# Greatest 80s cartoon EVER **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030 "2005-09-29T15:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/81 "2005-09-30T19:01:11Z")
I’m going to go with the following 1. Robotech (Macross only. The rest was gay) 2. G.I. Joe 3. Thundercats 4. Voltron (Lion style) 5. Inspector Gadget 6. The Smurfs FYI Tale Spin was actually 90s. Wasn’t that the one with all the Jungle Book characters had real jobs? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/82 "2005-09-30T19:03:49Z")
Yes, it was. Not the Macross part, I disagree with you, but the Tale Spin part. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/83 "2005-09-30T19:07:27Z")
80 odd replies, and no-one has mentioned: [Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/) (1988) [Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/) (also 1988) ? I’m amazed that the best have to wait so long to be mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/84 "2005-09-30T19:29:22Z")
Dungeons & Dragons. Inspector Gadget. RoboTech: Macross. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/85 "2005-09-30T19:55:27Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > FYI Tale Spin was actually 90s. Wasn’t that the one with all the Jungle Book characters had real jobs? Yep. Think a “furry” _Crimson Skies_. Y’know, come to think of it, I seem to remember reading that the “Sea Duck” was actually based off of a real flying boat design. Have to remember to check on that one… ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/86 "2005-09-30T20:01:36Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > FYI Tale Spin was actually 90s. Wasn’t that the one with all the Jungle Book characters had real jobs? Yep. Think a “furry” _Crimson Skies_. Y’know, come to think of it, I seem to remember reading that the “Sea Duck” was actually based off of a real flying boat design. Have to remember to check on that one… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/87 "2005-09-30T22:55:24Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Yep. Think a “furry” _Crimson Skies_. > > Y’know, come to think of it, I seem to remember reading that the “Sea Duck” was actually based off of a real flying boat design. Have to remember to check on that one… Tell us about it you do, please. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/88 "2005-09-30T23:31:30Z")
Dangermouse! Powerhouse! They’re re-running it at 7.30 in the morning here, so I get to watch it with my son who loves it. I love all the Carry On smutty gags they smuggle in: {Colonel K} Thank you for the postcard of the Great Pear, DM. {DM} Big Apple, sir. {Colonel K} No thanks. Just had breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/89 "2005-09-30T23:54:49Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Strangely, the best episodes of Captain N (which began in 1990) were the Zelda related episodes…including an episode where Link went with them to Final Fantasy world (they cut the scene where he found his tombstone in Elfland) Of all the Captain N episodes I had to miss. I’d pay decent money for Captain N DVDs, especially for that deleted scene. Makes sense, considering it was Erdrick’s grave in the US version of FF1. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/90 "2005-09-30T23:55:36Z")
Talespin was based around “Tales of the Gold Monkey” with Stephen Collins. Kind of an odd origin, really, but it’s part of what made it cool for me. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/91 "2005-10-01T01:18:33Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Bah. Nothing topped _Star Blazers_. Fifth. I also liked [Rubik, The Amazing Cube](http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0798/) and [Pole Position](http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/116-pole-position/) . :smack: I was a kid! ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/92 "2005-10-01T01:24:46Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > While I’m here, there was another short-lived sci-fi animated series I liked from around that time. I believe the lead character was named Jason, and that the ship they flew on was modeled on some type of Galleon (Jason wasn’t the captain, though). Any help? [Captain HArlock and the Queen of 1000 years](http://www.cornponeflicks.org/harlock/harlockmain.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/93 "2005-10-01T03:42:00Z")
[You will never look at He-Man the same again](http://www.whoomp.com/articles/163/1/He-Man-does-4-non-blondes) (Quiktime video) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/94 "2005-10-01T04:47:30Z")
**In the 80s:** 1. Thundercats 2. He-Man 3. Underdog 4. GoBots 5. DuckTales **Today:** 1. DuckTales 2. Almost all those other shows are unwatchable now. I did get up super early to watch _Mysterious Cities of Gold_ and _Sparticus_, and there was another one that came on that same channel (that was Nickelodeon, right?) that had a boy and a St. Bernard with a little miniature barrel around its neck. What was that one? FWIW - and as a child of the 80s I realize that it is borderline sacrilege to say this - I always felt pretty mediocre about The Transformers and I outright hated GI Joe. Sure, I pretended like I liked them because I felt like I was supposed to - it’s just what kids _did_ back then. I even **tried** to like them. I’d watch if someone else was in the room to give off the impression that I liked them, but the minute I was alone I would change the channel to something I didn’t feel was utter crap. Sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/95 "2005-10-01T09:31:01Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I did get up super early to watch _Mysterious Cities of Gold_ and _Sparticus_, and there was another one that came on that same channel (that was Nickelodeon, right?) that had a boy and a St. Bernard with a little miniature barrel around its neck. What was that one? Belle and Sebastian, if I’m not mistaken. I used to watch that one too. ---
**Author:** ![Ghoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ghoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghoul)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/96 "2005-10-01T10:08:43Z")
_ **warning** _ contains colourful language 😃 [Old School Afternoon](http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/3996/detail/) ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/97 "2005-10-01T10:29:08Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > But if there had not been Transformers[sup]TM[/sup] brand transforming robot toys in the stores, the television program would not have been made. One could argue that the Transformers franchise kinda transcended that. Sure, it was a cartoon made to market a cobbled-together line of toys licensed from various Japanese companies (Bandai, Takara, etc.), but when the cartoon is well-enough made to be re-imported into Japan, where it became a major hit, you gotta think that the cartoon had something going for it. (full confession: the marketing worked on me. I SO wanted a Jetfire toy. 'course, I didn’t have enough money to buy one…) My gut reaction would be Macross, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/98 "2005-10-01T12:38:55Z")
There’s nothing like **Voltron.** (Of course the Lions…I think I might still have my 2 foot tall die-cast lion Voltron (of course, seperable) in my parents attic somewhere). I was also a big Smurfs kid, having once owned the “Smurfs All-Star Show” record, which got played to death. Transformers was quite good too, and **Dangermouse** is a personal fave, though upon purchasing Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD, it’s not quite as good now as I remember it being then. And maybe it’s because I’m not a girl, but **Jem** was terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/99 "2005-10-01T12:43:25Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Not one mention of MASK? That show kicks the Transformers ass, and also had the best toys of the 80s! :smack: How could I have forgotten MASK! I had a ton of MASK toys, and, when I got a working typewriter (plastic) for Christmas one year, I actually wrote MASK stories. The toys were fantastic. Outlaw (the Snake Oil tanker) was awesome…had a rocket launcher that could actually do pretty serious damage if aimed at someones head at close range. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030/100 "2005-10-01T13:14:14Z")
Ducktales saved the decade at the last minute 🆒 (prepare for old man Count Chocula whizzing now.) :eek: While both the 70’s and 80’s were generally wastelands for new cartoons, the 70’s at least had uncut re-runs of Looney Tunes and Rocky and Bullwinkle/Underdog/Fractured Fairy tales. The 80’s had nothing. We sophisticates 😉 in the 80’s looked on He-man as nothing more than low camp, to be enjoyed only for it’s ridiculousness. All the robot type shows? As said earlier… total Choco-bot adventure hour. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-80s-cartoon-ever/324030.md?page=6)