I skimmed a few pages back in most of the relevant forums and it appears we haven't had one of these in a while. So let's discuss cartoons which are awesome, or possess qualities which may be construed as awesome.
Animes are fine too, but they have a thread of their own so I think it'd be cool to see some love for other kinds of animation. Here are a couple of mine in no particular order.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Intro
wiki sez:
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is an French/American/Japanese animated TV show which first aired on September 16, 1985. It was produced by Saban Entertainment for DiC Entertainment (originally distributed for syndication by SFM Entertainment), and directed by an uncredited Japanese studio. The uncompleted show, which spawned 65 30-minute episodes, was created to support Mattel's toy line (which was called simply, "Wheeled Warriors").
The show featured two duelling forces. The "good guys" are humans, called the Lightning League. They drove white and silver vehicles with assorted weaponry, and are led by Jayce. The "bad guys" are organic green vegetable-based creatures called the Monster Minds, who tend to take the shape of black and green vehicles. They travel via large green organic vines which can grow in and across interstellar space, that sprout seeds that rapidly grew into further Monster Minds. They are led by Saw Boss.
Plot synopsis
The plot concerns Jayce, son of Audric, and his quest to rejoin him. The backstory is that Audric was a botanist who did several experiments with biotechnology, one of which blossomed and became a young humanoid girl named Flora. Audric had also created a miracle crop that could thrive in any environment and end galactic hunger. However, suddenly a solar flare mutates his plant into an evil, sentient being named Saw Boss, and changes other plants around Audric's laboratory into similar creatures, who collectively become known as the Monster Minds. Audric manages to create a magical root that can destroy the Monster Minds, but is forced to flee before he can complete the task. He keeps half himself and gives the other half to his servant, Oon, whom he sends to serve Jayce. Thus, Jayce and his Lightning League friends are constantly on a quest to find Audric and combine the halves of the root.
As a kid I used to watch this all the time, it fucking rocked. It's got everything a young boy could ever want in a show. Giant robots, cool transforming vehicles, evil plant dudes with saw blades attached to their heads, wizards, and some stupid flying fish thing. It was kind of depressing though because even at that age I could tell they were never going to find Jayce's father, and every time they came close it would turn out to be just a cock tease.
Cybersix
Intro
wiki sez:
Cybersix is a series of Argentine comic books created by writers Carlos Meglia and Carlos Trillo. The series first appeared in Spanish in November, 1993.
The heroine of the series is the eponymous character, Cybersix, a leather-clad android who by day operates behind the guise of a male high school literature teacher, and by night battles the monstrous biological weapons of her creator. She is aided in her adventures by her childhood friend Cyber-29, who is reborn in the body of a black panther known as Data 7. The extended cast includes Cybersix's colleague and love interest Lucas Amato, as well as other supporting characters.
In 1995, the comics were adapted into a poorly-received live-action television series, and again in 1999 into a much more successful thirteen-episode animated series by TMS, with positive critical reception from sources like the Pulcinella Awards,[1] which first aired in Canada on Teletoon and was later dubbed in several other countries.
Plot synopsis
Dr. Von Reichter, a member of the SS and the Nazi party, is an expert in genetic engineering. He initially began his work in concentration camps during World War II, implanting cybernetic organs in the bodies of dead prisoners in an attempt to bring them back to life to serve in the Führer's army. However, the Allied forces intervened to defeat the Nazis, so he fled to South America where he once again continued his sinister experiments.
From one of his experiments emerged the Cyber Series — artificial humanoids possessing superhuman strength and agility. But something was amiss: the 5000 original Cybers, engineered to be the perfect servants, mimicked human emotions too closely, displaying free will of their own. When they began disobeying their creator, Von Reichter ordered all of the Cyber Series to be destroyed. By this time, Cyber-29 had already died in a playtime accident when he fell from a cliff, but Von Reichter managed to transfer the dead child's brain into the body of a panther to be reborn as Data 7. Cybersix was the only true Cyber to survive the massacre, escaping with the help of a black slave who hid her away in a fishing village. When the slave was later interrogated and killed by Von Reichter, Cybersix escaped once again and made her way to the fictitious city of Meridiana, where she adopted the identity of a boy killed in a car wreck, Adrian Seidelman, and now battles her evil creator and his minions.
Like all of Von Reichter's creations, Cybersix depends on a mysterious life-giving fluid called "sustenance". When her supply ran out, she was forced to prowl the city in search of other creatures of Von Reichter's making, such as Frankenstein-like Fixed Ideas or the more human-like Technos, to kill them and take their sustenance to survive. Almost by accident, she became a superhero by defending the people of her city from Von Reichter's malevolent plans, often carried out by his cloned "son" José. Along the way, she meets the resurrected Data 7, as well as a young boy named Julian, and falls in love with biology teacher/reporter Lucas Amato.
When this show first came on TV I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I was drawn in by the weird art style and great animation. It's got some pretty mature themes and amazing fight scenes. An android fighting giant killer robots and mutants with a panther sidekick.
Hell yes. Did this ever get shown in the US?
And last up, on of my all-time favorites.
Mission Hill
Happy little tree!Penis penis penis!Everybody Ska
wiki sez:
Mission Hill (formerly known as The Downtowners, although MTV's production of the similarly titled Downtown forced a name change) was an American animated television series that first aired on The WB in 1999. Although 13 episodes were produced, the show was cancelled after only six were aired. The show was put on hiatus by the WB Network after just two episodes due to poor ratings. It returned to the WB in the summer of 2000 but was cancelled after just four additional episodes. Nonetheless, the show went on to develop a cult following, thanks to repeated airings of all 13 episodes on Teletoon's "Teletoon Unleashed" block, TBS's "Too Funny to Sleep" block, and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
It has also been popular outside of the United States and Canada, receiving broadcasts in Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Spain and, New Zealand. In Italy, it received the 2000 Pulcinella Award for "Best Series for All Audiences"; the award cited the show's "stylized design and honest approach to sexual and moral issues."
