Cartoon Network has greenlighted an animated series about heroes that will be followed by the launch of an integrated console game.
OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, created by Ian Jones-Quartey and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, is set in Lakewood Plaza, a mall for heroes, where K.O. and his cool crew of friends are constantly trying to impress each other in their efforts to level up and overcome the obstacles that evil foe Lord Boxman sends their way on his quest to destroy the plaza.
The console game, jointly developed with indie video game studio Capybara Games, is described as “an action brawler with RPG elements” and is expected to arrive later this fall. The game will be previewed Friday at gaming festival PAX East.
Last year at Cartoon Network’s “Game Jam,” independent game developers were invited to create their own original games based on the OK K.O.! characters, then college undergraduates were encouraged to create 15-second animation shorts using the IP at an the network’s “Animation Jam.”
“This combined launch marks the culmination of a unique multimedia development process,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer at Cartoon Network. “The result is an entirely connected world which provides deeper satisfaction as fans get further into the property from every access point.”
The show, which will get a sneak peek Monday at SXSW, is set to premiere in the summer in the U.S., followed by a rollout around the world. A stand-alone original mobile game, titled OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, also launched last year based on Jones-Quartey’s short, of the same name, from Cartoon Network’s artist program.
Said Jones-Quartey: “For me, video games and animation have a lot in common and having fun is the main goal. OK K.O.! is a video game-inspired world expressed through the language of animation, but mostly an adventurous playground with heart-warming heroes who battle against robots.”
Jones-Quartey first joined Cartoon Network in 2010 as a storyboard artist on Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. Most recently, he served as co-executive producer on Steven Universe.
