Current State of Comedy Cartoons

[Goldstar!]

What magic formula allowed comedy cartoons from the silent era to the 2000s to become popular only for the genre to decline so much? I'd figure that if it's good, audiences will watch it. I remember how big Spongebob, Fairly Oddparents, Jimmy Neutron, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, and all of Nickelodeon's 2000s comedy cartoons were. What made 2010s comedy cartoons so ill regarded compared to what came prior?

^This is what I'd like to know. Young adult audiences have gotten so bitter and jaded after the 2010s that now they instantly turn their noses up and poo-poo anything that isn't Batman, Dragon Ball Z or some kind of existential horror show. If you go to a Spencer's Gifts and tell someone that your favorite Nicktoons show is anything other than Avatar: The Last Airbender and they'll make a face like somebody farted.

As for ThunderCats Roar, a lot of young fans didn't like it simply because it wasn't the 2011 Cartoon Network series. I never saw Roar myself, but my feeling was that Roar, with its being all goofy, self-aware and making fun of itself, could never hope to be as funny as the 1980s original series. The 30-minute toy commercial ThunderCats was already the funny version of itself, so doing a cartoony spoof on the show seemed redundant.

 

[The Overlord]

Well, everyone isn't you, friend. A cartoon doesn't need to dark in order to be considered adult. Again, this is the mentality that too many adults have; that if it's not dark, edgy, mean-spirited or ugly, it must be for kids. Shows like Mission Hill, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast or even MTV's Liquid Television were good examples of adult cartoon that were twisted, but not overtly dark.

Hence me saying "Comedy is subjective" there is no real rule to making an appealing comedy. I liked Mission Hill, I didn't see enough of Space Ghost (it came to Canada late) and I did like the Head on MTV.

Lower Decks isn't dark, but it's very inside baseball. I like Hazbin Hotel, but it's not fit for everyone.

My point is those shows you mentioned are not for kids, I am sure say Hailey's on It appeals to its demographic, but it's not for me. A comedy aimed at kids would hold little appeal to me.

 

[Leviathan]

What magic formula allowed comedy cartoons from the silent era to the 2000s to become popular only for the genre to decline so much? I'd figure that if it's good, audiences will watch it. I remember how big Spongebob, Fairly Oddparents, Jimmy Neutron, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, and all of Nickelodeon's 2000s comedy cartoons were. What made 2010s comedy cartoons so ill regarded compared to what came prior?

I'll hazard a guess. A show like Rocko or Zim or the CN shows punch above their weight class in terms of writing. They work on multiple levels and have comedy that adults find appealing.

Something like Uncle Grandpa or Sanjay and Craig is aimed strictly at kids and only kids. The comedy doesn't work on multiple levels, and the writers don't care about demographics other than the intended one. This is what network executives prefer, but it's the comedy shows that do more that are beloved.

 

[PicardMan]

I'll hazard a guess. A show like Rocko or Zim or the CN shows punch above their weight class in terms of writing. They work on multiple levels and have comedy that adults find appealing.

Regular Show might be the swan song for that style of comedy cartoon. Aside from that one, it seemed like 2010s comedy cartoons like Fanboy and Chum Chum and Breadwinners seemed to appeal to kids and kids only and cartoon Youtubers seemed to relish in trashing every traditional 2010s comedy cartoon while praising stuff like Adventure Time or Steven Universe. The 2010s were the beginning of the downfall of traditional comedy cartoons, but surely there can be an upswing. The genre experimenting of the 2010s was widely and deservedly praised, but pure comedy deserves to exist. I admit I have some bias as I found the pure comedy of the 00s preferrable to the comedy/other genre mashups of the 2010s, but I understand the appeal of the mashups.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

Maybe slightly off topic, but I was thinking the other day about how it’s been a while since any new cartoon turned into an obsession level for me. The last one that came close was Craig of the Creek, but ehhh, that sort of fizzled out (I still like it). I was wondering if maybe it was my age, but then I’m thinking there’s a serious lack of 6-11 cartoons lately. Preschool stuff normally doesn’t jump out to me as must see tv and I strongly dislike adult cartoons unless it’s family friendly like The Simpsons.

