Old School Lane presents Kevin's Top 100 Animated Shows (79-70)

Hey everyone, welcome to the next batch of awesome cartoons from my list of my absolute favorite animated shows. Let’s continue the list from numbers 79-70.

79. The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog/Sonic SatAm (1993)

When I went to Toys R Us last week, I saw a 12 inch Sonic figure to celebrate for the series’ 20th anniversary. That got me thinking about the older Sonic cartoon series from the 90’s. I couldn’t choose between The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic SatAm, so I chose both.

What I liked about The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was the silliness, crazy animation, and Sonic himself. He was cocky, sly, strategic, and always won against the evil Dr. Robotnik and his idiotic robotic sidekicks. In the end of every episode, there was a segment called Sonic Sez, in which Sonic and Tails teaches life lessons to kids. Great show overall.

With Sonic SatAm, it was a much more darker, serious version of Sonic the Hedgehog. It had completely different characters that wasn’t in the video game series, but we still loved them anyway. Dr. Robotnik was fantastic in this show. He was scary, threatening, intelligent, strategic, and voiced by Jim Cummings. Who doesn’t love that? It was such a shame that the show was cancelled after one season. Not only that, but it ending at a cliffhanger ending, which really got me pissed off. Oh well, it was still great and is one of the few cartoons based on a video game that was actually good. 

One thing to mention about both of these shows is that Sonic was voiced by the same guy, Jaleel White, whom many of you might know as Steve Urkel from Family Matters. For some of you younger members, he’s the newest contestant of Dancing with the Stars. Patricia and I don’t watch the show at all, but if Jaleel does the Urkel dance, we will watch it every night. We are not joking. 

78. The Angry Beavers (1997)

This original Nicktoon got to be one of the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen involving two brothers. Nick Bakay had an amazing chemistry with Richard Horvitz as the beavers Norbert and Daggett. The episodes made them have crazy adventures at their dam, battling an evil voodoo queen, becoming pets to a crazy, yet typical suburban home, becoming astronauts, becoming soldiers, staying up all night, dressing up as a superhero and supervillain, and so much more. Here’s some interesting for you: In the episode “Dumb Waiters”, the beavers become waiters in a restaurant and they bring in a tray of masks. One of the masks is Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold.

One of my favorite characters is Stump, who is literally a stump with a face that never speaks, but seems to be this really cool character. Another favorite is Treeflower, Norbert’s on and off again girlfriend. She’s expressive, unique, and fun. The Angry Beavers is a staple of 90’s Nick shows that you should watch.

77. Daria (1997)

At first I didn’t like Daria since I was more of a Beavis and Butthead fan, but as I watched more and more of the episodes, I came to enjoy it. Daria had a monotone voice and witty humor, which I loved about her. Most people who do monotone voices end up being boring or awkward characters (I’m looking at you Samus Aran fromMetroid: Other M), but it worked perfectly for Daria’s personality. Similar to Beavis and Butthead, it makes fun of suburban life and high school in the 90’s. It would have been nice if they had a Daria doll or maybe a life action movie, but I’m really happy that they released the series on DVD. Here’s to hoping that Daria would make a cameo in the new Beavis and Butthead cartoon.

76. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is not only one of the most original and bizarre animated shows on Adult Swim, but one of the best animated shows in our current generation. The first episode takes us through the lives of Meatwad, Master Shake, and Frylock being superheroes fighting crime, but throughout the rest of the series, they just hang out at their house dealing with a bunch of crazy scenarios. Out of the three characters, my favorite is Meatwad, although he’s sort of a ripoff of Cartman with his voice. I also love Carl, their next door neighbor, with his witty remarks, his white wife beater shirt, his blue sweatpants, his green flip-flops, and his golden necklace. I’m hoping to watching the movie real soon and the upcoming sequel. 

75. Family Guy (1999)

Many people call this show a South Park or Simpsons ripoff, but there’s more to it than people think. Seth MacFarland is not only brilliant creating a bunch of lovable characters, but poking fun of society and pop culture in a funny and original way. The voice cast is amazing with Seth voicing Peter Griffin, Brian the dog, and the baby in the family, Stewie Griffin, who wants nothing more than world domination and killing his mother Lois. Speaking of Lois, she’s voiced brilliantly by MAD TV’s own Alex Borstein, Meg’s voiced by the sexy Mila Kunis, and Chris is voiced by Seth Green. This is one of the few shows that I’ve heard of that has gotten cancelled and returned on T.V. Not only once, but twice. That’s how popular the show has gotten. Let’s hope that it remains on T.V. for a long, long time.

