If you were a child in the 90s, there's a chance you watched Cartoon Network in its early days. This channel got its start broadcasting a library of animated shorts from Warner Bros and MGM respectively; as well as Hanna Barbera's vast programming. But it wasn't long till the channel started creating its own original programming, their first wave of shows was called the 'Cartoon Cartoons'. One of these shows that helped build their empire was Cow and Chicken. The show was about these interspecies siblings, who would be put into various scenarios. But as each episode goes on, these situations would get crazier, they would often have encounters with a devil called the Red Guy. This was a show I watched a lot on the channel as a child, there was something to its characters and settings I adored. However, as my interests shifted away from it, I would want more out of the kid's shows I watched; but is there something about it that people are forgetting to appreciate?
On the surface, the stories might seem nonsensical, you might even think they sound absurd. I mean a
young calf has a fully grown udder, and a boy fowl is called 'chicken'. But that's just the type of bizarre logic that the show lives by. By removing realism, it can make for more interesting stories. If you're willing to buy surreal ideas like talking farm animals eating pork butt and potatoes for dinner, you can buy this too. As long as it can pull you in with its bizarre logic and antics with the relatability of its characters. The lines are delivered in a way that gives the stories their own spice and flavour. The show also contains gross-out humour, I may have criticised other shows for using that brand of humour, but it works here. A lot of it involves meat products, as well as innuendo. People often compare its comedy to 'Ren and Stimpy', but I feel the show offers its own approach to that style of humour. I'd dare say this show did a better job with this trend of grotesque wackiness. I was worried that it wasn't the masterpiece I remember it to be. The gross-out doesn't bother me much as it's not the main focus, the real meat of the story is how it plays with tropes and your expectations. I love the show so much I don't question its logic or sanity. But the way it pushes things to an extreme also applies to how it's drawn. The designs on the characters and backgrounds give them a distinctive style, the features make them look strange, but they fit with the world they live in. The movements on the characters don't go overly surreal, there's a weight and restraint to the fluidity that make the motion and physical humour effective. It's really the comedy and stories that carry the visuals.
Looking back, the two lead characters have such a strong dynamic. Cow may be overly cheery and optimistic but she can also get emotionally attached to certain characters. She's always looking out for her older brother, despite all the pain and mayhem she puts him through. But she also has a superhero identity to help out those in need. Chicken is the more cynical and aggressive protagonist in contrast. His attitude and manic energy is reflective of young boys. His reactions to the character's stupidity and to his setting make him the straight man, he is able to work off Cow extremely well. But I think the character everyone remembers the most is The Red Guy. He makes for a comical antagonist who likes to mess with our main characters, as he serves as the catalyst for the situations. He appears in a wide variety of personas depending on the story, it's always interesting to see how his schemes turn out. His deviousness is a joy. What makes him so funny and memorable is his flamboyant mannerisms and fierce remarks, part of that comes from Charlie Adler's voice performance; he's able to give off such a vociferous range when portraying these characters. The supporting characters also have their share of funny moments, like the human parents who are seen from the waist down. There's also the main character's cousin, Boneless Chicken who has a deprecating sense of humour; he doesn't let his handicap hold him back.
It is one of the funniest TV shows of the late 90s, without a doubt, it showed David Feiss as a pioneer in the field of animation. It's shows like Cow and Chicken that prove that they don't necessarily need to be deep or complex or have story arcs to be great. You just have to be good at what you do, and what this cartoon does is make me laugh. And if you can tell engaging stories and portray compelling characters that'll draw you in while also making people laugh; that's an impressive feat. Coming back to this show made me see how humour can be just as important a factor. It's worth going back to for some bonafide laughs.
But the question remains, would I replace Gravity Falls on my favourite animated shows list for this? Well, while Cow and Chicken has been in my life longer than that show has, Gravity Falls just has the right balance of humour and lore. Gravity Falls may contain details and plot points for the viewers to decipher, but you can tell the makers of C&C tried to connect to a specific sense of humour. Dipper and Mabel may have a similar dynamic, but they're fleshed out throughout, but that doesn't make the ones from C&C any less charming or well written. It also has ambiguously LGBT characters, but C&C had ones long before, in a banned episode may I add. Gravity Falls did open up to mystery and world building for children, C&C did the same for mine and other people's sense of humour by presenting a wild part of it. Well, depending on what mood I'm in, I could like one or the other either way.
On December 25th 2016, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou or as many have called him George Michael; yes 'the' George Michael passed away peacefully in his home. Now for those who don't know, George Michael was
an English singer who started his career as a member of the 80s band
'Wham'. But eventually, he moved on to become one of the most iconic
musicians of the past 3 decades; creating such well-known songs such as
'Careless Whisper', 'Faith', 'Freedom' and my personal favourites
'Fastlove' and 'Amazing'. And for those who also don't know, I'm a huge fan
of his work; for 12 years I've always had a love and admiration for him and his music. He's not only up there with Michael Jackson as one of my favourite 80s singers, but one of my favourite musicians of all time.
