Generally, I have talked about cartoons that I love during Cartoon Chatter, but it's about time for me to pick up on some others that I am not particularly fond of. Just over the weekend, I caught an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (also known as Billy & Mandy). It has been a while since I last watched it. If you have never seen this show before, all you need to do is think of Ren & Stimpy. If you can envision it, you will already be partway to understanding Billy & Mandy.
The titular characters, Billy and Mandy, are two children who live in Endsville. Billy is an idiot, and Mandy is a melancholy, unfriendly girl. The two manage to force the Grim Reaper (Grim) to be their "best friend" for ever and ever. The show is basically a non-linear depiction of the adventures the three face. They end up battling denizens of the Underworld and everyday children's issues—like school.
Unlike many other cartoons, Billy and Mandy never really stood out to me. The animation is nothing particularly special. The grotesque nature of the monsters and such is heavily reminiscent of a mix between Ren & Stimpy and Aaahh! Real Monsters. Perhaps because it aired on Cartoon Network, it never received the bad rap that Spongebob does. With often questionable dialogue and fairly pointless episodes, Billy and Mandy is the kind of show that you might watch in passing only to be completely confused later. I wouldn't recommend this one, but that is due to my own personal opinions.
The show did spawn one video game, so you can look out for it. It might possibly have a DVD as well, but I didn't check. Do you love this cartoon? Sound off in the comments.
Although it was not as popular as Rugrats, Klasky Csupo's The Wild Thornberrys was a great cartoon that ran for a good six years (and reran until a few years back). It follows the titular Thornberrys as they travel the world filming wild animals. The protagonist of the show, Eliza, is a nerdy yet very brave girl with the ability to speak to animals. Perhaps I liked this because I always wished that I could speak to animals, but it provided some pretty interesting episodes and taught some good lessons. Like other Nickelodeon cartoons, it wasn't always what you would expect kids to be watching (feral son, parents that let their children climb mountains unattended, lots of conflicts with poachers), but it was a thoughtful and interesting series. The animation was what you expected from Klasky Csupo and the stylized look was one familiar to kids at the time. Give a few episodes a try and you might become a fan. There is even a movie!
My adorable little sister is a huge fan of Monster High. I had heard of the show, but I never watched it on television. Since she raved about it over and over again, I gave it a look-see. Well, to be honest, Monster High is not a cartoon that I would put on my list as "ridiculously awesome" or anything, but it's okay for kids.
Like most other contemporary cartoons, Monster High is exceptionally cheesy. It's got obvious morals and corny jokes. They highlight pop culture with puns—Justin Biter, Jaundice Brothers?—and that appeals to the kids of today. My little sister is eleven years old, so she finds these things hilarious. Her favorite is Frankie Stein, a hodge-podge female Frankenstein. There's a whole bunch of others—Cleo De Nile (a mummy), Clawdeen (a werewolf), Draculaura (a vampire), Ghoulia (not certain exactly), and Lagoona Blue (a sea monster thing). The animation is decent for the kind of show that it is. There are animated foregrounds and backgrounds. You'll see some repeat animation (animations that have been flipped and repeated, or looping animations), but it's not as noticeable to kids. There's music as well. It sounds like whatever is on the radio now, so I'm not a huge fan, but I'm not the audience.
Overall, Monster High is a nice show for tweens to watch. They can somehow relate to these characters, I guess. They are at that awkward stage and seeing other awkward kids makes them feel normal, I suppose. If you have time, check out their YouTube channel and look around.
I am always excited to see cartoon films. If you have read my blog for a while, you'll know that I generally see most animated feature-length films while they are still in theaters. Since Harry Potter and Tangled are coming out later this month, I expected Megamind to be a decent film for a lazy Sunday afternoon to tide me over until these come out. To be honest with you, I am not a huge fan of 3D, so I watched Megamind in good, old-fashioned 2D and I enjoyed the whole thing. Hit the jump for the full review (with spoilers).
Every now and then, a cartoon comes out that is funny and somewhat moralistic. Enter My Life as a Teenage Robot. This Frederator produced cartoon had a rather good soundtrack, decent animation and a fairly good storyline. Most episodes have a moral, but unlike other cartoons, you aren't knocked over the head with it.
XJ-9 (better known as Jenny) is a teenage robot created by scientist Nora Wakeman to protect Earth from alien invasions and other disasters. Instead of taking this responsibility seriously, Jenny prefers to hang out with her friend Brad and his brother Tucker. She has her share of odd encounters and romantic interests.
Perhaps what I like most about My Life as a Teenage Robot is that it presents a bit of a homage to animation greats Walt Disney and Otto Messmer. The popular hangout spot for Jenny and her friends is a spot called Mezmer's that has a black cat on its roof (Otto Mesmer created Felix the Cat). One episode pits glove-wearing mice in red shorts against Jenny (Mickey Mouse anyone?). These little Easter eggs are fun for me to see and hearken back to the beginnings of animation. While there are not any new episodes, you can catch some reruns on Nicktoons.
