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When I was a kid Cartoons were only on the TV on Saturday mornings. Shocker I know. But really it was true. We would wait all week for it and get up willingly early to see them. The magic of The Bugs Bunny Show or Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Jetsons or the Beatles even. All of these mixed in with the old nature cartoons and follow the bouncing ball sing along styles left over from the movies. (Yes, movie theaters had cartoons on between shows to keep the audience entertained.) The Hanna Barberra jingles at the end of each show still ring in my head.
Cartoons of yesterday. The road runners constant flight from the coyote and the coyotes constant endangerment of self. Violence and meanness, stupid slapstick and dump on the little guy stuff. Tempered with classical music and social injustice.
The cartoons of today are so different. There are shows to teach cooperation and stamp out intolerance, they help children learn life’s lessons and to care for others along the way. And there are still shows full of violence but now there is a reason and an enemy for all the gore to spring forth. The QUBO channel has family cartoons on twenty four/ seven. At any child’s beckon call there are cartoons to watch.
And still after all this time I think of Saturday morning as cartoon time. I watched the Flintstones from the very first episode every weekday night just before dinner time. When a cartoon is on TV my head snaps around to catch a moment before I get back to my task at hand.
I slept in this morning because I have an ear ache but my very first thought as I came to awakeness was, ‘Saturday, what cartoons did I miss?’ And I don’t watch Saturday morning cartoons anymore for a number of years.
We think we are grown ups and have our act pretty much together and then comes an unguarded moment and we are children wanting to know if we’ve missed our favorite Saturday Morning Cartoons.
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3 comments:
ahhhh you mentioned the 'c' word!!
No, don't get me started talking about cartoons.......did you know for the last 20 years or so I've worked in the animation studio?
I started out working for Hana Barbera in the early 80's. The only good cartoon I worked on then was Top Cat all the rest was crap so I thought. As the years went on and computers took over hand drawn animation cartoons have been getting stupider and uglier!!
You should hear how we have to dumb down story lines for kids, it's crazy. Animation these days has become so sanitized and purely only as a money making adventure and to sell merchandise.
Heaven help those that may want to enjoy what they do and put some sort of creativity, passion or art into their work, they will soon learn that they are only there as a factory line assistant equivalent to those that put the holes at the ends of tooth brushes!
You should read John K's Blog, he was the founder of Ren and Stimpy, boy does he have a few things to say about the state of animation these days!
Working in the industry has kind of ruined my joy of watching toons, as I can spot a missing frame or a disappearing prop in a glance!
Having said all that though I'm currently updating my resume and animation site so I can hopefully get more work in another animation studio sometime mid year.
I've been in the industry too long to get out of it and if the truth be known sit me in front of Bugs Bunny, Foghorn Leghorn, Road runner, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Vintage Disney, Hayao Miyazaki and some Svankmeyer stop motion, I'll be glued to the spot and and never happier!
I would have loved to work on some cool cartoons like 'Growing up Creepy','Edgar and Ellen' or Duckular!
See what happens when you mention the 'c' word??
Oh and I still plan to do my own one day if I can find a writer that's into German folklore.
It gives you something special to wake up for! :)
I'm not really sure I like the idea of 24/7 cartoons, as it becomes an easy out for a kid who is bored, rather than being required to think up something to do for themselves. Unchecked it can stifle creativity, I think.
I still watch cartoons from time to time....we've got to stay in touch with our inner child or we'd become like thode boring so & so party poopers we all loothe! Who complain that children are making too much noise when they're just playing & have no concept of the word creativity!
I have to admit to never being able to watch Roadrunner & Cayote, even as a little kid. I always felt sorry for Wile Cayote & would soon have a temper tantrum because Roadrunner always got away!! LOL It even winds me up to this day! The poor fella is just hungry!!!
I've found that you can really connect with kids if you watch cartoons. I seriously impressed some kids a few months ago with my knowledge about The X-Men, Batman & Spiderman cartoons.They were amazed! LOL!
I'll watch "Codename: Kids next Door", "Ed, Edd & Eddy", & Warner shorts whenever I can!
Oh & I'm sucker for a good Disney!
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