Checkered Past
A nostalgic bridge block reimagining Cartoon Network’s past through Adult Swim’s late-night lens.
Checkered Past aired between Cartoon Network’s sign-off and Adult Swim’s start, featuring classic CN episodes audiences grew up with. Rather than leaning into overt ’90s nostalgia, the block focused on the tech, textures, and artifacts of the era, creating a surreal, memory-driven space that felt more like slipping into a half-remembered childhood room than watching a traditional throwback block.
Role & Scope
Creative Direction & Hands-On Execution
Led creative direction in close collaboration with the Adult Swim internal team, shaping the overall concept, tone, and visual language of the block. With limited budget, took a highly hands-on role across production — sourcing and building all practical sets, designing all on-air graphics, and creating the full packaging system.
Designed and composited the character bump system, integrating classic Cartoon Network characters into Adult Swim’s atmospheric “vista” environments in collaboration with animation leadership.
Team: Adult Swim in-house team + external designers and animators
Design / Mixed Campaign (Television & Streaming: Brand) (2024)
Checkered Past transformed the block into a surreal mix of memories, meant to feel like slipping back into a half-remembered childhood dream — full of deep cuts and references for longtime fans.
The block opened with a lone television floating in space — a quiet signal that you were crossing from one network into another.
Logo Development
We wanted a mark that could live between the two brands, something born from their shared DNA.
So we went back into our history and pulled the skull originally sketched on a napkin—or maybe a script; the details are still debated. We reworked it, and that became the mark.
Thanks, Linda Simensky <3
Packaging
Bumps
The block’s voice began as a whispering TV floating in a void, then slowly shifted into a 2000s-era kid’s room, grounding the experience in real tech, real objects, and lived-in nostalgia before transitioning into the desktop world.
Our other character was an old iMac, which “spoke” through its own interface — using vintage web pages, desktop folders, and half-finished Word docs to communicate with the audience.
Promo Graphics
The character bumps combined classic Cartoon Network characters with Adult Swim’s atmospheric “vista” environments, placing familiar figures inside unfamiliar, quiet spaces. By relying on minimal, ambient sound instead of traditional promo VO, the bumps felt more abrupt and introspective, helping them stand out while bridging Cartoon Network’s history with Adult Swim’s primetime tone.
Character Bumps
Credits
Creative Direction: Candice House
Internal Creative Team: Adult Swim
Animation Direction (Character Bumps): Adult Swim Animation Leadership
External Designers & Animators: Select collaborators