Oh, wow. The loves list:
Warner Brothers: Bugs, in Freleng/Jones form, post 1946 or so. Before that, he was just miscellaneously obnoxious. Daffy and Porky, ditto. Both of these characters underwent almost complete transformations - Daffy becoming the neurotic, self-delusional, craven little twerp we love, and Porky dropping slightly into the background to beocme one of the better second-bananas ever invented. Ralph Philips, the little dreamer; I believe Watterson acknowledged him as one of the influences for Calvin. Foghorn Leghorn, Dawg, Henery Hawk, and Miss Prissy Bob McKimson’s only really good cartoons; although they became repetetive it was damn funny. Sylvester
Disney: The villains. Especially Lucifee.
Other 50s-60s Bullwinkle, Rocky, Boris Badinov, Natasha Fatale, Mr. Peabody - all brilliant. Pink Panther, who ought to be remembered better than he is. Tom & Jerry, better in the original Hanna Barbera cartoons for MGM (that’s where they got their start - with big budgets they did great stuff); interesting but not as funny in their mid-60s Chuck Jones incarnation
Nothing from the 70s or 80s, with the possible exception of Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato, which I haven’t seen since I was 12. But I remember thinking it really, really cool, great action with at least a little complexity.
Contemporary: Daria, the best offshoot of the Simpsons. Buttercup (favorite episode: Beat Your Greens, when the Earth is attacked by broccoloid invaders) Dexter, of the laboratory. Courage the Cowardly Dog and Muriel Bagge (god I love that show). Lupin III Newly redubbed, now on Adult Swim. A riot.
The despise list is smaller to type but includes many, many more characters.
Warner Brothers: Pepe, for the reasons mentioned; and Tweety. I know he’s supposed to be annoying, but, ah, I think you made your point, Mr. Freleng. Back off.
Disney: The heroes, every last one of them. Insipid, sacharine, intolerable.
Paramount: God, these cartoons were annoying. Can you imagine anyone actually fighting over Olive Oyl, fercryinoutloud? Everyone else was just tedious, beginning with Popeye. (Although occasionally he did say funny stuff under his breath.)
Hanna Barbera: Pretty much the entire oevre. Watch Boomerang and you realize - wow, this stuff really sucked. There is no reason other than nostalgia for anyone to watch this.
But the winner for most contemptible cartoon in animation history-
Unrevived on any cable network, even the most desperate for content!
Unmourned by animation fans!
Unfunny even by the standards of an 8-year-old in 1942!
It’s
Woody Woodpecker!
God, what a loser. The entire output of Walter Lantz (Chilly Willy, etc.) ought to be burned. I hated it when I was 8, and it’s not getting any better.
Honorable mentions to: the equally unmourned Mighty Mouse and Casper