ANIMAX TO SHOCK VIEWERS WITH "SHOCKTOBER" - September 4, 2004 (press release)
Animax, the premier animation cable network, is proud to announce its "Shocktober" event, set to air throughout the month of October. With premieres of new series, Halloween-themed episodes, and more, Animax is the go-to destination for all things spooky this season.
"Shocktober is our way of celebrating Halloween with our fans," said Animax president Margaret Loesch. "We have a lot of exciting premieres in store for them, including 'Skeleton Key' and 'House of Horrors', and we can't wait to share them with everyone."
"Monster by Mistake" and "Fullmetal Alchemist" are two of the new series premiering during Shocktober. "Phantom Investigators" is also returning to the channel for its second season. Additionally, Halloween-themed episodes of Animax favorites such as "Totally Tooned In", "Phineas and Ferb", and "Extreme Ghostbusters" will air on the channel.
The major focus, however, is on the two original series premiering during the event. "Skeleton Key" from TV-Loonland is a series that follows a girl and a fox exploring alternate dimensions through use of a magical key that can open any door. "House of Horrors" from Sony Pictures is a series made up of three horror-comedy shorts based on the comics of Slave Labor Graphics.
"Animax has always been about bringing fresh, new content to our viewers," said Loesch. "We're excited to continue that tradition with 'Skeleton Key' and 'House of Horrors'."
Don't miss out on Animax's "Shocktober" event this October. Tune in for all the frightful fun!
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Animax promo for "New-vember" - November 2004
"This November, Animax is gonna be nothing... but... NEW! It's New-vember! New shows!" (Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot, Sgt. Frog) "New episodes!" (The Beakman and Jax Show, Escape from Jurassic Park, Astro Boy) "New faces!" (new episodes of Go! Cartoons) "So next time your friend asks what's new, tell them Animax is new! With New-vember! All November long, only on Animax! Get a-new-mated!"
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Interview with Margaret Loesch - September 14, 2022
"When Animax was starting out, and we had decided to target adults as well as kids, the people at both Sony and Universal wanted a 'shock show'. You know, something like South Park or Aqua Teen, or even Family Guy. Something that would draw eyes to the network, get people talking, all that. And I said, well, that's all fine and good, but I wanna do a show with some more meat. Y'know, something with substance behind the shock. So the guys at Sony dug up a few animated projects they were working on- The Boondocks, and a stop-motion web series that was, at the time, called 'Sweet J Presents'. Of course, nowadays it's known as Robot Chicken. So I saw what Sony was cooking up, and they were crass and edgy, but The Boondocks was deep and meaningful as well, while Robot Chicken was experimental and a love letter to all sorts of old pop culture shows. They were more than just shock shows. And I looked at them and said... this. This'll do nicely. And, of course, we had our more down-to-earth show with Dilbert and a drama with our upcoming Hulk series, so we weren't just going to be shock shows. We were gonna be something much greater."
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Rough Description of Times Square Billboard - November 2004
On a black background, we see four faces, each in their own quarter of the image, with text near the images showing what show they're from and what time they're going to air. From the top left and going clockwise, we first have The Hulk, airing at 11 PM. Then, Riley from The Boondocks, at 11:30. The chicken from Robot Chicken, airing at midnight. Finally, Super Milk-Chan, airing at 12:30. On the top, there's text reading "We don't kid around on Wednesdays." At the bottom is the Animax logo, with the "Get animated." slogan next to it, and the URL under that.
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