2002 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
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Events
January January 19: The first episode of Teamo Supremo airs. January 21: The first episode of Cyberchase airs. Daria ends with Is It College Yet?, which served as the series finale.
February February 14: Family Guy concludes its third season on Fox with the episode "Family Guy Viewer Mail #1", which was seen by over 4 million viewers that night."National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 11-17, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. February 22, 2002. Retrieved June 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. This was meant to be the final episode to air on Fox as the network originally planned to cancel the show, but they ended up deciding to revive the show in 2005 after discovering the show's DVD sales & high ratings on Adult Swim.Levin, Gary (March 24, 2004). "'Family Guy' Un-canceled, Thanks to DVD Sales Success". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2017. February 19: Balto II: Wolf Quest, the direct-to-video sequel to Balto, was released after being delayed for two years. Late February: Cartoon Network releases a tribute to animator Chuck Jones during commercial breaks, as Jones died on February 22.
March March 1: Season 2 of The Fairly OddParents begins on Nickelodeon with the premiere of the episodes "Boys in the Band/Hex Games". The season's premiere was seen by just over 3.1 million viewers that night.Cable TV Ratings: Nickelodeon (February 26−March 3, 2002) (Report). Nielsen Media Research. March 2: The first episode of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series airs, an animated TV series based on Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean. March 6: Season 6 of South Park begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "Jared Has Aides". It was seen by over 3 million viewers that night.Comedy Central Ratings Report (March 4–10, 2002). Nielsen Media Research (Report). March 12: Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring releases on VHS and DVD. This was the first Tom and Jerry project to be produced by Warner Bros. Animation after the closure of Hanna-Barbera last year.Godfrey, Leigh (March 6, 2002). "March 2002 Select Animation And Visual Effects DVD Releases". AWN. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2026. March 15: Blue Sky Studios releases Ice Age, directed by Chris Wedge, which becomes a surprise hit. March 16: Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures is released on direct-to-video. March 22: The first episode of ChalkZone airs. March 24: 74th Academy Awards: The first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is awarded. The winner is Shrek, produced by DreamWorks Animation. For the Birds, directed by Ralph Eggleston and produced by Pixar, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. "If I Didn't Have You" from Monsters, Inc. by Randy Newman wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song. March 31: The Simpsons episode "Blame It on Lisa" premieres, wherein the family travels to Brazil, which leads to controversy in Brazil.
April April 1: Noggin was divided into two different blocks: a 12-hour extension of the channel's preschool block, and The N was launched, targeted at pre-teens and teenagers.
May May 1: Nicktoons was launched. May 3: The first episode of Max & Ruby airs in Canada. In the United States, the series premiered on October 21, 2002. May 4: The first episode of Angelina Ballerina airs. May 12: King of the Hill concludes its sixth season on Fox with the two-part finale "Returning Japanese (Part I & II)". It was seen by just over 4.9 million viewers that night. May 16: 2002 Cannes Film Festival: Michael Moore's documentary Bowling for Columbine premieres, which also has an animated segment A Brief History of the United States of America. The scene is animated by Flicker Lab, but often mistaken for being made by the South Park crew, particularly since Matt Stone is interviewed in the film, moments before the segment takes place. May 22: The Simpsons concludes its 13th season on Fox with the episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge". It was seen by over 8.1 million viewers that night."National Nielsen Viewership (May 20-26, 2002)". Los Angeles Times. May 30, 2002. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
June June 7: Disney Channel broadcasts the first three episodes of Kim Possible. June 17: The SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Gary Takes a Bath" premieres on Nicktoons (the episode would later make its premiere on Nickelodeon the following year). June 21: The Walt Disney Company releases Lilo & Stitch. This movie was commercially acclaimed and became an unexpected phenomenon. June 28: Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon release Hey Arnold!: The Movie it received poor reception during the release.
July July 2: George Michael's animated music video Shoot the Dog is released, satirizing various celebrities, among them president George W. Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, with animation by 2DTV. July 3: The Powerpuff Girls Movie is first released, but it was a box office bomb, causing Cartoon Network to never make a theatrical film again. July 13: Pokémon Heroes premieres. July 20: Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns premieres. The first episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius airs.
August August 17: The first episode of ¡Mucha Lucha! airs. August 24: The first episode of Henry's World airs.
September September 2: The first episode of Make Way for Noddy airs. September 14: The first episode of Fillmore!, produced by the Walt Disney Company, airs.
October
October 18: Grim & Evil concludes its first season on Cartoon Network with the episodes "Little Rock of Horrors/The Pie Who Loved Me/Dream a Little Dream". Its segments, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne ended up airing as their own shows for the premiere of its second season.
