We would return from school around 3 PM in the afternoon having only two hours to ourselves before running for tuition at 5 PM. The weak shoulders of my younger self surely grew weary under the weight of my school and tuition bag but there was one thing which kept me going – watching television. Sure, there are kids who play cricket, and some play musical instruments. But my indulgence of choice was always watching the television, especially cartoons, and why wouldn’t it be? The ‘90s was undoubtedly the golden era for animation.
Animation left a great mark on the hearts and minds of a generation. The ‘90s is when globalization and modernization of the Indian culture incepted which led to a diverse range of animated shows making their way to the country. Here’s a trip down memory lane where we chart the course of all the animated shows which impacted our childhood.
SCOOBY DOO
I was too innocent to realize back in the day that Shaggy was probably a big-time stoner! Scooby Doo- the classic animation show has stood the test of time and still reigns supreme when it comes to horror comedy. The show revolved around the adventures of four teenagers and a talking dog as they solve mysteries. “Scooby-Doo, where are you?” is still something I catch myself vibing on from time to time. There are many infamous reboots and rehashes of the show with Mindy Kaling’s ‘Velma’ being the latest offender, but there is nothing as entertaining as the classic show.
JOHNNY BRAVO
Sometimes I do wonder if my relentless and delusional confidence comes from watching Johnny Bravo as a kid. I also think that Johnny Bravo is a role model for many self absorbed men we see in our lives. Jokes apart, his comedy antics and a way to charm women allowed a rather narcissistic character to be loved universally. Only if Johnny Bravo hit the leg day, we would have fewer gym freaks with bulging chests and chicken legs.
POWERPUFF GIRLS
Toxic masculinity was never something I could follow or entertain as I grew up watching Powerpuff Girls which taught me how women can kick ass! The show featured three superpowered sisters named Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles who worked together to fight the supervillains in their hometown. Mojo Jojo still stands tall as one of the most maniacal characters ever put into animation.
POPEYE
Popeye – The Sailor Man was the Spinach-munching character who made his way into the hearts of kids with his charm. Even parents loved the character as he would promote eating green vegetables. The show revolved around Popeye’s battles against his arc nemesis Blutto as they fought for love of Olive. It had some out-of-the-box action sequences with Blutto always coming up with ways to tackle Popeye, only to get trashed by Popeye once he’s had his green edible!
TOM & JERRY
It is actually sad to see that the younger generation does not love or have even watched Tom & Jerry as much as my generation did. A literal game of cat and mouse which subliminally taught us life – Fight or lose! The classic slapstick humour of this series allowed kids to experience hysterical laughter, something no other series in my opinion has ever been able to capture.
I hope reading through all the cartoon shows from the past has allowed you to reminisce about your childhood. Sure, I’ve missed out on some major shows like Pokemon, Shinchan, Doraemon, and even Ninja Hattori but that does not mean you cannot revisit them yourself. Go, indulge in some of the cartoons from your past right now!