I’m going to be
23 in less than two weeks. I’ve been out of school a year, have undertaken a
variety of adult responsibilities including paying rent and student loans, and
in the near future will hopefully be starting a career that will define most of
the rest of my life. I am, for all intents and purposes, one of those fabled
“grownups.”
And yet my
favourite television series at the moment is, for all intents and purposes, a
kids’ show. Adventure Time, created
by Pendleton Ward, has been broadcast on Cartoon Network since 2010 and is now
in its fourth season. It follows the escapades of teenaged warrior/adventurer
Finn and his intelligent, stretchy dog Jake in a fantastical land populated by
a species of candy people, moderately intelligent penguins and a vast array of
extraordinary creatures. It’s also surprisingly sophisticated for a show aimed
at 7-11 year olds.