Welcome to another Cartoon Historian. I'm your instructor,Stefan and my assistant,Mina had some important stuff to do today,so I'm gonna be doing this lesson with a very very special guest.
Please welcome,the One,the Only,Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier Of Love and Justice,Sailor Moon.
[enter sailor moon]
Welcome Sailor Moon,it's an extreme pleasure to have you here with me today.As you know I'm a huge fan of your show.
Sailor Moon: Why Thank you,Stefan. It's awesome to be here. I'm a fan of your show as well. In this episode we're gonna be talking about one of my all-time favorite heroes. It's all About She-Ra on the Cartoon Historian.
[Cartoon Historian Theme Plays]
She-Ra: Princess of Power was produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man series. She-Ra was aimed primarily at young girls to counter-balance He-Man's popularity with boys.
Sailor Moon: Same with my show. It was primarily used to get girls into Anime,since 90% of Anime fans,before my show even existed,were boys.Just another thing me and She-Ra have in common.
Anyway,Like with He-Man's Show,She-Ra's show was mostly used to sell her toy line(by Mattel). This toyline was called Princess of Power and was a spin-off from Mattel's Masters of the Universe line. The Show itself was produced with financial backing from Mattel to promote the toys. Typicle Early-Mid 80's Cartoon,I know.
Sailor Moon: The show follows the adventures of She-Ra, He-Man's twin sister, who is leading a group of freedom fighters known as the Great Rebellion in the hope of freeing their homeworld of Etheria from the tyrannical rule of Hordak and his Evil Horde.
She-Ra makes her debut in the Animated Movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword. The Movie was created by compiling together the first five episodes of the series: "Into Etheria", "Beast Island", "She-Ra Unchained", "Reunions" and "Battle For Bright Moon".
Sailor Moon: It's also worth noting that She-Ra was the first American Super-Heroine that wasn't based on a comic character.
Sailor Moon: The series premiered in 1985 and was cancelled in 1986, after 2 seasons and 93 episodes. Reruns aired on USA Network from September 1988 to September 1989.My show also reran on the USA Network,yet another thing me and She-Ra have incommon.
She-Ra is He-Man's twin sister,who was kidnapped at birth by Hordak and taken to Etheria,where she was made to believe that she was a general against the Great Rebellion. He-Man eventually finds her and turns her to the good side. With her Sword of Protection,just like He-Man,Adora becomes She-Ra.
Sailor Moon: She was the first American Henshin heroine. Her Transformation is similar to my own. How Awesome is that.
After reuniting with her parents she decides to return to Etheria and join the Great Rebellion.
The show revolves around Adora's adventures with the Great Rebellion battling against the evil Horde. It was virtually identical to He-Man's show in structure, even down to the show's opening introduction, some of the theme music, and the fact that Adora's secret identity is shared by three other characters.
In the storyline,the Horde ruled Eternia and Skeletor worked for Hordak as his second-in-command. The Horde was defeated by King Randor.Hordak fled Eternia,taking Randor's infant daughter with him. He also left Skeletor behind as the main bad guy on Eternia. Many characters from He-Man guest starred frequently on She-Ra's show.
Sailor Moon: The first season of the show ran five days a week,like He-Man,The second season was turned into a Saturday morning cartoon. She-Ra ended in 1987. The sad thing about this was that She-Ra was never again mentioned in any other version of He-Man.That Really Sucks,She-Ra is an awesome heroine,why is she treated this way?
Don't start crying,Sailor Moon. Anyway,on the subject,It was intended that She-Ra was gonna be re-introduced into the 2002 He-Man series. However, due to the series being canceled,this never came to be.
Sailor Moon: Those jerks deserve a good whoopin' for this.
I understand how you feel,Moon Girl,but let's keep our focus at the task at hand.
Sailor Moon: Ok,I'm cool. Sorry.
Anyway,The important characters on She-Ra: Princess of Power were predominately female. With the exception of Hordak,Bow and Sea Hawk,the male characters were secondary or portrayed as weaker comic relief type characters.
By contrast, most of the female characters on the show were usually powerful and authoritative or formidable and significant.
Sailor Moon: Another similarity to my show.
Anyway,The animation on She-Ra was also more vibrant and colorful than on the He-Man show. These were attempts to make the show appeal more to girls. Despite this,the action oriented nature of the show and its similarities in storytelling to He-Man made She-Ra popular among boys as well.
Sailor Moon: Again,Just like My Show. She-Ra is an inspiration to me. Whenever I'm in trouble or stuck with something,I would ask myself "What Would She-Ra Do?",I do it,and everything turns out all right.
That's great,Sailor Moon. Anyway,here's some thing just as great: On September 28 of this year,Classic Media released She-Ra: Princess of Power - The Complete Series,a 10-disc set featuring all 93 episodes of the series.
Sailor Moon: Well that great to know.
Yup. Well,That's gonna do it for this edition of the Cartoon Historian. Sailor Moon thank you for joing me here today.
[Stefan and Sailor Moon shake hands]
Sailor Moon: It was my pleasure,Stefan. I hope we work together again someday.
[the 2 let go of eachothers hands]
See Ya Next Time.
Sailor Moon: And If You Don't (does her signature arm pose) In The Name Of The Moon,I'll Punish You.
*chuckles* Stay Gold,guys.
[fade to black. credits roll as the cartoon historian closing theme plays]
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Cartoon Quickie: Bucky O'Hare
In The Aniverse (an animal-only universe),there is a war going on,a war caused by the Evil Toad Empire. The Aniverses Only hope are a rag-tag bunch of Space Fighters from S.P.A.C.E (Sentient Protoplasm Against Colonial Encroachment). Chosen to lead the missions against the Toad Empire,is a cool green Rabbit named Bucky O'Hare.
