OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes[2] is an American action animated television series created by Ian Jones-Quartey for Cartoon Network. The show is based on Jones-Quartey's pilot Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which was released as part of Cartoon Network's 2013 Summer Shorts project. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The web series premiered on Cartoon Network's YouTube channel and on Cartoon Network Video on February 4, 2016.[3][4]

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
GenreAction
Adventure
Created byIan Jones-Quartey
Based onLakewood Plaza Turbo
by Ian Jones-Quartey
Story by
  • Ian Jones-Quartey
  • Toby Jones
  • Erin Shade
  • Dave Tennant
Directed by
  • John Pham (art)
  • Toby Jones (supervising)
  • Geneva Hodgson (supervising, S2–3)
  • Kimson Albert (supervising animation)
Voices of
Theme music composerMint Potion Studios
Opening theme"Let’s Watch the Show"
by Mint Potion Studios[1]
Ending theme"It's Only Magic"
by Rebecca Sugar
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes112 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJanet Dimon (supervising)
AnimatorsDigital eMation, Inc.
SMIP Co., Ltd.
EditorMattaniah Adams (picture)
Running time
  • 1–2 minutes (shorts)
  • 11 minutes (series)
  • 22 minutes (specials)
Production companyCartoon Network Studios
DistributorWarner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Picture formatHDTV 1080i
Original releaseAugust 1, 2017 (2017-08-01) –
September 6, 2019 (2019-09-06)
External links
Website

On March 9, 2017, nearly four years after the original short's premiere, Cartoon Network announced that the television series had been greenlit, and it premiered on August 1, 2017.[5] The opening sequence was storyboarded by Japanese artist Hiroyuki Imaishi, co-founder of Studio Trigger.

On December 4, 2017, the series was confirmed to be renewed for a second season, which premiered on May 5, 2018.[6] A third and final season, which was announced on June 26, 2019,[7][8] premiered on July 7, 2019; the final episode aired on September 6, 2019.[9]

Premise

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes is set in the retro-futuristic year of 201X. The series follows the titular character, K.O., and his efforts to become the world's greatest hero while working at Gar's Bodega (run by Mr. Gar), a hero supply shop in Lakewood Plaza. Alongside him are his best friends and co-workers Radicles, a narcissistic alien, and Enid, a levelheaded big sister-like ninja, as well as other heroes who work in the area.

Episodes
Main article: List of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
PilotMay 21, 2010 (2010-05-21)
154August 1, 2017 (2017-08-01)April 6, 2018 (2018-04-06)
238May 5, 2018 (2018-05-05)June 30, 2019 (2019-06-30)
320July 7, 2019 (2019-07-07)September 6, 2019 (2019-09-06)
Shorts13February 4, 2016 (2016-02-04)August 2, 2017 (2017-08-02)

Main voice cast
Main article: List of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes characters
  • Courtenay Taylor as K.O., T.K.O., Blue Power, Whistle, Baby Shannon, Hon Dew
  • Ashly Burch as Enid (series and shorts), Gladys, Ms. Mummy, Foxy, Cherry, Ball Monster, Rippy Roo, Baby Teeth, Glitter Starlight, Tumbles, Plazamo ("Dark Plaza"), Hamster, Classmate 1 & 2 ("You're a Good Friend, KO!")
  • Ian Jones-Quartey as Radicles, Darrell, Crinkly Wrinkly, Cookie Man, Pird (episode 11), Frat Boy 2, Gregg, Point Trooper, Drone ("Mystery Sleepover"), URL, Gauntlet, Pickle, Nerd 2, Janner
  • David Herman as Mr. Gar, Brandon, Jethro, Mad Sam, Beardo, Rat, Steamborg Robot, Young Crinkly Wrinkly, Action News Narrator, Heroic Guy, Boxgar, Dragon
  • Kate Flannery as Carol, Gertie (in the pilot)
  • Jim Cummings[10] as Lord Boxman, Boxman Jr., Gar-Man, Mecha-Maw, Robbie
  • Melissa Fahn as Dendy, Mikayla, Krissa, Monkey, Genesis
  • Kari Wahlgren as Shannon, Chillcat, Tumbles, Mrs. Gnarlio, Vormulax, Kid, P.O.I.N.T. HQ, Barista Pup, Wavezilla, Grandma
  • Robbie Daymond as Raymond, Co-Bruh, Rex, Announcer ("Beach Episode")
  • Chris Niosi[11] as Nick Army, Pird, Ernesto, Neil, Face of Fear, Male Lead, Soloist, Anxious Ricky, Wistful Pete, Drone
  • Reshma Shetty as Elodie
  • Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Dynamite Watkins, Miss Quantum, Snake
  • Cole Sanchez as Colewort, Topher, Driver, Plaque, Point Trooper
  • Melissa Villaseñor as Potato, Punching Judy, Drupe, Gertie, Ginger, Mega Football Baby, Shy Ninja, Biki, Phoebe, Punching Trudy

In addition, Stephanie Nadolny played K.O. and Gladys in the pilot and several episodes of the first season, and Mena Suvari portrayed Enid in the pilot.

Production

To promote OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Cartoon Network's Chief Content Officer Rob Sorcher hinted many times in an interview that it would become a full series.[12] Its multiple storyboard artists have also been seen on Twitter.[13][14][15][16] On March 9, 2017 on PlayStation's Blog, Chris Waldron VP of Games & Digital Products for Cartoon Network announced a series in the works, along with a video game.[17] The series was premiered by Cartoon Network on August 1, 2017. The first 6 episodes were released online on June 13, 2017.

