Trends and Influences in Recent
Cartoons in America
(A good excuse to talk about what I
watched as a kid)
Old Cartoon Giants
Disney
• Steamboat Willie
(1928)
• Silly Symphonies
(1930s)
Old Cartoon Giants
Warner Bros.
• Looney Toons
• Merrie Melodies
(1930s-1970s)
Old Cartoon Giants
Hanna-Barbera Productions
William Hanna & Joseph
Barbera
•
•
•
•
•
Tom & Jerry (1965)
The Flintstones (1960s)
The Jetsons (1960s)
Jonny Quest (1960s)
Scooby-Doo (1970s)
Inspirations for Cartoons
Computer Graphics
Beast Wars (1996)
Beast Machines (1999)
Reboot (1994)
Max Steel (2001)
Jimmy Neutron (2002)
Anime Explosion
Speed Racer (1966)
Dragonball Z (1989)
Sailor Moon (1995)
Pokemon (1998)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (2000)
Digimon (1999)
It rubbed off.
Jackie Chan Adventures
(2000)
Teen Titans (2003)
Xialoin Showdown (2003)
Avatar (2005)
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)
Batman
Batman: 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”
King of the Hill (1997)
Daria (1997)
The Simpsons (1989)
Futurama (1999)
Family Guy (1999)
Dilbert (1999)