So I was flipping through the channels on a lazy Saturday last week and passed by the Cartoon Network. Nothing else was really on and I was in the mood to put my brain on the shelf and be entertained so I figured why not stick with this genre. Much to my dismay the programming that passes for cartoons these days is borderline confusing. Now I understand that the cartoons of any age haven’t been based much in reality, but a gym partner could never be a monkey and a 5 year old girl (emphasis on 5 year old) could never be an explorer.
At what point did the writers for the greatest cartoons leave their respective shows and where did they go? Here is a short list of the shows – and for some a related video clip – that shaped me into the model of perfection you see before you:
- Ren and Stimpy – the clip is the commercial for the best toy ever – Log.
- Animaniacs – This was the clip shown above.
- Rocko’s Modern Life
- Rugrats
- Tailspin
- Gargoyles
- X-men the Animated Series
- Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers
- Beavis and Butthead
I may not have listed your favorite shows but I think that that’s the beauty of the Golden Age of cartoons as I like to call it. There was a little something for everyone and the sheer number of choices out there made it all but certain that you were going to enjoy your afternoon.
Those were the days.
Herding Scapegoats 
I loved Roccos Modern life! Rugrats was awesome too. You didn’t see Rugrats all grown up?? That was fun too.
By: sweetiegirlz on November 5, 2008
at 1:48 am
I did see Rugrats all grown up AND Rugrats in Paris. I still feel, however, that the original episodes before the introduction of new characters were the best.
By: tomkennedy on November 5, 2008
at 3:05 am
I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Doug
By: Jordan on November 5, 2008
at 6:29 am
Oh man this is almost too much nostalgia for one post. My cruel, cruel mother wouldn’t let me watch Ren and Stimpy or Beavis and Butthead, but I pretty much loved all of the others. I still regularly get the Animaniacs “Picnic of the World” song stuck in my head, and the other day my roommate and I were driven insane because we couldn’t remember the tune to the Rugrats theme song.
And I’d have to add Doug to your list.
Those were the days, indeed.
By: Mallory on November 6, 2008
at 9:43 pm
I loved batman.
By: paperdreamer on January 6, 2009
at 4:40 pm