Part 1: Recently, I’ve been looking back on cartoons I’ve watched as a kid. Since with Covid wrecking havoc, and having nothing else to do, I decided to list them all and write down my childhood thoughts on them. What amazes is that many of these cartoons are now considered iconic cult classics or obscure and barely accessible relics. The fact that these cartoons are over ~12-15+ years old now, makes me feel really old. As a side note, I often channel surfed as a kid, and rarely fixated on a single show (with some exceptions here and there). I tended to be an opportunistic viewer, I just watched anything that was on. Hence why I only saw a very small number of episodes from a lot of these shows in this list. I was also a very cartoon oriented kid, hence the over half an hour worth of reading material here. Man, I didn’t even realize how long it would take to list out every cartoon I watched in my childhood. As a result of this, I’m going to have to divide this post into several different threads, to make it more viewable-friendly for users here. Please keep in mind, I'm just recounting my opinions of them as a child. They are just what my little kid self thought of those cartoons, and don't necessary reflect my views today. Besides, they are simply just opinions, and feel free to disagree with me. Cartoon Network: As a child, my family didn’t own cable. It just wasn’t in our budget, nor did my parents have any interest in it. So I only watched Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Disney owned channels, etc was at my paternal grandparents’ house, hotels, a few other relatives of mine, and the occasional friend’s house. Cartoon Network was one of my favorite channels as a kid. Watching it on my paternal grandparents’ TV, was one of the things I loved doing at their house. Teen Titans: I’ve seen a lot of episodes from that show. I enjoyed watching them, the action was good and the characters were fun. However, I wasn’t as affectionate to the show as people are now. Samurai Jack: From what little I can recall, I really liked Samurai Jack. Especially the iconic action sequences. Edd Ed n Eddy: I know I've seen a lot of episodes, and I have vivid memories of the opening credits. However, I don’t remember that many details, but I did like the show. Ben 10 (mostly the original series): I liked that show as a kid. Especially the alien creature designs. As it was one of Cartoon Network’s most played franchises when it aired, I watched several episodes of that show. Only really paid attention to the series until Alien Force was over. After that, it fell out of the map in my little world. Courage the Cowardly Dog: Another cartoon that aired a lot in my early childhood. I’ve seen quite a few episodes. From what I could recount, it was a fine enough show. Not anything I held close to my heart, but I liked watching it when it came on. Powerpuff Girls: Watched a good number of Power Puff Girls episodes. I liked the action in them and the theme song was pretty catchy. However, I didn’t particularly like the titular girls’ character designs. It’s purely due to my own personal tastes, but I just didn’t care for Buttercup’s pigtails and Blossom’s ponytail and bow. Kids Next Door: Man, I liked that show. It really fed into my “living in a grownup free world” fantasies, I occasionally had as a child. League of Super Evil: Didn’t see that many episodes, as it wasn’t played very often. However, the episodes were so funny, and I bursted out laughing every time I watched the show. Shame that the executives axed this show. It had so much potential. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: I remember watching a number of episodes. Don’t remember any feelings about this show, though its “grimness” (pun intended) might have somewhat been too much for me. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: Watched a few episodes here and there. Didn’t like the show at all. I wasn’t a fan of it’s surreal and occasional gross out humor. It was just too “out there” for me as a kid. Code Lyoko: Watched a small handful of episodes. Don’t remember my feelings towards them, but it probably was that of indifference. Transformers Unicron Trilogy: I recall watching the Amanda and Cybertron series on Cartoon Network, though they didn’t air that often. Though most of the Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends: I’ve seen quite a number of Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends episodes. It was one of the shows that was commonly played on Cartoon Network at the time. I didn’t hold the show in that high regard, but I didn’t mind