Great Cartoons of the 1990s

If you were a child of the nineties like myself, you know that you grew up during a golden age of television animation. We were the Pokémon generation, the Nicktoons generation, and the Cartoon Cartoon generation. Looking back on the fantastic animated shows we all wasted our weekends away on, it really is disappointing to me now that there are no longer cartoons on the air that can hold a candle to the ones we were influenced by.

Sure, in the early 2000s there was a short surge of great new ideas (Courage the Cowardly Dog, Home Movies, Futurama, Invader Zim, Samurai Jack, etc.) but as of 2007 our once favorite youthful cartoon channels have become barren and hollow wastelands. Kids are growing up on garbage: shows animated without care, originality, or wonder. What I'm trying to say is that we '90s kids had it good and golden, and to celebrate that fact I've concocted a list of some of the best cartoons that shaped our collective childhood. Most of these shows are still fun to watch today (if you can find them online or on DVD), a true testament to their quality and impact. Prepare yourself for nostalgic memories of after-school afternoons and Saturday TV binges.

The Angry Beavers (1997 - 2001)

One of the comedic gems of Nickelodeon's nineties repertoire, The Angry Beavers was one creative and wacky program. The episodes revolved around Norbert and Dagget Beaver, two slacker brothers who lived in an ultra-modern dam. They faced-off against each other to no end; Norbert was the cool, laid back antithesis to Dagget's constant tomfoolery. Some of their most memorable lines were to call each other "spoots" and Norbert giving Dagget a "BIIIIGGGG HUUUGGG!" They really didn't have enemies save for crazed loggers, extreme weather, and most often themselves. They also ventured into large cities or to other strange locales during several episodes. The look of the show was colorful but soft, usually very calm compared to what the beavers were actually doing.

Both main characters were truly unique. Norbert loved to play French horn, watch old black-and-white horror movies, and was a great inventor. Dagget loved to turn their dam into a playground, don a superhero costume to become Beaver Man, and usually started most of the trouble the pair wound up in the middle of. The other supporting characters were just as memorable. Barry Bear spoke like a '70s hipster. Bing was an irritating gecko who showed up now and again. Treeflower was Norbert's on-again-off-again hippie girlfriend. And Dagget's best friend was Stump - a literal stump - who had a goofy jack-o-lantern-style face, never spoke, and was the focus of many hilarious episodes. The Angry Beavers never really followed cartoon clichés save for slapstick humor. Most episodes were wholly original, fresh, and hilarious in terms of story and situations.

Animaniacs (1993 - 1998)

Completely reviving the comic genius of groundbreaking Warner Bros. cartoons, Spielberg's Animaniacs is now and forever an irreverent classic. The plot goes something like this. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (the Warner Brothers and Warner Sister) have been locked away in WB's studio water tower ever since their creation. They were just too crazed and out of control, even for cartoon characters. Then in the 1990s they break loose and are free to run amuck around the studio once more.

The episodes revolved around their many escapades. The Warners usually were in skits involving modern (then modern) jabs at celebrities, adventures during famous eras in history, and often broke into catchy and educational songs (Yakko's Nations of the World, Ballad of Magellan, etc.). Seriously, without the fantastic music, Animaniacs would not have been as entertaining, and certainly not as fitting a tribute to cartoons of old. The writing was top-notch and full of innuendo. Even now many jabs at '90s pop culture are still hilarious and the entire voice cast was pitch-perfect for the characters. Also of note were several now infamous bits introduced as filler between main stories: The Wheel of Morality, Mime Time, Good Idea / Bad Idea, Dot's Poetry Corner, etc.

But it wasn't just the three staple characters that made the show so endearing. There was a slew of characters that acted out in little vignettes during the episodes, each unique and now immortalized. There was Pinky and the Brain, two lab mice desiring to take over the world. The Goodfeathers were clever: a trio of pigeons parodying Goodfellas. Buttons and Mindy, a dog and baby becoming Lassie on comic overdrive. Slappy Squirrel, a retired veteran cartoon actress who has dirt on all the famous cartoons of her heyday. Rita and Runt, a cat and dog pair, one with a dynamite voice, the other taking like Dustin Hoffman ala Rain Man. Dr. Scratchinsnif and his assistant (Helloooo Nurse!) desperately trying to calm The Warners down. There are many more and each of their quirks and strengths were always worth watching in between the main Warner adventures.