There are one in ten people who are gifted with such unique and genuine abilities, and for me, he was one of those people. He had a voice like no other, a voice so smooth, so gentle and so harmonious just like he was in that way. And like any good artist, he used such talent to express who he was and he wasn't afraid to do so. In my opinion, George's music was a
perfect blend of pure vocals, strong writing and amazing instrumentals;
he knew how to blend these things so beautifully and with such care and attention. He was one of those artists whose works managed to stay timeless, not only did his voice stay pure and genuine but his artistry would evolve through each era of his career. He would incorporate innovative sounds with each album while staying true to his own musical style. No matter how you felt about him, whether you liked him or not;
you cannot deny his passion. I speak for his fans when I say he created a
body of work that stayed appealing for subsequent decades, I would go far to forgive him for songs like 'FREEEK!' and 'Shoot the Dog" as like any person we all make mistakes. Otherwise, this is a musician whose work deserved such acclaim, heck I believe more people need to acknowledge his genius. He was an artist who genuinely stood out for being so unique, to be blessed with such a unique voice, stage presence and resume is something to be truly admired. But another reason why I love his work so much is because I heard it during happy times in my life and I
continue to associate such wonderful music with these memories.
His music was something I lived for as it was one of the things that always made me feel
better, I've even did a work of art based on his 'December Song (I Dreamed
of Christmas) in 2011 as my way of showing my appreciation for it.
Even through moments of adversity, George managed to stay strong. He
took the time to continue his career, he was never one to give up on
what he was passionate about or the people he loved. And even if he's
only made a few songs here and there for the past 10 years, many of his
fans (included myself) were still devoted to him as he was to them.
And it breaks my heart that he is no longer on this earth. Ten years
ago I had the pleasure to see George in concert, to be so close to
someone I admire was an amazing experience for me and it was a day I
never want to and never will forget. But sadly I will get a chance like
that ever. Not since 2009 has the music industry lost such talent from
our culture, never have we been so unfortunate to lose David Bowie,
Prince, Pete Burns, Natalie Cole, Leonard Cohen, Viola Beach and
Christina Grimmie. But for me the demise of George is what took the red
velvet cake with extra icing and cherries! For lack of a much better
term, if Jesus Christ is alive and well, then how come George and David
are dead? I feel my world has simply been shattered beyond all belief or
that I've lost a beloved friend. I don't think I could get over this day in a
very long time. But while a great icon has undeservingly passed
on so soon and so sudden, we the fans should not let the pain and
despair consume us.
George's music spoke to many generations and his art, his charm his
looks, and his personality has enriched our culture as well as our lives.
And we should never forget that. George, you had a heart as great as
your voice, I will always consider you one of the most talented, interesting
and unique figures I've ever known. I can say without any hesitation
that I was proud to be part of your fanbase, who knows what my life
would be like if I never discovered your amazing voice. I speak for the
people who loved you as an artist and a person that no other will
compare to what you've achieved. We could at least take in account that
you are now with your beloved mother and Anselmo; but you'll always live
on in our hearts and our minds. You will always be an inspiration and
special kind of human being, but one things for sure your sound will
always be immortal.
Hello bloggers of Blogger, I just want to apologize for the lack of activity on this blog. The reason for that is because I want to focus on my artistry other than writing reviews and top 10 lists; another thing is that I've been mostly focused on posting my artwork or other various products on Tumblr lately. Finally when I come to writing a review on something I want it to be as perfect as possible. I'm not saying you shouldn't expect much on this blog, but as an artist, I tend to focus on my own artistry than others. Now that's off my chest, time to focus on the first top 10 list in ages.
Cartoons, everyone loves them I love them there's no denying that. They basically shaped my perspective on the art of animation and entertainment in general, they're more than just moving images, they're pieces of imagination that fills our childhoods with joy, characters and heart. This and much more are the reasons why cartoons have become a part our culture and our childhood memories, which is why many regard the cartoons of yesteryear as some of the greatest the industry had to offer. But it's also the reason why people assume that cartoons nowadays are bad, whatever decade you grow up in you're always gonna assume that the cartoons from the past were much better; it's a rite of passage really. But when you take off the rose coloured glasses, you'll see that the past had bad cartoons too. Much like everything else in history, there was always crap along with the gems, animation was never a flawless medium and we should accept that.
These are the animated shows that either don't hold up very well or have always been bad. I know there are other list online much like this, but I want to show my own list of the Top 10 Worst Nostalgic Cartoons. 10. My Gym Partner's a Monkey
Now there was a period in my life where I lost interest in any new material from Cartoon Network, and My Gym Partner's a Monkey is partly the reason for that. Now at first glance, this cartoon would not deserve this distinction but when you actually watch one episode or hear about it's "quote on quote" plot; you'll see why. One of the major problems with MGPAM is the premise, a human preteen named Adam is sent to an all animal school due to a computer mistaking his surname as "Lion" instead of "Lyon". From saying that sentence alone, you could already see the problem with this program, did the writers and the people who green-lighted this really think that a lot of good comedy would come out of this; (or even read the premise out loud) No and the execution of it all is proof why.
