Let’s talk Cartoons!

[scoobdog]

Whether it be anime or American domestic, Disney, Hannah Barberra, Miyazaki, or McFarlane and Judge - animation is a medium that’s susceptible to its own limitations in a way that makes it impossible to define.  Each animator creates their own world building rules, simultaneously opening up a world of content and sacrificing a piece of their work’s identity.

[scoobdog]

4 hours ago, mthor said:

Actually, both the Flintstones & the Jetsons started in prime time, a few years before the Hanna-Barbera action block on Saturdays.

The problem with both of those is that they were just conventional sitcoms (for the era) that happened to use animation.  That’s certainly a valid use of motion arts, but it’s not analogous to the Saturday morning cartoons that used the art to create the world their characters inhabited.  At best both of those take the usual sitcom plot and use the art for props:  you could have easily made the plots for both work in live action.

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

2 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

The problem with both of those is that they were just conventional sitcoms (for the era) that happened to use animation.  That’s certainly a valid use of motion arts, but it’s not analogous to the Saturday morning cartoons that used the art to create the world their characters inhabited.  At best both of those take the usual sitcom plot and use the art for props:  you could have easily made the plots for both work in live action.

Live action pterodactyl record player and wooly mammoth shower. 

[Blazing Puck]

My Top 10 All Time Favorite Cartoons

1. Scooby Doo Where Are You?

2. The Simpsons

3. Looney Tunes

4. Batman The Animated Series

5. King of the Hill

6. Thundercats

7. Futurama

8. Beavis and Butthead

9. Darkwing Duck

10. Josie and the Pussycats

Edited December 25, 2024 by Blazing Puck

[scoobdog]

Batman: TAS changed my idea of what a cartoon could be.

[André Toulon]

10 minutes ago, Doom Metal Alchemist said:

Live action pterodactyl record player and wooly mammoth shower. 

I mean, the land of the lost was around that time. I don't see why not

[mthor]

10 minutes ago, André Toulon said:

I mean, the land of the lost was around that time. I don't see why not

No - Flintstones was early to mid sixties, Land of the Lost was late seventies.

Edit: also, I think that Land of the Lost was in a pocket dimension, while the Flintstones were on Earth.

Edited December 24, 2024 by mthor

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

6 minutes ago, Blazing Puck said:

My Top 10 All Favorite Cartoons

1. Scooby Doo Where Are You?

2. The Simpsons

3. Looney Tunes

4. Batman The Animated Series

5. King of the Hill

6. Thundercats

7. Futurama

8. Beavis and Butthead

9. Darkwing Duck

10. Josie and the Pussycats

I'm going to break this up into favorites as a kid, and favorites as an adult.

The Simpsons

Looney Tunes

Garfield and Friends

Animaniacs

Beavis and Butt-Head

 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Sea Lab 2021

Futurama

King of the Hill

The Critic

 

[Insipid]

What really annoys me about Family Guy is that if there is an Asian character, something is always said or done about that character being Asian. They can never just exist as a person. Not even South Park is that bad.

[Doom Metal Alchemist]

3 minutes ago, Insipid said:

What really annoys me about Family Guy is that if there is an Asian character, something is always said or done about that character being Asian. They can never just exist as a person. Not even South Park is that bad.

Probably the same with Jewish characters too, with the exception of when Neil Goldman was a thing as opposed to Mort.

[Blazing Puck]

Sticking with Saturday Morning Cartoons here's my rankings for the broadcast networks that had the best cartoons from best to worst.

1. Kids WB

2. Fox Kids 

3. ABC

4. CBS

5. NBC

Edited December 24, 2024 by Blazing Puck

[rpgamer]

I don't care what the haters say, RWBY had heart and its own sort of unpolished charm. It wasn't out of some big budget studio, it was just a thing they wanted to try to make. And it had a lot of potential.. at the start anyway. Can't deny it kinda lost itself along the way. Anyway, RIP Monty, we will forever be left to wonder what contributions you could've made to the animation industry. D=

I'm also kinda forever bitter that Disney channel will replay Gravity Falls forever, but seems like they'd rather bury and forget Star vs The Forces of Evil. Nothing against GF, but, c'mon, it's not the only great cartoon you got.

