Zen Man
Active Member
This is my first real discussion post on the forum, so hopefully its a good one.
Remember several years back when TV Guide did that crappy list on the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time? They left out so many big names and had characters that hadn't been around that long. So that inspired me to make my own list a couple of months back. The Big Cartoon Database, Don Marksteins Toonopedia and a few other websites really helped me out when I did it.
Remember this is based on popularity,longevity, originality, cultural/industry impact and box office so you might see some cartoon characters that you've never heard of on the list. I'm leaving off claymation stars too.
1. Bugs Bunny - For over 50 years the 'Wascally Wabbit' has endeared himself to millions of fans, myself included, all across the world. With his quick wit and nonchalant attitude, Bugs has evolved from a cartoon star to one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.
2. Mickey Mouse - Like Bugs, 'The Mouse' has evolved from a cartoon star to being a piece of Americana. Though some would say he's a bit bland, you can't argue that he's still one of the most beloved and enduring characters of our time.
3. Charlie Brown & Snoopy - I'm putting these two together as they were always at the forefront of the ever popular Peanuts comic strip. Since their debut in the 1950's, the characters have crossed over into virtually all media. A Charlie Brown Christmas is considered a timeless holiday classic and an annual tradition enjoyed by millions every holiday season.
4. Scooby Doo - Love him or hate him, anyone whose had 9 different TV shows between 1969 and 1986 has definately shown his longevity. Not to mention Scoob's popularity has been on a resurgence since the late 90's. By far Hanna-Barbera's biggest star and still going strong.
5. Superman - I was primarily thinking about the Fleischer Bros. theatrical version which revolutionized cartoons. He's also had five animated shows since 1966.
6. Betty Boop - The first of North America's more adult-oriented cartoons.
7. Rocky & Bullwinkle - Big hit with both children for humor and adults for satire. Easily Jay Ward's most popular creation.
8. Yogi Bear - Hanna-Barbera's first big hit whose catchphrases are still among the most remembered. He has starred in multiple animated series and specials and even has a Martian rock named after him. Not bad at all.
9.The Simpsons - I'm grouping all the five main characters here, although they used Bart to draw audiences at first. The longest running animated show in primetime thus far and generally credited for paving the way for more adult-oriented cartoons.
10.Totoro - I admit I never heard of him until I did my research. Created by Hiayo Myazaki, he was a national craze in Japan and is one of the most popular anime characters ever. 'My Neighbor Totoro' helped cement Myazaki's legacy as the first animation director to consistently top Disney at the Japanese box office. I'm not an anime fan but I'll give it its props.
11. Fred Flintstone - The Flintstones was the first successful animated show in primetime running for six seasons. Fred has also starred in at least 8 different series between 1972 and 1990 (as well as three primetime specials and two live action movies).
12. Michigan J. Frog- Perhaps Chuck Jones' shining moment. The famous short, "One Froggy Evening", is one of the few preserved animated shorts that are kept by the National Film Registry.
13. Felix the Cat - Hard to top for longevity and one of the few success stories from the early days of cartoons. Many traditional sight gags started with him.
14. The Grinch - Audiences have loved him from the moment they first saw him back in 1966. For many families going into the fourth generation, watching him every holiday season has become a tradition. Arguably, Dr. Seuss' most popular creation to date.
15. Daffy Duck - Warner's resident crazy and Bug's eternal nemesis. Daffy always worked best when he played off the other Warner Bros. characters.
16. Woody Woodpecker - Walter Lantz' greatest creation and the cartoon that is credited with being the most violent cartoon during its heyday. It was the one that was regularly pointed out as the one that needed to vanish during the 'great cleanup' of Saturday mornings. His return in the 1980's severely toned him down and wasn't as successful.
17. Popeye - Fleischer Bros. other big hit, and long time Saturay morning favorite.
18. Winnie the Pooh - The Disney version has become so imprinted on us that hardly anyone remember's the A.A. Milne version. By far one of the biggest marketable characters ever.
19. Alvin & the Chipmunks - First crossover animated stars from anything other than movies winning five Grammy Awards throughout the 1960's. Another one in the running for television longevity with at least 4 series since 1961 (the last ending in 1991).
20. G.I. Joe - I'm lumping all the characters together since there never was a 'star' of the series. The Joe's were one of the first big syndicated animated series not picked up by the Big Three Networks.They led the way in opening up the afternoon slot after a drought of many years from the early 1970's.
