2012 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
Events
January
January 5: Total Drama's fourth season series Total Drama: Revenge of the Island premieres on Teletoon in Canada. This season/series features a completely brand new cast of campers than the ones from the three previous seasons. Revenge of the Island later premiered on Cartoon Network in the US on June 5. January 15: The Family Guy episode "The Blind Side" premieres on Fox. The episode became well known for two things, the running gag of Peter falling down the stairs while swearing and the poses he made after falling down them, which became an iconic meme about a decade later (which was dubbed as "Family Guy Death Pose").
February February 4: The 39th Annie Awards are held. February 7: The Looney Tunes Show concludes its first season on Cartoon Network with the episode "Point, Laser Point". The season's finale was seen by over 1.5 million viewers that night."Tuesday's Cable Ratings: "Teen Mom 2" Climbs to Season High for MTV". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 10, 2012. February 13: Adventure Time concludes its third season on Cartoon Network. February 14: Matt Groening receives a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. February 17: Secret Mountain Fort Awesome aired new episodes for the last time on Cartoon Network due to the channel cancelling it cause of its low ratings, crude aesthetic, and disgusting toilet humor. The show released its remaining episodes on ITunes the following month. After the show's conclusion, Peter Browngardt would finally begin development on his original idea pitch, Uncle Grandpa. February 19: The 500th episode of The Simpsons, "At Long Last Leave", is first broadcast, guest starring Julian Assange. February 26: 84th Academy Awards: Rango by Gore Verbinski wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
March March 2: The Lorax, based on the 1971 Dr. Seuss book of the same name, premieres, receiving mediocre reviews during the release. However, it garnered popularity online as an Internet meme a decade later. March 11: Season 2 of Bob's Burgers begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "The Belchies" March 13: Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire is officially released. Prior to date, it was originally a digital rental on Amazon Video and iTunes in late December 2011. The Amazing World of Gumball concluded its first season on Cartoon Network. March 14: Season 16 of South Park begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "Reverse Cowgirl". It was seen by over 2.6 million viewers that night.Kondolojy, Amanda (March 15, 2012). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: NBA Basketball Finishes First; 'South Park', 'Challenge: Battle of the Exes', 'Face Off' 'Sons of Guns', 'Psych" + More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012. March 23: Disney Junior launches as a 24/7 channel. March 25: Edd Gould, the creator of Eddsworld, dies from Leukemia. The episode "Space Face" was set to be released. But because of Gould's death, it was delayed. After Space Face Part 1 was uploaded, Tomska started a campaign on Kickstarter called Eddsworld Legacy. But it got removed on YouTube. The 5 retro/classic YouTube videos on YouTube were taken down for copyright in 2013 before they were reuploaded on Eddsworld Extra three years later. March 31: The Penguins of Madagascar concludes its second season on Nickelodeon with the episodes "Alienated/The Most Dangerous Game Night".
April April 2: Season 4 of Adventure Time begins on Cartoon Network, with the premiere of the episode "Hot to the Touch" (which follows up from right after the events of Season 3's finale "Incendium"). April 12: Total Drama: Revenge of the Island aired its final episode on Teletoon in Canada, thus concluding the fourth season of Total Drama. The season later concluded in the US on Cartoon Network on August 28. April 15: The Simpsons episode "Beware My Cheating Bart" is first broadcast, with the couch gag being animated by Bill Plympton, the first time he did so. April 16: The third & final season of The Penguins of Madagascar begins on Nickelodeon with the premiere of the episode "Feline Fervor".
May May 3: Carlos Loiseau's Ánima Buenos Aires premieres. May 13: Season 2 of T.U.F.F. Puppy begins on Nickelodeon with the premiere of the episodes "Freaky Spy Day/Dog Tired". American Dad! concludes its eighth season on Fox with the episode "Toy Whorey". The season's finale was seen by over 4.1 million viewers that night.Bibel, Sarah (May 15, 2012). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time', Family guy', 'Survivor' Adjusted Up; 'Survivor: Reunion', 'Dateline' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012. May 20:Kondolojy, Amanda (May 22, 2012). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Family Guy' Adjusted Up; 'Bob's Burgers' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012. The Cleveland Show concludes its third season on Fox with the episode "All You Can Eat". The season's finale was seen by just over 3 million viewers that night. The Simpsons concludes its 23rd season on Fox with the episode "Lisa Goes Gaga", which guest stars pop singer Lady Gaga. This episode was panned by critics along with Simpsons fans and Lady Gaga fans and is often considered to be one of the worst Simpsons episodes of all time. Despite its negative reception, the season's finale was seen by over 4.8 million viewers that night. Bob's Burgers concludes its second season on Fox with the episode "Beefsquatch". The season's finale was seen by over 3.5 million viewers that night. Family Guy concludes its tenth season on Fox with the following episodes: "Family Guy Viewer Mail #2" "Internal Affairs" Both episodes were seen by over 5.3 million viewers that night. May 26: Toonami relaunches as Adult Swim. May 27: T.U.F.F. Puppy concludes its first season on Nickelodeon with the episodes "Lie Like a Dog/Cold Fish".