[scoobdog]

3 hours ago, Insipid said:

What really annoys me about Family Guy is that if there is an Asian character, something is always said or done about that character being Asian. They can never just exist as a person. Not even South Park is that bad.

That's been generally a problem with the satirical, prime time. adult animation comedies.  Much like with a standup, the characters are themselves stereotypes.  This is probably where Mike Judge is one of the best - he seems to recognize the stereotypical nature of his characters and those characters end up having to kind of own up to their own limitations.

[smiradenius]

I just like anything weird.  The more weird, the better.

 

Like Lugar Heights.

[scoobdog]

2 minutes ago, smiradenius said:

I just like anything weird.  The more weird, the better.

 

Like Lugar Heights.

It doesn't count if you don't know what the story is about.

[[classic swim]]

9 hours ago, Insipid said:

What really annoys me about Family Guy is that if there is an Asian character, something is always said or done about that character being Asian. They can never just exist as a person. Not even South Park is that bad.

Trey & Matt (mostly Trey) took those comparisons during their feud so hurtfully that it was actively changing South Park’s humor and writing.

There was a one second McCain/Palin gag Family Guy did that annoyed Trey so much, he made the Obama episode an Ocean’s Eleven parody out of spite. 

They really just took a giant shit on the Writer’s Strike because Seth was vocal and supportive about it.

 

But what you’re talking about specifically...

Family Guy would implode at the idea of a set of people just being normal. South Park after so many years had to incorporate that in more. Not out of any decency - - just to make themselves look less stupid.

Late ‘00s South Park isn’t my favorite by any stretch. I’m more inclined to criticize it separately, but I go back and I see a show genuinely trying its damndest not to be its competition.

[Insipid]

Spirited Away is one of the most poignant anti-capitalist movies ever made.

[scoobdog]

That’s fascinating.  I wouldn’t expect the trashy team MacFarland to have that kind of influence.

i find it interesting MacFarland has a live action show for a dramedy, but reserves his puerile humor for a cartoon.

[[classic swim]]

The same audience that abandoned an unfunny Simpsons for Family Guy listened to this track and collectively told Seth to eat shit.

[tsar4]

On 12/24/2024 at 12:10 PM, scoobdog said:

The problem with both of those is that they were just conventional sitcoms (for the era) that happened to use animation.  That’s certainly a valid use of motion arts, but it’s not analogous to the Saturday morning cartoons that used the art to create the world their characters inhabited.  At best both of those take the usual sitcom plot and use the art for props:  you could have easily made the plots for both work in live action.

Flintstones = The Honeymooners

[tsar4]

My Top 10 (so far):

1 Rocky & Bullwinkle

2 Woody Woodpecker

3 Most the animation on "Liquid Television"

4 SGC2C/The Brak Show

5 ATHF

6 Daria

7 Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law

8 George of the Jungle/Tom Slick/Super Chicken

9 Sealab 2021

10 Beavis and Butthead

[Insipid]

I think Toy Story 4 was the best of the series . . . although Christina Hendricks playing Gabby Gabby probably influenced my decision, as I loved her character Joan in Mad Men. The movie gives a very respectable story to Woody about his fate.

[André Toulon]

On 12/24/2024 at 12:32 PM, mthor said:

No - Flintstones was early to mid sixties, Land of the Lost was late seventies.

Edit: also, I think that Land of the Lost was in a pocket dimension, while the Flintstones were on Earth.

I'm talking about the tech needed to do a live action Flintstones..... animatronics and costumes existed.

