It’s Saturday morning!
As the first rays of sunlight danced across your window pane, your eyes flicked open with one all-consuming thought: It’s Saturday morning! You scramble down your bunk bed, throwing the covers off your little brother. Unlike a school day, he doesn’t need prodding to get going. The two of you tiptoe past your parent’s closed door all the way to the kitchen to gorge on sugary cereal: Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and Cookie Crisp. Milk splashes onto the linoleum floor and countertops— endearing little remains for your hardworking parents snoozing ‘til noon.
Of course, we cannot return to a simpler time, one with fewer dietary restrictions, but we hope these pages allow you to recall the sublime mornings when running out of Golden Crisps was your biggest concern. We share in those moments— rehashing old memories, reliving the stories that made us who we are, and imagining something even greater waiting around the corner. This is for all the kids who never stopped dreaming.
1960s
Some of the best known and beloved Saturday morning cartoons, such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and The Bugs Bunny Show, emerged in the flower power decade of unprecedented change. Featuring clever writing and pioneering animation techniques, these soon-to-be-classics would set the stage for future animated series to come.
The Jetsons Family in their aerocar. The Jetsons cartoon ran on various networks for almost twenty years.
1970s
Dominated by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., the 1970s cartoon era witnessed the rise of musical cartoons in the form of teenage rock bands solving mysteries, including Scooby-Doo, Where are You! and Josie and the Pussycats. The era also saw the rise of highminded cartoons focusing on education and teaching social morality with such shows as Schoolhouse Rock! and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Mystery Incorporated—which included (left to right) Scooby-Doo, Velma, Shaggy, Fred, and Daphne—drove in to Saturday morning cartoons at the dawn of the 1970s.
1980s
This decade witnessed an explosion of imaginative cartoons, many of which were based on popular toys, such as such as ThunderCats and Transformers. In addition, production values increased with an emphasis on more complex storytelling and richly defined characters.
The Smurfs spread infectious happiness throughout the 1980s, airing 256 episodes.
1990s
At the close of the twentieth century, cartoons took a darker and more self-conscious approach to content. Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, in association with Warner Bros., sought to revitalize old-fashioned animation in various forms, such as Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs. In general, cartoon subject matter became more adult-like and less geared toward kids.
Pinky and The Brain appeared in two animated shows in the 1990s. They began as characters in Animaniacs before they got their own show.
