TOONS!

Ever since my grandpappy sat me down to watch his most beloved form of entertainment, I've been obssessed with animation.

We used to go search for places that displayed cartoon art, like the Cartoon Art Museum. Sometimes there would even be a Toon Gallery downtown at the wondrous city center mall. Our local gigantic mega supermall had a Cartoon store. Then of course there were specific ones for different companies. Six Flags has the Looney Tunes, while others have Hanna-Barbera or Ted Turner owned ones. Of course, there's Disney and Epcot.
But it all started with black and white cartoons, almost a hundred years ago. Betty was my grandma's favorite!

THAT'S "TUNES" NOT TOONS (except, well, they are toons so...)

By far my absolute favorite. I bought so many trapper keepers and merch and toys for Looney Tunes. Maybe because Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner were my grandpa's favorites (my cousin says it was Tom and Jerry but what does he know). I love those ones a lot, but also Marvin the Martian and Taz. I even have a lot of Daffy Duck stuff. It's one of those things you should just keep loving, if you like it, even if other people think it's dumb. They're hilarious! The artwork is fantastic and the jokes are so clever, I could rewatch them forever and still laugh, they're just that good. They really are classics that have stood the test of time because they're up there with Disney in terms of quality.
You have to give it up to Chuck Jones for being the guy who made some of these characters shine the most.

Chuck Jones has done a lot of other great works outside of Warner Bros, including The Jungle Book and (my personal favorite) Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and the famous Grinch Who Stole Christmas cartoon.
I remember back in the day when we were on a road trip to visit some cousins, and we stopped at Wal Mart. Lo and behold, they had a **new** form of Looney Tune, the Baby Looney Tunes. Following in the tradition of Muppet Babies and Flintstones Kids, now there were adorable baby ones. I had to admit, they were really cute. It turns out, they had them on their Wal Mart cups. Since they weren't that much, I collected them all that summer.

They have their own stores as well, the Warner Bros. Store, which is all about the company, its cartoons and also their DC properties like Batman and Superman. These are really fun stores with Marvin the Martian rocket tubes, where inside you can interact with buttons, sound effects and screens.

I even got my Mel Blanc print here, in honor of the voice behind so many of our beloved childhood characters.

You can find Looney Tunes merchandise everywhere! Vintage drinking glasses, McDonald's toys, school supplies (pencil toppers, erasers, trapper keepers, pencils, etc), shirts, office/desk supplies (sylvester stapler, taz staple remover, daffy tape dispenser), diskettes, toys, board games, even bathroom stuff! My entire bathroom is Daffy Duck themed (soap dispenser, towels, shower curtain, and rubber duck)

Marvin probably is my favorite, so he deserves his own page. He has his own planet!

Of course, let's face it, the 90s were all about Michael Jordan. And Mike likes the Toons as much as we do! He obviously did Space Jam (one of the greatest movies ever made, it's not quite Roger Rabbit level, but really entertaining) but he had been doing crossovers with the Looney Tunes for a while. First there was a collectible card set that had Michael Jordan, Reggie Jackson, Wayne Gretzky and Joe Montana alonside the zany bunch. Later they had shirts and shoes, we even went to the big Nike store in Chicago trying to find these shirts! There were also parody shirts of Air Jordan called "Hare Jordan" and parody of Calvin Klien shirts "CK"

We actually would wear this like Kris Kross!

They're also some of the most fun to draw. While I practiced pretty much all of the toons on this page and more, over and over, for YEARS, I probably drew more Looney Tunes than anything else.

Well.. especially if we include Tiny Toons, since they are the "next generation" learning at Acme Looniversity from the original crew.

and Animaniacs, who were original Warner Bros. cartoons but were TOO DANGEROUSLY WACKY so they were locked up in the famous WB Tower. Since they were even more nutty than Bugs, Daffy Duck, or even Screwy Squirrel, they were not released into the 90s. Yakko, the appropriately named Wakko, and sister Dot. Their last name is Warner, but they aren't the same Warners that run the company, or else I doubt they would have been locked up (well, maybe since they are crazy, but probably not as long). I got the WB tower from the WB store, and it was just shaped that way and had an Animaniac sweater inside. I cut the door out and made a hinge so it could open like a playset, and put the Animaniac figures inside busting out.