Bucky is a funky fresh rabbit who Captains a spaceship called The Righteous Indignation. His crew consisted of: Jenny,a cat with psychic powers,that's Bucky's first mate. She's also the main pilot; Blinky,a small one-eyed robot that's a problem solver; Deadeye Duck,a 4-armed gunner that's impatient and violent;And Willy DuWitt,a human from Earth that serves the crew as an engineer. He's the Only human in the Aniverse and was brought to the Universe by accident.
The members of the Evil Toad Empire include: KOMPLEX,a super computer that's the undisputed ruler of the Toad Empire; The Toad Air Marshall,the commander of KOMPLEX's forces;Toad Borg,an elite Troop,who's a Cyborg;And The Storm Toads,who are the Empire's Grunts.
The Show lasted for 13 episodes and was originally based on a Comic series of the same name. The art and animation are both above average for an American Cartoon.
The Music is ok,it fits the scenes well. However,the theme music is just plain awesome. The writing itself is fine,though it could've been better. The voice acting is fine,it gets the job done.
Overall,Bucky O'Hare is a decent show that's worth watching at least once. It's nothing awesome or exciting,but it's a decent watch.
Well that's all I have to say about this show. See ya next time on Cartoon Quickie.
Bucky is a funky fresh rabbit who Captains a spaceship called The Righteous Indignation. His crew consisted of: Jenny,a cat with psychic powers,that's Bucky's first mate. She's also the main pilot; Blinky,a small one-eyed robot that's a problem solver; Deadeye Duck,a 4-armed gunner that's impatient and violent;And Willy DuWitt,a human from Earth that serves the crew as an engineer. He's the Only human in the Aniverse and was brought to the Universe by accident.
The members of the Evil Toad Empire include: KOMPLEX,a super computer that's the undisputed ruler of the Toad Empire; The Toad Air Marshall,the commander of KOMPLEX's forces;Toad Borg,an elite Troop,who's a Cyborg;And The Storm Toads,who are the Empire's Grunts.
The Show lasted for 13 episodes and was originally based on a Comic series of the same name. The art and animation are both above average for an American Cartoon.
The Music is ok,it fits the scenes well. However,the theme music is just plain awesome. The writing itself is fine,though it could've been better. The voice acting is fine,it gets the job done.
Overall,Bucky O'Hare is a decent show that's worth watching at least once. It's nothing awesome or exciting,but it's a decent watch.
Well that's all I have to say about this show. See ya next time on Cartoon Quickie.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Cartoon Historian Lesson 22: Saturday Morning Cartoons
Welcome to another Cartoon Historian. I'm your instructor,Stefan and this is my assistant,Mina.
Mina: In this episode we're gonna be talking about the Saturday Morning Cartoons. It's all About Saturday Morning Cartoons on the Cartoon Historian.
[Cartoon Historian Theme Plays]
Mina: If you grew up in the 70's,80's,and 90's than you probably watched cartoons on Saturday Mornings,and thus,know about them. But for those who don't here's a little info: A Saturday morning cartoon is the term for the animated television programming which was scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the Late 1960s to the Late 1990s.
In the United States,Saturday mornings start from 8 am. to 12 pm. Starting in the late 60's,American networks,starting with NBC,created Program Blocks for Saturday Mornings. Though most of the shows aired on these early blocks were reruns of older shows.
Mina: Starting in the late-1970s,Network excecutives started to air shows that doubled as Toy advertisements. This was part of a special deal they made with the Toy and Game companies. Cartoons being used to sell Toys and Games was a very common practice in the 80's.
Mina: Because they had shows that contained limited animation,Filmation and Hanna-Barbera were able to produce a decent quantity of cartoons to fill the four hour time slot,without blowing too much money.
Mina: In addition to these cartoons,some Saturday morning blocks aired old Warner Bros cartoons,as well as the Pink Panther and Popeye. These Cartoons,along with live-action programming,made Saturday Morning TV a great hit.
Mina: But not everyone liked what they say. Some nutjob groups had a problem with wat was being put on Saturday Mornings. Stefan will explain this one.
In the Early 70's,Parents lobby groups voiced concerns about the presentation of violence,anti-social attitudes,and stereotypes in Saturday morning cartoons.
By the mid-1970s, these groups exercised enough influence that the TV networks felt compelled to lay down content rules for the animation houses that were a tad "restrictive"
In a more constructive direction,the networks were encouraged to create educational spots for their Blocks. Far and away the most successful effort was the Schoolhouse Rock series on ABC,which became a television classic.
Just as notable were CBS's news segments for children, In the News and NBC's Ask NBC News and One to Grow On, which featured skits of everyday problems with advice from the stars of NBC primetime programs.
Mina: According to some,the decline of Saturday Morning Cartoons began in the late 1980's,though I disagree completely. In reality,it began declining in the early-2000's. However these people have a variety of reasons on why it was declining in the '80's. Here are their reasons:
Reason 1: The rise of first run syndication animated programs,which had a greater artistic freedom and looser standards (not mandated by a network).
Reason 2: Increasing regulation of children's programming content,including educational requirements and advertising restrictions, which limited the creative options for the shows.
Reason 3: The increasing popularity of home video; this made quality animated productions easily accessible, which encouraged unfavourable comparisons with typical television animation.
Reason 4: The rise of cable TV channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network which provided appealing kids entertainment throughout the week at nearly all hours, making Saturday morning blocks less important to viewers and advertisers. This reason is Bullshit!
Reason 5: Cable channels also have the additional advantage of being beyond FCC content regulations, meaning they do not have to abide by educational or advertising regulations. Now,This one I Believe!
Reason 6: Increased popularity of video game consoles and, by the late 1990s,the internet.
Reason 7: Many of the same networks who often showed Saturday morning cartoons began airing similar programs in the afternoons during the weekdays, usually when most children were out of school already. This practice has been discontinued as of late, but it was common throughout the 1990s.
