• Happy New Year!
• And so begins the next year in this exciting series!  We here at EQ:TAA thank you for continuing to make this series the most highly rated animated series on television.
• As always, the new year brings new changes here.  One of the best changes is our new voice talent lineup: as some viewers were able figure out from emails we received, Trace Beaulieu and Kevin Murphy, veterans of the popular television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, have joined the cast.  For those of you who have made guessing attempts -- yes, that is Mr. Murphy as Dain Frostreaver and Mr. Beaulieu as the Priest of Discord.  And no, as much as wish it were the case that is not Governor Schwarzenegger as King Tormax, just a very convincing approximation.
• Gates of Discord
• Despite many of the later-season episodes focusing on the Priest of Discord and his attempts to destroy our heroes, the upcoming Gates of Discord expansion from Sony Online is not included in the series lineup.  Due to its plotline, which focuses on many events that would take place following season 5, we're currently contemplating how it would be integrated as a special, but following the success of Legacy of Ykesha we are more than willing to look thoroughly into the subject.  Stay tuned for further news on this topic!

October 4, 2003

• EverQuest : the Scars of Veeshan ratings smash!
• As our heroes begin their new adventure washed upon the frozen shores of the Velious wastelands, millions of viewers, both old-time viewers of Cartoon Network and new to the Adult Swim Channel, tuned in for yet another record-breaking season!  As is, we are currently the highest rated show on the Adult Swim Channel, and we here at Cartoon Network and the EQTAA would like to say thanks!  This season promises to be an especially exciting one indeed, so stay tuned!

September 23, 2003

• Season 3 to start next week
• Following the grand battle between the Ring of Scale and the troops of Nagafen and Vox, our heroes kick off Season 3 on the icy shores of Velious starting the 4th of October.  Here's to another great year of EverQuest!

July 18, 2003

• Greetings from the Adult Swim Channel : Froooooaaaaaaak and Ribbit!
• The move to Adult Swim Channel has been completed : EQ:TAA will air with new episodes every Saturday night at 8:00pm PST/7:00pm CST (following the cable television premier of The Animatrix series), with reruns every weekday night at 9:00pm PST/8:00pm PST.  And kicking off our new timeslot and channel tonight is the first episode of the Legacy of Ykesha special!  The Frogloks of Marr will fight to gain their freedom tonight and over the next few weeks, so join in on the fun and swashbuckling adventure!
• Regarding Lost Dungeons of Norrath expansion
• We have been getting a lot of emails regarding whether or not the upcoming Lost Dungeons of Norrath expansion pack will be appearing in the storyline of EQ:TAA.  Unfortunately, beyond a couple of minor cameos, these new zones will not be featured predominantly within the continuity of the series.  However, our producers are mulling a possible special regarding The Lost Dungeons of Norrath as was done with Legacy of Ykesha -- stay tuned to this website for more information.

June 21, 2003

• New timeslot, new channel!
• With the success of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line over the last three years, a new cable channel has been formed to carry the station's more mature line of programming -- the new exclusive Adult Swim Channel (call your local cable operator for more information)!  And EverQuest is making the move there : starting July 18th, EQ:TAA will be leaving its regular Cartoon Network timelslot to join a host of other programming on the Adult Swim Channel (for official press release regarding the station, visit Adult Swim's website).  We look forward to seeing you there!

January 15, 2003

• New specials revealed!
• Our apolgies for making so many people wait, but the release of our information needed to concide that of Sony Online's -- the upcoming summer specials shall be set in the storyline of the latest EverQuest expansion pack : The Legacy of Ykesha!  Visit their website for the specifics, but Legacy of Ykesha shall involve the heroic frogloks of Marr and their battles against the forces of the evil troll clans.  We have added the specials to the episode guide, and will be continuously adding characters as the year progresses.  The "Legacy of Ykesha" expansion pack for EverQuest will be available to play on the 24th of February.