My grandpa also introduced me to The Ant and the Aardvark, with a red ant and a blue aardvark. I think those are their names. It's not as famous as the other ones, but the formula is the same as Tom and Jerry or Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, so of course I like it. You can't really find merch of them, all I was able to get was a pez dispenser. They're from the same people who make Pink Panther, which is also great. I used to have a Pink Panther bendy figure, but then the metal started poking out.

Secret of NIMH wasn't part of Disney or Warner Brothers, but it's probably the greatest animated film I've ever seen. The overall story, the mood, the scary owl who ends up helping her in her quest, and her story as a hero trying to save her kids, it also has a bit of a twist at the end.

When I was little we would go to the video store down the street that was all decked out with 80s black-and-white angled stripes, colorful triangles and squiggles, and stacks of screens. I rented a lot of cartoons, like those seen here on this page. But also this one anti-drug video, which wasn't even very good, but I would rent it again and again because it brought together a lot of cartoons from Saturday Morning, even from different companies that owned them. I guess they felt the message was a strong enough reason. Again it's not anything like Roger Rabbit which was the best one, but it was okay for a little kid.

BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES was made by Warner Brothers, and for my money it's the definitive version of Batman (outside of the comics). I know it took inspiration from the first two Tim Burton movies, especially the opening theme, but really it's the best one. The animation quality is higher than other shows like it, and they actually put a really deeper spin on each character. Mark Hamill is the Joker!!

Sam and Max: Secret Police are in the same tradition. They're really funny and clever and absurd. The comics, cartoon series on TV, and LucasArts video games are all great.

This is Badtz-Maru. He is the king of you.

probably my favorite comic strip of all time is CALVIN and HOBBES.The writing is really philosophical at times, thought-provoking, but also just funny and silly. Bill Watterson's art is so incredible, you don't always notice outright while reading it but it's just perfect.

There is a great Desktop theme which is probably the closest we'll ever get to animation. Watterson doesn't want to merchandise his characters -- those peeing Calvins you see are bootlegs -- and he doesn't want them in animation because then we don't get to invent Hobbes voice for ourselves, which I have to say I quite agree with.

My second favorite is The Far Side. It's just too good.

You have to adore the classics like Charlie Brown and Snoopy, or Peanuts. I was also big into Garfield when I was younger but mostly because these were easy to draw. The Peanuts are deceptively hard to draw because they're simple but in such a unique style.

One really cool thing about Peanuts characters is that they are licensed to specific things. So if you like Knott's Berry Farm or the Mall of America you can see them there. They also have plays and stage shows, and of course, the animated specials. Also... insurance? I think?

You can also make snow cones with Snoopy's house. Which is weird, but kind of fun to do with your cousins.

You have to give it up to DISNEY as the OG Animation studio. They really deserve their own PAGE. No seriously, even if it's not your favorite, there is some Disney thing that you love. Maybe it's the villains, or the princesses. I have an aunt who is obssessed with Winnie the Pooh. Who can deny the awesome block of programming that was the Disney Afternoon?: Duck Tales, Goof Troop, Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, and more. Some of them also made some great videogames.

For me, since I love animals I was always drawn to older movies like 101 Dalmations, Aristocats, or my original favorite: The Jungle Book. But All that changed then Disney started on a string of huge hits with undeniable high quality animation with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Rescuers Down Under, The Great Mouse Detective, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Robin Williams is probably the funniest human being alive, probably because he's like 90% cartoon himself. But the real iconic instant classic that changed how I view movies forever (and displaced Jungle Book as my favorite) has to be The Lion King.