Mina: Fox Kids Anyone.
Reason 8: An increase in children playing outside.
Reason 9: The success of live action Saturday morning programming for kids and teens (such as NBC's Saved by the Bell) which led to the development of more live action shows and teen programming, squeezing out cartoons. This block was called Teen NBC.
Reason 10:The gradual loss of most of the American companies which were at one time, iconic producers of kids shows. These companies include: Filmation,Ruby-Spears,Sunbow,DiC,and Rankin/Bass.
Mina: I'll admit,some of these reasons have merit,but Saturday Morning Cartoons (and cartoons in general) would continue to thrive until 2002.
Beginning in the late 1990s,Networks started airing Anime and in the early 2000's,Canadian Shows. This was a mistake...a mistake that helped killed Saturday Morning entertainment.
Mina: While animated shows still air on CBS,NBC,and ABC Saturday mornings,it's been reduced. Because of FCC regulations that began in the mid-1990s, broadcast stations were required to program a minimum of three hours of children's educational/informational ("E/I") programming per week. boy,that sucks,don't it.
Yes it does. NBC,the network that produced the first SatAM Block,abandoned its Saturday morning cartoon lineup in 1992,replacing it with a Saturday morning edition of The Today Show and adding an all live-action teen-oriented block called TeenNBC. this Small block featured Saved by the Bell,California Dreams,Hang Time,and other teen comedies. And Even though the educational content was minimal to nonexistent,NBC labeled the live-action shows with an E/I rating.
Mina: In Late 1994,NBC gave up on it's Saturday Morning Line-Up and replaced it with a mediocre Program Block that isn't considered to be a True Saturday Morning Block. Today,NBC's Saturday block is pathetic and insignificant.
CBS followed NBC's example by producing a Saturday edition of The Early Show before airing their Saturday Morning block of live-action semi-educational kids programming.
Mina: The experiment lasted a few months,and CBS brought back their animated CBS Storybreak series. In 1999,CBS's Saturday Morning Block became Pathetic,So Pathetic that it wasn't considered a True Saturday Morning Block anymore. Today,CBS's Saturday Morning Block is totally insignificant....Just Like NBC's.
Mina: But Who the hell cares what happened to NBC and CBS,because we had Fox Kids and Kids WB to fall back on.
Right. In 2004, ABC was the last of the broadcast networks to add a Saturday morning edition of their morning news program,Good Morning America,before airing their Block. In 2006,ABC's Saturday Morning Block officialy became pathetic. And Like CBS and NBC,It too lost it ligitness as a Saturday Morning Block.
Mina: Fox carried little or no E/I programming, leaving the responsibility of scheduling the E/I shows to the affiliates themselves. The WB was far more accommodating. For several years,they've aired the history-themed cartoon Histeria! five days a week,leaving only a half-hour of E/I programs up to the local program block producers.
After The Walt Ditzney Corperation bought Fox Family and Fox Kids in 2002,the Fox Kids block was canned and replaced by 4Kids Entertainment's Fox Box. In 2004,The Fox Box became 4Kids TV. This block ended in 2008.
Mina: Also in 2008,4Kids Entertainment fused with Kids WB creating the CW 4Kids. And Today,this block is known as Toonzai.
Well that was interesting. Now we are gonna give you a small timeline,chronicling the Birth and Death of Saturday Mornings.
Mina: You guys are gonna enjoy this.
1968?: The Saturday Morning TV is born; NBC creates the First Incarnation of its Saturday Morning Block,followed by CBS and ABC.
1976: Saturday Morning TV gains Popularity.
1987: Fox Enters the Saturday Morning "Race"
1990: Saturday Mornings become Sacred.
1991: Fox Kids debuts.
1992: NBC shortens it's block and rids it of Cartoons
1993: CBS shortens it's block.
1994: NBC gives up on it's Saturday Morning Block; NBC Saturday Morning Line-up becomes so pathetic,that it's no longer concidered a True Saturday Morning Block.
1995: The WB's Kids WB debuts.
1996: The USA Network's Action Extreme Team Weekend Block debuts.
1997: ABC's One Saturday Morning debuts.
1998: The USA Network's Action Extreme Team Weekend Block ends.
1999: CBS looses the ligitness of it's Saturday Morning Block; Cartoon Network's Toonami The Rising Sun debuts.
2000: Toonami The Rising Sun ends.
2002: Fox Family debuts it's Weekend Kids Block; One Saturday Morning becomes ABC Kids; Disney buys Fox Kids and Fox Family. Fox Kids ends;Fox Box debuts.
2005: The Fox Box becomes 4Kids TV; ABC shortens it's block...but not much.;Jetix invades ABC Family
2006: ABC Family ends its Weekend Kids Block; ABC Kids loses it's ligitness as a True Saturday Morning Block;Kids WB starts to get pathetic;Saturday Morning TV dies late in the year.
2008: 4Kids merges with the ailing [ratings wise] Kids WB to become CW 4Kids;4Kids TV ends.
2010: CW 4Kids becomes Toonzai.
Mina: Tragic,I know.
Saturday Morning TV may be dead,but It'll never be Forgoten. Let us have a moment of silence for Saturday Morning TV.
*Moment of Silence Begins*
*Moment of Silence Ends*
That's gonna do it for this edition of the Cartoon Historian. Stay Gold,guys.
Mina: Later.
[fade to black. credits roll as the cartoon historian closing theme plays]
Mina: In this episode we're gonna be talking about the Saturday Morning Cartoons. It's all About Saturday Morning Cartoons on the Cartoon Historian.
[Cartoon Historian Theme Plays]
Mina: If you grew up in the 70's,80's,and 90's than you probably watched cartoons on Saturday Mornings,and thus,know about them. But for those who don't here's a little info: A Saturday morning cartoon is the term for the animated television programming which was scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the Late 1960s to the Late 1990s.