While I happened to like shows based on school life at the time this came out, this show lacks any of
the wit those other shows had. The stories simply have no focus, they can range from being completely obnoxious to just plain lowest common denominator, as well as being mean spirited at times. So does the comedy that relies too heavily on toilet humour. Both the human and the animal characters are stereotypes, and most of them are moronic. One example is the monkey Jake who is just a walking "butt joke" because the writers think that all monkeys are obsessed with smacking their bums and nothing else. The main protagonist Adam is the only tolerable character on this being the voice of reason, too bad his purpose is to be abused. Visually this is one of the most unappealing animated shows I've ever laid eyes on, now Cartoon Network is known for showcasing versatile and unique animation but this show lacks anything that makes it watchable to me at least.
Bottom line I can see why My Gym Partner's a Monkey is the butt of jokes about modern CN shows (no pun intended); which is a shame because they managed to get some good people on board. How it won an Emmy Award, I'll never know!
9. Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
If you knew my taste in television, you know I'm not particularly fond of 70s tv. Some of them have the silliest concepts when you look back on them, however, that doesn't mean some creativity didn't come out of them; Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels is still dumb in its own right. As an animation fan, I think Hanna Barbara were at their weakest in the 70s, and Captain Caveman solidifies that in my opinion. I may have had some fun with this show when I watched it as a kid, but as an adult, it's really corny and just as dated as Captain Caveman himself.
This series contains a lot of gripes I have with what Hanna Barbera was doing at the time; from the fact that it's a Scooby Doo clone, it's cheap animation, the fact that it relied on what was popular at the time instead of being timeless, the unfunny comedy and the un-interesting cast of carbon cut-out characters. Now I will give this show credit for Mel Blanc's performance as Captain Caveman (God rest his soul) I mean it's flipping Mel Blanc, but even he wasn't enough to save this trash. Like other HB cartoons from the 70s, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angel may have been fine at first, but it suffers from being primitive (to say the least).
8. Bangers and Mash
Oh god not this, anything but this. As a child, I remember the teachers used to show the other kids this, and I seemed to have been the only one who didn't like it. Based on a series of reading books, the show was about the lives of two chimpanzees named after a British dish (so it's another monkey show). While it's not an atrocity in and of its self, it suffers from being corny. Nothing about this show is in any way is appealing to adults, the stories isn't for adults, the designs isn't for adults even the theme song isn't for adults. I never liked Bangers and Mash then and looking back I understand why, and I bet the other kids in my school who liked it back then probably hate it now too.
7. Pet Alien
To all the previous shows credit at least they had good intentions, I don't know what the people behind Pet Alien had in mind but it resulted in a toon fart. For those who don't remember this show (and be grateful for that) Pet Alien was a mid-2000s CG cartoon that revolved around a group of aliens who accidentally crash land on an island; there they live with Tommy who has to put up with these creatures making his life hell. What works in Space Goofs, Jimmy Neutron and E.T is poorly executed here, the writing is obnoxious (see the pattern here) the animation is ugly and over the top and the characters are weird just weird. Looking back I can see why this was passed from channel to channel like a hot potato. Though at the time I did find where it was trying to be decent; but now I see that it has a lot of elements makes the overall show an embarrassing part of my childhood. Nothing about Pet Alien is out of this world in a good way, my only recommendation is if you want to lose some brain cells this will definitely do the trick.
6. Mighty Man and Yukk
Not many people are aware of Ruby Spear's Mighty Man and Yukk, which is for good reason. The problem with the animation company Ruby Spears is that their resume consists of uninspired Hanna Barbera knock offs, and this show solidifies that notion. The problem with this show is not just because it hasn't aged well but because the premise is weird as hell. Try saying this with a straight facial expression, tiny sidekick who teams up with the world's ugliest dog to fight crime; what drugs were these writers on when they came up with that!
It also doesn't help with the predictable writing, poor comedy relief, flat characters and to top it all off is the generic suito realistic character designs that animation studios were using at the time. However, all that does not compare to how downright stupid and drug-induced the show is. Mighty Man and Yukk may actually be the worst 70s cartoons I've seen so far, as I expected.
5. Clutch Cargo
There's a fine line when something creative is made with the little materials an artist has and something that's so cheap and awkward looking that it becomes unintentionally hilarious. Clutch Cargo is one of those things that closes that line to the point where you wouldn't believe this exists.
OH GOD NO! SWEET HEAVEN OH MIGHTY! NO! WHAT IS THIS! I DON'T KNOW, FOR THE LOVE OF HANNA BARBARA HOW COULD THIS EXIST! HAHAHAHA! SOB SOB SOB SOB!
That pretty much sums up how I feel about.......this. I think most people would recognize this from how it's been used in other artistic media (mainly Pulp Fiction). Unless you're blind, you may notice Clutch Cargo's animation is infamous for having the budget of a rock; i.e the lips are (I kid you not) live-action lips on a still image. I could understand if the studio who made Clutch Cargo had to cut their budget, but seriously by today's standards, the animation just looks jarring and awkward.
