Favorite cartoons
September 25th, 2006
A few days ago we were in the toys section at K-Mart, and I noticed some awesome G.I. Joe figures. They’re from the new G.I. Joe Sigma 6 series. They stand about eight inches tall and come with all kinds of different weapons. Pictured here is Storm Shadow. I told my wife she could forget about getting any of these figures for Daniel for Christmas — she could just get them for me.
After seeing these, I’ve been reminiscing a little about some of my favorite cartoons from childhood. With a new G.I. Joe series on TV now and a new Transformers movie coming out next year, it’s quite possible that Daniel will be playing with some of the same toys I did when I was a boy. I like the idea of that.
So, for discussion — what were your favorite cartoons from your childhood? Did you play with the corresponding toys?
I’ve already mentioned G.I. Joe and the Transformers, which were at the top of my list. I also liked the Go-Bots and He-Man.
Also, what’s the over-under on how soon someone stops by and condemns us for promoting violence to our children?
In addition to the ones Tim named I thought Thundercats was pretty cool. Battle of the Planets was an early childhood favorite. Speed Racer was always near the top of my list.
It’s not a favorite from childhood since it came out years later, but Animaniacs was a great cartoon. When I look at some of the cartoons on tv these days it makes me glad I grew up when I did.
I say we will be rebuked in less than 10 comments.
Animaniacs was da BOMB! And of course Ren and Stimpy and The Siimpsons!
Have you checked out the knight figurines at Target. I told my wife I wanted them for decoration in my office. And I’d probably have them killing each other when no one was looking.
I suddenly feel so old. My favorite cartoons as a kid? There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” I don’t remember a corresponding doll (er, action figure).
Of course Tom and Jerry and Bullwinkle were also big hits in our house. As were the Jetsons and the Flintstones (before they were vitamins).
Road Runner was very violent. The ACME company obviously sells inferior products. Wile E. Coyote has a Lazarus complex.
I’m with Tom. I loved Underdog! Superfriends was also great - I guess now they are referred to as the Justice League. The Jetson’s, Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner, Speedy Gonzalez, Foghorn Leghorn. I would take these over the new cartoons anyday!
I loved the Smurf’s, but my parents felt it was a little too “evil” because Gargamel was a man-witch or Satan worshiper or something. I also loved a little-known cartoon called “The Snorks” about this community of weird looking figures that lived under the sea. I run into very few people who watched that show, but I had Snork toys that I played with as well. I could always be found watching the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show on a Saturday morning. Cartoons are just plain weird now. I don’t get them at all.
I watch the Simpson’s quite regularly now.
I got several snorks in my happy meals at McDonald’s as the toy.
My favorites included He-Man, Transformers, Scooby Doo, G.I. Joe and I can’t believe no one mentioned Vol-Tron. Did you guys never see Vol-Tron or did you just not like it? Great cartoon.
j razz
Didn’t I read about a lady that got a snork in her Happy Meal and sued over it? Or was that a finger nail?
JRazz –
Yeah, Voltron was pretty cool. Although, the plot was pretty much the same every episode — get their tails kicked by some alien monstrosity while they’re separate, but then they merge into Voltron and slash the monster in half and watch it explode.
That “blazing sword” of Voltron’s worked every time.
PINKY AND THE BRAIN! ALL TIME FAVORITE!!!
TMNT!!!
GI Joe is a favorite. The theme song still floats in my head when I hear words like “fighting for freedom” and “staying until the fights won.”
Looney Tunes still make me laugh harder than most other things, and also scare me more than a lot of things that should. Anyone see the episodes with the dancing Irish shoes that Porky couldn’t escape? Or the mad scientist with Gossamer, the red hairy guy and the scientist chased Bugs around the castle after being doused with slow-motion potion?
Frightening stuff.
I used to wear out Blockbuster’s only copy of the Batman Super Powers episodes. And I watched Scooby Do’s new mysteries everyday in hopes of hearing Shaggy say “Today Scooby-Do meets Batman and Robin!” But inevitaby it was Don Knots or Jonathon Winters or the Harlem Globetrotters.
In high school I taped all of Batman: The Animated Series. But I swear that was the only geeky thing I did.
Really.
I swear.
Just cause it was gothic and styled after film noir.
