The Greatest Cartoons ever?

[The Curmudgeon]

You'll notice there's not a lot of choice in this poll, and that's for a very good reason. Let's be honest - there's only a choice few horses in this particular race, and unless I've forgotten some major player - these three are the main contenders.

Yeah yeah - what about Disney? Well, I didn't think it was fair to include full length movies against six minute cartoons. Should The Flinstones go up against Snow White? Well, it would be a hell of a fight to watch (Wilma and Snow White in hot girl on girl action!) but it ain't happening today, folks. If Disney DID create any short cartoon films - well.. I bet they sucked.

So let's remind ourselves who we're voting for here..

Hannah Barbera

Introduced a whole host of characters, some more popular than others, which still get shown daily on kids channels (er, I believe. Ahem). Among those characters are..

The Flinstones, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Hong Kong Phooey, Yogi Bear, Wacky Races, Jabberjaw, Scooby Doo and The Smurfs.

Your childhood, quite simply, belonged to these guys.

Metro Goldwyn Mayor

OK, they don't have a plethora of names to boast about, and much of their animated output consisted of those weird, fairly grim and unenjoyable cartoons where chimney's had mouths and everyone had eyes like dinner plates. Yeah, they brought Droopy to the mix, but the main stars, are, of course, Tom and Jerry. Quite simply some of the finest, funniest moments in film (not just animation) that is STILL unsurpassed to this day. OK, they only have one real name in this poll - but WHAT a name.

Warner Bros

With an (arguably) even stronger line-up than Hannah Barbera, The Loony Toons series are easily the funniest, smartest cartoons ever made, with a sense of anarchy and the absurd that was decades ahead of their time. Your childhood companions include..

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Road Runner, Marvin the Martian and Elmer Fudd.

What have these three got in common? The earlier cartoons were flawless, 5 star gems. Later incarnations were and continue to be absolutley fucking DIRE. Talking Tom and Jerry? Flinstones with grown up kids? Bugs Bunny playing basketball? Ugggh.

So, the vote is yours. MGM, Warners or HB - or maybe some younger Dwellers will vote for some more recent abomination. Personally, I have to vote Warner Bros. Yes, Tom and Jerry were superb, but Bugs and Co far outweigh T&J in the number of quality episodes that were produced (the later Tom and Jerry ones - you know, the ones were Tom hisses in the opening credits - they usually take place in space and they always suck dog cock). I loved the Hanna Barbera cartoons when I was a kid, but I just couldn't sit through an entire episode these days, whereas if I happen upon a Tom and Jerry or a Loony Toons, I'm there till the end.


But that's just me. I asked my wife and she immediatly replied "Hanna Barbera - no contest. Yogi Bear ALONE would win it!"

So what are YOUR favourites? Get voting!

[trashcanman]

WB all the way. Disney has no shortage of classic, um..., shorts featuring Mickey, Donald, and all them, but they don't hold a candle to Bugs, Daffy, and Speedy Gonzalez...or even Slowpoke Rodriguez. There is a suprising amount of satire and twisted humor in those 'toons for grown-ups to enjoy.

[Ben]

I'm going with Warner Bros., but it's a tough one for me. At one point Johnny Quest (which I noticed you left off the H-B cartoon list) and the Flintstones dominated my cartoon world.

I just can't say no to Wily Coyote though.

[The Curmudgeon]

You know, I don't think I've ever seen a Disney short. I've seen Duck Tales and Chip and Dale and shit like that, but never "classic" Donald Duck cartoons. Can't say I'm heartbroken.

I've just looked up "Johnny Quest" on Wikipedia, and I can only assume it was never shown in the UK, because it looks like something I would totally have watched. It sounds pretty awesome - have you seen the 90's update?

Speaking of cartoons I forgot about one MAJOR Hanna Barbera effort which rocked my world.. altogether now..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrQjr6KAJvU

[Ben]

Never shown in the UK? I offer my deepest condolences to any fortress dwellers over there in the UK.

The 90's update was my favorite as a kid, but I never missed the reruns of the old ones either. You have been deprived of something truly great, Curmudgeon.

[Benjamin Haines]

Ah, this thread brings back memories.

All three of these legends of cartoons are near and dear to me. While I love Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes, my favorites will always be the Hanna-Barbera pantheon. The Flintstones classics, the unforgettable Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, the original Birdman, the list goes on and on. They were also responsible for more modern greats such as Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, and Cow & Chicken.

I actually never saw a single episode of Johnny Quest as a kid, but in recent years I've seen some of the older eps on the Cartoon Network "Boomerang" channel, and it is great. As enjoyable as it is though, I regret having never seen it when I was a youngun, as it now doesn't have that glimmer of nostalgia that the other shows do for me.

Williams Street are my favorite current cartoon production company. Their shows which they produce for Cartoon Network's nighttime [adult swim] block are, except for a few duds, wonderful. From the utterly hilarious reworkings of Hanna-Barbera classics such as Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, to the mind-bogglingly abstract but wholly entertaining originals such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the one and only 12 oz. Mouse, the single most underrated/misunderstood/unique/insane/brilliant cartoon of all time (from which I take my avatar, albeit with the addition of a festive cap). And of course, lest we forget The Venture Bros. - nothing short of fantastic.

And regarding Warner Bros, don't forget two other, more recent offerings of greatness from them: Animaniacs and Pinky & The Brain. Did those two '90s series make it across the pond to the UK at all?

admin said:

Speaking of cartoons I forgot about one MAJOR Hanna Barbera effort which rocked my world.. altogether now..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrQjr6KAJvU

Ready to add some more to the neverending list?
Behold.

[The Curmudgeon]

Yeah, both Pinky and Animaniacs made it over here. Didn't watch the first, l-o-a-t-h-e-d Animaniacs. Maybe it was a sign I was getting too old for original cartoons, but that show made my teeth itch.

And once again - arghhh! More things to buy!!!