 

[Goldstar!]

My point is those shows you mentioned are not for kids, I am sure say Hailey's on It appeals to its demographic, but it's not for me. A comedy aimed at kids would hold little appeal to me.

That's fair. Sorry about yesterday. I was having a "grumpy old man yells at the clouds" moment just then.

I don't have a problem with watching a show with a kid protagonist, as long as I find said show to be entertaining. I used to watch The Loud House, but the novelty of that show's premise wore off pretty quickly. I gave up on it after the show's 2nd season, after it morphed into just another generic kid sitcom.

Breadwinners and Sanjay & Craig were just juvenile. Completely inane to anyone over the age of 10. There were far too many jokes about butts and bodily functions, which isn't clever in the slightest. I can deal with a show that was made for 10-year-olds, but not a show that was seemingly made by 10-year-olds. This is why, with the exception of Rocko's Modern Life, I generally prefer the Cartoon-Cartoons over the Nicktoons.

 

[PicardMan]

There were far too many jokes about butts and bodily functions, which isn't clever in the slightest.

The way things are going, I could go for a Ren and Stimpy style grossfest considering the current state of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network's comedy cartoons. I remember how cool it was to see Billy West at a con and I love me some Ren and Stimpy type stuff. Part of me wonders if the backlash against the 2010s comedy cartoons is why cable has drastically cut down on making them in the 2020s. I guess the target demo of kids was starting to prefer the dramedies to the pure comedies and that's why the pure comedies are dying out in the s.

 

[Silverstar]

I guess the target demo of kids was starting to prefer the dramedies to the pure comedies and that's why the pure comedies are dying out in the s.

^I must truly be getting old, then, 'cause I hate dramedies. Pick a lane and stay in it.

Some Ren & Stimpy type stuff is tolerable in small doses, but I'd like to think that if comedy does ever have a resurgence, we can aim a little higher than that. I've always followed the philosophy of one of my comedy idols, Groucho Marx: if you have to be dirty to be funny, then you're not that funny.

 

[Pooky]

I don't think animation fans miss all-ages comedies too much. If you remember, they were very down on shows like Uncle Grandpa, Breadwinners, Sanjay and Craig and especially Thundercats Roar.

At best, you have established ongoing shows like Spongebob, The Loud House and Big City Greens.

I'm not sure if that tracks because other than Thundercats Roar, Loud House and Big City Greens are the most recent shows you've mentioned (and the infamous Roar launch teaser actually predates the first airing of Greens).

Regular Show might be the swan song for that style of comedy cartoon. Aside from that one, it seemed like 2010s comedy cartoons like Fanboy and Chum Chum and Breadwinners seemed to appeal to kids and kids only and cartoon Youtubers seemed to relish in trashing every traditional 2010s comedy cartoon while praising stuff like Adventure Time or Steven Universe.

I would say Gumball to an extent; it skews more towards kids than Regular Show, being set in a middle(?) school and all, but the humour was broadly similar and would probably have at least some appeal to the older Regular Show fan, and at the very least I'm not aware that there was any great backlash.

 

[PicardMan]

I would say Gumball to an extent; it skews more towards kids than Regular Show, being set in a middle(?) school and all, but the humour was broadly similar and would probably have at least some appeal to the older Regular Show fan, and at the very least I'm not aware that there was any great backlash.

Gumball came out only half a year after Regular Show in 2011, so that's still over a decade ago and places the early 2010s as the last era of that type of comedy cartoon.

 

[aegisrawks]

Rock, Paper, Scissors is a great comedy cartoon. I love it and it's also one of the few new successful cartoons.

 

[Pooky]

OK, but you said Regular Show was the last, I mentioned one that came along after, and for that matter took a while to get going in terms of popularity and lasted until 2019.