Man, Darkwing Duck was a great cartoon. It really reminds me of a "Disney-fied" version of Batman. Basically, you've got an average citizen—Drake Mallard—that fights crime by moonlight as alias Darkwing Duck. He has a somewhat reliable sidekick named Launchpad. Occasionally, his adopted daughter Gosalyn jumps into the fight for justice.
The villains are always unsuccessful in defeating DW, so naturally good wins every time. The stories had morals/lessons in them. But hey, this was the 90s. If a cartoon didn't have morals at this time, it was probably Ren & Stimpy and your parents didn't like you watching it—though you watched it anyway. Darkwing Duck was the cartoon that you enjoyed watching because it had action and lots of little cliffhangers between commercial breaks. Apparently, the comic books are still popular now with new ones being released regularly. You can relive the series by purchasing it on DVD or scouring the internet for episodes.
I'm going to be very honest with you, reader. I feel that the cartoon has evolved from the old classics. Cartoons have become punchier and more visually appealing, yes—however, the good old days of cartoons released some of the best ideas that you could imagine. One of these classics was The Jetsons.
First of all, if you have never watched The Jetsons, then my friend, you have never lived. From the catchy theme song to the hilarious idea of what "the future" would bring, The Jetsons served up a great family show with lots of laughs. Like most cartoons from the "good old days," The Jetsons can sometimes take a while to get to the end of a gag. Also, the animation is definitely dated. But you get a better appreciation of animation and the cartoon industry when you watch shows like The Jetsons and their counterpart, The Flintstones. The show even spawned several cartoon movies and a live-action feature-length film.
Have any fond memories of The Jetsons? Let me know what you think about it. If you have never watched the show before, you can purchase or rent the DVDs or watch it on air if you have Boomerang (contact your cable provider for more information).
Sooner or later, readers, I would have to bring SpongeBob into my weekly chatter. Like Ren & Stimpy, SpongeBob SquarePants is a cartoon you either love or hate. There if often very little middle-ground. I know that there are those of you who are not attracted to yellow, porous, driver's test failing, square pants wearing, snail owning, karate practicing sponges that live in pineapples under the sea, but the cartoon is quite entertaining and very imaginative. Even I must admit that some sketches do not appeal to me (Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy, you won't find me watching you), but overall SpongeBob is a diverse and hilarious distraction from the ordinary.
Spongebob even has a cast of well-developed and diverse characters. Many minor characters, like Mr. Krab's daughter Pearl, make reappearances in later episodes. Of course, the yellow sponge for whom the show is named always makes a great entrance and continues to astound you with his random behaviors.
There are several recurring themes throughout the series such as SpongeBob's obsession with jellyfishing. The show almost makes them look so cute, but then they electrocute a character and they lose that cuddly feel. Perhaps it is the storytelling that I enjoy most in SpongeBob. If it weren't for the storytelling, I'm pretty certain that the cartoon wouldn't last for more than 10 years like it has. I'm not certain how much longer it will continue, but SpongeBob will always be a favorite of mine.
I happened upon Edible Castle and I decided that I must share it with you, reader. If you are familiar with—and like—Homestarrunner, you will probably enjoy this as well. The site has several short cartoons and a very fun game (with more games in the works). Now, before you get upset with me, I must warn you that Edible Castle is not appropriate for young children. There is some bad language and graphic violence. You will need the Flash player to watch the toons and play the games (Flash 10 recommended, but everything still works with Flash 9 if you cannot upgrade for some reason).
I visited despicable.me and found that the site has been updated. It launches full screen (always annoys me) and has some rather difficult controls (you have to hold down your mouse to move the cursor, kind of weird), but the new trailers are so exciting. I can't wait until July! You can say whatever you want, but an evil genius trying to steal the Moon?—Awesome! Now throw in three girls who see said evil genius as a potential dad and I am ready to get to the theater. Oh, there will be minions too! Did I mention that it's in 3D? Visit the site for more.
Remember Magilla Gorilla? He was 100 times cooler than Grape Ape and annoyed Mr. Peebles like there was no tomorrow. Well, there is this video that comes on Boomerang that I'd like to share with you (now that I can). It's a pretty catchy little song called "Gorilla 4 Sale" by Michael Unger. Check out the video below.
For some reason, the rain always makes me think about Bambi. That's right, the old, Disney cartoon with the ridiculously adorable baby deer that loses his mother and is forced to live with his distant (and random) father. You know what I liked about Bambi—I loved this movie, I used to watch it daily—was the simplicity of it all. Learning words, meeting people, being exposed to the world, losing loved ones, growing up, conflicts with others, falling in love and finding your way. Within 70 minutes, the entire path of life is presented through traditional animation.
However, I was talking about why I think of this film during the rain. I apologize, I was sidetracked momentarily. In one scene, they show a random thunderstorm that scares the bejesus out of Bambi. At this point, some high pitch ladies are singing about an April shower. Beautiful sound, beautiful sound.
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