watching it when it came on. Krypto the Superdog (occasionally aired on Kids WB as well): Krypto the Superdog was an obsession in my early childhood. That show alone was one of the reasons why I watched Kids WB. Most of my internet activity at the time was scouring for information and merchandise for the series. Unfortunately for me, Krypto the Superdog was one of the many shows that were badly neglected by the networks. Airings were pretty rare, and merchandise was almost unheard off. The very few merchandise I could get a hold off (like coloring books, a comic or two, a few toys, and a handful of picture books), I was all over. Totally Spies: I’ve watched maybe three or four episodes. Don’t recall any particularly special feelings towards Totally Spies. It just existed, and I watched it sometimes. Camp Lazlo: I watched quite a handful of episodes. When it was around, it was played quite often. The show was fine enough for me to easily watch full episodes. That is pretty much the only thing I can say about Camp Lazlo. Chowder: Chowder as a really weird show to me, and I barely understood what was going on. As I mentioned about my opinions on Flapjack, surreal humor wasn’t generally my thing. Regardless, I didn't mind watching when the episodes aired. Johnny Test (often aired on Kids WB): As Johnny Test was overplayed on Kids WB and Cartoon Network (pretty similar to Teen Titans Go now), I’ve seen several dozen episodes. Didn’t mind it too much, as I enjoyed the slapstick antics in the show. Looking back as an adult, I can see why the show was very grating to a good number of viewers. The Secret Saturdays: I liked the premise of this show, as a bit of a semi brief Cryptid phase around the time it aired. However, I didn’t watch too many episodes, and was pretty much indifferent to it. Pokemon: I had a love/hate relationship with Pokemon. On one hand, the vocals from many of the Pokemon tended to get really grating to me. It was also a “saccharine” (if that is the proper word to use in this context) compared to the “dark” and “gritty” (at least to my child self’s perspective) Yu-Gi-Oh. On the other hand, the episodes and the direct to video movies really fuled my little imagination. My Gym Partner's a Monkey: Wasn’t my cup of tea, but I did watch it when it was on. Johnny Bravo: I can recall seeing this character in a lot of Cartoon Network advertisements. However, I haven't watched many Johnny Bravo episodes, nor do I have any memories of them. Though I have watched the show years later, and found it quite witty. What’s New Scooby Doo: As I was a Scooby Doo fan, I really loved this show. Watched the episodes over and over again. I don’t think I watched this show on channels much, and I watched it on home media. My parents even got me all three seasons on DVD. Kids WB/CW: When Kids WB was still around, they aired every Saturday. I often looked forward to Kids WB coming on. As it was one of the few cartoon channels I had access to on a semi common basis, that wasn’t PBS Kids. When Kids WB came on, I watched it from the time it started at ~7:30ish until around noon when it ended. Monster Allergy: Saw a handful of episodes, but was mostly indifferent to the show. Shaggy and Scooby get a Clue: I was a Scooby Doo fanatic in most of my childhood, and I adored that show. Although the show badly botched up it’s attempt at refreshing the Scooby Doo franchise (and understandably peeved a lot of fans), it was a real treat for me to see Shaggy and Scooby Doo in pseudo “action hero” scenarios. Xiaolin Showdown: I’ve watched quite a few episodes of that show. Xiaolin Showdown wasn’t on my favorite list, but I didn’t mind watching it. Magi-Nation: I stopped watching Kids WB, by the time this show came on. Though I did see a small handful of episodes. Didn’t really have much thoughts towards this show. ¡Mucha Lucha!: The show existed, and I remember it’s advertisements and an episode or two. That is pretty much all I can say in regards to ¡Mucha Lucha! World of Quest: Most of my exposure to that cartoon, was an accompanying comic series I often read in my local bookstores, and the advertisements that would air on Kids WB. At most, I think I only saw an episode or two. Eon Kid: I loved the robot designs in this show, but I was frustrated by the very slow moving narrative. It seemed like the main characters were imprisoned in some sort of illegal “Gladiator ring” for far too long. Loonatics Unleashed: Loonatics Unleashed was a fun show, in spite of it’s cringe worthy premise. It was commonly played on Kids WB, when I was watching the channel. Spider Riders: Actually