21. Jonny Quest- Hanna-Barbera's first successful adventure cartoon and one specifically designed for primetime. Doug Wildey's designs caught on and Jonny has remained popular since his first appearence in 1964.
22. Fat Albert - Originally a comedy routine by Bill Cosby, then an evening TV special, and only then a Saturday morning show. Enjoyed one of the longest runs on Saturday mornings (12 years) and was really one of the first message series and one of the few to star African-American characters.
23. Speed Racer - The first truly successful transplant of anime in North America. It opened up the U.S. industry to Japenese animators, who would take the lead in TV animation in the late 1980's and through today.
24. Goofy - One of Disney's most enduring stars, he's always managed to stick around with a number of shorts since the 1940's (including the popular "How To" cartoons). His popularity also warrented a television show and two theatrical movies.
25. The Smurfs - Imported via France, they enjoyed a very long run on Saturday mornings in North America receiving multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and winning twice. They were also featured in full-length features in Europe.They rival many names on this list for sheer popularity alone.
26. Mighty Mouse - TerryToons crowning acheivement which combined the old silent film era plots, operatic themes and music, super heroics and some would say drug use. Mighty Mouse (along with Heckle & Jeckle) are the only survivors of the early 1960's purge of most of Paul Terry's original creations.
27. Batman - Arguably should be higher on the list given Bat's overall popularity. He has starred in four series since 1968 with the 1992 series being considered the best among fans.
28. The Pink Panther- An animated star that happened almost by accident. Originally shown in the opening credits of the orginal movies, under the guidance of Friz Freleng, it became arguably the most popular animated series throughout the 1970's. The 1991-92 revival is best forgotton.
29. Tom & Jerry -Hanna-Barbera's creation for MGM, the cat and mouse team spawned a few imitators. One of the few cartoons that didn't use much dialogue and stuck with the action for most of its run. The original Hanna-Barbera shorts are noted for having won seven Academy Awards tying it with Disney's 'Silly Symphonies' as the most awarded theatrical cartoon series ever.
30. Droopy Dog - Tex Avery's first and greatest creation for MGM. The ultimate in deadpan humor.
31. Gigantor- Never heard of him either but it was one of the first successful Japanese giant robot series that would lead the way for creations like Transformers, Voltron, and Gundam.
32. The Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote - Chuck Jones' last creation for Warner's as part of Termite Terrace. These series of cartoons when shown again in the mid 1960's, helped to revitalize both the Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes franchises for Saturday Mornings.
33. Spongebob Squarepants- I was a little hesitant to put him on the list considering he's still fairly new. But there's no denying that he's been embraced by millions while also becoming a marketing powerhouse. Funny and unique, it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon.
34. Casper the Friendly Ghost - A lasting favorite from Paramounts Famous Studios, which we now think of as the Harvey brand cartoons. Casper enjoyed a long run in syndication from 1962 to 1990 in addition to successful merchandising.
35. Rocket Robin Hood -Another unknown to me, Canada's Krantz Films produced this successful but short-lived series in 1967. This was noted as the first Canadian property to get play in the United States which eventually led to the creation of Nelvana Studios in the late 1970's.
36. Danger Mouse - England's Cosgrove Hall Productions created this series in 1981 and bought it to the United States three years later. Though more popular in Canada, Danger Mouse was the first British cartoon to be broadcasted in America with the series producing new episodes up until 1992, which was a superior run. This was also Britains first home-grown regular animated series.
37. Underdog - Leonardo Productions pinnacle of achievement. Original, memorable, and surprisingly non-violent given the genre.
38. Private Snafu - Again never heard of him, but I read that he was created by legendary film director, Frank Capra. His shorts were written by Dr. Seuss with the animation done by the Warner Bros. team. Snafu's shorts educated soldiers during World War II and to this day is the only uniform instructional cartoon ever done.
39. Beany & Cecil - Another unknown duo to me. Bob Clampett, who helped create Bugs Bunny and was the sole creator of Tweety and Sylvester, spearheaded this series. Beany & Cecil, along with Flintstones, was the first animated series to be broadcast in color starting in 1962.
40. Donald Duck - Animations ultimate loose cannon, Donald losing his temper was his big gag and we loved it. Long-lived and still popular today, Donald really made a name for himself in the 1940's during World War II when audiences were looking for brasher, edgier cartoons.
41. Garfield - Created by Jim Davis, Garfield is one of the few comic strip characters to successfully branch off into television-starring in his own animated series which ran from 1988 to 1995. In addition, 'America's Favorite Fat Cat' has starred in 12 prime-time animated television specials which spanned from 1982-1991 and two live-action movies.
