[13] Along with his older brother, Alex, Tartakovsky learned English by watching cartoons[13] and taught himself how to draw as a child by copying comic books.

[20][21][22][15] His co-workers on that series, Craig McCracken, Rob Renzetti, and Paul Rudish, had been classmates of his at Cal Arts[23] and went on to collaborate with him on Dexter's Laboratory.

Unhappy with his position on The Critic, Tartakovsky accepted Huber's proposal,[21] and the resulting project, "Changes", was produced as part of Cartoon Network's animation showcase series, World Premiere Toons, debuting on February 26, 1995.

[10] Mike Lazzo, then-head of programming for Cartoon Network, said in 1996 that it was his favorite of the 48 shorts that had been produced by that point, commenting that he and colleagues "loved the humor in the brother-versus-sister relationship".

"[29] In August 1995, Turner ordered six half-hour episodes of Dexter's Laboratory, which included two cartoons of one spin-off segment titled Dial M for Monkey.

[10] In addition to Tartakovsky, McCracken, Renzetti, and Rudish,[20] directors and writers on Dexter's Laboratory included Seth MacFarlane,[30] Butch Hartman,[31] John McIntyre,[32] Robert Alvarez,[33] and Chris Savino.

[35] Animation historian David Perlmutter noted a symbiosis between the two men, which he felt led to stylistic similarities between Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls.

"[13] Tartakovsky noted that when he was a child, he was less confident than the character, telling The New York Times, "The one thing about Dexter, if he doesn't fit in, he'll start his own club.

[40] Simensky noted though, that in contrast to those cartoons, Dexter's Laboratory is "staged cinematically, rather than flat and close to the screen, to leave space and depth for the action and gags in the lab".

Referring to a scene from Army of Darkness featuring the construction of a robotic hand, McCracken explained, "He [Tartakovsky] applied that sequence to the show all the time, especially when Dexter was building stuff.

"[41] Dexter's Laboratory has its origins in a drawing of a tall, thin girl dancing next to a short and blocky boy that Tartakovsky made while at CalArts.

His focus on the series had cost him two relationships, and he went on to joke that the process of running Dexter's Laboratory was like "giving birth to ten children.

[53] Revival episodes featured revised visual designs and sound effects, recast voice actors, and a transition from traditional cel animation, which was used until Ego Trip, to digital ink and paint, which was used permanently beginning with season three's premiere.

[62] This launch was commemorated by parent network Teletoon, which aired Cartoon Network-related programming blocks and promotions in weeks leading up to it, including episodes of Dexter's Laboratory.

[75] From 1998 to 2000, a Dexter balloon was featured in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade alongside other iconic characters, including the titular piglet from Babe whom Christine Cavanaugh voiced.

"[87] In his 2015 book Animation: A World History Volume III: Contemporary Times, Giannalberto Bendazzi called Dexter's Laboratory "visually and verbally innovative".

[88] David Perlmutter wrote in his 2018 book, The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows, that all three segments of Dexter's Laboratory (the main scenario, along with Dial M for Monkey and The Justice Friends) elevate stereotypical ideas through an approach that contains "verve and originality".

[89] He praised the staging of action sequences throughout the series and wrote that Dexter's Laboratory is "much more effective (and funny) than it would have been under a director less committed to the project [than Tartakovsky].

"[90] Tartakovsky reflected on this period in 2024, saying that he and his colleagues took full advantage of the freedom provided by the still-new Cartoon Network, but that the level of trust on young artists was "pretty much gone" 30 years later.

[92] To this, Gizmodo contributor Beth Elderkin added: "Since then, he's become a staple in children's and adult animation, responsible for everything from the Hotel Transylvania series to the powerful (and ultra-violent) Primal.

"[94] For a while, the show's simplistic look was adopted by other American cartoons; in a 2021 interview with Syfy Wire, animator Butch Hartman said, "When I started making Fairly OddParents, I took cues from what Genndy did in terms of simplifying the designs and using bold colors and simple shapes.

"[41] Dexter's Laboratory has been subject to scholarly works that include a study on post-9/11 America by Media International Australia[95] and a publication about how Mexican children react to references in the series by Comunicar.

Discovery Home Entertainment and includes all episodes along with the television film Ego Trip except for "Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor" and "Rude Removal.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, writing, "It won't win any new fans, but those that love the show will get a kick out of this disc.

On February 25, 2013, IDW Publishing announced a partnership with Cartoon Network to produce comics based on its properties, which included Dexter's Laboratory.

[150][151] NASCAR's 1999 "Wacky Racing Team" vehicle driven by Jerry Nadeau in the Daytona 500 featured Dexter's Laboratory characters on its paint.

[155][156] That month, Perfetti Van Melle and Cartoon Network launched the "Out of Control" promotion, which included on-air marketing and a sweepstakes to win an "Air Dextron" entertainment center.

[159] Burger King sponsored Dexter's Laboratory toys beginning in September 2003 with kids' meals during a larger promotion featuring online games, Cartoon Orbit codes, and new episodes.

[169][170] A Dexter's Laboratory combat-style action video game on PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube was set to be developed by n-Space, published by BAM!

[177] Punch Time Explosion features different voice talent for Dexter (Tara Strong instead of Christine Cavanaugh or Candi Milo) and Monkey (Fred Tatasciore instead of Frank Welker).