The show was traditionally animated in South Korea by Digital eMation and Sunmin Image Pictures.[18] Unlike many animated programs, which are inked on paper and then scanned for coloring, OK K.O.! was drawn in pencil. The animators pencil each frame on paper using a light table, and then color them digitally on a layer beneath the transparent line work, to retain a hand-drawn quality. For Jones-Quartey, it was important for the audience to "never forget that these are drawings." This was partially inspired by the first season of The Simpsons, which had a loose, rough quality to its animation. In addition, the show's design sense is inspired by Yoshi's Island.[19]

LGBTQ representation
Main article: Cartoon Network and LGBTQ representation in OK K.O.!

In August 2017, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes began airing on Cartoon Network. The show has various LGBTQ characters. For instance, series antagonist, Lord Boxman not only has feelings for Professor Venomous, who was his loving partner in the past,[20][21] He was also confirmed as pansexual by series creator Ian Jones-Quartey.[22]

Cancellation

On August 6, 2019, Ian Jones-Quartey announced that Cartoon Network opted to not renew the show for a fourth season.[7][23] The series finale aired on September 6, 2019.[9]

Broadcast

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes had its worldwide television premiere in the US on Cartoon Network on August 1, 2017, and aired on sister network Boomerang from August 7 to September 1, 2017.[24]

Home media
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes home video releases
SeasonEpisodesRelease dates
United StatesAustralia
1 2017–1854Volume 1: T.K.O.: July 17, 2018[25]
Episodes: "Let's Be Heroes" – "We Messed Up" • "We've Got Pests" – "We're Captured" • "T.K.O." – "We've Got Fleas" • "Glory Days" – "Parents' Day" • "Villains' Night Out" • "Villains' Night In" • "Let's Not Be Skeletons" • "Action News"		November 20, 2019

Video game

A mobile game, OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, was launched on Android[26] and iOS[27] on February 4, 2016 as a free game for those platforms. It is a beat 'em up developed by Double Stallion Games and published by Cartoon Network Games. The game's original score was composed by Mathieu Lavoie and FX Dupas at Vibe Avenue in Montreal, Canada.[28]

Capybara Games developed a video game based on the show for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. Entitled OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes, it was released on January 23, 2018,[6] and a Nintendo Switch port was released on October 30, 2018.

References
  1. "Let's Watch the Show by OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes". Apple Music. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  2. "OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo". Cartoon Network. February 1, 2016. Archived from the original on February 13, 2016.
  3. Cartoon Network (February 4, 2016). "KO – Lakewood Plaza Turbo – Minisode – Cartoon Network". Retrieved March 17, 2017 – via YouTube.
  4. "Cartoon Network's Christina Miller Unveils New Digital Strategy, Wants You To Hack It". February 4, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  5. Bevan, Luke (March 9, 2017). "Cartoon Network Studios Greenlights OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Animated Series". RegularCapital Website. RegularCapital (Luke Bevan). Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  6. Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 7, 2017). "'OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes' Set For Season 2 With New Console Video Game". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  7. Kelly, Shamus (August 6, 2019). "How the Sonic the Hedgehog OK K.O.! Team-up Happened". Den of Geek. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  8. Jones-Quartey, Ian (August 8, 2019). "Please don't spread the rumor that it was my choice to end OK KO! Let's Be Heroes. It wasn't. However, CN gave us the bad news early enough that we were able to spend this season doing our planned ending. I'm proud of what we're making and I can't wait for you to see it!". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  9. "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!". Zap2It. September 1, 2017. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020.
  10. "Jim Cummings on Twitter". Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  11. Chris Niosi [@Kirbopher] (March 9, 2017). "So...remember that CN show I've been teasing y'all that I've been involved with? ;) #OKKO" (Tweet). Retrieved March 17, 2017 – via Twitter.
  12. Future of StoryTelling (July 7, 2016). "Rob Sorcher – Animate Your World (FoST 2016)". Retrieved March 17, 2017 – via YouTube.
  13. Shannon, Ryann (2009). "gryann shanno (@Cuppatan)". Twitter. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  14. Alegre, David (2009). "DDDDAAAAVVVVEEEE!!! (@scrotumnose)". Twitter. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  15. Borbolla, Stevie (2011). "stevie borbolla (@stebvi)". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  16. Simmons, Parker (2016). "Parker Simmons (@parkerrsimmons)". Twitter. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  17. "Battle Robots and Find Easter Eggs in OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes". PlayStation.Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. March 9, 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  18. "T.K.O.". OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes. Season 1. September 4, 2017. Cartoon Network.
  19. "Talking Simpsons Interviews OK KO Creator Ian Jones-Quartey!". LaserTime Podcast (Podcast). October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  20. Jones-Quartey, Ian [@ianjq] (September 6, 2019). "1) you just have to keep drawing. some ppl say you have 10,000 bad drawings in you before you can make good ones. 2) yes, it's romantic" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2020 – via Twitter.
  21. Jones, Toby [@tobytobyjones] (September 6, 2019). "they became a loving couple, but currently they are broken up as of the events of "Dendy's Video Channel"" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2020 – via Twitter.
  22. Jones-Quartey, Ian [@ianjq] (August 9, 2019). "nah he's pan" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
  23. Pena, Jessica (August 12, 2019). "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes: Cancelled, No Season Four for Cartoon Network Series". TV Series Finale. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  24. "TV Listings - Zap2it.com". Zap2It. September 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  25. Trumbore, Dave (May 5, 2018). "This Week in Animation: 'OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes: T.K.O.' Arrives on DVD This Summer".
  26. "OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo". Google Play. Google. January 5, 2017. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  27. "OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo". App Store. Apple. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  28. "OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo". Vibe Avenue. 2016. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
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