Animaniacs was frantic, witty, and even garnered a Peabody Animation Award for its debut season. It felt like the Looney Tunes of the '90s, and was crafted with songs, jokes, and a complete loving respect for the classics. It will not be forgotten by my decade any time soon.

Dexter's Laboratory (1996 - 1999 and 2001 - 2002)

Before series creator Genndy Tartakovsky made The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, he pitched a series on Cartoon Network that became one of the channel's saving graces. Dexter's Laboratory followed the inventions and troubles of Dexter, a boy genius with a secret lab in his room. His airhead sister Dee Dee constantly ruined his experiments, his mom and dad were clueless to his skills, and his arch nemesis was Mandark, another child science prodigy infatuated with Dee Dee.

The show introduced Genndy's still ace style - simple skewed shapes that left a very big impact. The show was always fun to look at and Dexter and his entire family was voiced with boundless enthusiasm. Most of the episodes revolved around Dexter's projects being tested and performing in either positive lights or horribly hilarious ways. The program also poked fun at older television series, including Speed Racer, The Justice Team (with Justice Friends), and The Muppets (Puppet Pals with Clem and Mitch) just to name a few. It also brought in many influences of sci-fi literature and theory - time travel, communicating with animals, the works. While not the smartest toon of the decade, Dexter's Laboratory held its own with its charm, original takes on science and fantasy staples, and a frantic, dizzying pace that great cartoons need to have.

Gargoyles (1994 - 1997)

The most mature and ambitious animated show Disney ever aired on television, Gargoyles remains one of our decade's most stylish and entertaining adventure shows. The premise was truly epic in scope. Gargoyles and Man shared a time together 1,000 years ago. True to modern tales, the creatures turned to stone by day and were active at night. Goliath was the leader of a brave clan and though humans had taken over their lands, he still showed them compassion when others of his species refused to. After a human betrayal, however, his clan had a spell cast on them that would turn them to stone until the castle they called home "rose above the clouds." They awaken in 1990's Manhattan. A billionaire named Xanados purchased the castle and had it rebuilt on top of a skyscraper. Xanados plans to use the Gargoyles for all sorts of devious plans, and Goliath and Co. must learn to adapt and protect (as is their nature) the inhabitants of New York. The clan makes many human and non-human friends, such as detective Elisa, and many enemies including gangs and Xanados's experiments.

Gargoyles was more adult in its story telling and character development than most other animated shows of the decade. Characters changed and matured, trusts were broken, and by the end of the series viewers knew the motivations and emotions of most characters in the episodic saga. The show managed to be both dramatic and melodramatic at times, the way most "hero" shows turn out to be, helped by truly fantastic music that fleshed the legend out more. Even better was that the show didn't take itself completely seriously. It was fueled with bigger ideas and messages while always having humor mixed with the darker tones of the Gargoyles legend. For instance, none of the other gargoyles besides Goliath were given names at birth. When they adopt New York City as their new home, they each take on a name inspired by the city itself (Bronx, Lexington, Brooklyn, Hudson, and Broadway).

Most importantly was that the show was smart, both in execution and inspiration. It addressed very large issues and histories, including: death, betrayal, tolerance, war, genetic engineering, secret societies, gun violence, Shakespearean tales, and the mythos of the Norse, Scottish, and English. In short, it was packed to the brim with inspired fun and compelling story telling that fused all of these ancient and modern elements seamlessly together. It never felt convoluted because of these intricacies, and more importantly never felt like a cookie-cutter Disney cartoon. In terms of a blazingly original mythology made classic with top-notch, well, everything, Gargoyles was not only one of the best animated series of the 1990s, but remains one of the best in the history of television.

Hey Arnold! (1996 - 2001)

Without question, Hey Arnold! was Nickelodeon's finest animated program. Set in a New York / Chicago city, the show followed Arnold, a grade schooler who was a great friend, community leader, and a generous person all around. Oh, he also had a football-shaped head. Go figure. He lived in a boarding house with his eccentric grandma and grandpa and a cast of very odd boarders (Mr. Kakashka, Mr. Smith, Mr. Wong) as well as his myriad of pets including a pig named Abner. Episodes followed his adventures through school, such as dances, girls, projects, but also branched out to bigger things, like storms and neighborhood crises.

