Project
Samurai Jack Global Launch
Role
Senior Art Director / Marketing Creative
Beyond Marketing: Building the Mythology of a Modern Animation Classic
As Art Director for the creative launch of Samurai Jack, I led the visual strategy behind the show’s marketing and advertising. At the time, this was a bold new IP from Genndy Tartakovsky, and we approached it with the ambition and care of worldbuilding—crafting a visual identity that extended the show’s tone and mythology into every piece of creative. From cinematic key art to launch campaigns, our work introduced audiences to a universe unlike anything on air. We knew we weren’t just promoting a show—we were helping shape the first impression of what would become an animation icon.
Samurai Jack: A Bold Launch for a New Kind of Hero
As animated concepts go, Samurai Jack wasn’t the most obvious crowd-pleaser on paper: a meditative epic about a quiet, time-traveling warrior inspired more by The Odyssey than Hanna-Barbera. It featured minimal comedy, hardly any dialogue, and a dramatic, cinematic tone. But short attention spans be damned—Samurai Jack became an unlikely breakout hit. In its debut, the show delivered double-digit rating increases in its Friday 7 p.m. slot among kids, and triple-digit growth among adults. It attracted an average of 1.1 million children and nearly half a million adults, quickly earning a spot alongside Cartoon Network’s other crossover success, The Powerpuff Girls. With new episodes launching March 1 and the 90-minute premiere releasing on home video shortly after, Samurai Jack was clearly on its way to animated legend status. We knew the launch had to be just as bold as the show itself. So, we treated it like a major theatrical release. From the beginning, the marketing strategy was about worldbuilding—not just promotion. Our goal was to reflect the mature tone, stylized visuals, and cinematic pacing that made Samurai Jack so different from anything else on air.
As part of the broader launch strategy, we also developed a B2B sweepstakes campaign: Samurai Jack: Code of the Samurai. This exclusive promotional box included a special sneak preview of the show and one of the very first collectible Samurai Jack figures—an instant attention-grabber for advertisers, media partners, and key clients. To elevate the experience, the grand prize was no less than an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan—a bold move that not only reflected the show’s cultural influences but positioned Cartoon Network as a brand willing to think bigger and go further. This campaign helped secure sponsor loyalty, build hype from the inside out, and align the show with premium experiences right from the start.
We also created a premium marketing kit that included branded Samurai Jack collectible items, packaged with the Cartoon Network logo—boldly signaling a shift from the network’s kid-only perception to something more sophisticated and cinematic. At the time, this type of experiential, stylized marketing was almost unheard of for a children’s network. Today it’s common practice, but in 2001, this was a risk—and a breakthrough.
Our strategy targeted both younger viewers and older anime fans who would appreciate the show’s dramatic pacing and visual style. We even branded entire movie theaters for premiere screenings, covering walls with immersive key art and creating a theatrical atmosphere that elevated expectations. For younger fans, we created collectible postcards featuring scenes from the show’s opening sequence. For B2B audiences, we produced a premium pack including chopsticks, brochures, and exclusive invites to special screenings and trade events.
We also created a premium marketing kit that included branded Samurai Jack collectible items, packaged with the Cartoon Network logo—boldly signaling a shift from the network’s kid-only perception to something more sophisticated and cinematic. At the time, this type of experiential, stylized marketing was almost unheard of for a children’s network. Today it’s common practice, but in 2001, this was a risk—and a breakthrough.
To position the premiere as a true cultural moment, we hosted a series of themed launch events. Guests—including key industry figures and media personalities—were greeted with martial arts demonstrations, themed hors d’oeuvres, and life-sized character standees of Jack and his nemesis Aku, all set against surreal, atmospheric backdrops inspired by the show. Though social media didn’t exist in 2001, the buzz was undeniable. People were taking photos, sharing the excitement—had Instagram been around, we would’ve been trending for weeks.
Designing Worlds Through Story
These are just a few production backgrounds and artwork developed for the series. The original sketches were done in paper, scanned, constructed and painted using Adobe tools like Photoshop. Now I storyboard on the computer, but it’s just a fancy pencil. The coloring is a click and fill in. The biggest change, really, is that in the first season, all the backgrounds were hand-made. Now computers mimics hand-painting and natural brushes. That’s the irony of the evolution of technology.