74. Duckman (1994)

The 90’s had a slew of animated sitcoms. Some were great, some weren’t. Duckman was one of those great animated sitcoms. The story was about a duck named Duckman, voiced by Jason Alexander, who is a widowed private detective during the day and lives with his crazy family consisting of his three sons, his sister-in-law, and his mother-in-law. This show makes fun of 40’s and 50’s detective movies in a clever and humorous way. My favorite characters are definitely his partner/best friend Cornfed Pig and the Care Bear like dolls, Fluffy and Uranus.

Similar to Sonic SatAm, this show ends with a cliffhanger after a shocking revelation was revealed and the explanation was cut off. That really pissed me off. This show was animated by Klasky Csupo, the same animation team who created shows like Rugrats, Aaahh! Real Monsters, As Told By Ginger, and Rocket Power, which is interesting since this is one of the few shows that they animated that was not intended for kids. Nonetheless, this show is a lot of fun to watch. 

73. The Critic (1994)

Similar to Duckman, The Critic was a great 90’s animated sitcom. Jay Sherman, played by Jon Lovitz, is a typical film critic who has a passion for reviewing movies. The movies he reviews on are parodies of movies that came out at the time such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Lion King, and Silence of the Lambs. One of my favorite episodes is “Dial M for Mother” in which Homer and Bart Simpson made cameos in the show. Jay would make several appearances in the Simpsons as well, which I always enjoy. 

The Critic only had two seasons before it was cancelled, which was a shame since it was such a great show that didn’t get the chance it needed to become popular to the viewing audience. But thank God that it was released on DVD and it’s starting to get more noticed by people as a creative and funny show.

72. Dexter’s Laboratory (1996)

I like to call this show the Jimmy Neutron of the 90’s. It involved a boy genius named Dexter who has a laboratory hidden in his room from his family where he conducts his scientific experiments. However, his older, yet dimwitted sister DeeDee always destroys his experiments or tries his concoctions without him knowing. This always results in major catastrophes that Dexter has to always solve. One of my favorite characters is Dexter’s rival Mandark, who is basically an older, smarter version of the main character, but a tad bit goofier. I loved Christine Cavanaugh as the voice of Dexter, but after the 4th season, it was replaced by Candi Milo, who does a pretty good job voicing as him.

The show kinda lost my interest around the 5th season, but I’ll always remember the creative episodes that  involved a 50 foot tall DeeDee, Dexter trying to create a serum to age himself to see a movie late at night, Dexter spying on his sister’s sleepover to see why they act the way they do, Dexter trying to learn French, and so much more.  

71. Justice League/Justice League Unlimited (2001 for JL) (2004 for JLU)

 

Previous incarnations of animated shows based on the Justice League were cheesy and campy. But when Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, the great minds who animated and wrote episodes of Batman: The Animated Series andSuperman: The Animated Series put their minds together, you got a dark, serious, action packed, and smartly written animated series based on the Justice League. Characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and so much more were fascinating to watch and to know more about. One of my favorite characters was Gigantica, who kind of reminded me of Jessica Rabbit mixed with Nancy from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. If you’re into dark, serious, and epic animated adaptations of superheroes, then this show is definitely for you.

70. The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley (1988)

This fictional character was created by Martin Short in 1982 and had gained popularity whenever he appeared inSCTV and Saturday Night Life. When Hanna Barbera animated this show in 1988, it had everything that made the sketches great in cartoon form. The show is about Ed Grimley’s crazy adventures with his friends. It had a great voice cast like Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Frank Welker, and Jonathan Winters. Ed Grimley is one of the best iconic characters from the 80’s alongside Pee-wee Herman, Elvira, Ernest P. Worrell, Alf, and Kermit the Frog. His show had a great opening theme and funny episodes. 

Do you have any fond memories of these cartoons? Post it in the comments and let us know. Hope to see you around Old School Lane real soon. Thanks for reading.

-Kevin

First Impressions: Assassin's Creed III

Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of First Impressions. While Kevin is finishing up his list of his favorite animated shows, I had gotten the latest issue of Game Informer magazine. I read about a lot of great upcoming games, but one that caught my eye was the cover of the magazine showing a glimpse of the third numbered titled, yet fifth installment of the Assassin’s Creed series. Holy crap, does this look epic!

Just like the picture indicates, the story takes place between 1753 and 1783 around Colonial America, specifically Boston and New York, during the years of the American Revolutionary War. It also takes place almost 250 years after the events of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. This is the first time that the series will not take place around Europe, like the previous games, which brings a breath of fresh air to the series. Gone are the tall, eloquent buildings to climb around like a Medieval Spiderman. Now, you’re leaping from tree to tree, observing the British Redcoats’ movements and strategies.

