Adventure Time & Modern Cartoons In General.

[BlueberryMUNCH]

Escapist:] we all okay? Looking forward to the weekend? Ugh, I sure as hell am.

Anyway, I've been watching the first season of the cartoon 'Adventure Time', and I just want to say...it's made me laugh out loud more times than I care to remember. It's amazing, it's brilliant...it's...just <3.

Spoiler: For all those who do not know what I'm talking about, here is the pilot episode

Which got me thinking...are modern cartoons really as bad as everyone says they are? Sure, maybe the 'Golden Age' has ended...but maybe we still have a glimmer of light? Things such as Adventure Time and The Marvellous Misadventures of Flapjack are real gems.

Also, what are your favourite 21st century cartoons? What are your least favourite?

Discusssss. Also, if you think there's anything else to add into the OP, just say.

 

[Gxas]

I watched that pilot a while ago. I absolutely hated it. I did not laugh once and was just angry afterwards at the fact that it was actually being broadcast on television.

Maybe I'm just too old or my sense of humor is fading, but that show is not funny. Nor are any other children's cartoons that I have seen recently.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Its an ok cartoon. Not bad but not worth watching. Only thing I like is that the dog is voiced by the same guy who voices Futurama's Bender and Gears of War's Marcus Fenix. Actually the man is in almost every CN cartoon show. (his voice is easy to spot out)

Only modern cartoon out now that I like is the CG Star Wars and even that gets extremely dumb at times. Seriously they're bringing back that character to life? And enough with the unnecessary cameos.

 

[Last of the Chinchillas]

I watched what must have been the entire first season of Adventure Time a few months ago, and I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. I didn't laugh, I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the art style, or really anything. I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't fall in love with it.
Maybe the shows I watched as a kid have influenced my idea of what a cartoon should be, but I'm just kind of disappointed that Adventure Time is as popular as it is.

 

[Macabre9037]

Phineas and Ferb really might be the best cartoon since the golden age, in my opinion. I have not watched Adventure Time, but I have heard that its good.

 

[Small Waves]

Maybe the shows I watched as a kid have influenced my idea of what a cartoon should be, but I'm just kind of disappointed that Adventure Time is as popular as it is.

If the shows you watched as a kid influenced your opinions on how cartoons should have been, you should be head over heels for Adventure Time. With an extremely lax attitude to be on model, nonsensical characters, wonky settings, and visual-driven humor, it brings back many of the conventions from late 80s to early-mid 90s cartoons such as Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Ren and Stimpy, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rocko's Modern Life, etc. that have become less common at an alarming rate. It's like watching someone's imagination wonder in the form of a cartoon.

Only modern cartoon out now that I like is the CG Star Wars and even that gets extremely dumb at times. Seriously they're bringing back that character to life? And enough with the unnecessary cameos.

I can seriously name more than half a dozen cartoons that are still running that are better than the CG Star Wars series.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I can't stand most cartoons nowadays. It could perhaps be that i'm heavily influenced by the cartoons of the 90's or whatever but none of the cartoons today make me laugh or keep my attention long enough to finish an episode.

 

[FaustianBargain]

I am 100% of the opinion that cartoons have begun to make a comeback with the likes of Flapjack, Adventure Time, and Chowder. It's definitely no second golden age but as long as the people behind these shows stick around I think CN's lineup will get much better.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Phineas and Ferb is brilliant.

Adventure Time... not so much. And this is coming from someone who was a huge Cartoon Network fan when he was younger.

 

[Infernai]

Favorite 21st century cartoon? If i had to pick, i'd say Star wars: Clone wars (The non-CG one).

 

[Au Naturel.]

I sighed when Abraham Lincoln popped up. I like the art style of the show, but it's much to random to garner any laughs from me. You need to set a joke up, it doesn't just happen. But the art style, as I said, was nice!

Favorite cartoon? The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy! Fantastic cartoon! Creepy, hilarious, sweet art style, surreal... great! It really is a wonderful show. WONDERFUL!!

 

[Shoggoth2588]

If you liked Adventure Time you would probably also like Regular Show.

I like some Cartoons that are showing now: Spongebob, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Young Justice. Bob's Burgers got watchable in the 3rd or so episode. It isn't as terrible as the general consensus would suggest.

I kinda miss the old Batman: Animated Series and even the early Justice League cartoons. At least we have the disney-brand Marvel cartoons though and even Super Hero Squad which is pretty sweet if a little silly.

 

[BlueberryMUNCH]

I sighed when Abraham Lincoln popped up. I like the art style of the show, but it's much to random to garner any laughs from me. You need to set a joke up, it doesn't just happen. But the art style, as I said, was nice!

Favorite cartoon? The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy! Fantastic cartoon! Creepy, hilarious, sweet art style, surreal... great! It really is a wonderful show. WONDERFUL!!

...it's probably one of my all time favourites, but I don't think it was very well received here in the UK by more people

 

[Small Waves]

Phineas and Ferb really might be the best cartoon since the golden age, in my opinion.

When exactly was the golden age?

Late 80s/early 90s to late 90s is considered the "golden age" because of cartoons based off of toys becoming less frequent (with the few shows based on pre-existing toys or characters becoming better written) and the sudden boom of original shows, especially on Nick, Kids WB, and Fox Kids.

In the early 90s, there was The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series, Eek! The Cat, Animaniacs, Rocko's Modern Life, Reboot, 2 Stupid Dogs, Ren and Stimpy, Rugrats, Sonic (weekday and SAT AM) etc.

The mid 90s introduced cartoons like Pinky and the Brain, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo, KaBlam!, Arthur, Hey Arnold!, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Tick, Freakazoid!, etc.

The late 90s ended the era with Futurama, The Angry Beavers, Spongebob Squarepants, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Recess, Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, Men in Black: The Series, The Magic School Bus, etc.


Most of these cartoons were praised for their creativity (Dexter, KaBlam!, Powerpuff Girls), wide-audience appeal (The Simpsons, Animaniacs, Spongebob, Pinky and the Brain), satirization (Johnny Bravo, The Tick, Freakazoid!), darker writing (Batman, Sonic SAT AM), at the time left-field animation techniques and art styles (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Ren and Stimpy, Ed,Edd, n' Eddy), down to earth settings (Hey Arnold!), surreality (Rocko's Modern Life, Courage, Sonic WKD), and continuity (Arthur, Futurama). Many of the people who worked on these shows still have a career in television and have won awards for their past and current accomplishments.

 

[Justanothergamer300]

The moment they killed Saturday morning cartoons things started going downhill

But maybe people need to stop looking at tv animation and try some internet shows people have more freedom to do what they want on the internet.

 

[Last of the Chinchillas]

If the shows you watched as a kid influenced your opinions on how cartoons should have been, you should be head over heels for Adventure Time. With an extremely lax attitude to be on model, nonsensical characters, wonky settings, and visual-driven humor, it brings back many of the conventions from late 80s to early-mid 90s cartoons such as Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Ren and Stimpy, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rocko's Modern Life, etc. that have become less common at an alarming rate. It's like watching someone's imagination wonder in the form of a cartoon.

And see, I loved all of those shows, but I really didn't like Adventure Time. I gave it a chance and watched episode after episode, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'm just getting old and boring or maybe it was something else about those shows that appealed to me that Adventure Time doesn't have.

 

[gigastar]

I mostly abandoned cartoons in favor of anime's. Im not saying cartoons are bad but for me anime is just better.

Besides even if theres an occasional gem of a cartoon it still has to rise above the immense waves of moderately shit ones (Disney) and poorly dubbed anime (4kids).