liked the show, especially the enemy foot soldiers’ character designs. Like Krypto the Superdog, Spider Riders didn’t air that much. Which disappointed me quite a bit. SkunkFu: Watched a few episodes, but I don’t remember much of them. Tom and Jerry Tales: I don’t know how traditional Tom and Jerry fans see this show, but I didn’t mind watching the episodes whenever it came on. Batman cartoon of 2004: This incarnation of Batman aired quite a bit when I watched the channel. I loved this show as a kid. Especially its atmosphere and fighting scene. As with many children shows at the time, it was pretty reliant on a toyline. I actually liked some of the accompanying toys and commercials. Legion of Super-Heroes: This played fairly often on Kids WB. It was a fun, but otherwise quite forgettable show. Will & Dewitt: Didn’t care for this show, as it deviated too much from the Kids WB cartoons I was familiar with. Kids WB was on its deathbed at the time this show came, and I stopped watching the channel. I will provide links to the other sub-threads in my replies below
Part 3 of my reflection on my childhood cartoons. Please keep in mind, I'm just recounting my opinions of them as a child. They are just what my little kid self thought of those cartoons, and don't necessary reflect my views today. Besides, they are simply just opinions, and feel free to disagree with me. 4Kids TV: Used to watch this channel all the time, until my mother banned it after my older sister told her that it was “violent”. My mom is somewhat of a moral guardian, and didn’t like anything remotely violent. Teenage Mutant Turtles show of 2003-10, especially the “fast forward” season: I enjoyed the show’s action sequences and it’s setting. There were a few creature designs that I was especially fond of. G.I. Joe Sigma 6: I remember only watching an episode or two of that show. Didn’t have any particular regards one way or the other. Dinosaur King: Loved that show, as the narrative obviously fixated around Dinosaurs. For those familiar, it’s pretty much your typical trading card oriented anime, but with Dinosaurs. This very show was one of the reasons why I watched 4KidsTV. Chaotic: Cannot recount much from that show, but I liked trading card game shows. Especially their monster designs. Yu-Gi-Oh!: I really liked that show and it’s endless spin offs as a kid. I really liked the dueling scenes, and the monster designs. Winx Club: I have a vivid memory of one particular episode. It was the one with some villain, whose name I don’t care to remember, kidnapped the girls’ boyfriends. Apparently, villain dude was trying to lure the girls into an assortment of traps or something. Didn’t watch Winx Club much though, and I was pretty indifferent to the overall series. Disney Channel/Jetix/ABC/any of the other now defunct Disney owned channels: Man, all the staggering number of subdivisions and cartoon channels owned by Disney is truly hard to keep track of. In regards to those Disney owned channels themselves, I didn’t go out of my watch to watch them like I did with Cartoon Network. I didn’t really care for the endless live action shows on those channels. The Proud Family: Again, watched a handful of episodes. I don’t have much to say about the series. Only that it existed, and I watched it when I had nothing else to do. Kim Possible: During its airing, I would watch Kim Possible sometimes. I think I watched most of those episodes at a neighbor's house, but I’m not sure. I cannot recall my feelings towards the show. Though, I do remember that it was merchandised quite a bit. Recess: I recall watching a few episodes of that show. Occasionally in Elementary School, the teachers would turn on the show’s holiday specials during the before winter break week. Teacher’s Pet: I can remember an advertisement attached to a vhs tape of mine. Maybe I watched an episode, but I don’t have any certainty of that. Dave the Barbarian (?): I vaguely remember this show, but cannot recall any particular episodes. I think I only watched an episode or two, but I don’t remember anything about the plots. Doug (?): I can recall coming across trailers for the show on VHS tapes and DVD disks that my family owned, and seeing a handful of copies kept in video stores. Maybe one of my elementary school classes played the movie, during special occasions. But my memory is quite foggy in that regard. Don’t think I actually watched any episodes. Jane and the Dragon: Only watched a few snippets while channel surfing. Don’t think I ever watched a full episode. George of the Jungle of 2007: Watched a good number of episodes, despite