Rick and Morty

Corporate brand

An internationally recognized adult animated science-fiction comedy franchise built around a reckless scientist and his anxious grandson.

Last updated October 2, 2026

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Overview

Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science-fiction comedy franchise created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Adult Swim. Its central pairing is Rick Sanchez, a brilliant, cynical and frequently self-destructive scientist, and Morty Smith, his nervous but increasingly capable grandson. Their adventures move between the Smith family home, alien worlds and alternate realities, using portal technology, spaceships and other inventions to combine high-concept science fiction with family conflict, satire and dark comedy. The property began with a crudely animated Channel 101 short by Roiland that parodied Back to the Future's Doc Brown and Marty McFly. Harmon helped develop the idea into a television series, which premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. The show's short seasons, extended production cycles and distinctive mix of improvisational voice performance, nihilistic humor and serialized mythology helped it develop a large and unusually engaged international audience. The premise initially appeared episodic, but recurring settings, alternate versions of characters and continuing questions about Rick's history gradually gave the series a broader narrative architecture. The television program is the franchise's core offering, but the brand has expanded into comics, games, music, home entertainment, apparel, collectibles, food collaborations and advertising content. Adult Swim and Warner Bros. Discovery have used the characters in both conventional promotions and deliberately self-aware branded entertainment. Campaigns for Carl's Jr., Alien: Covenant, Pringles, Wendy's, Wrangler, PlayStation and other advertisers treated the characters as participants in absurd fictional scenarios rather than as straightforward product endorsers. This approach made the brand commercially flexible while also creating tension with fans who are sensitive to overt commercialization. A major corporate milestone came in 2018, when Adult Swim ordered 70 additional episodes under a long-term arrangement involving Harmon and Roiland. The order signaled the network's confidence in the franchise and supported a more consistent production pipeline. The show has also received major animation recognition, including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program in 2018 and 2020. In January 2023, Adult Swim ended its relationship with Roiland following domestic-abuse allegations and other reported misconduct claims; criminal charges in a separate California case were later dropped, according to reporting at the time. The series continued without him, and Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden assumed the voices of Rick and Morty from the seventh season. The change demonstrated that the intellectual property and production apparatus had become larger than any one performer, although it also marked a significant transition in the brand's creative identity. Rick and Morty remains an active Adult Swim franchise spanning television and licensed entertainment products.

History

Rick and Morty developed from Justin Roiland's 2006 Channel 101 parody short The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti, itself a deliberately crude distortion of the Back to the Future relationship. Dan Harmon, who co-founded Channel 101, worked with Roiland to turn the premise into a television project. Adult Swim ordered the series, and the first episode premiered on December 2, 2013. The initial format centered on self-contained excursions launched from the Smith family's suburban home. Rick's portal gun and scientific inventions enabled the writers to move rapidly between parody, horror, space opera and domestic comedy. The family—Beth, Jerry, Summer and Morty—provided an emotional counterweight to Rick's apparent indifference and allowed the series to explore addiction, abandonment, identity and generational conflict beneath its comic surface. Adult Swim renewed the program after its successful first season. The second season aired in 2015, while the third season followed in 2017 after a notably long development period. The third season broadened the show's serialized mythology and included the episode featuring Pickle Rick, which became one of the franchise's most recognizable cultural references. In 2018, Adult Swim committed to 70 additional episodes in a long-term deal associated with Harmon and Roiland. The commitment was unusually large for an animated cable series and reflected the program's strong ratings, streaming value and merchandise potential. The fourth season began in 2019 and concluded in 2020 after a split release. Subsequent seasons continued to combine stand-alone genre stories with longer-running plot threads. The franchise expanded outside television through Oni Press comic books, the mobile game Pocket Mortys, console and digital games, music, apparel, collectibles and international licensing. Its advertising strategy became notable in its own right: rather than simply placing logos beside the characters, Adult Swim and partners often created short pieces that imitated the show's pacing, meta-humor and willingness to ridicule commercial persuasion. Roiland's role ended in 2023 after Adult Swim announced that it had severed ties with him amid allegations of domestic abuse and other reported misconduct claims. The domestic-violence criminal case that had prompted earlier reporting was subsequently dismissed by prosecutors for insufficient evidence, but the network retained its decision to move forward without him. Ian Cardoni became the new voice of Rick and Harry Belden the new voice of Morty from season seven. Harmon remained a central creative figure, while the franchise continued under the Adult Swim and Warner Bros. Discovery corporate structure. By this stage, Rick and Morty had become more than a television title: it was a global adult-animation property with a recognizable visual language, recurring characters, a flexible multiverse premise and substantial licensing reach. Its continuing challenge is to preserve the improvisational irreverence and creative unpredictability associated with its early identity while managing a mature franchise, international distribution and the reputational consequences of its production history.