In the United States,Saturday mornings start from 8 am. to 12 pm. Starting in the late 60's,American networks,starting with NBC,created Program Blocks for Saturday Mornings. Though most of the shows aired on these early blocks were reruns of older shows.
Mina: Starting in the late-1970s,Network excecutives started to air shows that doubled as Toy advertisements. This was part of a special deal they made with the Toy and Game companies. Cartoons being used to sell Toys and Games was a very common practice in the 80's.
Mina: Because they had shows that contained limited animation,Filmation and Hanna-Barbera were able to produce a decent quantity of cartoons to fill the four hour time slot,without blowing too much money.
Mina: In addition to these cartoons,some Saturday morning blocks aired old Warner Bros cartoons,as well as the Pink Panther and Popeye. These Cartoons,along with live-action programming,made Saturday Morning TV a great hit.
Mina: But not everyone liked what they say. Some nutjob groups had a problem with wat was being put on Saturday Mornings. Stefan will explain this one.
In the Early 70's,Parents lobby groups voiced concerns about the presentation of violence,anti-social attitudes,and stereotypes in Saturday morning cartoons.
By the mid-1970s, these groups exercised enough influence that the TV networks felt compelled to lay down content rules for the animation houses that were a tad "restrictive"
In a more constructive direction,the networks were encouraged to create educational spots for their Blocks. Far and away the most successful effort was the Schoolhouse Rock series on ABC,which became a television classic.
Just as notable were CBS's news segments for children, In the News and NBC's Ask NBC News and One to Grow On, which featured skits of everyday problems with advice from the stars of NBC primetime programs.
Mina: According to some,the decline of Saturday Morning Cartoons began in the late 1980's,though I disagree completely. In reality,it began declining in the early-2000's. However these people have a variety of reasons on why it was declining in the '80's. Here are their reasons:
Reason 1: The rise of first run syndication animated programs,which had a greater artistic freedom and looser standards (not mandated by a network).
Reason 2: Increasing regulation of children's programming content,including educational requirements and advertising restrictions, which limited the creative options for the shows.
Reason 3: The increasing popularity of home video; this made quality animated productions easily accessible, which encouraged unfavourable comparisons with typical television animation.
Reason 4: The rise of cable TV channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network which provided appealing kids entertainment throughout the week at nearly all hours, making Saturday morning blocks less important to viewers and advertisers. This reason is Bullshit!
Reason 5: Cable channels also have the additional advantage of being beyond FCC content regulations, meaning they do not have to abide by educational or advertising regulations. Now,This one I Believe!
Reason 6: Increased popularity of video game consoles and, by the late 1990s,the internet.
Reason 7: Many of the same networks who often showed Saturday morning cartoons began airing similar programs in the afternoons during the weekdays, usually when most children were out of school already. This practice has been discontinued as of late, but it was common throughout the 1990s.
Mina: Fox Kids Anyone.
Reason 8: An increase in children playing outside.
Reason 9: The success of live action Saturday morning programming for kids and teens (such as NBC's Saved by the Bell) which led to the development of more live action shows and teen programming, squeezing out cartoons. This block was called Teen NBC.
Reason 10:The gradual loss of most of the American companies which were at one time, iconic producers of kids shows. These companies include: Filmation,Ruby-Spears,Sunbow,DiC,and Rankin/Bass.
Mina: I'll admit,some of these reasons have merit,but Saturday Morning Cartoons (and cartoons in general) would continue to thrive until 2002.
Beginning in the late 1990s,Networks started airing Anime and in the early 2000's,Canadian Shows. This was a mistake...a mistake that helped killed Saturday Morning entertainment.
Mina: While animated shows still air on CBS,NBC,and ABC Saturday mornings,it's been reduced. Because of FCC regulations that began in the mid-1990s, broadcast stations were required to program a minimum of three hours of children's educational/informational ("E/I") programming per week. boy,that sucks,don't it.
Yes it does. NBC,the network that produced the first SatAM Block,abandoned its Saturday morning cartoon lineup in 1992,replacing it with a Saturday morning edition of The Today Show and adding an all live-action teen-oriented block called TeenNBC. this Small block featured Saved by the Bell,California Dreams,Hang Time,and other teen comedies. And Even though the educational content was minimal to nonexistent,NBC labeled the live-action shows with an E/I rating.
Mina: In Late 1994,NBC gave up on it's Saturday Morning Line-Up and replaced it with a mediocre Program Block that isn't considered to be a True Saturday Morning Block. Today,NBC's Saturday block is pathetic and insignificant.
CBS followed NBC's example by producing a Saturday edition of The Early Show before airing their Saturday Morning block of live-action semi-educational kids programming.
Mina: The experiment lasted a few months,and CBS brought back their animated CBS Storybreak series. In 1999,CBS's Saturday Morning Block became Pathetic,So Pathetic that it wasn't considered a True Saturday Morning Block anymore. Today,CBS's Saturday Morning Block is totally insignificant....Just Like NBC's.
Mina: But Who the hell cares what happened to NBC and CBS,because we had Fox Kids and Kids WB to fall back on.
Right. In 2004, ABC was the last of the broadcast networks to add a Saturday morning edition of their morning news program,Good Morning America,before airing their Block. In 2006,ABC's Saturday Morning Block officialy became pathetic. And Like CBS and NBC,It too lost it ligitness as a Saturday Morning Block.
Mina: Fox carried little or no E/I programming, leaving the responsibility of scheduling the E/I shows to the affiliates themselves. The WB was far more accommodating. For several years,they've aired the history-themed cartoon Histeria! five days a week,leaving only a half-hour of E/I programs up to the local program block producers.
After The Walt Ditzney Corperation bought Fox Family and Fox Kids in 2002,the Fox Kids block was canned and replaced by 4Kids Entertainment's Fox Box. In 2004,The Fox Box became 4Kids TV. This block ended in 2008.
