The first season of 'The Transformers' introduced audiences to what would become one of the most successful media franchises in recent entertainment history, spawning toys, comic books, video games, and movies.
This satirical take on American life is epitomized by the manically dysfunctional Simpson family. The sharply observed show parodies US culture and society, TV, and the human condition. And it's as relevant now as it was 30-odd years ago.
This animated comedy TV series follows the adventures of a super-cute yellow porous sponge with square pants and his aquatic friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom.
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers. Recently, a live-action version of the show was attempted, but the pilot episode absolutely tanked.
Pokémon is a spectacularly successful Japanese media franchise. The Pokémon video game series spawned an anime television series.
This British animated series follows the exploits of Bob, an affable building contractor specializing in masonry. His work vehicles are equally good-natured, and take on a life of their own.
A massive stop-motion success, the Oscar-winning 'Wallace and Gromit' comedy franchise features the homely Wallace and his best friend Gromit, a super intelligent beagle hound.
Starring America's favorite dim-witted, rock-metal-loving teenage delinquents, 'Beavis and Butt-Head' became a 1990's pop-culture phenomenon and an MTV must-see.
Also known as 'Jem and the Holograms,' this popular animated musical television series centers around record company owner Jerrica Benton and her singer alter-ego Jem. Together with her band, the Holograms, Jem sings and dances her way through numerous adventures.
'The Smurfs' hail from Belgium and in fact made their first appearance as far back as 1958. American TV audiences were introduced to the small, blue humanoid creatures during a successful run in the 1980s.
Similarly, the 1958 release 'The Chipmunk Song' heralded the arrival of American cartoon band 'Alvin and the Chipmunks.' Alvin, together with bandmates Simon and Theodore, have been rocking ever since, though it's their second animated series during the 1980s that secured them a new fanbase.
Another world-famous media franchise, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' began life in comic strip form after which a line of 'Turtle' action figures was produced. In 1987, the four ninjutsu brothers were given their own animated series. Live-action movies followed.
Disney cartoon characters are among the most beloved, and the 'DuckTales' series follows Scottish-American Scrooge McDuck and his three mischievous grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
'Garfield and Friends' follows the exploits of lovable ginger tomcat Garfield and his buddies. The series is based on the much-loved comic strip from the 1970s.
The 'Care Bears' were originally created in 1981 as characters for a children's book. A line of toys followed before the cuddly clan made their cartoon debut. A series of movies, more books, video games, and a revival of the 1985 animated series has kept the bears in the imagination of many.
The title of this cartoon series refers to a giant Super Robot starship piloted by a team of space explorers. 'Voltron' ventured further into the cosmos in a series of feature-length films and a number of video games.
One of the greatest cartoon series of all time, 'Scooby-Doo' ran for nearly20 years. Great Dane Scooby-Doo, together with teenagers Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers have since popped up in numerous spin-offs, live-action and animated films, and reruns.
Better known as 'Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats,' this enjoyable cartoon series stars an orange cat called Heathcliff. An earlier series, which ran from 1980 to 1982, had the titular feline voiced by the celebrated Mel Blanc, the man responsible for putting words in the mouths of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, among other iconic characters.
A young girl, Rainbow Brite, makes the world brighter and hearts lighter by replacing darkness with color and light. So ran the premise to this delightful show, which captured the imagination of kids everywhere.
Like many animated series, 'My Little Pony' is based on a line of toys. The stories take place in Ponyland and feature a community of ponies that have to fight for survival against witches, trolls, goblins, and other willful beasts. Further series followed, along with a 2017 feature-length film to keep the dainty equines galloping into the 21st century.
In the 1980s everybody, it seemed, was playing the video games 'Super Mario Bros.' and 'Super Mario Bros. 2.' Super Mario was massive, and the live-action/animated television series helped promote Nintendo's very own superhero siblings.
The 'X-Men' superhero film series is one of the biggest movie franchises of recent years. But it all began in the pages of a comic book and, in 1992, an eagerly anticipated cartoon series.
The 'Inspector Gadget' cartoon series debuted in 1983, introducing a police detective who is part-man, part-machine, and armed with a bewildering array of high-tech gadgets he uses to track down the bad guys.
Up there with Disney characters for endearing popularity, Pooh Bear has been a children's favorite since the 1920s. 'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' proved equally entertaining with youngsters and older fans, screened on television in the United States for nearly two decades.
Babar the Elephant first appeared in 1931 in a French children's book. In 1989, Babar made his cartoon debut in a well-received series. In fact, so loved was the big-eared, long-trunked youngster with a penchant for green suits, that an additional 13 episodes were aired in 2001.
This cartoon inspired the 2022 movie with John Mulaney voicing Chip and Andy Samberg giving voice to Dale.
Sources: (Bored Panda) (Edsys)
See also: These classic video games will make you feel like a kid again
With his time in the spotlight spanning decades, it really seems like everyone's grown up with Bugs Bunny. In fact, his first appearance ever was in 1938.
Based on Mattel's toy line Masters of the Universe, this animated series was one of the must-sees of the 1980s. The show spawned one feature length theatrical movie, 'He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword' (1985).
This was an animated series focused on environmental activism. The show followed five young heroes, each gifted with special rings representing the elements of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart. When their powers combined, they summoned Captain Planet, a superhero dedicated to protecting the Earth from environmental threats. Together, they fought eco-villains and raised awareness about pollution, deforestation, and other critical issues, encouraging viewers to take care of the planet. The series was both educational and entertaining, inspiring a generation to embrace environmental responsibility.
If you were born in the 1980s or '90s, chances are you grew up watching some of those era's favorite cartoons. And why not? Animated shows are some of the most entertaining on television, and those two decades produced a collection of critically-acclaimed series, a few of which spawned blockbuster movies we're familiar with today. But which cartoon characters drew the most from your imagination?
Click through for some animated classics that were big when you were growing up.
How many of these iconic cartoons do you remember?
Animated classics that were big when you were small
TV Television
If you were born in the 1980s or '90s, chances are you grew up watching some of those era's favorite cartoons. And why not? Animated shows are some of the most entertaining on television, and those two decades produced a collection of critically-acclaimed series, a few of which spawned blockbuster movies we're familiar with today. But which cartoon characters drew the most from your imagination?
Click through for some animated classics that were big when you were growing up.