Andy Merrill

A major behind-the-scenes player in the Cartoon Network's rise as an adult animation force, Andy Merrill graduated from Asbury University with a media communications degree and landed a job at CNN. When the Cartoon Network was launched in 1992 as an outlet for the extensive animation library of then-owner Ted Turner, Merrill made the leap to this newly created sister channel, where he started out working in programming, producing, and technical support. In 1993, he and then-head of programming Mike Lazzo created "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," the first animated late-night talk show. Hosted by the now-retired former 1960s cartoon superhero, this program featured Space Ghost interviewing actual celebrity guests with former arch enemies Zorak and Moltar serving as the show's band leader and director. While Merrill initially played Space Ghost in the initial two unaired pilot episodes, he found his niche voicing supervillains Brak and Lokar. The success of "SGC2C" not only planted the seeds for the Adult Swim programming bloc, but inspired the 1995 spin off, "Cartoon Planet," a hodgepodge of skits, songs and old animation clips hosted by Space Ghost, Brak, and Zorak. Merrill continued voicing Brak and, after "Cartoon Planet" ended its run in 1999, Brak ended up with as the lead in "The Brak Show" (2000- 2003). When "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" debuted in 2002, Merrill voiced semi-recurring character Oglethorpe in addition to writing, producing and doing puppetry for other Cartoon Network shows.