2023
Original voices recast
[1]Rick and Mortyen.wikipedia.org
Following Adult Swim's separation from Justin Roiland, Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden took over the voices of Rick and Morty beginning with season seven.
2020
Pringles Super Bowl partnership
[6]Pringles Rick and Morty partnershipmarketingdive.com
Rick and Morty characters appeared in Pringles' Super Bowl campaign, supported by a limited-edition Pickle Rick-inspired product and wider digital activity.
2018
70-episode renewal announced
[4]Adult Swim orders 70 additional episodesdeadline.com
Adult Swim ordered 70 additional episodes under a long-term creator arrangement.
2015
Comic-book series begins
[3]Rick and Morty (comics)en.wikipedia.org
Oni Press launched the first Rick and Morty comic-book series, expanding the property into serialized licensed publishing.
2013
Television series premieres
[1]Rick and Mortyen.wikipedia.org
Rick and Morty debuted on Adult Swim on December 2, establishing the franchise's core characters and multiverse premise.
2006
Channel 101 parody short created
[1]Rick and Mortyen.wikipedia.org
Justin Roiland created an early animated parody of Back to the Future's central characters, providing the conceptual starting point for the later series.

Products and positioning

Adult-oriented animated science fiction with dark humor, multiverse storytelling, family dysfunction and self-aware pop-culture satire.

Animated television · 2013
Rick and Morty television series
The flagship Adult Swim series follows Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith through dangerous interdimensional adventures alongside the Smith family. Its format blends episodic genre parody with continuing mythology, dark comedy and domestic drama. The program is the source of the franchise's characters, visual identity and most licensed extensions.
Comic books · 2015
Rick and Morty comics
Oni Press published the first licensed comic series from 2015 to 2020 across 60 issues. The comics adapt the show's tone and multiverse premise while presenting original adventures outside the television episodes. Later publishing activity continued the comic-book expansion under different creative teams.
Mobile game · 2016
Pocket Mortys
Pocket Mortys is a mobile role-playing game built around collecting and battling alternate versions of Morty across the franchise's multiverse. Its use of variant characters translates the show's dimensional premise into a game structure and supports ongoing licensing and promotional collaborations.
Consumer products · 2013
Licensed merchandise
The brand supports apparel, toys, collectibles, home goods, books, Blu-ray and DVD releases, and food-related products. Merchandise commonly uses Rick, Morty, Pickle Rick, portal imagery and quotations or motifs from notable episodes.

Controversies

2023
Adult Swim ends relationship with Justin Roiland
Adult Swim announced that it had cut ties with co-creator and original voice performer Justin Roiland amid domestic-abuse allegations and other reported misconduct claims. The criminal domestic-violence case that had received earlier attention was later dismissed for insufficient evidence, while the series proceeded with recast voices.
Source

2022Adidas x Rick and Morty
International
Adidas used Rick and Morty characters and the franchise's surreal visual language in promotional material for the X Speedportal football boot line.
Outcome. The collaboration extended the property into global sportswear advertising.
Source
2020Pringles Big Game campaign
United States
Pringles partnered with Rick and Morty for a Super Bowl campaign based on flavor stacking and the show's Pickle Rick cultural reference. The program included a television commercial, limited-edition packaging, digital and social media, sampling, Comic-Con activity and a Pocket Mortys integration.
Outcome. The campaign extended throughout the year and positioned the snack brand toward younger adult fans while making the fictional characters part of the commercial narrative.
Source
2017Inter-season sponsored content
United States
Adult Swim developed short-form branded entertainment between seasons, including a Carl's Jr. hamburger sketch and a promotion tied to Alien: Covenant. The work treated commercial integrations as miniature Rick and Morty stories rather than conventional endorsements.
Outcome. The approach established sponsored content as a recurring part of the franchise's marketing system, although reported fan reactions were mixed.
Source
2017Don't Even Trip Road Trip
United States
Adult Swim used a national touring activation to promote an upcoming season. A vehicle featuring a giant Rick character visited major viewing markets and invited fans to participate and share the experience socially.
Outcome. The activation reportedly averaged about 1,200 attendees per stop, generated roughly 50 million social impressions and sold approximately $2 million in merchandise, according to the event case study.
Source

Brand decisions

2023
Recast of Rick and MortyOther
Background
Adult Swim ended its relationship with Justin Roiland following allegations reported against him, requiring the principal roles to be recast.
Action taken
Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden assumed the voices of Rick and Morty from season seven.
Aftermath
The series continued without Roiland's performance, preserving the franchise's ongoing television production.
Source
2018
Long-term 70-episode renewalStrategy
Background
Adult Swim viewed the franchise as a major ratings, audience and multi-platform property after strong performance from its early seasons.
Action taken
The network ordered 70 additional episodes under a long-term arrangement involving Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.
Aftermath
The decision supported continued production and reinforced Rick and Morty's position as a core Adult Swim franchise.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
Wendy’s and Adult Swim expand Rick and Morty partnership[10]Wendy’s 与 Adult Swim 扩大《瑞克和莫蒂》合作thefutoncritic.com
Wendy’s and Adult Swim announced a second year of their partnership tied to Rick and Morty’s fifth season, with promotional elements including themed drinks, in-app delivery, and a Los Angeles restaurant pop-up.
2020-10-15
Oni-Lion Forge announces Rick and Morty: Worlds Apart miniseries[11]Oni-Lion Forge 宣布推出《Rick and Morty: Worlds Apart》迷你系列firstcomicsnews.com
Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group announced the upcoming launch of the four-part Rick and Morty: Worlds Apart miniseries, slated to launch February 3, 2021.

Sources11 sources

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