B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping some cartoons into the ol’ VCR. 

I love cartoons. Seriously. I’m a little animation fiend. I think it’s easy to write off cartoons because of the medium. But, some of the cartoons from my childhood, and some of the cartoons I watch in adulthood, have more inclusion and better storytelling than their live action counterparts. Additionally, animation gives a creator more flexibility to share their narratives, as cartoons don’t have the same confines and restrictions as live action shows. 

All this to say, I love cartoons. Several of my tattoos even pay homage to the cartoons that raised me (and there are plans for several more, trust me), as well as the cartoons that came around a bit later on in my life. 

There’s no way I can include every single cartoon I loved as a kid; I was fortunate to grow up in the golden age of Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney, etc… So I’ve chosen the cartoons I still revisit to this very day. The same goes for the cartoons I’ve found in the past few years. 

I’m going to divide things up a smidge to keep “old” and “new” separate, but my love of these cartoons remains equal across the categories.  

Alrighty, friends, let’s hop to it. 

The Cartoons That Raised Me 

As I said earlier, I’m extremely lucky to have grown up in the era of cartoons that I did. I was, for lack of a better term, an interesting child, and all of the cartoons I watched only fueled my weirdness.

As Told By Ginger – First and foremost, Ginger was a writer, and I’ve been writing ever since I got a Barbie journal in Kindergarten. Also, As Told By Ginger showed the kind of peeps I was hanging out with and paralleled a lot of issues I faced. I also have a tattoo of Macie a la the talent show episode where she dresses up as The Little Seal Girl. 

Pepper Ann – Similarly to As Told By Ginger, Pepper Ann had these delusions of grandeur that I could relate to. I’ve always been a daydreamer (I think it goes hand-in-hand with the writer in me), and I also related to Pepper Ann’s plight of always wanting just a little bit more. I don’t have a Pepper Ann tattoo yet, but I can assure you that she’s on the list. 

Daria – I feel like this one is probably one of the most obvious. I’ve been compared to Jane Lane on multiple occasions (including comparisons from people other than myself). Daria, like most of the shows on this list, could never be replicated, and my god, do I understand wanting to break out of the confines of a small town. And yes, I do have a Jane Lane tattoo. 

Yeah, I think Jane is also the kind of girl who would have a ceramic fish plate she affectionately named Lance Bass hanging above the doorway of her kitchen. 

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast – Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Daria are both unique in that not only are they two of my favorite cartoons, but they’re two of my favorite shows of all time. Space Ghost: Coast to Coast shaped Adult Swim as we know it, and I maintain that it’s one of the funniest shows of all time. I don’t have Tad Ghostal tattooed quite yet, but he’s also in the works. 

Doug – Sir Douglas Funnie and I go way back. I was even Quailman for Boo Bowl, aka I performed an entire high school marching band halftime show with underwear on the outside of khaki shorts. Like Pepper Ann, Doug had all of these big dreams, and like Ginger, he wrote about everything and everything in his life. It seems as though I have a type. 

Tiny Toons – I loved Tiny Toons, but there are two particular related properties that shaped me: Tiny Toons’ Night Ghoulery and the music video episodes, “Toon TV” and “Tiny Toon Music Television.” The grip these specials had over me. I’m a sucker for a good parody and a good reference, and these are *chef’s kiss*. 

I tried to teach myself to be ambidextrous because Doug was left-handed.

Hey Arnold! – Hey Arnold! is another prime example of lightning in a bottle. I don’t think it would land today in the same way it did back in the late 90s/early 00s. Hey Arnold! is one of those shows that I can pop on for background noise, or whenever I don’t know what to watch, and still have a great time. 

Kim Possible – My text tone is the Kimmunicator notification sound, and I have no shame in my heart. Kim Possible had several strong, female characters, and that’s what drew me in. Also, my massive crush on Will Friedle didn’t hurt. Kim Possible is like an animated version of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and I couldn’t get enough (especially the horror episode where they revisit Ron’s childhood summer camp).  

King of the Hill – I know this might seem like a weird entry, but King of the Hill was one of the few shows my entire family agreed on, so we watched it together. As an adult, I still constantly quote and/or reference it. I think it’s one of the funniest shows of all time, and it’s a little too close to home because I grew up in small town Texas. 

The Powerpuff Girls – I’ll be 31 soon, and I still watch The Powerpuff Girls’ Christmas special every single Christmas Eve. I was OBSESSED with the Powerpuff Girls. I had all of the playsets, the CD, you name it. 

RIP Brittany Murphy. 

The Cartoons That Found Me 

Note: I have plans to get tattoos of characters from all of these shows. 

Gravity Falls – I first watched Gravity Falls back in college, but I didn’t fully appreciate it until the pandemic started. I was in lockdown for three weeks, and I rewatched Gravity Falls at least twice (the pandemic is also how I got into YouTube, but that’s a story for another piece). This show is so very special to me, and Mabel Pines is truly an icon. 

Steven Universe – I also found Steven Universe at the beginning of the pandemic, and boy howdy, the way this show made me sob. I binged every piece of Steven Universe content I could, and when I reached the end, I sat in silence for several minutes. I had so many things on my plate that I cried BIG tears when Steven turned into a monster as a direct result of his mental health. If you haven’t seen Steven Universe, start watching it immediately. 

How I look sending work emails from my couch. 

The Owl House – A friend and I put on The Owl House to kill some time, and I was completely enamored. It’s extremely LGBTQIA+ inclusive, and it’s also made me sob on more than one occasion (honestly, every cartoon in this section has). It’s a travesty that this and Dead End: Paranormal Park were both canceled because the representation they gave was extremely important, especially with the current state of affairs. 

Dead End: Paranormal Park – Whenever anyone asks me for a show recommendation, I’ll always throw out Dead End: Paranormal Park. I already wrote an entire piece about this show, so I won’t gush too hard about it. But, you should absolutely watch both seasons as soon as possible. 

We Bare Bears – If you want to talk about tears, WOOF. We Bare Bears is wonderful, but get ready to cry some big, ugly tears, particularly in the flashbacks. I own a stuffed set of Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear that currently reside in my living room. And yes, they’re designed to stack. 

Mfw I knew I was right the entire time and someone finally acknowledged they were wrong.

Streaming Cheat Sheet 

I thought it was a little jarring to throw streamers into the listicle itself, so I’ve created a handy dandy list that includes where you can stream all of the cartoons I mentioned. 

As Told By Ginger – Paramount+

Pepper Ann – Disney+

Daria – Paramount+ 

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast – Max 

Doug – Paramount+

Tiny Toons – Available to rent through VOD 

Hey Arnold! – Paramount+ 

Kim Possible – Disney+

King of the Hill – Hulu

The Powerpuff Girls – Max

Gravity Falls – Disney+, Hulu 

Stephen Universe – Max 

The Owl House – Disney+

Dead End: Paranormal Park – Netflix 

We Bare Bears – Max