As for the stories and the characters, I just don't freaking care! I'm so put off by its unintentionally awkward animation I can't even see the charm in it anymore. I personally think this would be good source material for a parody or mash ups, here's a good example.
4. My Little Pony
Like many boys who grew up in the last century, I avoided My Little Pony like it was a necessity, and
I can see why. G1 My Little Pony is a pure example of a show created for marketing reasons, just everything about G1 embodies everything pandering and stereotypical about entertainment that was aimed for a female demographic. Not only are the visuals cheap, too sugary sweet and bright but the stories are lacklustre and generic despite the elements of fantasy, the characters lack so much personality that the only way you can tell the ponies apart is their colour. What makes it worse is how the next 2 generations are just as pandering if not worst. You can tell that the older My Little Pony variations were/are just for little girls and no one else.
The only good to come out of the success of this show is Friendship is Magic. I can ensure you that G4 is one of those rare occasions where a reboot surpasses its predecessor in every way shape and form. With how much better the animation and stories are and how the ponies here have actual personalities; I can see why Friendship is Magic has gained a following among adult men. So please avoid the previous generation of My Little Pony and just check out Friendship is Magic; so you can draw your own conclusion of the whole fad.
3. The Littlest Pet Shop (1995)
Unlike My Little Pony where the crew didn't try and only wanted to please one demographic; I'm sure the people behind The Littlest Pet Shop tried with this one but it's execution resulted in this being one of the worst shows based on a toy line. After seeing this mess again, I can see why this crap faded into obscurity. Everything about this show feels heartless and unoriginal, the writing has no sense of comedic effort or logic that it comes off as a cheap Tiny Toon Adventures knock off. The characters are either rip-offs or obnoxious (with the exception of Chloe). Also, the animation is ugly, choppy and unlike the Badly Drawn Brothers from Avenger Penguins where they have the distinction of their design being intentional, this is a real step backwards compared to other animated shows that came before it. This doesn't deserve to be associated with the likes of Tiny Toons because it's simply a pandering cash grab only made to sell the toys they're based on. But what's really sad is that I kind of see where this could have been a hilarious series; if they had a cast who actually know how to do their flipping job it could have been something. But instead, we got an uncreative, unfunny toy advertisement that is best left forgotten. This was a giant waste of my time and brain cells and I hope not to see anything related to it again.
HOLY CRAP!
2. Scooby Doo
Okay before you start writing angry hate mail, burn down my house, beat me to death, nail my corpse to a cross and feed me to vicious sharks. Just calm your knickers and listen! As much as I respect people's view on this cartoon and regard it as their one of their favourite cartoons of all time, I'm just gonna let it out..............here we go..............I Hate Scooby Doo. I consider it one of, if not the most overrated cartoon of all time! and here's why
Now don't get me wrong, as a child I used to watch Scooby Doo all the time and I liked it; but as I grew older I realised that was all mass hypnosis. When my taste in animation developed and matured I began to see Scooby Doo as one of Hanna Barbera's worst works, watching it again it has so many flaws that make it an embarrassing part of my childhood. The story is the same repetitive, formulaic hippie garbage that we've seen so many times, that someone who's been living under a rock knows about it. The writing is horribly executed with cheesy humour and grating dialogue, the characters have the personality of a wooden plank and the animation is cheap and unappealing. But what makes it worse, in this case, is how popular it has been for the past 4 decades and how greedy executives have been milking money out of these meddling kids with knock offs (like I mentioned before) and variations that are as bad if not worse than the original. I would forgive Scooby Doo if these variations weren't so corny and/or dreadful; one big example is the atrocious live-action movies!
For 4 decades, 4 decades Scooby Doo has written the book on how to be a cliche of its self for all these
reasons and more. But what makes this cartoon even more frustrating for me, is the fact that many Scooby Doo fans can't handle a negative opinion of this franchise (I'm talking to you whoever is ticked off here). Because they won't listen and let their love for the cartoon get in the way, I feel afraid to criticize it. Let's be mature here Scooby fans, everyone has a right to their opinion, it's fine if you don't like something a majority of people do like. Don't pretend that there aren't people who don't like Scooby Doo; my mother hates Scooby Doo so there's a chance I got it from her (with that I apologize for making her endure this when I was younger). If you can't accept one person's opinion, then why should I except yours.
And that it is why I genuinely hate Scooby Doo, it was good when I was growing up but now I don't think there's anything redeeming about it. I just think whatever those meddling kids and their dumb dog are trying to offer to animation has been better executed in other tv shows. If you like it that's fine, just don't act like I murdered your family cause I don't.
And the number 1 Worst Nostalgic Cartoon is.........................hold on give me a minute.....................................................................................................................
