# What do you think are the best classic cartoons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137 "2009-02-16T19:05:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/41 "2009-02-17T07:23:17Z")
I don’t have a passion for cartoons, so my addition is purely based on what I remember enjoying as a kid. I always loved the painful politeness of “The Goofy Gophers”, and the music from their visit to the canning factory plays in my head at hectic moments to this day. Maybe not the very best, but they stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/42 "2009-02-17T07:26:40Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Chuck Jones himself put it best- “I dream I’m Bugs Bunny, but when I wake up I’m Daffy Duck.” Bugs is who we all want to be and does what we wish we could do, Daffy is who we are and what really happens to us. That pretty much sums it up for me. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/43 "2009-02-17T09:18:10Z")
Voting for \*\*Animaniacs \*\*and **Ren and Stimpy**. All the stuff they got past the censors? Tell me they were just making these cartoons for kids only. 🆒 The chipmunks in the canning factory filling up the tree w/ nuts. Very much fun! And a good lesson in manners. Riki Tiki Tavi - I have the DVD. Good memories. Cricket in Times Square - just about the only good thing about Christmas. Woody Woodpecker - Horribly obnoxious. Road Runner - speed freak. Bugs was just out for a good time, chillin’ with a carrot juice or singing a song. But somebody was always there to harsh his buzz. So of course he had to stand up for the rights of the little guy. Daffy was self-centered and greedy. Always had a scheming plan. I loved that, but the overly horrible ways he self-destructed always overshadowed the sadness of his failure. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/44 "2009-02-17T10:03:27Z")
I rather liked Cow and Chicken. I like how utterly bizarre it is. It captures some of the real absurdity of childhood. I liked the warner brothers with the sheep dog and wolf punching the clock. I like how they both have a job to do, and how it is nothing personal. What were those called? And I agree that Jerry is a sadistic little bugger. I much prefer road runner and tweety as prey. Tweety because he is really in danger and just trying to survive. And Road Runner did more than just surprise the coyote, sometimes he was driving the vehicle which runs over the Coyote. I like him because it seemed like it would be great fun to be him, zipping along at insane speed. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/45 "2009-02-17T10:19:09Z")
Another nod for **Riki Tiki Tavi** and **Road Runner**. **Pepe LePew** always brought out a laugh from me. (The recent commercials featuring him make no sense; the cats ALWAYS were accidentally painted with a white stripe and tried desperately to get away! For one to paint herself with the goal of pleasing Pepe is just blasphemy!) **Godzilla**. Just got the DVDs recently. “Up from the depths, thirty stories high, breathing fire, his head in the sky…GODZILLA! GODZILLA! GODZILLA! And Godzoooooky!” **The Herculoids.** \*\* Thundarr the Barbarian.\*\* For specific episodes (some of which I do not know the titles of, so I’ll post a description): What’s Opera, Doc? The one where Bugs takes some kind of Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde type potion. The one where the baby elephant wins the baseball game. (“There’s NOTHING IN THE RULE BOOK THAT SAYS AN ELEPHANT CAN’T PLAY BASEBALL!”) The one where Sylvester and his little nephew or whatever he was encounter a boxing kangaroo; Sylvester tells the kid to go get the mouse, and when he comes back empty-pawed, Sylvester goes in after it, only to get creamed by the kangaroo time and time again. “BIG mouse! BIG, BIG mouse!!” There’s a **Popeye** cartoon where Olive Oyl stows away onboard a ship with Popeye and Bluto; All the sailors are freaking out because having a woman onboard is supposed to be a jinx, and Bluto is trying to get to her for whatever nefarious purpose Bluto always seemed to have in mind. Of course, Popeye defends her and goes all Spinachy and beats Bluto…only to grab Olive and dump her off the side of the boat, saying, “I still thinks wemmins is a jinx!” ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/46 "2009-02-17T11:00:31Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I vote for Tex Avery - Car of Tomorrow, House of Tomorrow, The Cat Who Hated People… > > It don’t get much better than that! … King Size Canary, Magical Maestro, Bad Luck Blackie, Deputy Droopy … (In other words: Seconded!) ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/47 "2009-02-17T11:43:35Z")
There’s already been several mentions for Chuck Jones 50’s material, but it’s really great material and the first thing that came to mind. I especially love the drawing style of both the characters (the facial expressions!) as well as the backgrounds (trees, buildings, etc). It’s really distinct, but still timeless. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/48 "2009-02-17T18:37:02Z")
I’m putting in a vote for the old Fleischer Superman series. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/49 "2009-02-17T18:55:12Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > I’m putting in a vote for the old Fleischer Superman series. Can you elaborate? I bought a lot of them on public domain dvd awhile back for a dollar, and ended up feeling kinda ripped off. They really bored me. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/50 "2009-02-17T18:59:29Z")
> [@lee](#): > > I liked the warner brothers with the sheep dog and wolf punching the clock. I like how they both have a job to do, and how it is nothing personal. What were those called? Wikipedia calls them [Wolf and Sheepdog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Sheepdog). But they’re Sam and Ralph. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/51 "2009-02-17T19:08:51Z")
