1. Pick a subject everyone already knows. (celebrities and video games work best)
2. Steal a formula from an already successful show. (crime fightin' was the preference, crazy adventures came in a close second)
3. Crowbar a wacky pet in there. (preferably one that can talk)
4. Only pick subjects that you can make into toys.
For example: Hey, everyone knows Mr. T, right? And since Mary Lou Retton just won a fistful of Olympic gold metals, let's team Mr. T up with a van load (ala Scooby Doo) of gymnasts and have them...what else...fight crime!
Good thing they remembered to throw in a dog with a mohawk! Wacky pet, check! Here's another classic:
Popular character? Check! Darth Vader looking bad guy? Check! Stupid lookin' pets? Check! We've got a winner here, folks. Hmm, what other popular brand name can we exploit? Oh, I don't know...How about...
Or maybe...
Do you guys even remember Happy Days? Ever think to yourself, "You know what this live aciton sit-com about grouwing up in Miwaukee in the 1950s is missing? A time machine!" And did you notice Fonzie's dog, Mr. Cool? He IS cool! We're not done yet...
Remember now, Star Wars was pretty popular at the time. So get yourself a Chewbacca-looking dude, a princess, and a guy with a lazer sword. You know what else was popular? Transformers! And if it ain't fixed, don't break it...
Did you notice the robot? He's an R2-D2 rip-off PLUS a wacky pet! We in the cartoon business call that a two-fer! I also love it how the helicopter turns into an airplane. Like you would need that to happen. Like you're chasing a guy in your helicopter, but the chopper ain't gonna cut the mustard, so you up the ante with some wings...
Here's one that doesn't make any sense whatsoever...
I don't know what's crazier - the solid gold space station; the airplane with the olympic size pool that doesn't spill when the plane banks; or the way the girl can swing from a rope upsidedown by just pressing her ankle bones together. Wow.
You know, watching that video for the, I don't know, millionth time, I just realized something. It's pretty much the Paris Hilton story. Only Goldi Gold's life seems to make more logical sense. Anyhow. This next one came out in the early 90s, but it still has that cheesy 80s feel...
Can't get enough, huh? How about some Chuck Norris and Hulk Hogan?
Even girls got cartoons in the 1980s!
So did ultra-violent, R-rated movies!
Don't get me wrong. As corny as this stuff was, I loved it as a kid. Couldn't get enough. This next one was probably my favorite. Check out the wicked rotoscoping on the spaceship...
In 1991, however, something happened that would change the world of television cartoons forever. It was a game changer, and things would never be the same. The Nickelodeon channel did something no other cable channel had ever done before - they actually made original cartoons for their network! See, up until then, Disney and Nickelodeon merely played old cartoons that already existed. But now, under their 'Nicktoons' label, Nickelodeon came out with three cartoons, playing on a Sunday morning block. Rugrats, Doug, and Ren and Stimpy.
If you're wondering which is my favorite, the answer is easy - Ren and Stimpy. And here's a classic. "Space Madness." One thing you'll notice about Ren and Stimpy in general is the filmmaker's love and respect for all of the cartoons that have come before it. It's a great mix of 40sm 50s, and 60s animation wrapped up with a modern sensibility. (Note: It runs 11 minutes, so make sure you get the rest of your work done before you watch this one. Thanks.)
Watch Space Madness in Animation | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Since these three cable-made cartoos aired, network cartoons have pretty much gone goodbye, and cable cartoons have become big business. Goodbye Superfriends, hello Jimmy Neutron.
And in the feature film animation world...
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