1. Bobinogs
I not only consider this the worst Nostalgic Cartoon, I consider Bobinogs to be one of the worst animated shows I've ever seen. You think a show about an animated band wouldn't be that bad, hell you would think it be great. But what boils my blood about Bobinogs is that everything about it is executed in the worst most half-assed way possible, in my mind this is pretty much on par with the Garbage Pail Kids movie it's that bad. There are so many reasons why this piece of crap is forgotten and why I made fun of it so many times in the past. The writing is underwhelming in its execution, instead of standing out among other kid's shows it goes lowest common denominator by copying every cliche you see in every other kid show. It might as well been written by a 5-year-old, but even that's unfair because I bet a 5-year-old could write a better script. But the dash of salt to an open wound is how the main characters solve their conflict, by looking at children doing stuff through binoculars (that turns everything live-action). My issue with this gag is that it completely distracts from what little story it has. This sort of thing is handled much better in Beavis and Butthead because they knew how to balance a coherent narrative with music video commentaries; it works because you're interested to know what music video Beavis and Butthead are gonna comment on. With this, however, you're not interested in seeing what some kids are doing, nor are you invested with the character's commentary; what's the point in this gag existing? It's not clever and it's not consistent!
When the characters aren't bland, they're moronic, we get it the Bobinogs are brain dead, they can't do the simplest things we get it! I mean what's the point in having stupid characters if you're not gonna do anything comedic with them; are you saying that the Bobinogs can play instruments yet they don't know the basics of life (granted the Bobinogs can't make music to save their skins but still). Soccer moms complained about Derpy Hooves, but they got off scot-free what! The animation may not be hideous looking but it's still bland, it's so dated it looks like it was done on Go Animate. Now I'm aware that this is one of the first cartoons to be made in Flash, and I understand that no one really mastered the software at the time. But Mucha Lucha came around the same time and it's flash animation still holds up much better. Finally, the musical numbers are awful, they're so generic that they make Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black sound angelic by comparison.
Now you're probably saying "Why are you watching something that's made for babies and little kids you dork?" the fact that this was made for our youth is sickening. If you want to create a show that can be remembered, you have to make it where it appeals to all ages otherwise you get crap like Bobinogs. As you may know, entertainment that's aimed for a younger audience has a hard time being taken seriously; what Bobinogs does is enforce that negative stereotype and gives people the impression that all kid's shows have to pander and be condescending to their audience like they're idiots. And as long as the targeted audience has no sense of quality, the makers can put no effort into their work; this is why animators like Danny Antonucci, Edd Gould and Pen Ward would've never done that. I don't know why I've bothered to rant on this garbage again, because it deserves to disappear into the dark pit of obscurity. And I'm grateful that it has and it should stay that way. I feel sorry for those who grew up watching this disgrace to animation, let's pray for their sake that they eventually grew out of it. Bottom line the Bobinogs can just Get Bent!
And that's my list of the Worst Cartoons of the past, as much as we criticize newer cartoons nowadays; never forget the past had bad cartoons too. And these shows are proof of that. So please tell me if you agree with my list, and tell me what nostalgic cartoon do you hate. Now if you excuse me I'm gonna erase all traces of the Bobinogs from the internet.
Hello there, now normally on my blog I never tend to rant on anything because I want to have a positive outlook on life, but whenever I see crap like "Jungle Junction" or "Bobinogs" I just have to address why they should be avoided at all costs. Now I have memories of watching badly written, badly animated tv shows as a kid, however, I'm forever grateful I never saw the utter embarrassment that is "The Littlest Pet Shop". Now how could I hate such an innocent kid's cartoon, I have a million reasons so there, but before we could get into detail to why it's a such a mess lets go over a bit of history.
During the 80s and early 90s, toy companies thought it was a good idea to adapt their toys to animated tv shows, most of these shows were more like 30 minute adverts than stories and while shows like "My Little Pony" and "Transformers" were a success there were some that were forgotten (for good reasons) like Rubix the Amazing Cube and Pacman. I never really cared for these shows nor did I ever buy most of the toys, so how is the show I'm about to talk about gonna change my mind? But I'm getting ahead of myself. Like many of those show The Littlest Pet Shop started as off as a toy line in the 1990s, these were basically plastic miniature versions of pets you could adopt from a shop (but without the poop). Then 5 years later Sunbow Entertainment (the company that would later produce the much superior cartoon The Cramp Twins) thought it was a "good idea" to give these toys their own animated tv show; the result was this festering sell out I show before you. But just how bad this show is, let's find out.
The series is about a pet shop owned by Elwood P Harvey, and it's really small animals, thus the name "littlest pet shop". However, the pets have their own "personality" and each episode would revolve around them and their "quote on quote" adventures. Now, most shows that have "meh" premises aren't as bad as you think but here it's far worse than you can ever imagine. Not that we expect high quality writing from a show that has a mediocre story arc but this has to be the worst writing I've seen in a show to date. Most of it consists of bad jokes and poorly done slapstick, nothing seems consistent or creative in any way shape or form. It's like the writers didn't care so they pasted together basic ideas and add random slapstick for filler, because they knew only kids would watch it and as long as they're ignorant they had the excuse to put as little effort into each episode. I mean the humour is just a poor attempt at something that gets really annoying. For example in the episode "Encino Mammoth" there's a scene with 2 naked people in the jungle.......and it's not even developed from a comedic standpoint, it's because they had their home and possessions destroyed by a tiny mammoth. Did the writers really think they were writing good comedy.....I mean......WTF.