Mina: Also in 2008,4Kids Entertainment fused with Kids WB creating the CW 4Kids. And Today,this block is known as Toonzai.
Well that was interesting. Now we are gonna give you a small timeline,chronicling the Birth and Death of Saturday Mornings.
Mina: You guys are gonna enjoy this.
1968?: The Saturday Morning TV is born; NBC creates the First Incarnation of its Saturday Morning Block,followed by CBS and ABC.
1976: Saturday Morning TV gains Popularity.
1987: Fox Enters the Saturday Morning "Race"
1990: Saturday Mornings become Sacred.
1991: Fox Kids debuts.
1992: NBC shortens it's block and rids it of Cartoons
1993: CBS shortens it's block.
1994: NBC gives up on it's Saturday Morning Block; NBC Saturday Morning Line-up becomes so pathetic,that it's no longer concidered a True Saturday Morning Block.
1995: The WB's Kids WB debuts.
1996: The USA Network's Action Extreme Team Weekend Block debuts.
1997: ABC's One Saturday Morning debuts.
1998: The USA Network's Action Extreme Team Weekend Block ends.
1999: CBS looses the ligitness of it's Saturday Morning Block; Cartoon Network's Toonami The Rising Sun debuts.
2000: Toonami The Rising Sun ends.
2002: Fox Family debuts it's Weekend Kids Block; One Saturday Morning becomes ABC Kids; Disney buys Fox Kids and Fox Family. Fox Kids ends;Fox Box debuts.
2005: The Fox Box becomes 4Kids TV; ABC shortens it's block...but not much.;Jetix invades ABC Family
2006: ABC Family ends its Weekend Kids Block; ABC Kids loses it's ligitness as a True Saturday Morning Block;Kids WB starts to get pathetic;Saturday Morning TV dies late in the year.
2008: 4Kids merges with the ailing [ratings wise] Kids WB to become CW 4Kids;4Kids TV ends.
2010: CW 4Kids becomes Toonzai.
Mina: Tragic,I know.
Saturday Morning TV may be dead,but It'll never be Forgoten. Let us have a moment of silence for Saturday Morning TV.
*Moment of Silence Begins*
*Moment of Silence Ends*
That's gonna do it for this edition of the Cartoon Historian. Stay Gold,guys.
Mina: Later.
[fade to black. credits roll as the cartoon historian closing theme plays]
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Cartoon Quickie: Rugrats.
Rugrats was the 2nd Nicktoon created. The show is about a group of babies having mini-adventures in each episode.
The children can communicate with each other through baby speak,although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often,they mispronounce words or use poor grammar.
The main character of this show is Tommy Pickles,a brave baby with a sense of justice. Joining Tommy is his good friends,Chuckie Finster,Phil Deville,Lil DeVille,and Later Dil Pickles.
Chuckie is Tommy's a semi-cowardly best friend. He's also the oldest in the group. Phil and Lil are the Twins. They are very adventurous and are eager to do new things. In later seasons,Tommy's little brother,Dil and Chuckies step-sister,Kimi are introduced. Dil is your average baby,who loves to spit up a lot....especially on Chuckie. And Kimi is care free.
Tommy has an older Cousin named Angelica,who's a bit of a jerk and bully. Still,deep down she's not as nasty as she acts. Suzie Charmichael is the babies friend and rival of Angelica. They're both the same age.
Other Characters include: Tommy's Parents,Stu and Didi;Tommy's Grandpa Lou;and Spike,Tommy's dog.
The Nicktoon with the most charm,folks. I haven't seen this show in a great while,but I remember it fondly. The art and animation were decent,though not the greatest.
The music fits the show extremely well and the voices fit each character. The writing is also good,as is the overall acting by the VA's.
This series is fun,though some may not like the Baby theme. This show also spawned a sequel series called 'All Grown Up'. It wasn't very good,trust me.
Anyway,that's gonna do it for now. See ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
The children can communicate with each other through baby speak,although viewers can understand them, because it is 'translated'. Often,they mispronounce words or use poor grammar.
The main character of this show is Tommy Pickles,a brave baby with a sense of justice. Joining Tommy is his good friends,Chuckie Finster,Phil Deville,Lil DeVille,and Later Dil Pickles.
Chuckie is Tommy's a semi-cowardly best friend. He's also the oldest in the group. Phil and Lil are the Twins. They are very adventurous and are eager to do new things. In later seasons,Tommy's little brother,Dil and Chuckies step-sister,Kimi are introduced. Dil is your average baby,who loves to spit up a lot....especially on Chuckie. And Kimi is care free.
Tommy has an older Cousin named Angelica,who's a bit of a jerk and bully. Still,deep down she's not as nasty as she acts. Suzie Charmichael is the babies friend and rival of Angelica. They're both the same age.
Other Characters include: Tommy's Parents,Stu and Didi;Tommy's Grandpa Lou;and Spike,Tommy's dog.
The Nicktoon with the most charm,folks. I haven't seen this show in a great while,but I remember it fondly. The art and animation were decent,though not the greatest.
The music fits the show extremely well and the voices fit each character. The writing is also good,as is the overall acting by the VA's.
This series is fun,though some may not like the Baby theme. This show also spawned a sequel series called 'All Grown Up'. It wasn't very good,trust me.
Anyway,that's gonna do it for now. See ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Cartoon Quickie: Invader Zim.
Zim is a buffoonish alien invader from Planet Irk who comes to earth to dominate it in the name of his home planet. he has a stupid,yet hilarious robotic minion/sidekick called Gir. Both disguise themselves as an earthboy and his dog to study the earthlings upclose.
Zim has a Nemesis called Dib.Dib is a hardcore believer of unsolved mysteries and paranormal propaganda. His greatest goal is to get proof that Zim is an Alien..but always fails and often gets mocked by his peers for his beliefs....especially by his younger sister,Gaz. Gaz is someone that you Never wanna screw with...trust me.
