with flat-yet-vibrant colors and simple character features, ushered in an era of very similarly-styled cartoons that, while sometimes being subtle with their inspiration, could other times be a drab and ill-conceived imitation. With what could sometimes be scornfully referred to as the "Cal-Arts" art style (a shorthand referring to the California Institute for the Arts), Adventure Time was one of the first cartoons to utilize the unique look for its characters, and while some have garnered a distaste for the overuse of the style, most can agree on where its origins took place.

From Writers to Show Runners

The minds at work behind the cartoon juggernaut were an assembly of unmatched talent and potential, many going on to not only work as staff members on other animation projects, but to create and head their own successes on the network. A handful of hit shows spawned from those who established a name for themselves behind the scenes after demonstrating their talents on Adventure Time, and subsequently getting their own pilots green lit for full series deals.

One of the prime examples of success stories to come from one-time staff members would be that of Rebecca Sugar, creator of the groundbreaking Cartoon Network show Steven Universe. Sugar worked as story writer, storyboard artist, and songwriter while with Adventure Time, being nominated for numerous awards for her contributions. Being responsible for several of the shows most iconic and emotionally rich episodes, as well as popular songs, it was a no-brainer for the channel to pick up Sugar's pilot for her own full cartoon series, premiering in 2013 and becoming a massive hit.

Steven Universe team
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Rebecca Sugar's husband and long-time collaborator Ian Jones-Quartey also worked as a storyboard supervisor and revisionist for Adventure Time before pitching his own pilot to the network. While working alongside his spouse on Steven Universe, Jones-Quartey created a short named Lakewood Plaza Turbo that aired on Cartoon Network in 2013. The short was retooled as a mobile phone game before finally receiving its own series in 2017, with the new title OK K.O! Let's Be Heroes.

Related: Here Are 5 Reasons Why Teen Titans is One of the Best Cartoon Network Shows

Distant Lands and Beyond

The groundbreaking animated show lasted an impressive 10 seasons, with 283 episodes produced for its main incarnation. A few years after the finale, a four-part epilogue series titled Adventure Time: Distant Lands was produced, serving as the final send-off to the characters and the world conceptualized by Pendleton Ward nearly 15 years prior. A new spin-off show based around gender-bent versions of the characters (featured in several episodes of the main series) titled Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is also in the works at HBO Max, slated for a ten-episode run.

Finn and Jake hug
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Though audiences may have gone on their last adventure with Finn and Jake, the world of animation will never be the same after the boundary-breaking impact that the series had. Through some form or another, countless animated projects to this day have the show to thank for providing a template on how to display emotionally and mentally mature themes for young audiences. Being responsible for kick-starting influential careers, iconic art styles and a timeless formula, there may never be another show quite like Adventure Time, though many will try for years to come.