I don't know anyone who finds this funny, it's simply being silly for the sake of being silly. Aside from bad jokes, I can't find anything that makes these stories the least bit interesting. Every episode has the character in a situation whether in the pet shop or if they are adopted by a one-off character, the rest of the plot tries so hard to like a looney tune cartoon it comes off as stupid and over the top. The plots aren't even that interesting because all there is just lame slapstick combined with pretentious storylines.
If you think the poor jokes and slapstick was the worst part of the show than you haven't seen the animation, which is both choppy and cheap looking. Well, the original "My Little Pony" and "The Garbage Pail Kids cartoon" had bad animation so I'm probably just nitpicking. But my god just look at it! this makes Scooby Doo look like Sylvain Chomet by comparison. The character designs are so odd and uninspired it makes me feel awkward inside, it doesn't help that the movements either looks rushed or stiff most of the time. Oh come on! is this the best 90s animation they could do, yes people this was made in the 90s. I could forgive them for the fact that it didn't have a high budget, but seriously before this show came out there was Ren and Stimpy, Tom and Jerry Kids and Animaniacs. The animation on those 3 shows looked new and zany at their time but this, the animation style was stale before it was even conceived. I mean just look at this image.
HOLY SMOKES! WHAT IS WITH THAT CLOSEUP! could you honestly say with a straight face that this is well animated! Sweet Christ All Mighty!!! I mean I don't have a
problem with wide angle shots but with the way it's animated, Who Would
Find that Particular image Funny? If you don't believe how un-appealing the
animation is, just.....just look at that image and tell me if that
doesn't look awkward!!!
Naughty Naughty Pets isn't an excellent show but it's animation looked more original and colourful, even if you don't like it at least that had a better art style, unlike this garbage.
As much as I don't really want to talk about this show any longer, I'm afraid I have to talk about the characters. The "so-called glue that keeps this show together" but really they're what make this show even less bearable......... First, there's the first character I mentioned Elwood P Harvey, the owner of the shop who makes Johnny Test's dad a more fully dimensional character, Mumsy Elwood's British mum an explorer who helps bring in the tiny animals. Because I don't give a crap about the human characters, let's move to the tiny animal characters, first there's Stu, the dog main character who encourages his friends to go on adventures he also has a big appetite, there's nothing much to talk about him so next! Chloe the intelligent cat who seems like she's a fan of the arts and literature so that pretty much makes her the only descent character with any common sense (but that's not saying much) Viv, a bunny who has a passion for music and is not funny. Chet a muscle-bound horse who's like Buck from "Disney's Home on the Range" (minus any once of charm) Squeaks, a hyperactive monkey who doesn't speak, I also don't care about so moving...There's also the side characters like Delilah, Sarge, Harriet and the rest who I don't give a crap about because they're so bland.
So now ladies and gentlemen it's time I shared with you the episodes I was brave enough to sit through, so you don't have to watch them yourself.
The first episode I watched was "Chet the Dream Horse" Chet is trying to get away from his crazy obsessed pony stalker Sabrina, just like I do with this show. I know it was intentional but Sabrina is just plain unlikeable and not well designed, she makes the G1 My Little Pony character look like G4 by comparison (where's Minerva Mink when you need her) But all comparison aside a little girl named Merline and adopts Chet for her "stable" which Chet in turn thinks is a real one, but little
does he know the horrors that await him!
No no, not that! But he does suffer something much more terrifying, as he is tortured by the show's targeted audience! So after being tortured by the Barbie obsessed demons Chet goes ape and nearly wrecks the house which results in what Chet should have done in the first place by exchanging himself for Sabrina. This episode was not funny and unbearable, to say the least.
Another bad episode I watched was "Bunny Beat" ok this is the last episode because I'm gonna talk about because I don't know how much I could take! Viv is singing horribly to her favourite rock song when an old rock singer Willy Van Aldan comes in. The singer turns out to be Viv's idol so she plays a song for him on the piano, Willy is impressed so he plays it on an ad (with a bad actress btw) even so that he calls Viv over to write more songs. It's not long till Willy's manager comes to the picture and is also impressed by Viv's music and WOULD YOU STOP SHOWING THAT IMAGE PLEASE!
Oh and this the episode where you see that face so don't bother trying to find it, IT'S STILL NOT FUNNY!
Anyway, he's so impressed by Viv's music that he hires her to be play on tour with Willy. So yeah it's one of those "character becomes famous" plots but don't worry folks, this one has blatant pop culture references and gags that show that the writers are trying too hard to be funny! references that the younger audiences won't get like ripping off Robert Palmer or 2 boys that sound like Beavis and Butthead. With all that said there was a scene that showed a map with carrots growing, now you would think that would represent Viv's popularity, but actually, there were giant carrots literally growing out of nowhere. Okay, I'll give them credit for trying to attempt an unexpected joke, but it's not enough to save this episode.
Also they actually had the nerve to add a fake censor bleep....okay writers listen, if you think you can appeal to an older audience than you're mistaken because your show isn't good enough to appeal to an older audience, and it's obvious you're desperate to put in those types of jokes without any thought or effort. In other words you're taking what is adult humour and not using properly at all.