January 5, 2003

• Second time's the charm!
• Once again, EverQuest : the Animated Adventures is a ratings smash!  Millions tuned in to Cartoon Network to catch the newest installment of the EverQuest saga, and we wish to extend our deepest thanks to both our faithful audience members and the newest memebers of our viewing family.
• Also airing after the program was the as-yet-unnamed special that will be showing during the month of July.  We will be sharing the name and more information on the specials on January 15th (we apologize to the many who wrote and requested more information, all will be explained in due time).  Visit the EverQuest website for our specials and their own upcoming projects for more information until then.

January 4, 2003

• EverQuest : the Ruins of Kunark
• Season 2 is airs tonight on Cartoon Network, kicking off the second year of EQ:TAA!  We hope this upcoming season will bring our viewing audience as much entertainment as our record-breaking first season did.
• Also, we will be revealing a teaser-trailer for our post-season-2 specials that we will be airing in the late summer months in-between the Kunark and Velious seaons.  Be sure to keep watching once the season 2 premier "The Untamables" concludes to get a glimpse at what is cooking over here at Cartoon Network and Sony Online!

December 31, 2002

• Happy Holidays from us at EverQuest Animated!
• Wishing all our viewers a wonderful holiday season and a great New Year, we hope that the coming year will continue to bring an exciting and enjoyable time to both our viewers and our staff.  Cheers!
• More voice actors confirmed
• With the New Year upon us and the second season of EQ:TAA ready to begin in four days, we are pleased to announce our most recent additions to the series cast.  Veteran actor Michael Ironside will be taking on the role of Venril Sathir, and the highly-talented voices of Will Friedle and Cree Summer will be portraying iksar-siblings Bensaret and Andgi.

October 26, 2002

• Record-breaking Season One completed
• With season one's climactic end, EQ:TAA prepares to launch Ruins of Kunark, starting January 4th on Adult Swim.  At the moment it has been slated for its current timeslot, but this may be subject to change depending on Cartoon Network's scheduling at the time.

October 9, 2002

• Season Finale coming soon
• After an exciting, adventurous, and record-breaking starting season, the first chapter in the EverQuest saga will be coming to a close, opening the way for next year's Ruins of Kunark to begin!  The adventure begins this Saturday night with part one of "Fire in the Sky", followed up on the 19th of October with the second and final chapter of season one -- both epsiodes will air in their usual timeslots on Adult Swim.  Thanks to all our viewers for making EQ:TAA a part of television history!

September 18, 2002

• Extras Section added
• Over the last season (and indeed, before the show even aired) we have received numerous requests for additional characters, either players who were not chosen as main cast or characters that are well-known across the internet as EverQuest icons that while not actual game characters are still somewhat famous in their own circles.  In response to this demand we have added in the Extras section, where we showcase characters that while not being integral parts of the series cast, still may show their faces from time to time : can you find them all in the series?  Three have already appeared in a couple of season one episodes, and more shall definitely follow as EQ:TAA progresses!

June 10, 2002

• Update : Major additions to the site
• We have added a number of new things to the site : many new faces, both in the Heroes, Villains, Keyplayers and Powers sections, have presented themselves for you to see.  Also, a new feature has been added to the menu, an online Tutorial showing our viewing audience how to construct their very own Animated-style characters!  We hope that this will provide fans an avenue to work on their artistic abilities and join in on the EQ:TAA fun.

• Season Five is Revealed!
• At the request of Sony Online, season five's existence has been held back until now.  The fifth season of the series will be covering the upcoming "Planes of Power" expansion pack for the EverQuest game, which will cover the many extradimensional realms and lands soon to be accessible by the player-base; this expansion pack has only recently been unveiled and Sony had requested that we keep its whereabouts under wraps until the official press release (see Sony's official website for "Planes of Power").  See the Episodes section for more details.