The main character in the game is not Ezio or Altair, but a new assassin named Ratohnhaké:ton (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-gay-doon) but he calls himself Connor. He’s a half English, half Mohawk man who goes into joining the war after his home was attacked by white colonists. Similar to the previous games, Connor will meet and interact with actual historical figures. In this game, he’ll meet up with General George Washington and join alongside him during the main battles of the war. To replace Assassin’s Creed II’s Leonard da Vinci as the weapon and gadget guy, we have Benjamin Franklin. The same man who invented the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, and bifocals will be your go-to guy for all your necessities to bring about pain to your enemies. 

The gameplay will also differ compared to the other games in the series. Connor’s movement and fighting style is completely different compared to Ezio and Altair’s. There are no hidden blades in the game, instead Connor fights with a tomahawk that looks like the Assassin’s logo and a knife. Instead of a crossbow, Connor uses a traditional bow and arrow. Instead of a portable cannon gun, he has a 18th century revolver. Not to mention attacking and defending are the same button, which makes it a lot easier to control.

Ubisoft promises that this will be the biggest game to date, with massive exploring to do, many tasks to perform along the way, different environmental changes such as introducing snow and rain to the game, and a much deeper storyline. The game comes out October 30th and for anyone who is a big fan of the series, this is one that you should put in your gaming list as a game that you must pick up.

That’s all for today. Thanks for hanging out with us around Old School Lane. Catch you later.

-Patricia

Old School Lane presents Kevin's Top 100 Animated Shows (89-80)

Welcome to the continuation of my top 100 animated shows of all time. I already posted my first couple of cartoons, so let’s continue, shall we?

89. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

One of the keys of having a good animated show is having interesting characters that you can relate to, love, or have never seen before. Bryan Konietzko and Micheal Dante Dimartino gave us characters that we were each very unique. The story involves a 12-year-old Airbender named Aang who is an Avatar. An avatar is a master of the four elements; water, earth, air, and fire. He’s also responsible of bringing balance to the world and sustain peace and tranquility. Not to be confused with the blue monkey-like alien creatures from James Cameron’s movie. Aang was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years and finds himself with a world corrupted with war from the Fire Nation led by an evil ruler named Fire Lord Ozai. With his friends Katara and Sokka, they work hard to get Aang to finish his training to master the elements, defeat Fire Lord Ozai, and stop the war from happening.

Each episode puts you into an adventure that our eyes have never seen before. Avatar: The Last Airbenderstands out from the rest of the Nickelodeon shows because at times, it can be funny, but also very serious. With an great voice cast, this show is one of this generation’s greatest animated series. I have high hopes for theAvatar: The Legend of Korra, the followup to Avatar: The Last Airbender. One more thing to mention, avoid the live action movie at all costs. 

88. Gravedale High (1990)

Universal movie monsters. Rick Moranis, and Hanna Barbera. This interesting mix equals one great show. The story involves with a teacher named Max Schneider who dedicates his life to teaching monsters their basic teachings and life lessons. While Gravedale High didn’t last very long, it gave me an amazing impression on what these monsters would be like if they were kids. I had not seen anything like this since Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School. The show may be dated, but it definitely takes you on a trip towards memory lane. Rick Moranis is as good as a voice actor. Jackie Earl Haley from Watchman and the Nightmare on Elm Street remake is hilarious as Gill Waterman, a surfer Creature from the Black Lagoon. They didn’t release any memorabilia from the series, but I remember the McDonald’s Happy Meal toys.

87. South Park (1997)

What has not been said about South Park that has already been said? With its crude and blunt humor and its satire of today’s pop culture by poking fun of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Snooki and The Situation from Jersey Shore, and Kim Kardashian, this show is a staple of TV animation. The show, similar toThe Simpsons, Family Guy, and even Hey Arnold ,have an array of townspeople that no one can forget. Cartman, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and even Butters, are the poster boys for kickass characters. With clever humor and well thought out stories, this show is a must watch and I’m so glad that it’s continuing in its 16th season.

86. ThunderCats (1985)

In the 1980’s, there were several superhero shows. Some based on comics, some based on toys, and some based on imagination. The original ThunderCats is a staple of 80’s animation in which animorphic humanistic cats led by Lion-O fights off against the evil Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra was just as good as any 80’s villain such as Skeletor, Shredder, Krang, Gargamel, Megatron and the Boogie Man from The Real Ghostbusters. The show was filled with action, suspense, and the most craziest drawn creatures that anyone had ever seen before. While it is the pinnacle of many jokes for Robot Chicken, the remake isn’t half bad, and the CGI or live action movie that is currently in limbo, the ThunderCats will always remain as one of the best 80’s cartoons ever. Also, they had an incredible toyline being re-released again. If you have a son and daughter who is into the new series, I strongly recommend to introduce them to the original. 