All those gags aside it appears Viv has over-shadowed Willy as she becomes a world-wide musical sensation, well the 90s had stranger pop stars just look at Vanilla Ice. This frustrates Willy as tries to destroy Viv in an act of jealousy resulting in his contest literally becoming a smash hit while also leaving his reputation as a star in the dust.
Huahahahaha ruining people's careers is funny
There is it so hard to make a Beavis and Butthead reference
So Viv gets back to the shop and is greeted to the spirit of doing chores, oh thank the lord we're done because I felt dumber watching these episodes.
Bottom line The Littlest Pet Shop is an awful cartoon that has "sellout" written all over it!
The animation is subpar, the jokes are just terrible, the writing is corny and obnoxious and the characters are just copy-pasted and lacklustre. I never saw this as a kid and I'm glad I didn't because I hate this show in every way. If you seriously like this then I guess I have nothing against you but please, please tell me in great detail why you like it. If you haven't seen it then don't, even if you like crap like "Pound Puppies The Movie" I wouldn't recommend this to you.
I can kind of see where it could have been a hilarious series, but as it stands it's a 30 min toy advert made by hacks. The fact that the people behind this had high hopes for this really blows my mind, granted this looks like it had the budget of a turkey sandwich but still. As far as shows based on toy lines go this is really the worst, I couldn't find anything redeemable about this show and was just felt underwhelmed by how corny it was. One thing is I promised myself is that I would never watch this ever again, the only reason I saw these episodes again was for research purposes and I found it even less entertaining than before. But despite this being a failure, Hasbro decided to create a new animated tv show based on this toy line, why? I would much prefer My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic over this. Final score: 1/5 I'm gonna wrap this up before I get a headache pass off this off and buy your kid a goldfish, I bet they would find more enjoyment from that than this litter box of wasted paper.
Going back to the 80s, Foreman has become a household name illustrating for various authors and book companies. His work received so much praise from the British public for re-inventing children's classics as well as making his own material. He was so acclaimed that he was called by writer Leon Garfield to make a book dedicated to the Bard
Shakespeare Stories-1985 and 1994
A unique collection of Shakespeare's greatest works, alongside Foreman's best watercolour and ink illustrations. Just the idea of that combination alone is excellent and this book shows. What Garfield and Foreman did for this book worked on so many levels, it had that right amount of text and imagery that stays faithful to the greatest plays ever written. Out of all the books Foreman has illustrated for I must say this is the one that not only students could read but adults who love theatre and artwork as well. I read this book every time I'm in the mood for some great Foreman artwork it's just that good a read.
This book was so successful that 9 years after it's release Garfield and Foreman did a follow up with the rest of Shakespeare's plays. It kept the same formula only the illustrations looked more updated. While some might say it's not as good as the first one, I disagree because for me it's like the first one only the illustrations has a brighter look and 'yes' it does have the Shakespearean plays that were not as well known as the ones in the first one but this one has a place in my heart, it's an underrated gem. As for what I think of the illustrations, they're beautiful and show how Foreman's style transited into what they are today. I definitely recommend these 2 books to anyone who loves the bard's work and those who are wanting to learn about these terrific plays for the first time.
The War Series-1989-1995
In 1989 Foreman wanted to write a book based on his childhood in the second world war and thus he made "War Boy: A Wartime Childhood". This has to be Foreman's most serious, darkest work ever, he presents the feeling of growing up in wartime with his trademark watercolour illustrations as well as some photographs and posters from that time. When I first heard about it I didn't bother all that much as I'm not into WW2 but with this, I made an exception as I had good expectations for it, when I managed to read this book I got exactly what I was hoping for. This book is definitely fascinating to read not only for Foreman's unique illustrative work but for the story that revolve around his childhood. It was not only praised by critics but it won him a Kate Greenaway Medal.
Later on, Foreman made a follow up to this book with "War Game: Village Green to No-man's Land. While the first book was more non-fiction Foreman decided to tell a story based on the first world war and the soldiers who battled for their country. War Game tells the story of a group of young friends who are called to duty to battle the Germans oversea, it talks about struggle and intensity. It also tells the story of how the two armies united in peace and joy for Christmas Day. This book was also a critical hit, they even called it a masterpiece as well as another award. It even had a short animated film based on it. When I read this book at school in Year 9 I didn't know what to think, but just by looking at Foreman great illustrations and by reading it I never read a war story so intriguing, it got me prepared for learning the First World War in history. Also if you read this book I'll tell you this, the ending is just tragic and I mean tragic.
In 1995 Foreman ended his series of war stories with "After the War was Over" Going back to non-fiction Foreman tells a story about the aftermath of the Second World War, like "War Boy" this book gives a look on the 40s and 50s through the eyes of Foreman himself told in a way that educates us as well. Now I haven't read this book but I could tell you from looking at some of the bits and pieces I saw from it I can tell you that it looks beautifully illustrated and I'll probably look at it some time.
