The students swarmed, slack-jawed, around the offbeat office — foosball tables, life-size mascots of the "Aqua Teen" characters, employees slouching around in ripped jeans and black T-shirts.

They gathered on a few beat-up couches to hear cartoon creators talk about how they got started and watched clips from a few shows that aren't out yet. Then they all headed to a dingy bar for more chatting with Cartoon Network employees before a weekend of training in selling the shows to their peers.

"It is sooooo much fun," said Barrett Darnell, a 20-year-old Washington State University student who's starting his second year as an "Adult Swim" marketer. Last year he threw viewing parties and got some cartoon T-shirts thrown from the stage at a campus Cypress Hill concert. This year's plans include a pub crawl and poster giveaways. "We give out so much free stuff. Everyone loves it."

Another returning marketer, University of Kentucky senior Shreenah Willis, went from trying to draw crowds to her Cartoon Network parties to fending off advances for more "Adult Swim" giveaways.