This is the first movie I saw in the theaters multiple times. Maybe something like thirty times. I think I've seen it more than any other film, except maybe animated shorts. It would have to be a close call between this, and Star Wars, and Jurassic Park. Lion King had amazing music, so many great actors, the best animation Disney has ever done, and hey it also made a pretty fun videogame for both Sega and Super Nintendo.
plus I hear if you look real close you can see sex in Lion King.

Meanwhile Hanna Barbera cartoons can be a lot of fun even if they're not as advanced as Disney animation. My mom's favorites are Top Cat and The Jetsons, but both my parents grew up with The Flintstones on TV. Personally, my favorites of this bunch are Hong Kong Phooey (because Scatman is great) and El Kabong -- that's specifically when Quickdraw McGraw turns into his Zorro-like alter-ego. There are others like Fred and Barney, Pixie and Dixie, Yogi Bear, of course. Some are kind of lame, like The Smurfs, which was just really popular when I was a baby, so you'd see them around a lot. Then there's Scooby Doo, which is definitely way overrated. There's like a thousand versions of that show, with or without Scrappy! Anyway, I've actually met some of these guys and they're pretty laid back, I guess, when they're not trying to destroy each other in some Wacky Race or whatever. The stakes of having your pic-a-nic basket stolen are pretty low. Then again, if a warlock was trying to kill me and steal my life essence to drink as a juice, it would be pretty terrifying.

They also made the original Space Ghost cartoon, designed by Alex Toth. But forget all about that. Because then Cartoon Network made Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Cartoon Planet to showcase the comedic (and sometimes musical) skills of Space Ghost/Thad Ghostul, Zorak, Moltar, and Brak. These sort of break your brain a little, but it's worth it. I would just record them, sometimes on VHS but also just on cassette so I could listen to them. I even bought the two musical CDs they released. All of this led to Adult Swim, and to be honest I'm glad I live in a time where adult animation is being embraced.

One great parody of superheroes is The Tick. The comics had me in stitches, between the stupid ninjas, or their version of Superman having to make circles with his hands as fake glasses to hide his identity. The cartoon was even wilder, with Chairface Chippendale putting a permanent "CHA" on the moon, or the Mad Bomber What Bombs at Midnight. I really hope we see more of The Tick, or other parodies of superhero genre or action Hanna Barbera type stuff.

REN AND STIMPY

One example is Ren and Stimpy. Nickelodeon really changed the game with this one. It was much more creative, spastic and weird than even the other "Nicktoons" like Rugrats or *shudder* Doug. My grandpa introduced me to old cartoons, so I'm happy I got to introduce these bizarre ones to him before he died. He laughed at them a lot, but I don't think he really understood them. He would tape them for me on his VCR and write 'Rem and Stinky' on the side. He loved taping cartoons for me, like Looney Tunes, and sometimes he would include Rocko's Modern Life on the Ren and Stimpy tapes, because I'm not sure he really knew it was a separate show.

INVADER ZIM

Technically the Nicktoons are for kids? I don't know, you see a show like Invader Zim, which is another game-changer, and it makes you wonder. Jhonen Vasquez made Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, which is definitely NOT for kids. You could argue that his other comics like Squee and Fillerbunny might be closer, but they're all basically for adults. The comic company is Slave Labor Graphics. Zim is kind of late in the game to be a Nicktoon, like Spongebob, but I guess they still count. I mean, technically it's any cartoon made by Nickelodeon, right? And they've got a lot now.

Meanwhile Cartoon Network is just making hit after hit. The one that really blew me away in terms of quality, and what a cartoon can actually do on television, is Samurai Jack. This one is going to last the test of time. Just watch the first episode and you will be hooked. It's a different kind of cartoon.

THE SIMPSONS

Really the most addictive show is THE SIMPSONS, which you have to really credit with making adult cartoons a real thing. When I say "adult" I hope you know what I mean. I just mean they cater to adult humor more than kids. Although I've been watching Simpsons since I was like six so.. They like to string jokes along until you are on the floor laughing. This all started from comics and shorts made by Matt Groening, another one of my heroes.

