As one of the first mediums of entertainment to introduce the anime genre to many Western viewers, the weekday and late-night television programming block known as Toonami on Cartoon Network became a launching pad for many classic Japanese animations. Not only airing classics like the uncut version ofDragon Ball Zand more modern titles like the critically acclaimedFullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodseries, the space-themed segues that featured the cool and charismatic robot named TOM have been gracing our after-dark airwaves for over twenty-five years.
Always aiming to highlight any sort of animated work regardless of genre or style, Toonami also prides itself on pushing epic cartoon shorts to its audience in between the constantly rotating show lineup. For example, a chaotic and zany romance story released in 2013 calledKick-Hearttold the budding relationship between a masked wrestler and a sister of the church. Told through the all too familiar graphical style of older computer games in 2014,Zurtrunpresented viewers with a helpless, bumbling space hero who ends up going on some absurd, half-minute adventures.
Even Adult Swim themselves joined in on the fun. A short apocalyptic feature calledCome and Learn with Pibbywas uploaded to their official YouTube channel in 2021, which just about broke the internet. Revolving around a bright-colored, toddler-centric heroine akin toNickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer, the teal-colored character has to suddenly take up arms and violently wage war against a corrupting and all-consuming cartoon glitch-infested abomination. Following a traditional short feature form and premiering twice on the same night on June 15, 2025, another short film was released amid those that went on to captivate fans of the science fiction genre for many years to come.
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Stranded On An Unfamiliar Planet
Similar in idea to Matt Damon’sThe Martianbut unique in everything else it brings to the small screen, the brief animated filmScavengers,which premiered onthe long-standing Toonami block, introduces two interplanetary explorers tasked with a larger-than-life project mission called VESTA-1. Assigned to start creating a habitual ecosystem favorable for future human settlers, the opening title screen bluntly and shockingly tells the audience that all contact with the space crew broke down shortly after their arrival on Vesta Minor. After quickly being introduced to the man and woman left stranded on this mysterious planet, the short film quickly submerges itself into all the mysterious neo-biological wonders that this new home has to offer.
Balancing their need to survive with a respect for this bizarre and uncanny environment, the two astronauts go about their usual daily routine interacting with these many wondrous life forms in a mix of both beautiful and dangerous situations. Placed rhythmically within the short film, these snapshots transform into unforgettable moments of surreal eye candy for the viewer. With all of this presented in a seamless style of animation that leaves nothing to the imagination, the folks over at HBO have taken notice of this spellbinding short and ordered an entire animated series that will explore this alien world even more deeply.
Feeling Isolated With Beautiful Imagery
TitledScavengers Reignand debuting a teaser at the 2023 Annecy Animation Festival that was held in France,this revised science fiction dramanot only already expands on the inciting incident which tumultuously drops people onto a previously uncharted planet but also greatly ramps up the danger factor while also emphasizing the emotional and psychological impact such an event has on the already bewildered human psyche. With such a genre-bending story that runs adjacent with a mesmerizing visual experience,Scavengers Reignanimators, directors and writers, Charles Huettner and Joe Bennett and the rest of the team at TitMouse, an award-winning animation studio based in New York City, will absolutely please audiences with this epic saga. Having many notable works under their belt already, such asPrime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina,Netflix’s Agent Elvis,and theBeavis and Buttheadreboot on Paramount Plus, this studio is perfectly suited to craft the exterior look of this adult cartoon.
Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Chris Prynoski, and Ben Kalina are stepping in as executive producers. In addition, Benjy Brooke helming as supervising director, an independent studio based out of Los Angeles, California, called Green Street Pictures is collaborating with them on the HBO Max bound show by bringing in executive producers Sean Buckelew and James Merrill. Not only producing numerous shorts that have garnered Vimeo Staff Pick awards, but Green Street have also created a short calledDronethat just last year made the official selection for over seven different animation film festivals.
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While there is no definitive release date just yet,Scavengers Reignis slated to be released sometime this year onto theHBO Max streaming platform. With this extraordinary journey being worked on by skilled artists from both TitMouse and Green Street, this series will undoubtedly take you out of this world.