Not to nitpick, but totally nitpicking...74 isn't late 70s

[Blazing Puck]

I've never been a big fan of the Charlie Brown cartoons. I've more of a fan of the comic strips. Before I even knew of the existence of Charlie Brown cartoons I read the comic strips. I used to have books of Peanuts comic strips and them religiously. So when I started watching the cartoons I was kinda disappointed. Especially with Snoopy because he was my favorite character in the strips.

[scoobdog]

2 hours ago, Blazing Puck said:

I've never been a big fan of the Charlie Brown cartoons. I've more of a fan of the comic strips. Before I even knew of the existence of Charlie Brown cartoons I read the comic strips. I used to have books of Peanuts comic strips and them religiously. So when I started watching the cartoons I was kinda disappointed. Especially with Snoopy because he was my favorite character in the strips.

What changed about Snoopy?

[Blazing Puck]

5 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

What changed about Snoopy?

Snoopy to me in the cartoons just came off like another cartoon dog  character whereas in the in the comic strips he had more personality and plus he talked (sort of). Kinda reminds me of Brian Griffin just not as boring, pretentious and obnoxious.

[molarbear]

On 12/24/2024 at 12:10 PM, scoobdog said:

The problem with both of those is that they were just conventional sitcoms (for the era) that happened to use animation.  That’s certainly a valid use of motion arts, but it’s not analogous to the Saturday morning cartoons that used the art to create the world their characters inhabited.  At best both of those take the usual sitcom plot and use the art for props:  you could have easily made the plots for both work in live action.

......

This thread has been heavily edited, huh?

Either way

Now that I have a platform to bitch about this,

I really felt like AS was on the right track and going back to their old ways. They've had been airing the old cartoon cartoon stuff earlier and earlier, old school toonami was making a run mid day again... It was really enjoyable

Then they acquired Family Guy again, and, while I do enjoy the show and find it funny. There is a beating a dead horse, and then there's "the horse corpse is gone, now you've just been hitting the ground so long you've made a hole where it used to be."

and that is what AS does with their fox block

thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[mthor]

12 hours ago, André Toulon said:

I'm talking about the tech needed to do a live action Flintstones..... animatronics and costumes existed.

Not to nitpick, but totally nitpicking...74 isn't late 70s

It ran for 3 seasons, so I'll concede mid-seventies, but at the cost of feeling older than I already do.

 

[GunStarHero]

21 hours ago, Insipid said:

I think Toy Story 4 was the best of the series . . . although Christina Hendricks playing Gabby Gabby probably influenced my decision, as I loved her character Joan in Mad Men. The movie gives a very respectable story to Woody about his fate.

I remember when I first saw the trailer for this. At the time I thought it was a cash grab, ruining the ending from the 3rd film. The spork character didn't help. But when I actually saw it, I had to admit it was far and away the best of the series. Had no right to be good at all, tbh, but it won me over pretty quickly. 

[[classic swim]]

OH, YOU GOT THE BEST IN THE SERIES 

 

I SAY, YOU GOT THE BEST IN THE SERIES

Gunstar and Benji, say, you got the best in the series, I SAY, YOU GOT THE BEST IN THE SERIES

I SAY, YOU GOT THE BEST IN THE SERIES

[Raptorpat]

10 hours ago, GunStarHero said:

I remember when I first saw the trailer for this. At the time I thought it was a cash grab, ruining the ending from the 3rd film. The spork character didn't help. But when I actually saw it, I had to admit it was far and away the best of the series. Had no right to be good at all, tbh, but it won me over pretty quickly. 

I feel like every "Woody lesson" got a little more mature than the one before it.

• Toy Story 1 - it's ok to share the attention of someone you love
• Toy Story 2 - it's better to love knowing you will be hurt than to never experience love at all
• Toy Story 3 - it's ok to let them move on from you
• Toy Story 4 - it's ok to move on from them yourself

idk how they can keep that streak going

[Insipid]

18 minutes ago, Raptorpat said:

I feel like every "Woody lesson" got a little more mature than the one before it.