Stylistically, the series is recognizable for its bright, neon color palette, and features a peculiar mixture of modern animation and traditional "cartoonish" drawings (dashed lines coming from eyes, red bolts of lightning around a spot in pain).
The show was created by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, former executive producers of The Simpsons, and the artistic designer was Lauren MacMullan, who later joined The Simpsons as a director. It featured the voices of Wallace Langham, Scott Menville, Brian Posehn, Vicki Lewis, Nick Jameson, Tom Kenny, Herbert Siguenza, Jane Wiedlin, Tress MacNeille, and Lisa Kushell. The theme song was a faster, instrumental version of "Italian Leather Sofa" by Cake.
The DVD release of the entire series (13 episodes) was released on November 29, 2005.
One of the few series I can watch over and over and still enjoy. The writing is excellent, as is the comic timing and voice acting. It is, in my opinion, as funny as simpsons was in it's prime. It's a shame it was cancelled so early, I guess it didn't have a whole lot of mass market appeal. If you're a fan some of the animatics of the unreleased episodes are up on youtube.
Posts
Animes that I have watched and enjoyed:
Witch Hunter Robin
Full Metal Alchemist
Death Note
Oh shit, I totally forgot! Thanks for reminding me.
Fake edit: wow, wiki informs me Mark Hamill does the voice of Zuko's father. The show just got even cooler :P
God, I love my brother for growing up in the 80's and forcing his taste for cartoons on me.
8:30 EST according to Yahoo TV.
Hell, anything Spielberg produced in the late 90s was solid gold.
Animaniacs is amazing.
:^:
also
NARF
I was also partial to Swat Kats while in college for some reason.
I think so mtvcdm, but what if the Hippopotamus won't wear the beach thong?
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
Well, I think so... but burlap chafes me so.
I know.
There was this whole period when I would come home worn out from work at one in the morning, grab a cold root beer and fall asleep watching Champloo. Those were glorious days.
I liked this show when I was younger, but only really fully appreciated it when I rewatched the entire series on a whim a few months ago. Like a lot of great cartoons, there are various levels of humour to the show, and only a more mature audience can understand some of the funniest.
Metalocalypse is the best show on television hands down.
I was looking up old shows I used to like on youtube the other day and found some Pirates of Dark water. I was impressed by how well it's held up. The world really needs a new pirate cartoon Butchered episodes of One piece just don't cut it.
Good idea, Bad idea
US Presidents
Magellan
You're not a karate kid you're a chicken boo
Also, Swat Kats was the total shit. If they put it out on DVD, I'd buy it without hesitation.
Do you remember the Silver Surfer series that Fox had in the mid 90s? It was pretty badass for it's time, but Marvel was approaching bankruptcy (sp?) and so they passed on a second season.
Don't forget Gargoyles, and Beast Wars, just to name a couple. I really need to get Gargoyles season 2, and BW season 1, at some point. But Season 1 is, like, $60 because it's got so many episodes. >_<
Also, everyone's forgetting the golden list.
X-Men
Spider Man (90's)
Ren and Stimpy
Dexter's Lab
Samurai Jack
POWERPUFF GIRLS
also, i'd donate money to see reboot come back. It's nice to know that every now and again Canada suprises you with some really good stuff.
God I wish they still made them like that.
Here's a clip from my favorite episode, the one where they made their own cartoon. It was priceless.
WACKY DELI YEAH
It's kind of funny that even though its a parody it's pretty close to what a lot of the shows on CN are like now.
STICK THIS IN YOUR FACEHOLE!
I'm also enjoying Boondocks quite a bit and the season 2 trailer shows the quality animation of the show.
3DS: 2852-6809-9411
I err want aahhh aaaaahhhh pahtee plaatah!
Edit:
Aha!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLYzCyFEqT4
3DS: 2852-6809-9411
I mean come on...cadillacs, dinosaurs. It's practically a license to print money.
I have the entire series of Clone High on DVD. Easily one of my favourite cartoons ever.
Plus it had one the best filmic incarnation of "The Joker" ever. Mark Hamil owns all in that role as the utterly psychotic clown prince of crime.
ThunderCats, HOOOOOO!!!!!!
MTV!
I liked those too.
Fuck... all that, all at the same time, made for a spectacular Saturday mornings.
The Batman? Pokemon, and 3 or 4 clones? guh... fuck that noise. Poor kids these days.
I've watched all of those shows within the past year, and they still hold up pretty well. X-men not quite as much as the others, honestly, but select mini-arcs are still watchable.
I'm pretty sure I still have all of The Maxx on vhs sitting on a shelf somewhere. The original Liquid Television (they brought it back after Bevies and Butthead's popularity died down, but it wasn't the same) stuff was pretty good, and even the aeon flux series was not bad. Hell, daria was rather entertaining
Zim? have people mentioned Zim? I don't read threads, but it is a fucking great show.
Billy and Mandy, more recently, was also fucking amazing. Clearly it was mainly aimed at kids, but there were way too many sci-fi references for it to be fully appreciated by them. Not just dune, but a whole God Emperor of Dune episode, and of course the Cuthulu one. Kill Bill, and the bike from Akira(correctly 2 wheel drive too) together in another ep...
There is an episode with a beauty contest, and one of the portion was the Gom Jabbor pain box thing... and then later a few seconds from the movie for the universe getting destroyed... god... I love that show so fucking much.