Since we obviously have a collection of cartoon connoisseurs here, can anyone clear up for me whether it was Droopy, Bugs or some other critter involved in this toon where there’s this big imposing castle with a blinking neon sign that goes “Evil Scientist” and “BOOO!” alternately? Not long ago I located Inky and the Magpie on YouTube which helped to clear up another old cartoon memory question, but I haven’t looked in the right places to get the Evil Scientist out of my mind. And does anybody else remember when Droopy uttered that famous “Oh, goody. Can I be the bull?” line? ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/52 "2009-02-17T19:12:55Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Since we obviously have a collection of cartoon connoisseurs here, can anyone clear up for me whether it was Droopy, Bugs or some other critter involved in this toon where there’s this big imposing castle with a blinking neon sign that goes “Evil Scientist” and “BOOO!” alternately? Sounds like you’re thinking about Bugs in [Hair-Raising Hare](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038586/usercomments). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/53 "2009-02-17T19:22:03Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > Sounds like you’re thinking about Bugs in [Hair-Raising Hare](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038586/usercomments). Gotta be! Thanks a bunch. Now I can go to my grave satisfied with life as I have known it. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/54 "2009-02-17T19:59:24Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Can you elaborate? I bought a lot of them on public domain dvd awhile back for a dollar, and ended up feeling kinda ripped off. They really bored me. (This is in regard to the “Fleischer Superman” cartoons] Mainly, the gorgeous artwork. Maybe you got awful-quality copies, or maybe you just aren’t an aficionado of that “Art Deco”-like style. A few facts: There were seventeen of them, produced between 1941 and 1943. The first nine were produced by Fleischer Studios, and featured science-fictiony themes; the last eight were produced by Famous Studios, and focused more on World War II. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/55 "2009-02-17T20:56:49Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > Sounds like you’re thinking about Bugs in [Hair-Raising Hare](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038586/usercomments). Although the write-ups made it sound like Hair-Raising Hare was the right one, the YouTube entries for it didn’t have what I remembered. However [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkeWzDzcd8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkeWzDzcd8) (Water, Water Every Hare) did. Thanks for putting me on the trail. I bet it’s been 50+ years since I saw that last! ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/56 "2009-02-17T21:16:02Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Although the write-ups made it sound like Hair-Raising Hare was the right one, the YouTube entries for it didn’t have what I remembered. However [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkeWzDzcd8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkeWzDzcd8) (Water, Water Every Hare) did. Thanks for putting me on the trail. I bet it’s been 50+ years since I saw that last! Yeah, those two are so similar, I took my best shot at the one that seemed closest to your description. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/57 "2009-02-17T21:28:18Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > Yeah, those two are so similar, I took my best shot at the one that seemed closest to your description. And that got me on the trail. And while on the trail, I found [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzqt-ENnmHc&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzqt-ENnmHc&feature=related) (Droopy Dog-Caballero Droopy) where you have to wait 5 minutes before he says the famous line: “Oh, goody. Can I be the bull?” Now I will sleep well tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/58 "2009-02-17T21:56:59Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > (This is in regard to the “Fleischer Superman” cartoons] > > Mainly, the gorgeous artwork. Maybe you got awful-quality copies, or maybe you just aren’t an aficionado of that “Art Deco”-like style. > > A few facts: There were seventeen of them, produced between 1941 and 1943. The first nine were produced by Fleischer Studios, and featured science-fictiony themes; the last eight were produced by Famous Studios, and focused more on World War II. I see. I’m actually googoo over the art deco style, which is why I bought them. I guess I just didn’t care for the stories. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/59 "2009-02-17T23:57:12Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > I’m putting in a vote for the old Fleischer Superman series. WOW! And here I thought I’d be the only guy to remember them. The complete series is coming out on DVD, digitally remastered. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137/60 "2009-02-18T00:25:40Z")
No love for[Danger Mouse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_Mouse_(TV_Series))? But [he’s the greatest](http://80scartoonscontent.co.uk/videos/dangermouse.wmv)\*… [Count Duckula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Duckula)? The original Ren and Stimpy is most definitely a classic. The influence it has had on my generation, I can’t even imagine what will come from the Adult Swim generation. ETA: I can’t wait to see it though… \*.wmv file [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-are-the-best-classic-cartoons/486137.md?page=4)