• Update : New Addition to the Powers Section
• Due to popular demand, we have added Teliesin Lifebringer to the list of Powers in Norrath.  Teliesin will be joining the cast in the second or third seasons.

• EverQuest : The Animated Adventures a Ratings Record-Breaker!
• Cartoon Network has reported that the two-hour TV-movie of EverQuest : The Animated Adventures has broken all previous records for an animated series debut in the United States!  Millions of viewers tuned in to witness the embarkation of our story's heroes Saturday night, and it was certainly a grand adventure for all.
Says Lawrence Tureaud, entertainment columnist for the New York Times : "I watched this program once, then twice, then a third time, and each time I kept asking myself, 'This is based on a video game??'.  I was completely blown away by the story, not a candy-coated Saturday morning program in the least; in fact, I'm somewhat glad my children weren't around when that dragon dropped out of the sky and scarfed up that troll like an owl picking a mouse off the ground for dinner.  This show is really something to see, I loved it."

Also reviewing the program was TV Guide commentator Louise Ciccone : "From the first moment the show began, when that huge diamond dragon (ed:Veeshan) glided over the sun and created Norrath, I was absolutely stunned with the beauty of the animation.  There was so much detail in the sequence, it was mindboggling.  And the story was really exciting and even heartwrenching, though I have to admit this certainly wasn't a childrens' program : the battle between the elves (a race I absolutely loved, by the way) and the orcs was definitely proof enough"..."This one's definitely a winner."

EQ:TAA will air at its regularly scheduled weekly timeslot now, Saturday nights at 11:00pm PST / 10:00pm CST on Cartoon Network.

March 30, 2002

• EverQuest : The Animated Adventures Airs on Cartoon Network!
• Amidst rave reviews and critical acclaim, EQ:TAA will air tonight on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim at 10:00pm PST for the two-hour movie "Stepping Into the Sun" (EQ:TAA will be scheduled for its 11:00pm PST timeslot for following weeks).  Join us and live the adventure as we take our first tentative steps into the mystical world of Norrath!

March 7, 2002

• A Fourth Season Is Planned
• Originally designed for a three season run, EQ:TAA producers have finally decided to add on one final season for the series.  Originally meant for each season to cover each facet of the EverQuest game ("EverQuest", as well as its expansions "Ruins of Kunark" and "Scars of Velious") with elements of "Shadows of Luclin" sprinkled throughout, the writers and producers have decided upon devoting the entire final season to "Shadows".  That is not to say that the other expansions will not be presented in each season, but the majority of the final season is meant to take place on Norrath's newly explored lunar surface.

• Peter Cullen Signs On!
• Well known for his role as Optimus Prime in the Transformers animated TV series, Peter Cullen has joined our band of vocal talent for this series.  Peter will be taking on the role of the villainous Sir Lucan Dlere of the Freeport Militia.

• Update : Links List introduced
• To those sites who were pivotal in the creation of this site, as well as those fan sites covering this program, we thank you.

• Update : Powers Section introduced
• We have just added in the Powers section to the menu.  This area contains information on many of the gods that frequent the world of Norrath, as well as those individuals who stand watch over the inner workings of the EverQuest Universe (known as GMs in game-terminology).

• TV-14 Rating Official
• The FCC has officially deemed many of the episodes of EQ:TAA to contain enough fantasy violence, language, and potentially sexual conduct to warrant the TV-14 rating. Producer Ben Ares has responded by saying, "This is actually one of our goals, believe it or not <laugh> -- we said from the start that EverQuest was to be nothing less than a no-holds-barred program where the writers could spread their wings while utilizing the art style that was so highly popularized with the Batman and Superman Adventures.  We are actually looking at this as a new venue in animated programming : a show that is not just animated and fun to watch, but also unrestricted by normal children's-programming guidelines; and unlike many other animated series that are directed towards adults, we have developed stories that are designed with a good plot that happen to have adult elements within them, instead of adult elements that are thinly veiled in weak plots."

