Samurai Jack All-New Episodes — Adult Swim Announces 2016 Season

“Adult Swim is excited to announce that JACK IS BACK.” This is what the company posted about the Samurai Jack series. Many are in shock, but it’s true.

According to Adult Swim’s upload, the Samurai Jack season is set to kick off in 2016. Comic Book reports that it’s currently in production in Los Angeles, California — at Cartoon Network Studios. The notice also mentions that Jack will be broadcast during “Toonami.”

2016 pic.twitter.com/C5udeSJ8tP

— [adult swim] (@adultswim) December 2, 2015

The company’s YouTube page states that creator and executive producer Genndy Tartakovsky plans to pick up from where Samurai Jack left off in the last season. In a previous interview with Comic Book, before Adult Swim’s announcement, Tartakovsky mentioned bringing the show back. The Samurai Jack creator spoke as follows.

“I feel like it’s culminating to a fever pitch almost. I feel like it’s time to maybe finish the story. We’ve been trying to get the feature off the ground but maybe that’s just fate’s way of saying this is a television thing and maybe it should be a mini-series or something like that.”

In that interview, he also mentioned a similar feeling for a movie about the beloved series. However, Tartakovsky noted that Hollywood wasn’t exactly on the same page with the theatrical Samurai Jack concept.

If you don’t know much about the series’ background, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) gives an informative summary, as follows.

“In the distant past, a Japanese samurai embarks on a mission to defeat the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. Before he can complete his task, though, he is catapulted thousands of years into the future. He finds himself in a world where Aku now enjoys complete power over every living thing. Dubbing himself ‘Jack’, he sets out on a new quest–to right the wrongs that have been done by his enemy and to find a way back to his own time so he can destroy the evil for good.”

Breaking: Adult Swim confirms new season of #SamuraiJack, with Genndy Tartakovsky returning as executive producer pic.twitter.com/ZOAoa952Z0

— Animated Views (@AnimatedViews) December 2, 2015

From the same source, it also mentions that Tartakovsky possibly obtained some of his “Jack” inspiration from Frank Miller’s Ronin novel. However, the series is not the only broadcast work to which the creator’s contributed. He also worked on Dexter’s Laboratory, 2 Stupid Dogs, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Hotel Transylvania 2.

Interestingly enough, speaking of “Dexter’s Lab,” the source mentions that character Dee-Dee was inspired by Genndy Tartakovsky‘s older brother, Alex. As it turns out, Alex used to spoil Tartakovsky’s plans often, much like Dee-Dee does to Dexter, as mentions IMDb.

As background information, Samurai Jack‘s creator was born in Moscow, USSR (now Russia). However, he was raised in Chicago, Illinois. During his younger years, he took an interest in comics and cartoons. Accordingly, when he was of age, he became a student at Cal Arts in Los Angeles and honed his craft.

According to the source, the premise for Dexter’s Laboratory was actually one of his student films during his time at the institution. IMDb reports that Tartakovsky has three distinct trademarks to his artwork. They are as follows.

• Characters that are very round or rectangular with thick black outlines
• Many episodes of cartoon shows he directs have extended periods of either silence or no dialogue.
• Frequently uses pop culture references in his cartoons.

These things can definitely be seen in Samurai Jack. While the show continues to receive massive, positive feedback, there are also people who have reservations, as well. Via the Adult Swim’s YouTube page, Patrick Watkins commented, “I’m conflicted about this on one hand i’m excited that it’s coming back but on the other hand i have feeling the series won’t meet the expectations we have for it.”

In the past, according to the Verge, Samurai Jack has received two Emmy awards. Do you think it will earn a third in the near future? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, below.

[Image via Twitter]