I will never outgrow cartoons!

"Beware the Beast!!!!"

If your are an animation major like me, then I know that you love cartoons! We love the characters, the stories, the art styles, the writers and creators, and the process itself. I chose to pursue animation, because a long time ago I made a conscious decision that I would never outgrow or get tired of cartoons. The fact is, I couldn't. I was always drawn in by the fact that it was something that people liked, and that it was something that I could do. Today I still make sure that I  have a childlike wonder when I watch my favorite shows, because it makes it more enjoyable for me, and because it makes it easier to analyze it later if I know how it made me feel.

Anyway, the reason I'm talking about cartoons is because I feel like what we read for last Tuesday about writing for children very much applies to the realm of children's cartoons as well as  children's books. If a cartoon can be enjoyed by people of all ages, I find that it usually lasts longer and has a better story than cartoons targeted for a specific age. Lewis's quote really made me think about that notion. "I am almost inclined to set up a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad story."

Man, when Spielberg makes a "kids show," he sure delivers.
How many of you learned your states and capitals through this show?

VS

Why Nickelodeon? Why?
Someone please tell me why this show is still on.

There are certain shows that stick in our minds, because of the stories they told or the lessons we took away from them. A fairly recent cartoon that I think will be a top favorite for a long time is Over the Garden Wall. I won't go on about this show, since others have already blogged about it, but it is, in a sense, a modern fairy tale and a treasured story that I will be telling my children. 

Children's cartoons have helped to shape me to the person I am today. And I'm proud of that. 

Maybe someday I can make something that people will love too.

That's all for now. What cartoons have stayed with you from your childhood?