• Voice Actors Confirmed
• With the dawning of the New Year, contracts have been finalized and our cast of characters has been solidified.  Already on the project are such voice-acting veterans such as Mark Hamill, Frank Welker, Richard Moll, and Angie Harmon, but we have also confirmed in our cast such acting greats as Bruce Boxlietner, Kathleen Turner, Marina Sirtis and Janeane Garofalo.
• Christopher Franke Signs Up!
• Probably best known for his mysterious and dream-like melodies for the series Babylon 5, Christopher Franke has signed on as the artist developing the soundtrack for EQ:TAA.  Many of the tracks in development for the series will be a combination of his own talents as well as the already-developed EverQuest in-game overtures, as players of the game will most-likely notice.

• Site Opens
• Greetings, and welcome to the opening of the official EverQuest : Tha Animated Adventures website!  Here we shall keep you informed as to the progress of Cartoon Network's latest addition to its Adult Swim lineup.

The full press release is as follows : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cartoon Network Announces Animated Television Series Based on the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, "EverQuest" Animated Adventure to Release in Spring of 2002   Atlanta, GA - December 18, 2001 - Cartoon Network proudly announces "EverQuest :The Animated Adventures," an animated series based on the popular massively multiplayer online roleplaying game EverQuest, much like an internet-based version of Dungeons & Dragons.  When the series releases next spring, those thousands of people who adventure and travel through the world of Norrath can see rich storylines and beautiful animation (courtesy of Warner Bros. Television Animation Studios and emulation of the incredible art styles of Batman : The Animated Series' Bruce Timm and Batman : Gotham Adventures' Tim Levins)  come to life in a three-season story arc based on that world's expansive land and mythos. Magical and Exciting Action and Adventure Series EverQuest : The Animated Adventures follows the journey of many different and special beings, from the powerful ogre shaman Tork B'Drunk to the magical and diminutive spellcasting gnome-brothers Schatz and Zippou Darling.  The many heroes of this series are actually based on players in the game who, after an extensive search and research period which was completed in the summer of 2001, were chosen based on roleplaying skills and submitted back-histories.  These adventurers cross their world and the dimensions beyond to fight the forces of evil and the dark gods who wish harm to befall all of Norrath's creatures. Some of the villains have even been derived from the player-base, as roleplaying allows people to take on more than just a noble hero's role.  But the majority of the villains encountered will be those that have already been woven into the tapestry of Sony Online's incredible world.  And there a quite a few villains to pick and choose from in that regard, so many in fact that we aren't sure if we'll be able to include all the more popular ones from the game.  But fear not, we are striving to do our best to bring the audience into the world of EverQuest. At 500,000 subscribers and continuing to grow, we anticipate a large potential viewing audience that are already familiar with a lot that EverQuest has to offer, and the series isn't restricted to just them, we have hired a number of skilled writers to develop a storyline that, because of its scheduling into Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, can branch farther than the cookie-cutter Saturday morning lineup directed to small children and the like.  EverQuest : The Animated Adventures has actually been tailored to older audiences, mainly people in the college-student range.  The stories promise to be exciting, action-packed, and will present some adult material that in fact would not be entirely appropriate for small children. "With EverQuest : The Animated Adventures," says lead designer Gordon Sumner. "We've done our best to bring this game world to life and immerse the viewers into all the game has to offer.  The video game actually has an ensamble of heroic characters written into its 'plotline', but while we thought about focusing on these characters (such as the beautiful elf-maiden Firiona Vie, whose visage graces the covers of the EverQuest game box as well as all its expansion packs) we decided to instead utilize the players for the main roles, as it is their actions that make EverQuest what it is."  Cartoon Network plans to release EverQuest : The Animated Adventures in the spring of 2002. For character bios, artwork, and additional series information check out the EverQuest : The Animated Adventures Web site at http://Formula119.com/eqtaa/.