November November 2: The first episode of Clone High airs. November 3: Season 14 of The Simpsons begins on Fox with the latest Treeehouse of Horror installment "Treehouse of Horror XIII". It was seen by over 16.6 million viewers that night. Season 7 of King of the Hill begins on Fox with the episode "Get Your Freak Off". It was seen by over 13 million viewers that night. November 8: Season 3 of The Fairly OddParents begins on Nickelodeon (ahead of its second season's finale) with the premiere of the episodes "Ruled Out/That's Life!". The season's premiere was seen by just over 3.1 million viewers that night.Cable TV Ratings: Nickelodeon (November 4−10, 2002) (Report). Nielsen Media Research. The film Muhammad: The Last Prophet is first released by Richard Rich in Turkey. November 22: The first episode of Lauras Stern airs. November 27: The Walt Disney Company releases Treasure Planet. This marks the suspension of PG-rated cartoons by Disney until Teacher's Pet in January 2004 as a result of releasing majority of PG-rated cartoons from the past months of this year as Disney insisted of "bringing back" the G-rated cartoons to the big screen next year, starting with Jungle Book 2. The film Eight Crazy Nights is released, which stars an animated version of Adam Sandler and takes place at Chanukah. It was lambasted by critics for its excessive lewd humor and becomes a box office bomb.
December December 1: The Simpsons episode "Helter Shelter" premieres on Fox, this was the final episode of the show to be produced entirely in cel animation, the show officially switches over to digital ink and paint afterwards.Jean, Al (2009). The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Tennis the Menace". 20th Century Fox. December 6: The first episode of Codename: Kids Next Door airs on Cartoon Network. December 11: South Park concludes its sixth season on Comedy Central with the Christmas special "Red Sleigh Down", which was seen by nearly 2 million viewers that night.Comedy Central Ratings Report (December 9–15, 2002). Nielsen Media Research (Report). At the end of the episode, Kenny surprisingly returns to the show after being dead for exactly a year. December 17: Beauty and the Beast and Why Man Creates are added to the National Film Registry. December 20: The Wild Thornberrys Movie premieres, receiving generally positive reviews. December 26: The Japanese animation studio Feel is founded. December 29: Aqua Teen Hunger Force concludes its first season on Adult Swim with the Christmas special "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future".
Awards Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: Shrek Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film: For the Birds Animation Kobe Feature Film Award: The Cat Returns Annecy International Animated Film Festival Cristal du long métrage: My Beautiful Girl, Mari Annie Award for Best Animated Feature: Spirited Away Goya Award for Best Animated Film: Dragon Hill, la colina del dragón Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Award: Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States Mainichi Film Awards - Animation Grand Award: Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States
Films released
January 18 - My Beautiful Girl, Mari (South Korea) January 21 - Is It College Yet? (United States) February 9 - Turn A Gundam I: Earth Light (Japan) February 10 - Turn A Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly (Japan) February 15 - Return to Never Land (United States) February 19 - Balto II: Wolf Quest (United States) February 21 - Song of the Miraculous Hind (Hungary) February 26 - Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (United States) March 2 - One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (Japan) March 9 - Doraemon: Nobita in the Robot Kingdom (Japan) March 10 - A Tree of Palme (Japan) March 12 - Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (United States) March 15 - Ice Age (United States) March 19 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (United States) March 21 - Tytus, Romek and A'Tomek Versus the Thieves of Dreams (Poland) March 30 - WXIII: Patlabor (Japan) April 3 - Tristan & Isolde (France and Luxembourg) April 20: Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States (Japan) Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street (Japan) April 27 - Báječná show (Czech Republic) May 15 - Initial D: Battle Stage (Japan) May 24 - Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (United States) June 21 - Lilo & Stitch (United States) June 27 - Ogu and Mampato in Rapa Nui (Chile) June 28 - Hey Arnold!: The Movie (United States) July 3 - The Powerpuff Girls Movie (United States) July 6 - 6 Angels (Japan) July 13 - Pokémon Heroes (Japan) July 20 - The Cat Returns (Japan) July 23 - Tarzan & Jane (United States) July 26 - Alibaba (India) August 6 - The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina (United States) August 12 - Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun (Canada and France) August 16 - The Princess and the Pea (United States and Hungary) August 17 - Beyblade: Fierce Battle (Japan) September 3 - Mickey's House of Villains (United States) September 20 - Eden (Poland) September 25 - Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes (France, Italy, and Luxembourg) September 27 - Karlsson on the Roof (Sweden and Norway) October 1 - Barbie as Rapunzel (United States) October 3 - Mercano, the Martian (Argentina) October 4: Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas (Italy) Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (United States) October 6 - Inspector Gadget's Last Case (United States) October 9 - Kwentong kayumanggi (Philippines) October 13 - Sabrina: Friends Forever (United States) October 19 - Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space (Japan) October 20 - Time Kid (United States) October 27 - Dennis the Menace: Cruise Control (United States) October 28 - VeggieTales: The Star of Christmas (United States) November - S.O.S. Planet (United States and Belgium) November 3 - The Archies in JugMan (United States)