• by David Goetzl , March 23, 2011

As it moves into the kids' upfront market, Cartoon Network said it will debut 13 animated series and live-action comedy "Level Up" over the next year. With high-school students interacting with video game characters, "Level Up" will start with a 90-minute original film in the fall and the series will follow next year.

Cartoon Network also said it is launching a new partnership with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, both Time Warner corporate siblings, which will include a "DC Nation" programming block on the network. Starting in 2012, the trio hope to grow it into a multiplatform superheroes brand.

One of the new animated series is based on -- and carries the same name as -- DreamWorks Animation's 2010 film "How to Train Your Dragon."

With a core target of 6- to-11-year-olds, the network also said it would bring back "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" for a fourth season.

In May, the network will launch a new, updated look and spin on Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck with "The Looney Tunes Show."

Also on deck is a new series in the "Ben 10" franchise, which has been a hit on Cartoon for five years with multiple iterations and brought a successful consumer products line.