Honest.
Crud.
From childhood:
#1 Woody Woodpecker. Gotta love the laugh.
#2 Looney Tunes. Bugs rules!
From 2nd childhood: Pinky and the Brain.
Ist dast ich nein Otto’s gut?
Yah dast ich nein Otto’s gut!!
Ist dast ich nein Otto’s butt?
Yah dast ich nein Otto’s butt?
Otto’s gut,
Otto’s butt,
hairy chest,
he’s not dressed
Oh-de-scherna-Oh-de-scherna-Oh-de-scherna
Schnitzlebank!
Strictly old-school, from the days when cartoons were not just commercials for the toys. That was quite an issue with the blue-haired ladies back in the ’80s.
War-era Warner Bros.
Pre-WWII Popeye (Fleischer Studio)
Bullwinkle
Underdog (best theme song ever, with a close second from …)
original Spider-Man
Unsanitized Betty Boop and silent “Out of the Inkwell” cartoons are fascinating as well. BTW, “Underdog Collector’s Edition” is a really good single-disc DVD sampling of Underdog.
Hey Mike…friendly intervention, dude.
Lay off the Nyquil…really.
GI Joe Sigma 6 is now a new cartoon. I know this cuz my son and I watched the new Superman cartoon (forget the exact title) this Saturday morning.
We also watched a killer edition of Bibleman.
I’m responsible for getting my son hooked on superheroes. As long as he always answers correctly when I ask him who the ultimate super hero is, we won’t have a problem.
I enjoyed many of the ones you all named, so let me just add Great Space Coaster, the original Spiderman and the Hulk.
INSPECTOR GADGET!!!!!!!!!! THAT GUY WAS AWSOME!
Alvin and the chipmunks, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Duck Tales, and Darkwing Duck! I like them all
If only my parents let me do drugs then I bet the smurfs would have been awsome! The paint chips did make the Gummie Bears interesting.
Call me a girl (because I am one), but I loved the Care Bears and My Little Pony. I did have the stuffed animals/ponies. — I also use to love watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my little brother. — And, as previously mentioned, I too enjoyed Inspector Gadget, Duck Tales, and the Gummie Bears.
Has anyone noticed the weapons in the ninjas hands? He is equipped with a sword and a grappling hook. These are definitely standard issue in all modern army arsenals. Do they have real weapons like RPGs or m-16s or do they stay away from stuff like that due to the possibility of getting sued for what kids might interpret from playing with toy guns? I mean, look what happened to those kids who played cowboy and indian- where are they now?
j razz
My Little Pony doesn’t do anything…it should be My Little Equestrian Statue.
Plastic Man! My favorite, although I don’t remember much about it. I just remember looking forward to watching it every Saturday morning. No cartoon will get me out of bed on Saturday anymore.
I also liked Fat Albert. Tom and Jerry, Mighty Mouse. Heathcliff and of course Huckleberry Hound.
Anyone remember this: We are the Littles! Tails that squiggle to and fro!
Okay, so that one freaked me out a little but I still watched it.
I’m also looking forward to the Transformer movies. Those darn decepticons. I hated them.
I am such a loser.
Here’s a cool link: http://www.80scartoons.net/
Absolutely nothing beats the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. Yosemite Sam may be the greatest cartoon character in the history of civilization. Squidward and Hong Kong Phooey are up there as well.
SuperFriends, Hong Kong Fuey and Captain Caveman! when I was really young and GI Joe was a secret joy while in Jr. High.
I am ashamed of all of the people who claim to be Animaniac fans, and yet no one knows the great song that Otto taught to Yakko, Wakko, and Dot when they visited Germany.
And no one probably remembers when Yakko sang the countries of the world in the tune of the Mexican hat dance.
It’s not Nyquill, Tony. It just really good beer.
Not true, Mike. Some of us are still longing for the days of Animaniacs to return.
I’ll forever get a little teary when I think of Yakko singing through the Dictionary. The color-commentary offered by Dot was brilliant.
I’ll forever get teary eyed when I hear the Anvilania national anthem.
I always enjoyed their spoof of “Circle of Life.” Dropping the little lion baby at the end was genuis.
Coming in a little late here, but Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry can still make me laugh.