Fox made headlines a few months ago when they revealed that their time slot once dominated by Mad TV before giving way to a string of short-lived talk shows would be taken over by animated programming. The network enlisted the help of some Adult Swim alumni to build a like-minded lineup that would be able to compete against Saturday Night Live at a very low cost, and today they revealed their first official offering for the programming block: Axe Cop.
Read more for the network press release:
Animation Domination HD, the new animation unit created by Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), has acquired the rights to the hit comic phenomenon AXE COP, it was announced today by Nick Weidenfeld, Head of Animation Domination HD. AXE COP will premiere as part of FOX’s new Saturday late-prime Animation Domination HD block (11:00-12:30 PM ET/PT) debuting in 2013, and across digital platforms.
“AXE COP is one of the most creative, hilarious and naturally viral comic properties to emerge in the last decade,” Weidenfeld said. “I’ve hoped someone would adapt AXE COP for television for years and couldn’t be happier that we get to be that someone. AXE COP has all the makings of an iconic animated series and it will help set the tone for FOX’s new late-prime Saturday animation lineup.”
AXE COP is the first new series in development by Animation Domination HD. The new unit has ordered six quarter-hour episodes of the series. Additional auspices to be announced.
The “Axe Cop” web comic was created by then five-year-old Malachai Nicolle and his 29-year-old brother, Ethan, and chronicles the adventures of an axe-wielding police officer and his loyal team of allies as they fight bad guys. Written by Malachai and drawn by Ethan, the first five installments of “Axe Cop” were put online on January 25, 2010 and went viral in a matter of days. Three days after AxeCop.com went live, it was featured as Entertainment Weekly’s “Site of the Day,” and the series quickly became an Internet meme. Since its debut, “Axe Cop” has gained cult status and prominent recognition in the comic sphere through Dark Horse, on the web, and various media circuits.