The Disappearance of Saturday Morning

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE ^ | April 30, 2003 | By Gerard Raiti

[reagan_fanatic]

Are you sure you didn't mean Capt. Ernie's Cartoon Showboat?

It was on WOC-TV out of Davenport, IA. in the late 60's and early 70's.Was one of my favorite shows.

As for today's cartoons, most of them suck horribly, with the exception of the guy...

[speedy]

I don't think Clutch's human-mouth technology has ever been repeated. But I don't think there was that great a demand for it, either. I used to love that flute and bongos theme song. Very hip for a cartoon.

[lavrenti]

Ed Edd and Eddy reminds me of growing up.

The Chancre sisters are rather similar to my my first girlfriend.

[Paul Atreides]

I remember reading when they were going to bring back Tom and Jerry, a few years ago. Instead of being enemies, Tom and Jerry were going to be "pals," and go on adventures together. I believe it died a quick death.

Also, they ruined Beetle Bailey, in the comic page, when they had him stop leering at Miss Buxley.

[niteowl77]

I think Captain Ernie replaced Captain Ken (or something like that)... IIRC, there was a lot of Popeye and Three Stooges on the show back in those days (late '50's-early '60's).

I don't cotton to Spongebob, even though a lot of the same people behind it were also working on Rocko's Modern Life (which I enjoyed). Cool music, though!

[swilhelm73]

Hard to believe the leftie fringe has killed yet another element of our culture.

I remember watching Star Blazers and G-Force (?) - too militaristic now

or Bugs Bunny - too politically incorrect

or the Transformers - but good and evil are now outmoded ideas

Sad really. There are some good adult mroe cartoons nowadays, but what the heck is for kids to watch?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Jeez... Two words: Cartoon Network. Two more words: Samurai Jack!!!

Seven more words: JLA Season 2, Teen Titans and anime.

The anime on CN's Adult Swim, Toonami and Saturday night line-up for the most part has been excellent, except for SD Gundam.

Season 1 of JLA was okay, But Season 2 of JLA has been rock solid great (plot, action, character development, script, one liners) through out the season (of two and three parters). For example, the show has had no problem being linear, like for example, Shade (minor villian) saying in his third team up with a group of super villian he says, "I have done this before, TWICE! And it don't work either time before." Same episode they brought back Clayface from the original Batman Animated Series.

Also in the episode "Twilight", Superman finally has it out with Darksied dealing with what he did to Superman in the last two episodes of the Superman Animated Series. Thoughout that episode, Superman is playing loose cannon, and Batman has be the voice of reason. Also, the final battle is brutal and good.

Also, other episodes of S2 JLA come to mind, "Beyond Terror", which pits the JLA versus an amry creatures from H. P. Lovecraft.

"Here After", "A Better World" and last nights episode "Wild Cards' was excellent, Mark Hamill can still voice act a excellent Joker.

Also Teen Titans has been much better than expected. Three episodes of it's 13 episodes I highly recommend, first is Mad Mod, which is basic Teen Titan vs. a Austin Powers type villian name Mad Mod (voice acted by Malcolm McDowell) in an acid trip world, it has an extremely funny episode. And Apprentice Parts I and II, a darker episode(s) with an lot of action and plot twists, very goo episode.

By the way, unlike the DC Comics, the PC factor on JLA and Teen Titans is nearly zero.

It's a sad day when you can honestly say that some of the best stuff on TV is mostly anime and cartoon. By the way, I think the people producing JLA and TT, not a raise, they are doing an excellent job.

[Paul C. Jesup]

See post 27.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Even those have been shredded by the PC police.

Not lately, censoring has been to a minimum. Also, CN co-produced Season 2 of Big O and it rocks.

Also, see post 27.

[latina4dubya]

first of all--with channels like the cartoon network (which my kids do NOT watch) kids don't have to wait until Saturday morning to watch cartoons... second of all, the cartoons out there are junk... before we adopted our two boys, i imagined they would watch some cartoons on Saturday morning--but that never happened because we really couldn't find any... i thought we were waking up too late... i was thrilled the other day when i discovered Popeye at 2:00 in the morning... which i now plan to videotape so my boys can watch... overall, my kids watch almost no television... one of my big problems with even children's programming (we absolutely do not watch PBS) is the commercials... all the advertisements for junk toys and all the adult advertisements that show up even during children's programming... it's disgusting... all in all, my kids benefit from not watching the boob tube... they have pleasant attitudes (not jaded like so many kids at a young age) and greater appreciation for even simple things (not overly stimulated by so much eye-candy, sound, etc.)...

[Paul C. Jesup]

You know, you can have a good cartoon show and a good toy commercial rolled up in one, the Original G1 Transformers and GI Joe cartoon series proved that. By the way, DVD Boxsets of these two series are selling fairly well right now.

It is the political correctness in some of these cartoons that most of us don't like.

By the way, see my post (27) for more on the subject.

[beezdotcom]

Two words: Scrappy Do

[Paul Atreides]

You really know how to make a fella wince.

Zan and Jayna.

[Paul Atreides]

Thundarr was great!

Remember, the most politically incorrect cartoon of the 80s: Goldie Gold and Action Jack? A cartoon based on the richest girl in the world, who isn't ashamed that she is rich.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

SpongeBob is funny and innocent. When I need a giggle that is what I watch. Sit-coms leave me feeling like I should scrub my brain with bleach afterwords and they aren't funny.

[beezdotcom]

you forgot "Gleek"...

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly miss Farmer Gray.

He doesn't miss Crabby Appleton though...since he is presently at The Institute with Mr. Dastardly, et.al.

[Vesuvian]

I do remember! I think I'll have to turn off football and see what cartoons they have on now.

[R. Scott]

That is why I no longer watch Saturday Morning Cartoons.

[GreenHornet]

I don't think Clutch's human-mouth technology has ever been repeated. But I don't think there was that great a demand for it, either. I used to love that flute and bongos theme song. Very hip for a cartoon.

I'm glad to see that other people here remember Clutch Cargo! If I'm not mistaken, the man who invented the "human mouth superimposed onto a cartoon" technique passed away recently (I believe it was called "syncro-vox", or something like that). Conan O'Brien uses the same concept in some of his "interviews", where an enlarged photo of a famous person is show, with only the lips moving as Conan talks to the person.

I grew up in the Philadelphia area, and remember watching Clutch Cargo on Sally Starr's program on Channel 6. Not only have Saturday morning cartoon shows become a thing of the past, but so have local Kiddie show hosts such as Sally Starr (in Philly), Officer Joe Bolton (in New York), etc.