The Bongo comics are also really good, I highly recommend them. I especially like the Lisa comics, she's probably my favorite member of the family. Also Maggie, I'm so mad I never submitted my guess that she shot Mr. Burns, because I would have won! Well, I think I said something to the effect of "knowing them, it'll probably be something stupid like the dog or the baby did it." So if I had submitted a guess for the WHO SHOT MR. BURNS contest, there's a 50/50 I would have gotten it. Speaking of Mr. Burns, he might just be the most hilarious character outside of the Simpsons family. Grampa also cracks me up.

FUTURAMA

If you have been living under a rock or frozen in some kind of tube, you may have missed out on FUTURAMA! which is Matt Groening's next baby. I may like it even more than The Simpsons! There are some duds that FOX has tried out, and MANY MANY shows that they canceled too soon, so hopefully the Simpsons and Futurama last for many more years.

I really liked Beavis and Butt-head, but my girlfriend hated them, but we both liked Daria, probably because the writing is much better. It's actually clever whereas Beavis and Butthead are just stupid and gross (but I still laugh). I think it's something that we both were the right age for. I remember my best friend would invite me over for the Super Bowl, but since we didn't really like football we would watch the Beavis and Butt-head shorts instead. I have to say, they had a really fun videogame where it was like a click-and-point adventure. And another one where you just hock loogies on the principal. Ah, wish fulfillment!

If you really like comedy, and standup comedians, then there are some cartoons on Comedy Central. Who watches Comedy Central!? Well, Dr. Katz Professional Therapist is one that has real comedians animated in Squiggelvision and they tell their jokes in a therapy session. Honestly, the story parts with Dr Katz, his son, Laura, the video store guy, the bartender are some of the best parts. They used to show these at the amusement park, on screens while you waited in line or at the beer hall.

Okay, of course I had to mention South Park. It's been such a meteoric rise in popularity since it aired, and you can even buy toys or keychains of them at Hot Topic or Spencers at the mall. I don't know what there even is to say about it, other than they really stick it to various celebrities and others. There is some amazing art out there inspired by South Park, including 3D RENDITIONS! I wonder if they will ever hire this guy to do 3D Animated versions. I enjoyed the movie, but I also really prefer Baseketball, but again my girlfriend says it's dumb. My cousin and I laugh at it really hard though, and quote it as much as other stuff on this list.

I've been a Kevin Smith fan since Mallrats, since that's basically about me and my friends. Clerks was just another revelation of what a movie could be like. They can be big and epic, or small and personal like Clerks. The cartoon takes this even further, and it's probably my all-time favorite Kevin Smith thing. Who is driving? BEAR IS DRIVING, HOW CAN THAT BE??

Now there are some independent animators who really inspire me. First I saw Don Hertzfeldt's "Billy's Balloon" and was like, "this is messed up but great." Now he really pushes the limits of absurd hilarity with "REJECTED" which were ads he proposed but they were all rejected cartoons. They're also doomed!

Bill Plympton is really cool, I've gotten to meet him!

Dragon Ball

Anime is short for Japanese Animation and when I first saw DragonBall I enjoyed the story of the little fighter boy Goku with a monkey tail. But then DragonBall Z kicked it up several notches, (over 9000, in fact), with the energy building and preparing for battle, sometimes for multiple episodes! It's like playing a video game at the arcade, but it's a show. Honestly I dont think any other show, even ones based on videogames, ever captured that spirit. My girlfriend really likes Sailor Moon which is also pretty good.

I thought I had a grasp on what Anime was with these shows, but then I saw Miyazaki films. First I saw Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and it just knocked me senseless. I had no idea a movie like that could exist. Now with Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, I think that Americans are learning that anime is a whole lot more.

Not really a 'toon, per se, but I really like the artwork of Charley Harper. He's been on display at our zoo, and also the Natural History museum. There's something simple and reassuring about it.