42. The Care Bears - Got their start in greeting cards and were the first big ultra saccharine animated series of the early 1980's, that would eventually include My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite and Pound Puppies.
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - In many ways they revitalized television animation in the late 1980's, with very slick stylings. They also burned out much faster than most of the other characters on my list, with the series leaving the air in 1996. But the show is noted for being the first real fad animation series which has continued with series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. They've also been on a bit of a comeback the last few years.
44. Mr. Magoo - The long-running theatrical and television series has been credited with bringing classic tales such as Gunga Din: The Thief of Bagdad and others to viewers attention. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is also considered to be a holiday classic from the 1960's, ranking alongside A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
45. Porky Pig - He was Warner's Brother's first big cartoon star in the late 1930's. Porky continues to be popular today and his trademark "Th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-That's All Folks!" catchphrase has become synonymous in pop-culture. The classic short- 'Porky in Wackyland'- was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2000.
46. Heckle & Jeckle - Paul Terry's other creation whose shorts spanned from the 1940's to the mid-1960's.
47. Archie Andrews - Considered to be 'America's Teenager', Archie was a big-time crossover star, and he was always there on Saturday Mornings during the late 60's and early 70's producing a couple of top-ten hits on the record charts too.
48. Spider-Man - The first of the really big super-hero animated series, Spidey has had 5 different series since 1967 and has become one of the most recognizable and enduring super-hero characters in the world ranking alongside Superman and Batman.
49. Super Mario Bros. - Though they're more famous in the video game genre, The Mario Bros. (mainly Mario), have enjoyed tremendous crossover success starring in 3 different animated series between the late 1980's and early 90's in addition to a live action movie and a string of successful merchandise. Many label them as one of the most well-remembered 30 minute commercials.
50. Chilly Willy - Walter Lantz' second most popular creation, Chilly appeared in over 100 shorts from 1953 to 1972. He's one of the most investigated and readily identifiable characters ever.
It took me a few weeks to get the list together when I first did it but it was a lot of fun. And as always these types of listings are subjective, so feel free to disagree.
Remember several years back when TV Guide did that crappy list on the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time? They left out so many big names and had characters that hadn't been around that long. So that inspired me to make my own list a couple of months back. The Big Cartoon Database, Don Marksteins Toonopedia and a few other websites really helped me out when I did it.
Remember this is based on popularity,longevity, originality, cultural/industry impact and box office so you might see some cartoon characters that you've never heard of on the list. I'm leaving off claymation stars too.
1. Bugs Bunny - For over 50 years the 'Wascally Wabbit' has endeared himself to millions of fans, myself included, all across the world. With his quick wit and nonchalant attitude, Bugs has evolved from a cartoon star to one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.
2. Mickey Mouse - Like Bugs, 'The Mouse' has evolved from a cartoon star to being a piece of Americana. Though some would say he's a bit bland, you can't argue that he's still one of the most beloved and enduring characters of our time.
3. Charlie Brown & Snoopy - I'm putting these two together as they were always at the forefront of the ever popular Peanuts comic strip. Since their debut in the 1950's, the characters have crossed over into virtually all media. A Charlie Brown Christmas is considered a timeless holiday classic and an annual tradition enjoyed by millions every holiday season.
4. Scooby Doo - Love him or hate him, anyone whose had 9 different TV shows between 1969 and 1986 has definately shown his longevity. Not to mention Scoob's popularity has been on a resurgence since the late 90's. By far Hanna-Barbera's biggest star and still going strong.
5. Superman - I was primarily thinking about the Fleischer Bros. theatrical version which revolutionized cartoons. He's also had five animated shows since 1966.
6. Betty Boop - The first of North America's more adult-oriented cartoons.
7. Rocky & Bullwinkle - Big hit with both children for humor and adults for satire. Easily Jay Ward's most popular creation.
8. Yogi Bear - Hanna-Barbera's first big hit whose catchphrases are still among the most remembered. He has starred in multiple animated series and specials and even has a Martian rock named after him. Not bad at all.
9.The Simpsons - I'm grouping all the five main characters here, although they used Bart to draw audiences at first. The longest running animated show in primetime thus far and generally credited for paving the way for more adult-oriented cartoons.
10.Totoro - I admit I never heard of him until I did my research. Created by Hiayo Myazaki, he was a national craze in Japan and is one of the most popular anime characters ever. 'My Neighbor Totoro' helped cement Myazaki's legacy as the first animation director to consistently top Disney at the Japanese box office. I'm not an anime fan but I'll give it its props.