• Toy Story 1 - it's ok to share the attention of someone you love
• Toy Story 2 - it's better to love knowing you will be hurt than to never experience love at all
• Toy Story 3 - it's ok to let them move on from you
• Toy Story 4 - it's ok to move on from them yourself

idk how they can keep that streak going

I think you're talking about the reddit post that says Toy Story is an allegory about the stages of parenthood. They said Toy Story 4 is about empty nest syndrome. In that case, Toy Story 5 has a great setup: reinvigorated joy from becoming a grandparent.

[discolé monade]

13 hours ago, mthor said:

It ran for 3 seasons, so I'll concede mid-seventies, but at the cost of feeling older than I already do.

 

i was going to say something about particular lineups. and i remember the hanna - barberra era. banana splits 'hosted'  - with deputy dog, and the hill billy bears. and that horse that was a sheriff?

then there was bozo the clown on weekends, that showed tom/jerry, popeye, and the like. so it could be a mix of 'timelines'.

 

[Raptorpat]

2 hours ago, Insipid said:

I think you're talking about the reddit post that says Toy Story is an allegory about the stages of parenthood. They said Toy Story 4 is about empty nest syndrome. In that case, Toy Story 5 has a great setup: reinvigorated joy from becoming a grandparent.

no I never saw that, it was my own observation

I always envisioned it as more coequal relationships but the parenthood theme works not having read it

[smiradenius]

Weirdness is king when I'm picking cartoons.  Latest added to my collection is "Stickin' Around", the complete series.

[mthor]

On 12/27/2024 at 11:00 AM, discolé monade said:

i was going to say something about particular lineups. and i remember the hanna - barberra era. banana splits 'hosted'  - with deputy dog, and the hill billy bears. and that horse that was a sheriff?

then there was bozo the clown on weekends, that showed tom/jerry, popeye, and the like. so it could be a mix of 'timelines'.

 

Quick Draw McGraw, with Bobbalouie (the little burro).

You're probably right about timelines - we had Magilla Gorilla and Secret Squirrel in the afternoon, but sometimes in the morning after Kimba the White Lion...it's all starting to run together.

 

Edit to add: how has Gargoyles not shown up on anybody's list?

Edited December 30, 2024 by mthor

[rpgamer]

I'm still mad disappointed Gargoyles never came up for a Kingdom Hearts world. That shit would've been amazing.

[1pooh4u]

On 12/25/2024 at 12:20 AM, scoobdog said:

That’s fascinating.  I wouldn’t expect the trashy team MacFarland to have that kind of influence.

i find it interesting MacFarland has a live action show for a dramedy, but reserves his puerile humor for a cartoon.

MacFarlane really pissed off Parker and Stone because he criticized the writers or writing. They took exception to whatever was said because SP writers and staff make a fraction of what FG staff makes 

[Blazing Puck]

I had a childhood flashback this morning. I got up at 5:30 am because I needed to go to the Laundromat before I had to go to work later that day. So I decided to watch TV to kill time before I had to leave. There's a channel on my Fire Stick plays the 1987 TMNT series 24/7 so I put it on that channel and instantly got taken back to my childhood of being up early and watching cartoons before going to school. And it just so happened to the very first episode of TMNT that a playing. It was a pretty cool feeling.

Edited December 30, 2024 by Blazing Puck

[André Toulon]

Bro I ran into the first episode of Spider-Man TAS one day and I swear, I was a kid again

[discolé monade]

1 hour ago, 1pooh4u said:

MacFarlane really pissed off Parker and Stone because he criticized the writers or writing. They took exception to whatever was said because SP writers and staff make a fraction of what FG staff makes 

that was a rabbit hole. i remember something...but i still had to google. 

lol. 

famous people

[discolé monade]

i am trying to recall an animated t.v. show. *if you remember during certain holidays, the big 3 would air something for the kids*

what i remember was there was a toy bear, and his son (child), and i think they were sold as a set, but one of them fell, and the other had to find him?????

and i think it was the dad, and he got tore up looking for his son (??)
i know this sounds like a lot of shows. i thought it was called 'the bear and his child' , but that's not right. 