Arnold was a hero any kid could root for. He took a very active part in his school and community, and also made a fool out of himself when around his two main crushes, Ruth McDoogal and the "ever so nice" Lilah. Truth be told, he was just one of many memorable and hilarious characters who throughout the series each got their chance to shine. They weren't just filler - they were as entertaining to watch as the protagonist was. Minor favorites included Chocolate Boy, Brainy, Stinky, Rhonda, Eugene, and Phoebe to name a handful. Other main characters included Gerald, Arnold's best friend. Harold, a chubby Jewish kid, and of course Helga Pataki, the girl with the unibrow who both loved and despised Arnold. She remains one of the most memorable characters of the decade. She would push Arnold away calling him "Geek bait" or yelling "One side, moron!" yet while alone spewed soulful soliloquies about him to her locket. She also had many makeshift idols of his head, including one made entirely of his used gum and another small enough to fit inside her schoolbooks.

Again, with most of the shows on this list, the details really made Hey Arnold! something special. It was the way perfect sound effects and music scored huge laughs during scenes, and the way even predictable story lines were worth watching again and again because of the rich characters that made the show Nickelodeon's crowning achievement. Nothing short of gold, Hey Arnold! was and remains a true treasure.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994 - 2001)

When Cartoon Network was just beginning, the channel showed reruns of great classic cartoons that our parents grew up with. Nothing to complain about there, but they needed to have some original programming. Enter Space Ghost Coast to Coast, an eleven-minute surrealist talk show run by the cartoon cast of the original 1960 Space Ghost series. The host was Space Ghost, his enemy Zorak was the musician, Moltar was the director, and Brak just hung out most of the time.

Apart from having a ridiculously catchy theme song, the show was inspired. No new animations were made. The creators took stock footage of original animation from Space Ghost and placed the characters on a talk show set far away in space. Though the show had near one hundred guests by the end of its initial run, they always played second fiddle to the animated characters. Zorak would be seen drinking coffee and insulting Space Ghost while Moltar slacked off at the controls and smoked outside the building. And Space Ghost flexed and rambled to no end. In short, the animated portion of the show was lightning quick and charming in a very skewed way, made classic thanks to sarcastic voice work.

It wasn't just the cast or the funny and quotable dialogue that made it worth watching - it was the guests. SGCTC was an actual honest to God talk show. Just to name a few, people like Alice Cooper, Hulk Hogan, Jon Stewart, Beck, Willie Nelson, Cameron Diaz, Björk, Jerry Springer, and Rob Zombie all made appearances. The show became more random and surreal as the seasons passed. Space Ghost and crew would usually be in the middle of some pointless argument when the show started, then the guests would be asked questions regarding said argument, and finally Space Ghost would blast Zorak. It was always poignant and funny to watch the guests drop down via a television monitor (pre-recorded beforehand) and react to what the script told them to. It was obvious that some guests liked the idea of an animated talk show more than others did. Many might not have because Space Ghost and crew made fun of them to no end and honestly the viewer never learned anything about the guests.

That was the brilliance of SGCTC. It was a unique and hilarious hodgepodge, filled with fantastic guests and clunky but fitting stock-footage cycles of original Space Ghost animation. One of the original pitches for Cartoon Network evolved into one of its longest running and continually hilarious shows.

There you have it. The cream of a truly fantastic crop of animated nineties goodness. Many of the series listed went on to produce new material after their initial runs (Dexter's Ego Trip, Wakko's Wish, Gargoyles Comics, Hey Arnold! The Movie) and all were of the same quality as the shows themselves. Obviously, it would be daft to write fifty pages about every amazing cartoon of the 1990s, so here is a list of plenty more from the decade worth noting. Greats such as Ducktales, Goof Troop, Johnny Bravo, Tale Spin, Ren and Stimpy, Batman: The Animated Series, Pepper Ann, Dr. Katz - Professional Therapist, The Simpsons, The Wild Thornberrys, Tiny Toon Adventures, Bonkers, X-Men, Recess, Doug, Freakazoid - the list goes on.

The next time you catch your little brother or sister watching the garbage on the airwaves now, take comfort in knowing that you grew up during ten years of amazing animation. And if you can, try to convince the kids to find and watch the toons you grew up with. After all, if you were a child of the '90s, it is impossible to forget these classics.