its short run. They kept me entertained, though (as with many shows documented in this list) I was mostly indifferent to them. Phineas and Ferb: Phineas and Ferb was kind of an overplayed and over merchandised cash cow. However, I didn’t mind much, as it was a genuinely fun show to watch. American Dragon, Jake Long: I can definitely remember watching a few (maybe around 5 at most) episodes of that show. Don’t recall having any special feelings towards the show. Jetix: In terms of Jetix specifically, I didn’t watch Jetix much. Would occasionally come across Jetix, when I was channel surfing at other peoples’ (especially my aforementioned paternal grandparent) houses. Silverwings: I actually remember watching a brief snippet from that show. From what I remembered, the sequence went on the lines of some “good guy” bats tricking an evil bat into humiliating himself. The protagonists somehow created an optical illusion that fooled the evil bat into thinking his boss or something was right in front of him. With some ventriloquism, the heroes ordered the villain bat to insult himself over and over again. They then laughed, as they watched the evil bat fearfully self deprecate in an endless mantra. For several years, I remembered that snippet, but I couldn’t tell if it was some fever dream or if it actually came from something. It wasn’t until three or four years ago, when I was web surfing and I came across Silverwings, that I realized that the snippet of my memory came from that show. Yin Yang Yo: I recall an advertisement for the show attached to one of the DVDs that my family owned, and watching a single episode. That is pretty much it. Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Watched maybe an episode or two from that show. Don’t recall anything else from it. Others (mostly shows I watched entirely on home media releases): Strawberry Shortcake: My little sister loved this show growing up. She often rented DVD copies from video stores all the time. Although the show was a bit “girly”, I didn’t mind watching it with her. Original Scooby Doo of 1969: I was all over that show. Often watched the episodes that I had on VHS and DVD over and over again. Veggie Tales: Mostly rented copies from video stores. Occasionally, they would air on TV. Though for the life of me, I cannot recall what channel. TaleSpin: My mom bought the entire first season on DVD. I watched them with my siblings over and over again. Magic School Bus: When I was in elementary school, my classes often played whatever episode pertained to the subject. Never watched the show on TV, as it predated me only by a few years. It was also merchandised to death. Fat Albert: On some occasions, I rented old DVD copies from video stores. Despite the reputation of its host today, I liked this show as a kid. Bear in the Big Blue House: Another one of my childhood favorites. My family owned several VHS tapes, and I watched them over and over again. Also had a handful of the merchandise, like a few picture books. 3-2-1 Penguins: Only watched a single episode, while channel surfing. Didn’t care for this show at all, and quickly forgot about it’s existence until just recently. I will provide links to the other sub-threads in my replies below.
Part 2 of my reflection on my childhood cartoons. Please keep in mind, I'm just recounting my opinions of them as a child. They are just what my little kid self thought of those cartoons, and don't necessary reflect my views today. Besides, they are simply just opinions, and feel free to disagree with me. Nickelodeon (Nick Jr included): As with Cartoon Network, my family didn’t have access to Nickelodeon. When I did watch the channel, it was mostly at hotels or other peoples’ houses. Spongebob Squarepants: That show was an utter juggernaut in my childhood. It was merchandised to death, and just about all my friends and the few similar aged cousins that I have (most of my cousins are over a decade or two older than me) loved the show. Spongebob was played over and over again on Nickelodeon. My mom hated this show, but I found it funny. Dora the Explorer: Another one of Nickelodeon’s overplayed shows. I personally have seen dozens of episodes. The merchandise was nearly impossible to avoid. I loved mocking it’s overly saccharine nature. Jimmy Neutron: I really liked the movie as a kid. Watched all the time at one of my maternal aunt’s house. The cartoon series on the other hand, didn’t watch as much. However, I’ve seen a number of episodes. They kept me entertained for the time being, but didn’t think much of them after that. Rugrats: I watched the show a