[André Toulon]

15 minutes ago, discolé monade said:

i am trying to recall an animated t.v. show. *if you remember during certain holidays, the big 3 would air something for the kids*

what i remember was there was a toy bear, and his son (child), and i think they were sold as a set, but one of them fell, and the other had to find him?????

and i think it was the dad, and he got tore up looking for his son (??)
i know this sounds like a lot of shows. i thought it was called 'the bear and his child' , but that's not right. 

.....I seem to remember something like this but no way I'll remember the name.

[Blazing Puck]

39 minutes ago, discolé monade said:

i am trying to recall an animated t.v. show. *if you remember during certain holidays, the big 3 would air something for the kids*

what i remember was there was a toy bear, and his son (child), and i think they were sold as a set, but one of them fell, and the other had to find him?????

and i think it was the dad, and he got tore up looking for his son (??)
i know this sounds like a lot of shows. i thought it was called 'the bear and his child' , but that's not right. 

The only cartoon I remember about a toy bear was a show called Super Ted

[1pooh4u]

1 hour ago, discolé monade said:

that was a rabbit hole. i remember something...but i still had to google. 

lol. 

famous people

They’re so much fun 😆

[1pooh4u]

1 hour ago, discolé monade said:

i am trying to recall an animated t.v. show. *if you remember during certain holidays, the big 3 would air something for the kids*

what i remember was there was a toy bear, and his son (child), and i think they were sold as a set, but one of them fell, and the other had to find him?????

and i think it was the dad, and he got tore up looking for his son (??)
i know this sounds like a lot of shows. i thought it was called 'the bear and his child' , but that's not right. 

Sounds like a mix of a few shows but there was a 70s jump off called The Bear who Slept through Christmas 

[UwPp]

I was a Nickelodeon kid for most of my cartoons. 

Rocko's Modern Life

Doug

Hey Arnold!

Ahh! Real Monsters

Rocket power

Catdog

Rugrats

Saturday Cartoons were a bit different. Same with after school cartoons. 

Pokemon and Arthur. 

Pepper Anne and Recess.

 

Disney I don't really remember watching much of their cartoons and I didn't really watch Cartoon Network until I got a bit older. 

[discolé monade]

as told by ginger - i really liked that one

angry beavers - very favorite

liquid television -all of it. , the maxx was especially nice. 

[scoobdog]

4 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

MacFarlane really pissed off Parker and Stone because he criticized the writers or writing. They took exception to whatever was said because SP writers and staff make a fraction of what FG staff makes 

They have every right to be mad.  Seth has a reputation for being mean spirited in the guise of humor.  

[[classic swim]]

5 hours ago, discolé monade said:

i am trying to recall an animated t.v. show. *if you remember during certain holidays, the big 3 would air something for the kids*

what i remember was there was a toy bear, and his son (child), and i think they were sold as a set, but one of them fell, and the other had to find him?????

and i think it was the dad, and he got tore up looking for his son (??)
i know this sounds like a lot of shows. i thought it was called 'the bear and his child' , but that's not right. 

Could it have been this?

 

2 hours ago, scoobdog said:

They have every right to be mad.  Seth has a reputation for being mean spirited in the guise of humor.  

For what it’s worth, I like both shows but dislike both creators to an extent.

The one friend from TZ that I kept is the solar opposite in that he’s critical of MacFarlane but swears Trey and Matt up and down. (Bit of the info from before I got from him.)
 

Conservatism with the audience came up a lot in those discussions.

FG’s still watched by millions but isn’t relevant or good enough to have far-right support anymore. Where as Elon’s always the first to prop up a dull South Park special on Paramount because he thinks it’s destroying the left. And “South Park Republican” as a term has always existed for some reason.