Other characters include: The Tallest,Supreme rulers of Planet Irk,who treat Zim as a joke; And Dr. Memebrane,Gaz and Dib's scientist father,who oftentimes questions his Son's beliefs.
This show is funny. Dib and Zib's buffoonish antics and Gir's often hilarious acts of idiocy make this show the funniest Nicktoon Ever! Even funnier than Ren and Stimpy. Despite being a funny show,Invader Zim does have it's Gross moments.
The artwork and animation are mediocre though,as is the music.
Though,the writing and voice acting are both top notch. Invader Zim is one cartoon show that's worth checking out.
Well that's all I have to say about this show. See ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
Zim has a Nemesis called Dib.Dib is a hardcore believer of unsolved mysteries and paranormal propaganda. His greatest goal is to get proof that Zim is an Alien..but always fails and often gets mocked by his peers for his beliefs....especially by his younger sister,Gaz. Gaz is someone that you Never wanna screw with...trust me.
Other characters include: The Tallest,Supreme rulers of Planet Irk,who treat Zim as a joke; And Dr. Memebrane,Gaz and Dib's scientist father,who oftentimes questions his Son's beliefs.
This show is funny. Dib and Zib's buffoonish antics and Gir's often hilarious acts of idiocy make this show the funniest Nicktoon Ever! Even funnier than Ren and Stimpy. Despite being a funny show,Invader Zim does have it's Gross moments.
The artwork and animation are mediocre though,as is the music.
Though,the writing and voice acting are both top notch. Invader Zim is one cartoon show that's worth checking out.
Well that's all I have to say about this show. See ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
Cartoon Quickie: Doug (Original)
Doug Funnie is a pre-teen who deals with everyday life in Bluffington,U.S.A. Supporting Doug in his life are best friend Skeeter Valentine,his Dog Porkchop,and his friend and crush,Patty Mayonnaise.
His family is also there for support,as well as his wacky nextdoor Neighbor,Mr. Dink. Giving Doug a tough time in and out of school is Roger Klotz,a leather jacket wearing jerk who thinks he's awesome.
Other characters include: Mr. Bone,a Don Knotts-esque man,who is the principal of Doug's school; Bee-Bee Bluff,the richest girl in Bluffington and only daughter of the town's owner;and Chalky Studabaker,a popular athlete.
And of each episode,Doug writes about the events of the episode in his Journal. Sometimes Doug likes to daydream and in a majority of them,he's either Quailman,a Super Hero or Smash Adams,a Secret Agent.
The show itself has tons of charm,as well as good writing. The artwork for this show is of average quality. The music is decent and gets the job done. Speaking of the music,in certain episodes there is a special song that's both catchy and fun to listen to.
The Voices and acting are top notch,especially with Billy "Stimpy" West as the voice of Doug.
All and all,this show is a great watch.And even though I also like Disney's version,I concider this version of Doug to be the True version.
Well that's it fornow,see ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
His family is also there for support,as well as his wacky nextdoor Neighbor,Mr. Dink. Giving Doug a tough time in and out of school is Roger Klotz,a leather jacket wearing jerk who thinks he's awesome.
Other characters include: Mr. Bone,a Don Knotts-esque man,who is the principal of Doug's school; Bee-Bee Bluff,the richest girl in Bluffington and only daughter of the town's owner;and Chalky Studabaker,a popular athlete.
And of each episode,Doug writes about the events of the episode in his Journal. Sometimes Doug likes to daydream and in a majority of them,he's either Quailman,a Super Hero or Smash Adams,a Secret Agent.
The show itself has tons of charm,as well as good writing. The artwork for this show is of average quality. The music is decent and gets the job done. Speaking of the music,in certain episodes there is a special song that's both catchy and fun to listen to.
The Voices and acting are top notch,especially with Billy "Stimpy" West as the voice of Doug.
All and all,this show is a great watch.And even though I also like Disney's version,I concider this version of Doug to be the True version.
Well that's it fornow,see ya next time on....Cartoon Quickie.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Cartoon Historian Lesson 21-H: From Games to Toons Pt.8
Mina: In this final part of this lesson we will be covering Donkey Kong Country and Sonic Underground,the Last Game Based Cartoon.
Donkey Kong Country is a French-Canadian CGI series based on the Nintendo franchise Donkey Kong country. It was created by France 2 and Nelvana. The show is called La Planète de Donkey Kong (The Planet of Donkey Kong) in France and French-Canada,but called Donkey Kong Country everywhere else.
Mina: This Cartoon is the first and Only Video Game Based cartoon that Wasn't American.
Donkey Kong Country first aired in France on September 4, 1996. It premiered late in the United States on the Family Channel in August 15, 1998.
The show begins by portraying Donkey Kong,a regular ape in the jungle,who happens to stumble upon a magic coconut called the Crystal Coconut. The Coconut,at Donkey Kong's command, summons a pile of magic bananas.
Mina: After Donkey and his friends eat the bananas,they are granted with increased intelligence and strength,enabling them to defeat enemies such as K. Rool and Kaptain Skurvy,who wish to possess the Crystal Coconut for themselves.
The main protagonist of the show are Donkey Kong,Diddy Kong,Cranky Kong,Candy Kong,Bluster Kong,Funky Kong,and Dixie Kong. While the Bad Guys are: King K. Rool,General Klump,Krush,and The Kritters. Other enemies include Polly Roger,Captain Skurvy,and the Klaptraps.
Mina: Other characters include: Eddie the Mean Old Yeti,Inka Dinka Doo the multi-faced god of Kongo Bongo Island (the setting of the series),and Kong Fu.
Mina: All and all,This show wasn't all that great. Like the Darkstalkers Cartoon,DKC never followed the games,the new characters weren't very likable,and the writing was very mediocre.