June June 8: The third Madagascar film, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, is released by DreamWorks Animation & Paramount Pictures. June 15: The first episode of Gravity Falls premieres on Disney Channel, receiving generally favorable reviews. Threshold Entertainment's Foodfight! premieres in United Kingdom as a limited release. This film received extremely negative reviews for its unfinished looking CG animation, Nazi-based propaganda, and sexual innuendo, declaring this as one of the worst animated films ever made. June 20: Season 7 of Futurama begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "The Bots and the Bees". The season's premiere was seen by over 1.5 million viewers that night.Kondolojy, Amanda (June 21, 2012). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dallas', + 'Royal Pains', 'Storage Wars', 'Barter Kings', 'Necessary Roughness' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012. June 22: Brave, produced by the Walt Disney Company and Pixar, is released.
July July 13: Blue Sky Studios releases Ice Age: Continental Drift, directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier. July 21: Season 9 of SpongeBob SquarePants begins on Nickelodeon with the premiere of the episodes "Extreme Spots/Squirrel Record", the season's premiere was seen by a total of over 3.6 million viewers that night."Saturday's Cable Ratings: Lifetime's "An Officer and a Murderer" Tops Originals in 18–49". The Futon Critic. July 24, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2022. Beginning with the season, episodes start being produced in High-definition.
August August 7: Season 2 of The Amazing World of Gumball begins on Cartoon Network, with the premiere of the episode "The Remote". August 15: Johnny Test concludes its fifth season on Cartoon Network with the episode "Green Johnny"."Shows A-Z - johnny Test on cartoon". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 29, 2026. August 20: Cookie Jar Entertainment was acquired by DHX Media for $111 million, which made DHX the world's largest independent owner of children's television programming. Cookie Jar was later folded on December 25, 2014. August 24: Don Hertzfeldt's It's Such a Beautiful Day premiers. August 25: Toonzai is replaced by Vortexx.
September September 3: The first episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood airs. Regular Show concludes its third season on Cartoon Network. September 8: The Scooby-Doo film Big Top Scooby-Doo! premieres on Cartoon Network, later released on DVD, Blu-ray, & digital services on October 9. Alt URL " Retrieved February 6, 2026. September 11: Cartoon Network greenlights two new original shows for its lineup: Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa. September 20: Tim Burton's Frankenweenie is released. September 28: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres on Nickelodeon. Hotel Transylvania, a film by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation is released. September 30:Bibel, Sara (October 2, 2012). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time', 'The Simpsons', 'Bob's Burgers' Adjusted Up; '666 Park Avenue', '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down & Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012. Season 24 of The Simpsons begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Moonshine River", which features the following guest stars: Ken Burns, Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Hathaway, Maurice LaMarche, Don Pardo, Natalie Portman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Al Roker and Sarah Silverman. The season's premiere was seen by over 8 million viewers that night. Season 3 of Bob's Burgers begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Ear-sy Rider". The season's premiere was seen by over 5.4 million viewers that night. Season 11 of Family Guy begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Into Fat Air", guest starring Elizabeth Banks and Martin Spanjers. The season's premiere was seen by over 6.5 million viewers that night. Season 9 of American Dad! begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Love, AD Style". The season's premiere was seen by over 5.2 million viewers that night.
October October 1: Cartoon Network celebrates its 20th anniversary with a marathon of party-themed episodes, the marathon leads up to Regular Show's Season 4 premiere, the half-hour special "Exit 9B". October 2: The second & final season of The Looney Tunes Show begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episode "Bobcats on Three!"."Shows A-Z — looney tunes show, the on cartoon". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 30, 2014. October 7: The 4th & final season of The Cleveland Show begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Escape from Goochland". The season's premiere was seen by over 4.4 million viewers that night.Kondolojy, Amanda (October 9, 2012). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon a Time' & 'The Amazing Race' Adjusted Up; '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down + Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2012. October 12: Cartoon Network renews Adventure Time for a fifth season (which premiered exactly a month later).Webb, Charles (October 12, 2012). "Cartoon Network Announces 'Adventure Time' Fifth Season, Return Of Neil Patrick Harris". MTV Geek. MTV. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2026. October 22: Adventure Time concludes its fourth season on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episode "The Lich", which leaves the show on a cliffhanger.
November November 2: The Walt Disney Company releases Wreck-It Ralph.