Anime Expansion for Warner Bros. Animation & Cartoon Network Studios

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and Cartoon Network Studios (CNS) have appointed Jason DeMarco as senior VP of anime and action series/long-form.

In this newly created role, DeMarco, who has been with Adult Swim and Cartoon Network for more than 20 years, will head WBA and CNS’s expansion into producing anime content. He will also continue in his current position as senior VP and head of anime and action at Adult Swim.

Using his extensive experience and relationships with some of Japan’s most prolific anime studios, artists and creators, DeMarco will be responsible for identifying and developing anime projects for WBA and CNS. He will also pursue properties—original, library and third-party—to develop and produce series and long-form programming for all audiences. For his first project, DeMarco will serve as the lead creative executive on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an upcoming original anime film created by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by New Line Cinema and WBA.

At Adult Swim, DeMarco is currently overseeing the production of the new original anime series Fena: Pirate Princess, Japanese horror franchise Uzumaki and Blade Runner: Black Lotus, set to premiere later this year. Previously, he oversaw the production of two seasons of the series FLCL. He will continue to lead the creative direction, development and implementation of all facets of on-air communication, promotion, packaging and sponsorships for Adult Swim’s Toonami programming slate.

As he takes on this dual role, he will report to both Sam Register, president of WBA and CNS, and Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim.

DeMarco began his tenure with CNS and Adult Swim as a senior writer/producer and steadily rose through the ranks of on-air, marketing and promotions teams. He co-created the Toonami programming block and has managed the brand through its nearly 25-year history. He also founded Adult Swim’s Williams Street Records, creating original music albums, which then inspired the launch of the Adult Swim Singles Program. The annual program provides free streaming music to fans by new and emerging artists. His experience and relationships with industry artists then led to the debut of the first Adult Swim Festival.

“Jason is an outstanding executive with a proven track record of successfully partnering with the best anime storytellers and creators and doing so with an unmatched level of enthusiasm,” said Register. “His wealth of knowledge and passion will bring Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios sought-after opportunities in the anime and action space.”

“Jason has been a key creative voice at Adult Swim since before it started,” said Ouweleen. “We are delighted that he will still be working with us on everything Toonami and beyond thrilled to share his incredible dedication and expertise with our animation studios.”

DeMarco added: “I got into this business because I love action cartoons and storytelling. Being able to work in anime and action development, two areas of animation I care about deeply, is a dream come true. I can’t wait to bring everything I’ve learned from Toonami and Adult Swim to our animation studios.”