Adult Swim will merge its TV development with HBO Max’s Adult Animation group. This newly-expanded team will be under the purview of Suzanna Makkos, who will now hold the expanded title of executive vice president of original comedy and adult animation for both brands.
Makkos will continue to report to Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max head of original content, and also now report into Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, on all content developed for Adult Swim on all platforms. Adult Swim’s development team, led by Walter Newman, will now report into Makkos.
“The adult animation boom is just starting, and by aligning our strengths and organizing as one, unified, best in class development team we are creating an unmatched, multiplatform destination for both creators and fans,” Aubrey said. “Adult Swim has created an iconoclastic adult animation brand, and that identity will not only be preserved, it will now be further fueled by HBO Max and Suzanna’s talented development leadership.”
“Adult Swim has been the #1 destination for young adult audiences for more than 15 years and now merging the two best development teams in this business puts Adult Swim at the heart of our company’s future and further strengthens WarnerMedia as the global leader in adult animation,” Ouweleen said. “Walter and the Adult Swim team’s genre defining work, now under Suzanna’s seasoned expertise, will propel Adult Swim’s development process as we continue to push new boundaries and reach new audiences.”
Adult Swim has been around since 2001 when it first launched as a late-night programming block on Cartoon Network and has launched series like “Robot Chicken” and “Rick and Morty.” It has since become its own channel brand even if it still shares space with Cartoon Network on the dial.
HBO Max is moving harder into adult animation. The streamer has an upcoming “Scooby-Doo” spinoff “Velma” with Mindy Kaling, a reboot of MTV’s “Clone High” and the Pete Davidson-led “Fired On Mars.”