Samurai Jack

Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo recalled Tartakovsky pitching him the series: "He said, 'Hey, remember David Carradine in Kung Fu?

There's hardly any dialogue.' But to me that just makes it more compelling." Lazzo supported Tartakovsky's efforts, calling him "an architect of the success of the Cartoon Network." According to Betty Cohen, then-president of Cartoon Network Worldwide, Samurai Jack was greenlit for 26 episodes before its pilot was produced, a decision Cohen attributed to Tartakovsky's success with Dexter's Laboratory.

Cartoon Network billed it as a series "that is cinematic in scope and that incorporates action, humor, and intricate artistry." The premise of Samurai Jack came from Tartakovsky's childhood fascination with Japanese samurai culture and the bushido code, as well as a recurring dream where he wandered a post-apocalyptic Earth with a samurai sword and traveled the world fighting mutants with his crush.

Similarly, the episode "Jack and the Spartans" was specifically inspired by Miller's graphic novel 300 that retold the Battle of Thermopylae.

The network announced the series' launch at a press conference on February 21, 2001.

A CD-ROM containing clips of the premiere movie and a countdown clock until the series' premiere was distributed as part of AOL 6.0's release.