Classic Cartoons Vs. Modern Cartoons

[D'Snowth]

I did a thread like this at ToonZone before I left, so I thought I'd do this here...

So many cartoon series these days are obviously "rip-offs" so-to-speak of classic cartoon series from the 50's, 60's 70's, etc. Here are some of my examples...

* I am Weasel Vs. Bugs and Daffy: On I am Weasel, Weasel was always being bugged and challenged by the dimwitted I.R. Baboon, much like how Daffy is always bugging and trying to do better than Bugs Bunny.

* Courage the Cowardly Dog Vs. Scooby Doo: As much as I really hate to admit it, Courage is similiar to Scooby Doo in a few ways: a scaredy cat of a dog who works hard to save his masters from ghoulish creatures for the sake of love. Courage even had a Scoobyish attitude in one early episode: "Who has time to worry on an empty stomach?"

* Sheep in the Big City Vs. Rocky and Bullwinkle: Wise-cracking "wordy" narrator, the wacky inserts, the serial cliffhangers, animal stars with human enemies, need I say more?

* Time Squad Vs. Peabody's Improbable History: Both shows were aimed to make history fun for kids who hate history, they both were about traveling back in time to repair history, they both had adopted red-headed boys with glasses.

Those are just a few I could think of right now.

 

[MrsPepper]

It's hard to just pick shows, but I notice alot of old cartoons take ideas or aspects, or even plots, and just recycle them. One example I can think of is the similar style of the narrator in something classic like Rocky and Bullwinkle, and then a new cartoon like The Powerpuff Girls.
I don't know alot of these new cartoons you've mentioned, but I've seen it in other shows so I know what you mean.

(Nice avatar DS, by the way.)

 

[crazed gonzo fa]

Well I've never really noticed the simularity between these shows, but I agree that cartoons aren't what they used to be. My familiy doesn't have cable but my grandma does. One thing we always look forward to is watching tv at her house(that's not the only thing we look forward to). And whenever we watch it there's always several new shows on. Do kids shows come off an assembly line or something? By the way, I love Time Squad!!!

 

[melissa@muppet]

I like the old cartoons, the flinstones,scooby doo, jetsons,smurfs.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Well I've never really noticed the simularity between these shows

Me neither. But I loved Courage when it was on

I like the old cartoons, the flinstones,scooby doo, jetsons,smurfs.

You should consider getting boomerang (if you dont already have it, or if you even can. I'm Not sure what tv stations are like where you live)

 

[Drtooth]

Well, I cannot compare classic to modern cartoons without really going into deep specifics about certian shows. I feel that most animation forms are all wonderful. With that said, I'd like to add a few things to what's been said.

I feel Courage the cowardly dog was a much better show than Scooby ever was. DOn't get me wrong, I LOVE Scooby, but the shows are routine and formulaic. It does have a nice campy fun feel to it, but it's not totally an achievement to animation, other than the fact it has been on forever in different formats. I did love the "What's new Scooby Doo?" series. I felt it satirized the older series in a much funnier, more loving light than the 2 live action movies. Plus, they did refference older Hanna Barbara shows (for example, in a Halloween special, one character was wearing a Hong Kong Phooey costume). The real downside to Scooby was the ENDLESS ripoffs that Hanna Barabara made (Jabberjaw, Clue Club...etc.) but that was on par with the 70's (which also had millions of The Archies ripoffs.) but that's something I'll discuss another time. But back to my thesis, I feel Courage was much smarter and less forumulaic, even though it still had that air to it.

As for Sheep vs. Rocky, well... that's clearly more inspiration than copying. A lot of greats have been influenced by the Bullwinkle show (including Matt Groening). Look at the breif resergence of "Blocky" style cartoons like Dexter, Powerpuff Girls and Nickelodian's Fairly Odd Parents. I feel most of these shows really kept with the high humor spirit of Jay Ward/Bill Scott shows. It's a shame that after George of the Jungle, Jay couldn't sell a single pilot.

But I think the biggest New Vs. Old Battle is old Looney Tunes vs. the horrible things Warners has doen with them lately. I mean, I LOVED LT BIA and even Space Jam had it's moments... but Baby Looney Tunes and Loonatics unleashed? Hackneyed, awful, unoriginal..... especially Loonatics. Hey, Warners.... If you want an action show, rerun more seasons of Teen Titans on Kids' WB. Rerun Batman Beyond.... just don't ever do that again.

Even the new Batman show is totally inferior. Bad character designs, bad character redevelopement, bad scripts.... and this was supposed to be insipred by the Batman begins movie, which totally blew me away? They seem to have brought camp back to Gotham, even if it wasn't intentional.

So, as for preferences, by decade I liked:

the 40's and 50's Theatrical cartoons
the early shows of the 50's and 60's
the mid to late 60's
the 80's
the early to mid 90's
and spotty bits of the late 90's to today

I HATED the 70's except for Fat Albert, and Pink Panther reruns.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

Well I can't say I like any of the new cartoons today, except Jusitce League. Majority of the cartoon shows from mid 90s all the way up today are bad to aweful. I think the writers and animaters just gave up creativity wise somewhee along the way.

Maybe that's why I enjoy watching my DuckTales dvds, or the Batman animated series that came out in the early 90s. Heck I still love watching the Real Ghostbusters cartoon show on various websites, not to mention the Super Mario Bros. cartoon show.

ryan

 

[JJandJanice]

You know I have to say, I love all kinds of cartoons. If I were to make a list of all the cartoons I love, right now, the list would be too huge.

But as far as modern cartoons being rip-offs of classic cartoons, I guess that true in a lot of ways. But on the other hand, many of the "classic" cartoons were rip-offs of other shows, for example isn't the Flintstones mainly just a rip-off of The Honeymooners.

It was said on the Simpsons, if you take you take our right to steal ideas where are they going to came from.

All in all, that just the way things work. Whenever something "original" has become popular, you can bet your hard earn money that someone esle will make a somewhat copy of it. Maybe not a total "rip-off" but no question elements of the same thing. I'm not just talking about "classic" cartoons now, I'm talking about anything that become big. Another example is Pokemon, that become huge, than come Digimon, and other stuff with "mon" in the title. That's just how things work I guess.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Simpsons vs any one BRING IT

 

[vitagel]

hello

Good Buddy!!!!!!!