While The General and War and Peas were more satirical takes on war, these war books told the readers about the impact of war as well as the history. They made you sympathise with the people because of how realistic it was written. Now, these books are pretty under-rated which makes them even more special. Though I'm not too big on the history of WW1 and WW2, may I add if you're into wartime stories or even Foreman's work I suggest you check them out, you've be surprised?
From looking at the books from the first part of Foreman's accomplishments, there were mostly stories made for younger children. However, in this part the books I'm listing here are not only for kids growing up but for grown-ups themselves. I feel since Shakespeare Stories Foreman has worked on very mature stuff and his collaboration with British writer Michael Morpurgo really shows.
Michael and Michael Don't Have Issues
Both being successful in the industry of children's books, these big names (or name if you will) joined forces to produce books that were successful among young boys as well as both their fan base. Their first collaboration was 19 years ago when Morpurgo wanted to do a book based on the Arthurian Legend "Arthur High King of Britain". This wonderful book has incredible watercolour illustrations as well as a whole new take on the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. This really showed how the 2 Michael's could work together as one, I like this book so much I want to do an illustrated re-telling of King Arthur that matches the same quality of this.
Considering "Arthur, HKOB" was a success both Foreman and Morpurgo went the same route in 1996 with "Robin of Sherwood". Once again Morpurgo has managed to tell a faithful adaptation to medieval legend, like "Arthur" he adds that same down to earth style to these well-known characters like "Little John, Frair Tuck, Sheriff of Nottingham and Maid Marian that makes their stories all the more unique. Foreman's illustrations once again makes the book recognisable to readers, the backgrounds are lush as always and the character design depict Foreman's more figurative style. As far as adaptions of folk heroes go these are very unique takes, so if you like the tales of both Robin Hood and King Arthur than may I suggest giving these 2 books a page turn, they're interesting for young adults as well as young readers alike.
These adaptions began an awesome relationship between these idols of children's literature, as they would continue to create more original, more down to earth novels. These proved to be successful hits among young readers in the UK with a reputation of positive feedback critically, books like Kensuke's Kingdom, Billy the Kid,Cool and Toro Toro were proven to be some of the highest-rated children's novels of the 21st Century. Now while I've never read these personally, I could see why people (especially Foreman fans) consider them descent books. And while some I didn't mention like "The Sleeping Sword" and "The Last Wolf" look okay there are some I consider under-rated in a way like Beowulf.
There are 2 books that came out in the 2000s, "The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips" and "Kasper" seem to share something, they're about cats. When both books came out I was interested in them in the same I was with Arthur HKOB, so I glanced at them and to no surprise, the illustrations make the stories worth a look at. Now I don't judge books by their pictures but by their actual substance; but like some of the other Foreman/Morpurgo collaborations I'm thinking I would like these books just as much as Arthur and Robin (If I had the chance to read them) mean with how successful Morpurgo is as an author I might be just as invested in the story as well as the artwork.
In short Foreman and Morpurgo make a great book writing team, with their combined talents they've both managed to create some really creative books that would click with younger viewers as well as both their fan bases, which makes me wonder what these 2 will make for years to come. Whether it be a take on mythological legend or pure English originality I recommend checking out these books and more for any child or any person who interested in creating original stories.
Like Quentin Blake and Shirley Hughes, Michael Foreman is one of the most well-loved British book illustrators for all these good reasons and more. Both his illustrations and his stories have become a unique staple in children's literature as well as the reading industry in general; why? because his artwork is revolutionary, beautiful and even thought-provoking. From an artistic point of view Foreman has always changed his unique style though the cause of time like a good artist should, he understood illustration as an art-form and he would put a passion and devotion into each picture. Not only that but he would take chances with his own style given the source material he would work with.
But other than that, I adore Forman for the fact that he illustrates my favourite stories in a unique fashion and it's that illustrative style that introduced me to the stories I would read in later years. The way he designs characters and backgrounds is just wonderful to look at, just the way how he could blend them together is just so splendid, I mean this man really knows how to use watercolours. Every little detail on the facial expressions and skies just
gives his drawings life (man I could not get over how serene he could make the sky wow!) Just looking at his work in different decades fills you nostalgia and delight.
But with all those things said about Michael, what has he done recently? Well, just last year Foreman collaborated with the king of the fools himself "Michael Rosen" to create "Blue". Though I've personally haven't read it, just looking at the illustrations online, it looks like Foreman has done it again by taking a colour he knows best and taking it to a higher level. Like many of his books I like to think this book has the same amount of charm and wonder that appeals to both readers young and old. Also, this year will mark the release of "The Amazing Tale of Ali Pasha" a book about the adventures of a seaman and his tortoise which is stated to be based on a true story.
In conclusion, if you haven't heard of Michael Foreman's work before, then may I advise you look at his work as well as his contributions to children's literature. Because he's not only an influence on my style but towards many young readers alike, I wouldn't have discovered such amazing stories and wouldn't have appreciated the art of illustration if it weren't for him. It would be a dream for me to actually meet Foreman and it would be a pleasure to shake his hand and thank for what he has done for my childhood. It'll be a sad day when this man is gone, but his work, his kindness and his impact on me as a person will truly live on.
.jpg)
