Like many other 90s kids, I spent a large majority of my time watching TV. From the age of about seven or eight, or perhaps even slightly younger, most of my warm and fuzzy feelings that aren't family-related revolve around the television shows I watched and adored. To this day, I find myself going nuts over little reminders from these childhood shows: a vinyl figure, a shirt like one of the characters used to wear, or a marathon to celebrate a show's anniversary is sure to get me to smile. I'm not the only one: Blasters have written about such things before me.
With that in mind, here are some 90s Cartoons that have only gotten better with age.
'Animaniacs'
This one is a personal favorite. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner were a staple at my house, along with the barrage of colorful characters that came with them. For those unfamiliar, "Animaniacs" was a show that came from the creative mind of Steven Spielberg. It featured the aforementioned Warners, along with their pals Pinky and the Brain, Slappy Squirrel, Buttons and Mindy, and a host of others. The show consisted of several seemingly unrelated shorts, connected through short cameos that crossed them together. With its catchy soundtrack, quirky characters, and penchant for making mild adult-humor puns that would cleverly go over the heads of the little ones watching, it's still my go-to for a sick day marathon.
As an added bonus, the show is currently available in its entirety to stream on Hulu ahead of the reboot that is set to premiere on the streaming platform in the near future.
'Tiny Toon Adventures'
This is another Spielberg show that 90s kids will gravitate toward. It was, in fact, the show that led the way for the creation of "Animaniacs", and there were even occasional crossover references.
"Tiny Toons", as it is usually shortened to, took place within the Looney Toons universe. The main characters were newly developed for the show, though they clearly were inspired by the ubiquitous bevvy of Warner Brothers characters. For instance, Buster Bunny was a dead ringer for Bugs Bunny: he was wisecracking, somewhat self-centered, and loved to pick on his own version of Daffy Duck, this time a green duck named Plucky.
The show centered around Buster and his pals as they attended Acme Looniversity, a school where they learned from the aforementioned Looney Toons mentors. Like "Animaniacs", you can also stream "Tiny Toon Adventures" on Hulu.
'Rugrats'
I couldn't make this list without paying homage to the amazing collection of 90s Nicktoons, and "Rugrats'" is one of the best. The gang of babies it centers around are ingrained in the mind of almost everyone who grew up in the U.S. in the 90s: Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Tommy's cousin Angelica, and the DeVille twins (Phil and Lil) were always getting into something, and the show did a great job of coupling the babies' imaginary adventures with what was really happening.
For instance, they might show Tommy in a cave dressed as "Okeydokey" Jones - a clever way of making a pop culture reference without having to directly pay royalties - one moment, then transition to a shot of him in his backyard with a rope that was acting as his "whip". The babies were, at their core, the embodiment of childhood and imagination, and old episodes are still just as watchable today.
'Hey Arnold!"
If you prefer a bit of social commentary with your kids' shows, Nickelodeon had you covered. "Hey Arnold!" took place in the fictional city of Hillwood, with the main focus being on the titular football head fourth grader, Arnold, and the others who permeate his world. Arnold lives with his grandparents in the boarding house they run, attends school at P.S.
118, and spends a lot of time with his friends, particularly Gerald, Helga, Harold, and the rest of his classmates. In every episode, it's usually Arnold who helps someone solve a problem that they have; for example, Stoop Kid's fear of leaving his namesake set of front stairs. Seemingly innocuous as a child, adult analysis of the show easily reveals things like Helga's horrible home life, the fact that most of these families were obviously part of the working poor, and several others. Rather than ruining my personal childhood, though, this fact only served to make me like it more.
'Dexter's Laboratory'
On the opposite side of Nickelodeon, we had Cartoon Network, and one of the greatest things to come from CN in that era was "Dexter's Laboratory." The title character was, as expected, a boy genius with a secret lab inside his bedroom and a random Russian accent.
Each episode had Dexter attempting some sort of science experiment, all of which were eventually ruined, mainly at the hands of his less-academic sister, Dee Dee, or his nemesis, Mandark. There were several equally funny shorts in the show, including the Justice Friends and Dial M for Monkey, but Dexter and his family were the stars.
'The Powerpuff Girls'
Alongside Dexter was a trio of kindergarteners who were constantly saving their hometown, the City of Townsville. I refer, of course, to Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, collectively known as the "Powerpuff Girls." A scientist, Professor Utonium, was attempting to create the "perfect little girl". During creation, however, he accidentally added an ingredient known as Chemical X, which gave the three girls all of the powers one can imagine in a superhero: flight, laser vision, and super strength, among others.
They are always "saving the world before bedtime" against Mojo Jojo, the Gangrene Gang, HIM, or any of the other host of villains that plagued the town. These were tough little girls, and I loved it all.
There you have it, folks - my personal picks for your #TBT this week. Keep reading Blasting News for more every week!