85. Inspector Gadget (1983)

One of the things I loved about Inspector Gadget was the amazing theme song and great music throughout the series. While the music is uploaded on YouTube, this song is something that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to have in my iPod. The story involves with a robotic detective name Inspector Gadget who stops the plans of the M.A.D. organization led by the evil Dr. Claw. Inspector Gadget is clutsy and goofy, but loveable. He was voiced brilliantly by the late Don Adams. I loved the running gag of never seeing what Dr. Claw looked like, however if you remember the 1992-1993 toys, we actually got to see what he looked like. I was very disappointed.

Watching the show when I was young, I had always wanted the computer book that Penny had. When I was a baby, whenever I watched the show, I would pick up thick books, opened them and pressed on them like buttons the same way Penny did. Inspector Gadget is a brilliant show, overall. The 12 inch Inspector Gadget doll/action figure based on the show is worth a ton of money, but I will own it someday. Oh, and don’t get me started on the 1999 live action movie…I forgive you, Matthew Broderick.

84. Space Goofs (1997)

This is the show that is very obscure, to say the least. It was part of the FOX Saturday morning lineup. The story involves five aliens who crash land on Earth after their ship was hit by an asteroid. They take shelter in a house preventing humans from moving in while trying to find a way to get back on their home planet. It was an alien version of Ren and Stimpy. The characters and the animation were so trippy that when watching it, I had to make sure that the sugar from my cereal wasn’t going into my brain. But truth be told, this show holds a special place in my heart. It had a catchy theme song, sung by Iggy Pop, how cool is that? Space Goofs is one of the weirdest cartoons that you have to check out.

83. Richie Rich (1980)

Althought that Richie Rich was based on the Harvey comics, the animated show was different to say the least. The show was joined with Scooby Doo on Saturday mornings. While Richie Rich looks somewhat like his comic book counterpart with his red sweater with an R, blue jeans, blue bow tie, and white sneakers instead of a black suit, blue shorts, red bow tie, and white boots. The show meshed wonderfully with the Hanna Barbera take. I loved Irona, she was a kickass maid and the best robotic maid since Rosie from The Jetsons. A robot with heels? Interesting.

P.S. Loved Richie in the Metlife commercial where he escorted Daphne and Scooby Doo out of the limousine. 

82. Fantastic Max (1988)

A lot of people don’t remember this show very well. Like Inspector Gadget, both the theme song and the music were awesome. The show involved a talking toddler named Max traveling around outer space with his toys. I loved his catchphrase, “Dirty Diapers”, which I still said after the show was cancelled. I loved FX, his pull string rubber alien doll and A.B. Sitter, the robot who was made of blocks, who made the show what it was. I wish they had made dolls for them. The show had a great villain and had a perfect 80’s feel to it. The show was its hayday of Hanna Barbera shows. I always like it when Fantastic Max made a sand sculpture of his baby bottle brought to life by FX and I loved the music for when it was brought to life by his ears. One of my favorite episodes was when a female scientist had captured Max and was going to cure the world from talking babies. That brought realism to the show, which I loved. Rocket and Roll!

81. Fanboy and Chum-Chum (2009)

Fanboy and Chum-Chum is one of the few recent Nickelodeon shows that I love to watch.  David Hornsby and Nika Futterman, the voice actors of Fanboy and Chum Chum have great chemistry. Although Jeff Bennett voices Boog, Hank Mufflin is my favorite. Character of their striking resemblance bears the main character from Invader of the Body Snatchers. The show does not take itself seriously, which it shouldn’t. It plays on several gross themes that was an homage of several classic Nickelodeon shows such as Ren and Stimpy. It also referencess classic animated shows like Voltron, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It also referenced movies such as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. I’m debating on whether to get the action figures of Fanboy and Chum Chum. What do you think?

80. CatDog (1998)

One of the biggest questions everyone asks on CatDog is how do they go to the bathroom? Well, you’re going to have to ask the creator for yourself. Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, and Carlos Alazraqui are brilliant as CatDog and Winslow. One of my favorite characters was Mr. Sunshine, who could be best friends with Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh and Charlie Brown. CatDog went on many adventures, no matter how zany they were, it was still fun to watch. One of the few late 90’s cartoons on Nickelodeon before they entered a new era of mostly crappy cartoons. I loved CatDog’s appearance of Figure it Out. I always wanted the CatDog hand puppet. Another catchy theme song, which was a country song that the creator himself wrote. I’m glad that this show is getting a proper DVD release by Shout Factory.

Do you have any fond memories of these cartoons? Post it in the comments and let me know. Expect more great cartoons real soon. Hope to see you around the Old School Lane soon. Take care.

-Kevin