Cartoons aren’t just for kids, and shows like Family Guy are proof. For over 20 years, the Griffin family has kept millions of people entertained with their hilarious antics and grossly inappropriate humor. Who would have ever thought that a talking baby and a talking dog would win over so many adults? At this point, the show has been around for so long there are lots of people who have literally grown up watching it. As a result, Family Guy has become a massive franchise that now includes books, video games, and merchandise. As you can imagine, the show has made lots of money throughout it’s time on the air. But just how much is the question. Keep reading find out how much the Family Guy franchise is worth.
How Family Guy Began
The concept for Family Guy came about during the mid 90s by Seth McFarlane while he was a student at Rhode Island School of Design. His video thesis project consisted of a short film called The Life of Larry which included some of the same ideas as family guy. The project landed him a job with with the Hanna-Barberra company. In 1997, The Life of Larry and its sequel aired on Cartoon Network. This ultimately led to McFarlane getting attention from Fox.
The network gave McFarlane a $50,000 budget and asked him to create a 15 minute short film. Initially, the short was supposed to be part of the sketch comedy series, Mad TV. However, the show didn’t have the budget to support an animated short. This eventually spawned into the creation of Family Guy and the show’s acquisition on Fox. The show aired its first episode in January of 1999.
Lots of people have developed a love/hate relationship with the show during its time on the air. While the show can be funny, it can also reach a level of ignorance that many people are uncomfortable with. Over the years, the show started nearly a dozen controversies. In many situations, people have felt like the show has gone a little too far when joking about certain subjects. Sure, there were edgy cartoons like King of The Hill and The Simpsons that came before Family Guy. However, everything else seems tame in comparison to the Griffin family. Still, die hard Family Guy fans would argue that people need to loosen up.
In 2016, a staff writer for The Daily Californian wrote a piece in defense of Family Guy, stating “Family Guy” isn’t meaning to insensitively reinforce racist or politically incorrect notions — they’re pulling an Archie Bunker on you. Peter Griffin is an idiot, Brian is eye-rollingly pretentious, Quagmire is, well, we know what Quagmire is. They’re not your national heroes, nor are they meant to be. They’re parodies of awful people. Isn’t that almost every television show on air anyway? Only “Family Guy” heightens this and touches issues that are difficult to talk about, and it offends people. But, really, the show is just a silly, lighthearted recreation that isn’t meant to be taken as a serious ideological threat…”
How Much Is The Family Guy Franchise Worth?
Most cartoons are funny and lighthearted, but that doesn’t mean they can’t bring in some serious money. As mentioned before, things like merchandise, DVDs, and other items, are great ways for cartoon franchises to make money outside of their network deals. This is something Family Guy has certainly benefited from. In an interview with Barbara Walters, it was revealed that the Family Guy franchise is worth around $2 billion. Additionally, Seth McFarlane makes about $30 million per year. However, despite his very deep pockets, McFarlane said that he doesn’t like to make a lot of extravagant purchases.
The Future For Family Guy
One of the best things about Family Guy is that it’s a cartoon that you never have to out grow. Now in its 20th season, there’s no telling how much longer the will continue to run. After two cancellations Family Guy has proven to be as resilient as they come. One thing is for sure though, that show is responsible for ushering in an entirely new vibe in the world of animation. The show has also reached heights that no one could have imagined. What started off as a school project has become a wildly successful empire that serves as inspiration for the next generation of creatives.
For all of the people out there who love animation and who are feeling discouraged about whether or not to keep pursuing it, just remember that the Family Guy franchise is worth $2 billion.
Follow Us
