Adventures in Animation

I grew up watching cartoons. Then, as I got older, I continued to watch cartoons. In fact, I watch a LOT of cartoons. Since I've decided to stop being embarassed by what I like and embrace the rampaging man-child that is me, I've been trying to branch out and figure out what exactly about this medium I find so engaging.

I still don't have an answer, but I do have a lot of new shows that I've fallen in love with, from the works of the masters at Studio Ghibli to the French fiends behind The Illusionist. And I find myself still craving more.

I put the word out to my peeps on Facebook to see what shows they loved as a child/manchild/womanchild/Man-Thing. I got a lot of good suggestions, some on shows I've binged on recently (I've watched the entirety of Avatar TWICE this year), and others on shows I've loved for a long time (nobody needs to convince me that Arthur, Rugrats, or the classic Looney Tunes, are excellent shows). I know I've fallen in with the right bunch of people, because I didn't get a single bid for dreck like Family Guy. So, as a reward, I thought I'd share my animation "hit list" with y'all.

The Disney Afternoon Block

These shows were the bread and butter of my childhood. Well, I guess bread and butter were my actual "bread-and-butter," but these shows were the bread and butter of... the shows that I watched while I ate my bread and butter.

Ouch. Moving on.

I've watched some DuckTales recently, and that show pretty much lives up to expectations, but there was a lot more that came out back then that I want to re-experience. Tale Spin, anyone? Or how about Rescue Rangers?

I'll actually be starting out with the shows I missed out on the first time around. First up will be Gargoyles, a show that just fascinates me as being this really odd artifact from the Disney animation stables (an urban fantasy? Really?), and from there, I'll probably move on to Darkwing Duck, because DuckTales + Batman = WHY haven't I been watching reruns of this show my entire life?

X-Men

My reasons for re-watching this show are... less than charitable. I loved this show as a kid. Along with Batman: The Animated Series, I credit a lot of my love for comics to the X-Men cartoon. However, unlike B:TAS, I'm pretty sure that this show is actually TERRIBLE. I'd like to confirm that.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

I was highly skeptical of the whole "brony" phenomenon. "My Little Pony" has always been a girly franchise for girly girls and I, being a manly man, could NEVER bring myself to watch it.

However, I've since learned that some of the showrunners behind The Powerpuff Girls are involved in the behind-the-scenes creative process. I've also caught a few episodes and... well, yeah, it's cutesy, but it's also pretty funny. So I'll give this one a go.

Adventure Time

I do NOT get the appeal of this show. I don't. I just... just don't. I'll admit there are some funny concepts and characters, but everything about Adventure Time from the character design to the writing just feels SLOPPY. But for a show like this to have as many avid followers as it does (and, believe me, there are a LOT), I'm willing to try it out.

Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

Maybe the most embarassing entry on this list - and that's coming from a man who seriously wants to watch My Little Pony and actually OWNS the entirety of Jem and the Holograms. The only reason I'm even CONSIDERING this one is because it comes highly recommended from my buddy Matt, the brains behind Raccoon Toons.

Okay, Matt? Are you reading this? I just want you to know that checking this series out required me to walk up to an attractive young lady librarian, slap this bad boy on the counter, and say, "Yeah, sweetness, THIS is the DVD for me."

You'd better not be leading me astray here!

***

That's just the short list. At some point, I'll probably pick up a lot of the old Cartoon Network shows I loved back in college, and I'll make an effort to look at more international/historic animated series as well. But with all the suggestions I've ALREADY got (not to mention the horror movies on the docket for this year), I probably ought to at least TRY to go out and exercise this year, hadn't I?

Now I think I may wind up posting the occasional review of an episode; however, I think I'll restrict myself only to the really good stuff (or the "so-bad-it's-good" stuff). There's enough negativity on the web without my help, so I figure, in this case, I'll just focus on the stuff I'd legitimately recommend.