Trends and Influences in Recent Cartoons in America

(A good excuse to talk about what I watched as a kid)

Disney• Steamboat Willie

(1928)• Silly Symphonies

(1930s)

Old Cartoon Giants

Old Cartoon Giants

• Looney Toons• Merrie Melodies

(1930s-1970s)

Warner Bros.

Old Cartoon Giants

William Hanna & Joseph Barbera

• Tom & Jerry (1965)• The Flintstones (1960s)• The Jetsons (1960s)• Jonny Quest (1960s)• Scooby-Doo (1970s)

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Inspirations for Cartoons

Computer Graphics

Reboot (1994)

Max Steel (2001)

Beast Wars (1996)

Beast Machines (1999)

Jimmy Neutron (2002)

Anime Explosion

Speed Racer (1966) Dragonball Z (1989)Sailor Moon (1995)

Pokemon (1998)

Digimon (1999)

Yu-Gi-Oh! (2000)

It rubbed off.

Avatar (2005)

Jackie Chan Adventures (2000)

Teen Titans (2003)

Xialoin Showdown (2003)

Changes in Style

Using the example of superhero-like cartoons:

• designs tend to be sleeker, more streamlined and stylistic or abstract

• older shows tended to look more realistic or proportional

•Looks cool, but in some cases also cuts down costs

•Shows often remade with updated fashions, culture, etc.

•Marketed toward a “cooler”, young teenage group

•Characters look (and often are) younger

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

TMNT (2003)

Biker Mice from Mars (1993)

BatmanBatman: The Animated Series (1992)

The New Batman Adventures (1997)

Batman Beyond (1999)

X-Men: The Animated Series (1993)

X-Men: Evolution (2000)

The Real Ghostbusters (1986)Extreme Ghostbusters (1990s)

Cartoons for “Grown-Ups”

The Simpsons (1989)

Futurama (1999)

King of the Hill (1997)

Daria (1997)

Dilbert (1999)

Family Guy (1999)