bit, though I think most of my exposure was through rented copies. As I was a dinosaur fanatic, I especially liked the episodes with Reptar in them. Avatar the Last Airbender: As popular of a show as it is now, I didn’t watch that many episodes. If my memory serves me, I think I only watched the first two or three episodes (the ones with Aang first meeting the Water tribes). However, I loved it’s accompanying merchandise, particularly the books that were common in bookstores and public libraries at the time. Hey Arnold: I remember a few episodes from that show, and I think I might have seen the official movie. Cannot recall my feelings towards Hey Arnold. My Dad the Rock Star: The KISS cartoon was a thing, and I remember watching a few episodes. That is just about it. ChalkZone: I’ve seen a handful of episodes from this cartoon. I don’t think it played on Nickelodeon much, as I don’t recall that many episodes. Never had any feelings towards it one way or the other. Fairly Odd Parents: Was a very overplayed show, and thus I’ve seen a number of episodes. I could sit down when it turned on, but I wasn’t exactly a fan. CatDog: Don’t remember much, but I liked that the titular characters were cats and dogs. Two of my favorite animals. I definitely watched a number of episodes, but don’t recall any details. Danny Phantom: Watched a handful of episodes, here and there. Don’t recall any of my personal feelings towards the show. Blues Clues: Another one of my childhood favorites. My family owned a number of VHS copies, but my dad hated the show. Little Bill: Think I've seen this show a couple of times. Don’t recall anything else. PBS Kids: As previously mentioned, my family didn’t own cable. PBS Kids was one of the very few constantly airing stations available to me. Didn’t really care for the overly saccharine nature of the shows, and I hated that they replayed the same episodes of the same few shows (often Clifford, Arthur, Cyber Chase, and Dragon Tales early on, and Martha Speaks, Dinosaur Train, Curious George, and Fetch Ruff Ruffman at a later point) over and over again. However, since it was one of the very few cartoon channels I had daily access to, I reluctantly was a common viewer. Clifford the Big Red Dog: It was one of the most overplayed shows on the network...at least when I was watching PBS Kids. It was a fine enough show on it’s own merits, but I eventually got sick of Clifford. Zoboomafoo: I really liked the claymation scenes, especially the Dinosaur in it. Though that is pretty much all I can remember from that show. It’s a Big Big World: It had some really cool puppetry, but my overall thoughts were that of pure indifference. Didn’t even notice that the show was screwed by the networks Sesame Street: Another one of the shows that I commonly watched as a kid. It was an alright show to me, but I didn’t really care too much about it one or the other. Though, I can understand why Sesame Street is a treasured classic to millions around the globe. Martha Speaks: Martha Speak was a pretty fun show, though it would be a stretch to call me a fan. It was played a lot, but I didn’t mind that too much. Caillou: I’ve seen a lot of episodes, as it was one of the most commonly played shows on the network. Didn’t have much personal feelings one way or the other about the show, though it wasn’t something I would go out of my way to watch. I do find the vocal hatedom towards Caillou quite amusing. Barney: This was a show that really got on my nerves, even as a small child. Barney’s infamous sickeningly saturnine themes got under my skin, every time it was on. When Barney started singing that “I love you song”, I pretty much started internally screaming. Maya & Miguel: I remember this show coming on, but I don’t recall anything about it. Only it’s barebones premise. Wordgirl: Wordgirl was a fun little show, especially for a PBS Kids series. WordWorld: I completely forgot that this show even existed, until I saw it on a page listing of PBS Kids shows. From what I can recall, WordWorld aired a bit, but not to the extent of other PBS Kids juggernauts. My impression as a kid was that it was pretty generic and dull. Though, it did accomplish its objectives of teaching spelling well enough. Super Why!: This show was utterly annoying to me. To the point that I would’ve preferred listing to nails clawing a chalkboard. I know that most PBS Kids are fairly saccharine, given the nature of the channel. However, Super Why! was on a whole other level. The show often sugar coated public domain fairy tales, to the point that they were butchered beyond recognition. Unfortunately for me, Super Why! aired on a regular basis. Liberty's Kids: Don’t remember too many airings on the actual channel. However, my elementary school classes played episodes any time we covered the American Revolution. Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat: I’m having a hard time recounting what I can remember about this show. From what I can recall, it was an alright enough show. Nothing particularly special or outstanding. Angelina Ballerina: I remember watching a few episodes, though I don’t think the show was on often. Though I cannot recall anything else about it, other than it’s basic premise. Between the Lions: I’ve watched several episodes of that show. Actually liked the several segments that the episodes would play, especially the ones involving knights. Little Bear: My family owned a number of VHS copies, which I watched over and over again. Cannot remember why, but something just clicked with me about this show. 7 Little Monsters. Only remember it’s theme song, and I really liked it as a kid. Don’t recall any actual episodes. Tried watching an episode on youtube for nostalgia's sake, but I couldn’t stand it for more than a few seconds. Cyber Chase: Another one of PBS Kids’ overplayed shows. Seen a lot of episodes, but was mostly indifferent to that series. I’m actually shocked that it’s still ongoing. Zula Patrol: This one of the few PBS Kids shows that I genuinely liked. As I had a brief stint into astronomy as a kid. Redwall: Only watched a handful of episodes. I can recount being annoyed by the constant cliffhangers at each episode. Curious George: As with many other PBS Kids shows, I watched this when I had nothing else to do. Just like a good number of the few shows that aired on PBS Kids, they aired the same episodes over and over again. Pretty generic, but otherwise fine show. Arthur: Usually didn’t care about Arthur much, but I went through some phases when I vaguely liked it. Arthur was among PBS Kids’ favorite shows, and thus I saw a lot of episodes. Berenstain Bears of 2003: Berenstain Bears didn’t air to the extent of some of the other PBS Kid shows, but the episodes were a common feature in PBS Kids programming at the time. Don’t think I had any strong opinions about this show. Thomas the Tank Engine: Really don’t have much to say about this show, other than it aired sometimes, and I didn’t have any qualms watching it. Jay Jay the Jet Plane: I have better memories of the computer game I used to like to play, then the show itself. Fetch Ruff Ruffman: One of PBS Kids better quality shows in my opinion. I liked the challenges the contestants played in each episode. Dragon Tales: My overall thoughts on this show was “meh”. As with many other PBS Kids shows, I got tired by how overplayed they were. Bob the Builder: This was a show that I sorta liked. Especially it’s opening theme song. As with Rugrats, What's New Scooby Doo, and Little Bear, most of my exposure was through videotapes and dvds. Sid the Science Kid: From what I can recount, this show played fairly often. Around the time this showed aired, I was starting to enter a really bad “edgy phase” at that point in my life. I remember chuckling to myself that “does this kid really want to know about the heinous atrocities committed in the past and deviant sexual practices”, every time he uttered his catch phrase “I wanna know everything about everything.” I will provide links to the other sub-threads in my replies below.
Here are the two other parts to my discussion: 1.Part 2 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-2-nickelodeon-and-pbs-kids.166181/) 2.Part 3 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-3-disney-owned-channels-affiliates-4kids-tv-and-others.166180/)
Here are the two other parts of this disccusion: 1.Part 1 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-1-cartoon-network-and-kids-wb.166179/#post-1862937) 2.Part 3 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-3-disney-owned-channels-affiliates-4kids-tv-and-others.166180/)
Here are the two other parts of this disccusion: 1.Part 1 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-1-cartoon-network-and-kids-wb.166179/#post-1862937) 2.Part 2 (https://www.writingforums.org/threads/nostalgic-childhood-cartoons-part-2-nickelodeon-and-pbs-kids.166181/)
Great, accidentally submitted the same comment four different times in a row. If anyone is viewing this thread, that was a complete accident. When I was submitting those comments, my laptop glitches on me. Hence why there are repeated replies in this thread. My apologies for the accidental spamming of this thread.
