What defines a cartoon?

There was a time when cartoons weren't simply 1/2 hour commercials for their associated toys, and that was when the story trumped the tie-ins. There was always Bugs Bunny/Huckleberry Hound merchandise, but the merch existed because of the cartoon, not vica versa. I don't think you can have a cartoon now without the toys.

It all went to hell when they got rid of School House Rock.

In my opinion, the cartoon market has simply grown--along with all other media markets. It's not that there aren't good programs out there--there are many quality educational, funny cartoons available. But as with everything with a larger marketplace, people need to pay attention to where they get the programming.

Michael, that makes sense.

Amen on the School House Rock! Didja know you can get 'em on DVD or through iTunes? For some reason it cracks me up that they're on video iPods.

It didn't really matter that they all had the same type of characters (probably because it was the same voices, writers, and animators... I'm kidding! Mostly!) or the same plotlines, they were enjoyable. I don't watch much t.v. but for the "new cartoons" I'll stop to catch Samurai Jack and sometimes Dexter's Laboratory...the rest, blah.

You're right Brett - the market is more broad and perhaps a bit more shallow. There are multiple creative teams writing and producing shows, and they really vary in quality. With the proliferation of channels, its amazing any of us find the ones we do.

The cartoon market is shallow and tired just like the movie market. Not many new ideas. Look at the lack of orginality of today's movies. Dumb remakes of shows or movies boomers watched growing up. Finanically low risk buisness adventures that middle american will gobble up. IT's hit the cartoon market too.

The Asian animation sucks too or maybe it's just the "high tech" aspect of today's animation.

As an adult watching current and old cartoons, one of the things I look for is wow the humour works on both a kid level and adult level. The old Warner Brothers stuff was great, especially as you watch it as an adult. Most of today's cartoons lack that. One that doesn't is Sponge Bob. Yah, I got a ten year old and I'm so sick of him I could puke. But, this guy is real creative in making his humour appeal to adults too.

More cable outlets mean that there is more room for junk. You gotta fill it with something. There are more bad cartoons out because there are more outlets to show the stuff.

I do watching the great old Warner Bros cartoons. I think a lot of them are not shown because they are politcally incorrect. But I so sick of political correctness and this re-writing of history it makes me sick, but that's another subject.

Bring brack Speedy Gonzales.

(From a book of POGO cartoons) When asked "Is a cartoonist a newsman?", editor E.B. White (or William Allen White) replied "Is a barnacle a ship?"