Tell me about it. And now for the Final Video Game Cartoon ever created...Sonic Underground. Mina,I'm gonna let you handle most of this.
Mina: Cool thanks. Sonic Underground (Sonic le Rebelle in French) is a series that follows the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings,Sonia and Manic. The series ran for forty episodes,and was canceled before the main story could be resolved.
Mina: Sonic,Sonia,and Manic are the children of Queen Aleena Hedgehog. Queen Aleena was once the kind and fair ruler of Mobius,but Robotnik and his robotic forces seized control of the planet and forced her into hiding.
Mina: She separated and hid Sonic,Manic,and Sonia after the Oracle of Delphius told her of a prophecy. Robotnik began ruling Mobius using unjust laws,roboticizing anyone who stood against him,as well as forcing the nobles into paying large amounts of money as tribute.
Mina: When Sonic,Manic,and Sonia grew up,the Oracle of Delphius revealed the prophecy to them: one day they would reunite with their mother to form the Council of Four,overthrow Robotnik,and become the rightful rulers of Mobius.
Mina: So Sonic,Manic,and Sonia go on a quest,searching throughout Mobius for Queen Aleena. Robotnik is determined to capture the royal family and prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled.
Mina: The three siblings have powerful medallions that not only change into musical instruments,but also into weapons when the triplets are in perfect harmony with each other.
Mina: Sonic's medallion is an electric guitar that can function as a gun. Sonia's medallion is a keyboard that also functions as a gun as well as a smoke machine. Manic's medallion is a drumset that can be used as a gun and an earth controller with cymbals that can deflect laserfire.
Mina: The three non only use their amulets to fight Robotnik,but also to have instruments for their underground rock band, The Sonic Underground.
Mina: Sonic SatAM and Sonic Underground are the two Sonic cartoons that most closely resemble each other. Both share a large number of stuff in common that were never in any of the games or in the 'Adventures Of' series.
Mina: These things include: Sonic's catchphrases,Uncle Chuck,the Roboticizer,Badass Robotnik,Mobotropolis/Robotropolis,Freedom Fighters,and King Acorn (or rather, a statue thereof).
The series takes place on Mobius,similar to the other Sonic Cartoons,but with notable differences. Sonic SatAM included power rings,Knothole Village and the Freedom Fighters.
Another difference is that Sonic is given a slightly different appearance from his SatAM counterpart. When viewed from behind, Sonic's signature mohawk is now two rows,his teeth show more,he has five fingers on each hand,and his eyelids are now visible.
Though the Freedom Fighters were included in Underground,many of the characters in the Freedom Fighter group that were in SatAM are completely left out,including Tails.
Unlike the previous 2 shows,Underground also includes Knuckles and his home,the Floating Island. Another difference with the Freedom Fighter group is that Freedom Fighters do not remain in one refuge but instead travel around Mobius to battle Robotnik's forces on a global scale.
Also,that Robotnik has left most of the Mobian people unroboticised,leaving multiple cities,a poor underclass,and a rich upperclass for the heroes to interact with. Plus,many of the minor characters were not easily recognizable as being based on Earth animals,instead appearing far more alien.
Jaleel "Steve Urkle" White,who voiced Sonic in both earlier cartoons,provided the voices for Sonic and his siblings....even Sonia.
Mina: Of course,this wasn't the first time,the Urkman played a female role.
The main theme was composed by Robbie London and Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore was composed by Jean-Michel Guirao and Mike Piccirillo. The series featured a song per episode. Each of these songs were composed by Mike Piccirillo.
Like Sonic X,this show has many episodes which teach kids social skills,despite Manic's stealing and Sonia's desires for luxury. They both are seen experiencing consequences for such things. Sonic Underground is also noted as the only Sonic animated series where Tails is absent. Instead,Sonic Underground has Knuckles. The gold rings are also absent.
Mina: And Now for the interesting part.
Before the official the launch of the Dreamcast,Sega began to heavily advertise all of the system's big products. For Sonic,it contacted DiC Entertainment,who made the first 2 Sonic cartoons,to make a new Sonic cartoon.
Mina: So in a way,this show was an advertisement for Sonic Adventure. Even though it lacked Amy Rose and Tails.
Sonic Underground ran for one season in 1999 on UPN's Sunday Morning block.
Mina:While it was believed for a while that 65 episodes were made and only 40 aired,Ben Hurst,a DiC regular who worked on Sonic Underground,stated in a chat at the Sonic Amateur Games Expo in 2008,that only 40 episodes were produced with no plans for a 2nd season.
Mina: Recently rumors have begun to surface that Sega and Disney were gonna complete the series with 25 episodes that would lead to a logical ending of the series. Unfortunatly,this rumor is False.
Well that was an Awesome ride wasn't it?
Mina: It sure was. Awesome And Long.
Yup,8-parts. The Longest Cartoon Historian Lesson ever. Well,thats gonna do it for this lesson. See ya next time on The Cartoon Historian.
Mina: Laters!
[fade to black. credits roll as the cartoon historian closing theme plays]
Donkey Kong Country is a French-Canadian CGI series based on the Nintendo franchise Donkey Kong country. It was created by France 2 and Nelvana. The show is called La Planète de Donkey Kong (The Planet of Donkey Kong) in France and French-Canada,but called Donkey Kong Country everywhere else.
Mina: This Cartoon is the first and Only Video Game Based cartoon that Wasn't American.
Donkey Kong Country first aired in France on September 4, 1996. It premiered late in the United States on the Family Channel in August 15, 1998.
The show begins by portraying Donkey Kong,a regular ape in the jungle,who happens to stumble upon a magic coconut called the Crystal Coconut. The Coconut,at Donkey Kong's command, summons a pile of magic bananas.