11. Fred Flintstone - The Flintstones was the first successful animated show in primetime running for six seasons. Fred has also starred in at least 8 different series between 1972 and 1990 (as well as three primetime specials and two live action movies).
12. Michigan J. Frog- Perhaps Chuck Jones' shining moment. The famous short, "One Froggy Evening", is one of the few preserved animated shorts that are kept by the National Film Registry.
13. Felix the Cat - Hard to top for longevity and one of the few success stories from the early days of cartoons. Many traditional sight gags started with him.
14. The Grinch - Audiences have loved him from the moment they first saw him back in 1966. For many families going into the fourth generation, watching him every holiday season has become a tradition. Arguably, Dr. Seuss' most popular creation to date.
15. Daffy Duck - Warner's resident crazy and Bug's eternal nemesis. Daffy always worked best when he played off the other Warner Bros. characters.
16. Woody Woodpecker - Walter Lantz' greatest creation and the cartoon that is credited with being the most violent cartoon during its heyday. It was the one that was regularly pointed out as the one that needed to vanish during the 'great cleanup' of Saturday mornings. His return in the 1980's severely toned him down and wasn't as successful.
17. Popeye - Fleischer Bros. other big hit, and long time Saturay morning favorite.
18. Winnie the Pooh - The Disney version has become so imprinted on us that hardly anyone remember's the A.A. Milne version. By far one of the biggest marketable characters ever.
19. Alvin & the Chipmunks - First crossover animated stars from anything other than movies winning five Grammy Awards throughout the 1960's. Another one in the running for television longevity with at least 4 series since 1961 (the last ending in 1991).
20. G.I. Joe - I'm lumping all the characters together since there never was a 'star' of the series. The Joe's were one of the first big syndicated animated series not picked up by the Big Three Networks.They led the way in opening up the afternoon slot after a drought of many years from the early 1970's.
21. Jonny Quest- Hanna-Barbera's first successful adventure cartoon and one specifically designed for primetime. Doug Wildey's designs caught on and Jonny has remained popular since his first appearence in 1964.
22. Fat Albert - Originally a comedy routine by Bill Cosby, then an evening TV special, and only then a Saturday morning show. Enjoyed one of the longest runs on Saturday mornings (12 years) and was really one of the first message series and one of the few to star African-American characters.
23. Speed Racer - The first truly successful transplant of anime in North America. It opened up the U.S. industry to Japenese animators, who would take the lead in TV animation in the late 1980's and through today.
24. Goofy - One of Disney's most enduring stars, he's always managed to stick around with a number of shorts since the 1940's (including the popular "How To" cartoons). His popularity also warrented a television show and two theatrical movies.
25. The Smurfs - Imported via France, they enjoyed a very long run on Saturday mornings in North America receiving multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and winning twice. They were also featured in full-length features in Europe.They rival many names on this list for sheer popularity alone.
26. Mighty Mouse - TerryToons crowning acheivement which combined the old silent film era plots, operatic themes and music, super heroics and some would say drug use. Mighty Mouse (along with Heckle & Jeckle) are the only survivors of the early 1960's purge of most of Paul Terry's original creations.
27. Batman - Arguably should be higher on the list given Bat's overall popularity. He has starred in four series since 1968 with the 1992 series being considered the best among fans.
28. The Pink Panther- An animated star that happened almost by accident. Originally shown in the opening credits of the orginal movies, under the guidance of Friz Freleng, it became arguably the most popular animated series throughout the 1970's. The 1991-92 revival is best forgotton.
29. Tom & Jerry -Hanna-Barbera's creation for MGM, the cat and mouse team spawned a few imitators. One of the few cartoons that didn't use much dialogue and stuck with the action for most of its run. The original Hanna-Barbera shorts are noted for having won seven Academy Awards tying it with Disney's 'Silly Symphonies' as the most awarded theatrical cartoon series ever.
30. Droopy Dog - Tex Avery's first and greatest creation for MGM. The ultimate in deadpan humor.
31. Gigantor- Never heard of him either but it was one of the first successful Japanese giant robot series that would lead the way for creations like Transformers, Voltron, and Gundam.
32. The Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote - Chuck Jones' last creation for Warner's as part of Termite Terrace. These series of cartoons when shown again in the mid 1960's, helped to revitalize both the Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes franchises for Saturday Mornings.
33. Spongebob Squarepants- I was a little hesitant to put him on the list considering he's still fairly new. But there's no denying that he's been embraced by millions while also becoming a marketing powerhouse. Funny and unique, it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon.
