OFF TOPIC :- CARTOON CHARACTERS. The Thread . . .

[DecadentDoll]

I think you guys need to give South Park a second chance. I shit you not, yes it is rude and there's an awful lot of swearing, but it's managed some of the best satire ever from two american blokes on a mission to piss people off. The Michael jackson episode, the episode with OJ Simpson and the Ramsays (got away with murder)

Yes it's a bit toilet humour esque, but look closer, watch it to the end, there's nearly always a moral to the story.

I'm sure some people will stand by me.

The episode Stupid Spoiled Whore, featuring Paris Hilton was particularly good. It's mature enough to have a message, but immature enough to have a gay man named Mr Slave anally insert Paris Hilton... to make a point damnit.

Look closer, it's more intelligent than you think.

[BillShipton]

Just so many things to address here...but I shall have to do them one at a time.

I suppose South Park is a love/hate, Marmite thing. Personally I like (especially the film, and as Hayley says, the songs). It is NOT because swearing is funny, but because it is a pisstake of kids who think swearing is funny, which sadly they do. And the film is very much about a world that is so concerned with kids swearing that it is prepared to go to war and get people killed over it which is a very fair representation of people's distorted values.

As for the poor animation - that's the point! It's meant to look like that.

Okay, apart from the songs it rarely makes me laugh out loud like early Warners Bros stuff does (don't get me started on th WB, we'll be here for days), but it was a genuine , original idea for a cartoon series.

Aside from my self imposed ban on talking about Warner Bros, of course the original Tom & Jerry are brilliant, 70s/80s Hanna-Barbera looks very dated now but had some excellent stuff, and can I put in a quick mention of Droopy (Hello). Tex Avery's gags were unsurpassed.

Oh and my bete noir - Woody Woodpecker. I hated him!

[alext]

Ah, the olds days, when TV was bland and inoffensive [/Simpsons]

My most fond Looney Toons memories (sorry Bill!) stem from Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner - basically the Looney Toon's equivalent of Tom and Jerry (which was also good). You knew exactly what was going to happen to Wile E, you could see it coming, but it was still funny when it happened!

Also, Wacky Races, Dangermouse and Dick Dasturdley and Muttley in their Flying Machines have special places in my heart!

Transformers was pretty good, but I never got into it the same way - and if you look at it now, it's very dated and very cheesy.

Nowadays, definitely The Simpsons, and, more recently, Futurama - the latter series' of the Simpsons can't hold a candle to Futurama, I'm afraid!

Pinnacle of The Simpsons for me - You Only Move Twice (The Bond rip off). Best Evil Villain ever.

[Hayley]

Apart, of course, from the fact that Bill gets more like Homer everyday, our Fave Simpsons character has to be Krusty. Not that the Splosh!empire is ANYTHING like Krusty's but sometimes his world weariness and cynicism is spot-on! Not that we feel the same, oh no, of course not.

Hayley

[andy250]

Thought of an odd ball one this morning 'Inch high private eye!!' now theres an old cartoon.

regards

Andy

[Phantom]

When you're a little kid, you'll watch just about any old cartoon they put on TV and it'll keep you happy.

When you reach a certain age, you start to think 'urrgghh .. this is a bit crap'

When I was 10+ I started feeling that way about stuff like yogi bear, top cat, pixie and dixie, deputy dawg, woody woodpecker and huckleberry hound.

I don't think I EVER enjoyed tom and jerry - no matter how old.

I think I always loved all the looney tunes stuff - bugs, daffy, sam, willie, speedy gonzales, marvin (?) the martian, foghorn, yosemite etc ...

never liked pepe le pew - it was always the SAME OLD JOKE over and over and over - cat somehow gets a white stripe on its back so that it looks like a female skunk. Har de har harrrrrrrrrzzzzz! get lost!!!

I think the true sign of quality is when a cartoon stands the test of time and still brings you enjoyment as an adult. I may not like Tom and Jerrry myself, but I can certainly see why other adults still rave about it. They were beautifully drawn, well-animated and with well-thought-out gags.

