Incoming (almost) Boomer Alert. This ain't gonna be pretty...
Anything on Nickelodeon, outside of Ren & Stimpy was pure garbage, wimpy, and/or wait, did I already say, "wimpy"? Same with all of the Japanamation televised series stuff, outside of Starblazers. Yes, I HATED Speed Racer. I never saw the allure in anything Pokemon, etc. Cartoons with kids as the heroes or "cute" central characters like that yellow abomination in the Pokemon cartoons - just NO. And the animation on Nickelodeon cartoons was goddamn atrocious. Klasky Csupo was simply awful.
Now, one cartoon which did have Klasky Csupo animation rises above the rest of them because it was so well written and performed - Duckman. Jason Alexander as Duckman was a revelation. Not going to get into the obviousness of the genius of pre-1970 Warner Brothers cartoons, pre-1970 Disney, or Jay Ward. Hanna-Barbera was either genius because of the writing on certain shows (The Flintstones), or mindless brain candy that never improved nor deteriorated one's life. It was just there (looking at you, Huckleberry Hound). The Simpsons could have their own thread, but they are victims of their own success any way you want to slice it.
Family Guy will always be controversial and have its ardent supporters and detractors. I enjoy it, but I think American Dad is far and away superior to it in every way. Stewie is great. Brian is great. Quagmire is great. Roger the alien, however, is transcendent. Bob's Burgers? No thank you. The voice acting is awful and the animation sucks. South Park keeps chugging along. King of the Hill was vastly underrated.
I'm partial to the late 60s/early 70s DePatie-Freleng cartoons like the Ant and the Aardvark, The Inspector, Tijuana Toads, and, of course, The Pink Panther. I'll also always have a soft spot for The Mighty Heroes because, well, Ralph Bakshi.
Spiderman '67 cartoons? Yes, please. Anything else Spiderman? Meh. The Venture Brothers are the closest to that style of animation and although not every episode is a homerun, it has a very high lifetime OPS.
Anything with babies (outside of Diaper Man in The Mighty Heroes), or young versions of established cartoon characters, like The Animaniacs...I just can't.
I know the obvious knee-jerk reaction is to say we all laud that which is specific to our era. It happens with music, too. But, most of the cartoons I think are superior were created long before I started watching TV, and there are a few exceptions where I was already a well-seasoned, TV-watching adult. But, Nickelodeon, man...just an absolute sewer for cartoons.
You may now resume despising or ignoring me.
Anything on Nickelodeon, outside of Ren & Stimpy was pure garbage, wimpy, and/or wait, did I already say, "wimpy"? Same with all of the Japanamation televised series stuff, outside of Starblazers. Yes, I HATED Speed Racer. I never saw the allure in anything Pokemon, etc. Cartoons with kids as the heroes or "cute" central characters like that yellow abomination in the Pokemon cartoons - just NO. And the animation on Nickelodeon cartoons was goddamn atrocious. Klasky Csupo was simply awful.
Now, one cartoon which did have Klasky Csupo animation rises above the rest of them because it was so well written and performed - Duckman. Jason Alexander as Duckman was a revelation. Not going to get into the obviousness of the genius of pre-1970 Warner Brothers cartoons, pre-1970 Disney, or Jay Ward. Hanna-Barbera was either genius because of the writing on certain shows (The Flintstones), or mindless brain candy that never improved nor deteriorated one's life. It was just there (looking at you, Huckleberry Hound). The Simpsons could have their own thread, but they are victims of their own success any way you want to slice it.
Family Guy will always be controversial and have its ardent supporters and detractors. I enjoy it, but I think American Dad is far and away superior to it in every way. Stewie is great. Brian is great. Quagmire is great. Roger the alien, however, is transcendent. Bob's Burgers? No thank you. The voice acting is awful and the animation sucks. South Park keeps chugging along. King of the Hill was vastly underrated.
I'm partial to the late 60s/early 70s DePatie-Freleng cartoons like the Ant and the Aardvark, The Inspector, Tijuana Toads, and, of course, The Pink Panther. I'll also always have a soft spot for The Mighty Heroes because, well, Ralph Bakshi.
Spiderman '67 cartoons? Yes, please. Anything else Spiderman? Meh. The Venture Brothers are the closest to that style of animation and although not every episode is a homerun, it has a very high lifetime OPS.
Anything with babies (outside of Diaper Man in The Mighty Heroes), or young versions of established cartoon characters, like The Animaniacs...I just can't.
I know the obvious knee-jerk reaction is to say we all laud that which is specific to our era. It happens with music, too. But, most of the cartoons I think are superior were created long before I started watching TV, and there are a few exceptions where I was already a well-seasoned, TV-watching adult. But, Nickelodeon, man...just an absolute sewer for cartoons.
You may now resume despising or ignoring me.