34. Casper the Friendly Ghost - A lasting favorite from Paramounts Famous Studios, which we now think of as the Harvey brand cartoons. Casper enjoyed a long run in syndication from 1962 to 1990 in addition to successful merchandising.
35. Rocket Robin Hood -Another unknown to me, Canada's Krantz Films produced this successful but short-lived series in 1967. This was noted as the first Canadian property to get play in the United States which eventually led to the creation of Nelvana Studios in the late 1970's.
36. Danger Mouse - England's Cosgrove Hall Productions created this series in 1981 and bought it to the United States three years later. Though more popular in Canada, Danger Mouse was the first British cartoon to be broadcasted in America with the series producing new episodes up until 1992, which was a superior run. This was also Britains first home-grown regular animated series.
37. Underdog - Leonardo Productions pinnacle of achievement. Original, memorable, and surprisingly non-violent given the genre.
38. Private Snafu - Again never heard of him, but I read that he was created by legendary film director, Frank Capra. His shorts were written by Dr. Seuss with the animation done by the Warner Bros. team. Snafu's shorts educated soldiers during World War II and to this day is the only uniform instructional cartoon ever done.
39. Beany & Cecil - Another unknown duo to me. Bob Clampett, who helped create Bugs Bunny and was the sole creator of Tweety and Sylvester, spearheaded this series. Beany & Cecil, along with Flintstones, was the first animated series to be broadcast in color starting in 1962.
40. Donald Duck - Animations ultimate loose cannon, Donald losing his temper was his big gag and we loved it. Long-lived and still popular today, Donald really made a name for himself in the 1940's during World War II when audiences were looking for brasher, edgier cartoons.
41. Garfield - Created by Jim Davis, Garfield is one of the few comic strip characters to successfully branch off into television-starring in his own animated series which ran from 1988 to 1995. In addition, 'America's Favorite Fat Cat' has starred in 12 prime-time animated television specials which spanned from 1982-1991 and two live-action movies.
42. The Care Bears - Got their start in greeting cards and were the first big ultra saccharine animated series of the early 1980's, that would eventually include My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite and Pound Puppies.
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - In many ways they revitalized television animation in the late 1980's, with very slick stylings. They also burned out much faster than most of the other characters on my list, with the series leaving the air in 1996. But the show is noted for being the first real fad animation series which has continued with series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh. They've also been on a bit of a comeback the last few years.
44. Mr. Magoo - The long-running theatrical and television series has been credited with bringing classic tales such as Gunga Din: The Thief of Bagdad and others to viewers attention. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is also considered to be a holiday classic from the 1960's, ranking alongside A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
45. Porky Pig - He was Warner's Brother's first big cartoon star in the late 1930's. Porky continues to be popular today and his trademark "Th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-That's All Folks!" catchphrase has become synonymous in pop-culture. The classic short- 'Porky in Wackyland'- was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2000.
46. Heckle & Jeckle - Paul Terry's other creation whose shorts spanned from the 1940's to the mid-1960's.
47. Archie Andrews - Considered to be 'America's Teenager', Archie was a big-time crossover star, and he was always there on Saturday Mornings during the late 60's and early 70's producing a couple of top-ten hits on the record charts too.
48. Spider-Man - The first of the really big super-hero animated series, Spidey has had 5 different series since 1967 and has become one of the most recognizable and enduring super-hero characters in the world ranking alongside Superman and Batman.
49. Super Mario Bros. - Though they're more famous in the video game genre, The Mario Bros. (mainly Mario), have enjoyed tremendous crossover success starring in 3 different animated series between the late 1980's and early 90's in addition to a live action movie and a string of successful merchandise. Many label them as one of the most well-remembered 30 minute commercials.
50. Chilly Willy - Walter Lantz' second most popular creation, Chilly appeared in over 100 shorts from 1953 to 1972. He's one of the most investigated and readily identifiable characters ever.
It took me a few weeks to get the list together when I first did it but it was a lot of fun. And as always these types of listings are subjective, so feel free to disagree.
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And most B&W cartoons are way below what I like. (Mandy:"I don't do rubberhose") And so much of Hanna Barbara seems redundant. Felix the Cat and Betty Boob? They seem to be ad icons now for some reason, but I defy anyone to have seen a full episode. 
I'd love to see the episodes about VD.
![[classic swim]](/forums/data/avatars/s/324/324637.jpg?1668169542){kind=avatar}