I'm certain that road runner stands the test of time. I recall sitting in a field at Glastnobury festival waiting for (I think) Pulp Fiction to play on the big outdoor cinema screen. Before the film they played a few road runner cartoons (and also 'asterix in France')

The field was full of people stoned, drunk, tripping, pilling etc - and they were LOVING those roadrunner cartoons. Of course everyone cheered Wille and booed/heckled the road runner (to no avail).

Ahh - happy days. Cartoons are so much fun

Phantom

[DecadentDoll]

When you're a little kid, you'll watch just about any old cartoon they put on TV and it'll keep you happy.

I still watch most of the same stuff I did when I was a kid, apart from the stuff that isn't around, even on repeat.

I agree about Pepi, it was repetitive, but so much fun sometimes.

I do like more adult cartoons these days, has to be said.

[welshcakes]

I'm with you on South Park, DD! I think it's sensational, and what's more it's still as funny now as it was when it started. And despite what people may think, it genuinely is one of the moral programmes on't telly. How many other shows feature characters with special needs who are on a level playing field with the other characters? Answer me that?

[Phantom]

dd - when you say adult cartoons, what ones do you mean?

[DecadentDoll]

dd - when you say adult cartoons, what ones do you mean?

depends on your definition of adult. i mean cartoons that are more for an older audience, like family guy and such. Small children certainly shouldn't really watch family guy, can't see them understanding it. My humble opinion, of course

I'm also into anime, not in an incredible fangirl way, but i enjoy films such as Malice@Doll, Grave of the Fireflies, the tackiness of Sailor Moon.

Into all sorts, me.

[Phantom]

Family guy - I've heard so many people raving about it, but I've never seen it. Beavis and Butthead is adult, right? It's certainly not kid-friendly. And Ren and Stimpy has some pretty gruesome bits.

I really like cartoons that work on 2 levels - like Simpsons. Kids like it because of the silliness and funny animation/voices/characters ... but there's tons of stuff that only adults will get.

I find that most modern animated films are like that too - Toy Story, Shrek, Monsters Inc, Shark Tale ... all the best ones have gags and references that only the mum's/dad's/aunties and uncles(me) will get.

Phantom

ps - any 'Animaniacs' fans out there?


.

[Nero]

Hmmmm,

Does nobody remember the Raccoons from the 80s? My god, there were so awesome!

Beavis and Butthead are most excellent... only trouble is, i catch myself laughing like them, and laughing at the same things they do...

Oh my life, and Bucky O' Haire!...

*ahem*

[Phantom]

Yeah - I used to like Racoons! I was wayyyyy too old to be watching it though!

[DecadentDoll]

Hmmmm,

Does nobody remember the Raccoons from the 80s? My god, there were so awesome!

Beavis and Butthead are most excellent... only trouble is, i catch myself laughing like them, and laughing at the same things they do...

Oh my life, and Bucky O' Haire!...

*ahem*

The Racoons!!!!!! it gets repeated on tv now *sings the theme tune*

"run with us, we got everything you neeeeeeeeed"

oh the nostalgia.

I love beavis and butthead, am the proud owner of some ren and stimpy toys, still fumbling my way through the end tune on my guitar, its so funky and nice.

Family Guy everyone should have a glance at. Not to be sniffed at because of it's cult status it is fab.

Shrek 2 had loads of jokes in their for the grown ups, and therefore, i loved it. First one was similiar.

One of the best things when I ran my own video store... i got to sit and enjoy all these kids programmes during the day because we couldnt publicly show anything over a 12 certificate.

ahhhh. i'd much rather be an internationally renowned messy bitch though!

DD x

[TottyMcGee]

That reminds me, I promised you a copy of Ogenki Clinic.. I'll try to remember to bring it to Newcastle when we're up there in a few weeks. Hentai at it's funniest.

Kids' TV often shows stuff that is there simply because it's too weird for 'proper' scheduling times - Small Birds Singing cartoonist Steve Appleby produced an animated series in his usual surreal style, which I remember seeing on cITV but which wouldn't have been out of place in a more adult environment.

As for classic cartoons, I implore you to head over to http://www.archive.org , search for "Betty Boop" in the video section and download Max Fleischer's masterpieces (Snow White and Old Man Of The Mountain rock especially) for yourself. .