Mina: After Donkey and his friends eat the bananas,they are granted with increased intelligence and strength,enabling them to defeat enemies such as K. Rool and Kaptain Skurvy,who wish to possess the Crystal Coconut for themselves.
The main protagonist of the show are Donkey Kong,Diddy Kong,Cranky Kong,Candy Kong,Bluster Kong,Funky Kong,and Dixie Kong. While the Bad Guys are: King K. Rool,General Klump,Krush,and The Kritters. Other enemies include Polly Roger,Captain Skurvy,and the Klaptraps.
Mina: Other characters include: Eddie the Mean Old Yeti,Inka Dinka Doo the multi-faced god of Kongo Bongo Island (the setting of the series),and Kong Fu.
Mina: All and all,This show wasn't all that great. Like the Darkstalkers Cartoon,DKC never followed the games,the new characters weren't very likable,and the writing was very mediocre.
Tell me about it. And now for the Final Video Game Cartoon ever created...Sonic Underground. Mina,I'm gonna let you handle most of this.
Mina: Cool thanks. Sonic Underground (Sonic le Rebelle in French) is a series that follows the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings,Sonia and Manic. The series ran for forty episodes,and was canceled before the main story could be resolved.
Mina: Sonic,Sonia,and Manic are the children of Queen Aleena Hedgehog. Queen Aleena was once the kind and fair ruler of Mobius,but Robotnik and his robotic forces seized control of the planet and forced her into hiding.
Mina: She separated and hid Sonic,Manic,and Sonia after the Oracle of Delphius told her of a prophecy. Robotnik began ruling Mobius using unjust laws,roboticizing anyone who stood against him,as well as forcing the nobles into paying large amounts of money as tribute.
Mina: When Sonic,Manic,and Sonia grew up,the Oracle of Delphius revealed the prophecy to them: one day they would reunite with their mother to form the Council of Four,overthrow Robotnik,and become the rightful rulers of Mobius.
Mina: So Sonic,Manic,and Sonia go on a quest,searching throughout Mobius for Queen Aleena. Robotnik is determined to capture the royal family and prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled.
Mina: The three siblings have powerful medallions that not only change into musical instruments,but also into weapons when the triplets are in perfect harmony with each other.
Mina: Sonic's medallion is an electric guitar that can function as a gun. Sonia's medallion is a keyboard that also functions as a gun as well as a smoke machine. Manic's medallion is a drumset that can be used as a gun and an earth controller with cymbals that can deflect laserfire.
Mina: The three non only use their amulets to fight Robotnik,but also to have instruments for their underground rock band, The Sonic Underground.
Mina: Sonic SatAM and Sonic Underground are the two Sonic cartoons that most closely resemble each other. Both share a large number of stuff in common that were never in any of the games or in the 'Adventures Of' series.
Mina: These things include: Sonic's catchphrases,Uncle Chuck,the Roboticizer,Badass Robotnik,Mobotropolis/Robotropolis,Freedom Fighters,and King Acorn (or rather, a statue thereof).
The series takes place on Mobius,similar to the other Sonic Cartoons,but with notable differences. Sonic SatAM included power rings,Knothole Village and the Freedom Fighters.
Another difference is that Sonic is given a slightly different appearance from his SatAM counterpart. When viewed from behind, Sonic's signature mohawk is now two rows,his teeth show more,he has five fingers on each hand,and his eyelids are now visible.
Though the Freedom Fighters were included in Underground,many of the characters in the Freedom Fighter group that were in SatAM are completely left out,including Tails.
Unlike the previous 2 shows,Underground also includes Knuckles and his home,the Floating Island. Another difference with the Freedom Fighter group is that Freedom Fighters do not remain in one refuge but instead travel around Mobius to battle Robotnik's forces on a global scale.
Also,that Robotnik has left most of the Mobian people unroboticised,leaving multiple cities,a poor underclass,and a rich upperclass for the heroes to interact with. Plus,many of the minor characters were not easily recognizable as being based on Earth animals,instead appearing far more alien.
Jaleel "Steve Urkle" White,who voiced Sonic in both earlier cartoons,provided the voices for Sonic and his siblings....even Sonia.
Mina: Of course,this wasn't the first time,the Urkman played a female role.
The main theme was composed by Robbie London and Mike Piccirillo. The musical underscore was composed by Jean-Michel Guirao and Mike Piccirillo. The series featured a song per episode. Each of these songs were composed by Mike Piccirillo.
Like Sonic X,this show has many episodes which teach kids social skills,despite Manic's stealing and Sonia's desires for luxury. They both are seen experiencing consequences for such things. Sonic Underground is also noted as the only Sonic animated series where Tails is absent. Instead,Sonic Underground has Knuckles. The gold rings are also absent.
Mina: And Now for the interesting part.
Before the official the launch of the Dreamcast,Sega began to heavily advertise all of the system's big products. For Sonic,it contacted DiC Entertainment,who made the first 2 Sonic cartoons,to make a new Sonic cartoon.
Mina: So in a way,this show was an advertisement for Sonic Adventure. Even though it lacked Amy Rose and Tails.
Sonic Underground ran for one season in 1999 on UPN's Sunday Morning block.
Mina:While it was believed for a while that 65 episodes were made and only 40 aired,Ben Hurst,a DiC regular who worked on Sonic Underground,stated in a chat at the Sonic Amateur Games Expo in 2008,that only 40 episodes were produced with no plans for a 2nd season.
Mina: Recently rumors have begun to surface that Sega and Disney were gonna complete the series with 25 episodes that would lead to a logical ending of the series. Unfortunatly,this rumor is False.
Well that was an Awesome ride wasn't it?
Mina: It sure was. Awesome And Long.
Yup,8-parts. The Longest Cartoon Historian Lesson ever. Well,thats gonna do it for this lesson. See ya next time on The Cartoon Historian.
Mina: Laters!
[fade to black. credits roll as the cartoon historian closing theme plays]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)