I loved the 1980s after-school and Saturday morning cartoons. Animators actually took time with the drawing and the writing. Plus, despite the toy tie-in, networks promoted the shows WHILE incorporating quality. OK. Not all the time, but look at the backgrounds in Thundercats and the pathos in the Transformers pilot. They all kicked ass in their own unique ways.
I especially loved G.I. Joe (Lady Jaye and Flint rocked), Transformers, Gobots, the abtastic He-Man, He-Man’s girl-oriented spin-off She-Ra, the iconic Super Friends, the kickass Thundercats, and, dare I say it, the fabulous Jem (Glamour and Glitter, Fashion and Fame)!
I’d add Animaniacs or Tiny Toons to the list, but they started in the ’90s.
As usual, I put it to the Clique who loves to hear their keyboards clack. Below find our thoughts.
An: What were your favorite ’80s cartoons and why? Is there one that you’d pick over the rest as the most awesome? Or one that you hated? Although I might lean towards Super Friends as the most memorable (due to its comic lead-in); personally, I can’t choose one. I love them all.
As usual feel free to reminisce, comment and snark about all and sundry –
Ivey: I’d recommend adding M.A.S.K. and Silverhawks. M.A.S.K. by far had my favorite toy tie-ins. I mean, Firecracker, Rhino, Gator? Now those were some sweet toys!
Brittany: DuckTales and Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers both started in the late ’80s — two of my favorites.
Anyone remember Denver: The Last Dinosaur?
An: I loved DuckTales and Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers. Surprisingly, I remember Denver and the opening song. It definitely doesn’t age well. I remembered finding the 80s guys he befriended dated even then, but I probably still watched it –
I’m also going to add Voltron to the list.
Bob: M.A.S.K.!!!
Chuck: Being the geezer of the bunch, I didn’t really watch any cartoons in the ’80s. Only Saturday morning show I watched was Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
Rachel: Gummi Bears … bouncing here and there and everywhere!
Deb: My sister and I used to play “G-Force” from Battle of the Planets, and we’d fight over who would get to be Casey Kasem‘s character, I think his name was Mark. We’d use our blankies as capes!
But my favorite ’80s cartoon is hands-down Dungeons and Dragons. There is nothing cooler than being sucked into an alternate universe from a lame amusement park ride. I was however, too old to wear my blankie as a cape when this cartoon came out.
Rachel: Oh, and I can’t forget about the Care Bears. Loved that show!
So, what is the most awesome ’80s cartoon, in your opinion? Which catchphrase stuck in your mind so that twenty years later you have to declare them the winner? Was it Transformers’ “robots in disguise,” He-Man’s “I have the power,” Lion-O’s “Thunder-Thunder-Thundercats-Ho!,” G.I. Joe’s “Yo Joe!”, G.I. Joe’s “learning is half the battle,” the Care Bears’ “care bear stare,” DuckTale’s “DuckTales woo-ooo” or Jem’s “truly, truly, truly outrageous”? What did YOU watch after school or on Saturday morning?
Which was the penultimate ’80s how that gave you “one to grow on”?
Poll expires at midnight on Sunday, January 8th and you can vote once a day.
What? No Robotech?!!!
*POST AUTHOR*
Agreed, Robotech is equally awesome. Hmm, it’s post 1999, I guess we should look or a mecha-related invasion soon –
Cowabunga, dude! I think there’s something GREEN and AWESOME missing from this list…
I would have never known, without looking it up, that the TMNT cartoon started in the 80s.
*POST AUTHOR*
I actually thought about adding TMNT, “heroes in a half shell – turtle power!”, but convinced myself the show didn’t start until 1990 –
I need to be smacked for not remembering that. I was a Turtleholic.
Hilariously, as a college student, I discovered that one of my then-fave actors had been the voice of Donatello in one of the cartoons. When I met him, I told him that he’d been the voice of my favorite Turtle when I was growing up and he said that made his night. WIN.
Great story! This is going to sound mean, but he may have been stunned that Donatello was anyone’s favorite turtle. :-D
Shush, Donatello was always my favorite!
Mine was Raphael!!
Same here. :-)
Smurfs!
*POST AUTHOR*
Crap! That’s a good one. I wish we had thought of that earlier –
What? Where’s Bravestarr? The coolest Indian in the galaxy in a cartoon made entirely in the USA is missing from this list? Oh the injustice!
I have a few eps of Bravestarr recorded on VHS! You just reminded me! Must find that tape… and a VCR.
Thundarr the Barbarian, Blackstar, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Inspector Gadget, Muppet Babies, Dangermouse, The Real Ghostbusters…
I’d have to vote for Star Blazers myself, but as that aired from 1979-1980, I’m not sure it counts. So when in doubt, Snake-Eyes.
*POST AUTHOR*
Ryan, I give up. Your knowledge of 80s cartoons is truly encyclopedic and impressive –
Well, I remembered those names offhand from my hazy childhood, but I did have to cheat and look up each show individually to make sure they actually qualified for the poll. Then there are others that I’m not even sure were real cartoons. I did love the Crest “Cavity Creep” commercials, though.
Oh, I did watch about 90% of the ones already listed as they aired back then. Sure had a lot of time to waste before discovering the Internet. I’m ashamed never to have seen BraveStarr, though. Space westerns are awesome.
If you’re weary of people like Michael dinging you for using “penultimate” in its popular misappropriation, may I suggest adding “ne plus ultra” to your arsenal in its place? Or we could consider the ultimate to be the Platonic ideal, and the penultimate to be the best cartoon that actually exists in the world of shadows…
. . . . .
… wait … wait … wait …
“penultimate” … ???!?
You mean … “the second to last most awesome ’80s cartoon, EVER?”
*POST AUTHOR*
Touche, sir.
. . . . .
No touché necessary, An.
It’s just that … well … now you’ve caused me unnecessary consternation with your use of “penultimate”.
You see … while (I thought) I had my my most awesome ’80’s cartoon, EVER firmly in mind, choosing my second to last most awesome ’80s cartoon EVER has left me wallowing in a puddle of self-doubt.
Curse you Saturday mornings … !!!
KAAAAAHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNN … !!!
Considering our running joke with the word, this made me giggle. Substantially.
Jem, shera, my little pony (with the moondreamers included), robotec, TMNT, The Real Ghostbusters