 

[PicardMan]

OK, but you said Regular Show was the last, I mentioned one that came along after, and for that matter took a while to get going in terms of popularity and lasted until 2019.

Yeah, I just forgot which came first as it was such a long time ago. It feels like they were almost simultaneous releases, but in actuality, there was a six month gap between the shows. Good point that both shows lasted until the late 2010s. The ending of both those shows was more likely to be the decline of traditional comedy cartoons than the beginning of those shows.

Rock, Paper, Scissors is a great comedy cartoon. I love it and it's also one of the few new successful cartoons.

Nickelodeon probably has a slightly brighter future than Cartoon Network when it comes to comedy in the 2020s. They've tended to champion pure comedy over dramedy.

 

[SweetShop209]

Nickelodeon probably has a slightly brighter future than Cartoon Network when it comes to comedy in the 2020s. They've tended to champion pure comedy over dramedy.

That is something that's true. Even Nickelodeon shows with more pronounced action or fantasy elements still feature notable comedy in it.

 

[Goldstar!]

^I must truly be getting old, then, 'cause I hate dramedies. Pick a lane and stay in it.

Ugh. Dramadies. Do not get me started. I can't stand pretentious shows like Adventure Time and Hey, Arnold! that constantly flip-flop from goofy comedy to heavy drama. Figure out your smegging tone! Same deal with Lackadaisy. No. You can your have your cartoon about talking cats who wear clothes and drive cars, but don't expect me to take that mess seriously. I can deal with a comedy cartoon having the occasional serious moment, but the whole show being serious? Fughettaboutit!

 

[The Overlord]

Ugh. Dramadies. Do not get me started. I can't stand pretentious shows like Adventure Time and Hey, Arnold! that constantly flip-flop from goofy comedy to heavy drama. Figure out your smegging tone! Same deal with Lackadaisy. No. You can your have your cartoon about talking cats who wear clothes and drive cars, but don't expect me to take that mess seriously. I can deal with a comedy cartoon having the occasional serious moment, but the whole show being serious? Fughettaboutit!

To be fair, there is a whole genre of talking animal stories that are dramatic rather than comedic.

Red Wall, Watership down, Silverwing, Secret of NIMH, etc.

Lackadiasy is more like a crime drama with the occasional comedic moment.

 

[Goldstar!]

To be fair, there is a whole genre of talking animal stories that are dramatic rather than comedic.

Red Wall, Watership down, Silverwing, Secret of NIMH, etc.

Lackadiasy is more like a crime drama with the occasional comedic moment.

I don't want to watch a crime drama starring humans. Why would I want to watch one with a cast of cartoon cats?

I have a term for that. I call that "anti-fun". No offense to anyone who likes that particular genre, but it's not for me. I don't want to see characters who look like they should be hanging out with Mickey Mouse and Goofy going through existential dread. Maybe I'm just too old and out of touch, but I don't see how that's entertaining. Somebody, throw a pie!

 

[Silverstar]

To be fair, there is a whole genre of talking animal stories that are dramatic rather than comedic.

Red Wall, Watership down, Silverwing, Secret of NIMH, etc.

Lackadiasy is more like a crime drama with the occasional comedic moment

There are indeed dramatic talking animal stories. Nobody's debating that, but there's a difference: in works like Watership Down, Secret of NIMH, Animal Farm and the like, the premise either relies on the characters being animals or they're animals for allegorical reasons. The reason those work and Lackadaisy doesn't (for me, anyway) is that there's absolutely no fogging reason for the characters to be cartoon cats, beyond maybe the creator think cats are cute and they're easy to draw. You could turn the cast of Lackadaisy into humans and not a single thing about it would change. If you're going to anthropomorphize your animal characters that much, then you might as well just make them people. It's weird and creeps me out a little, like PBS' Arthur.

Someone wants to make an animated crime drama? Fine, have at it, but don't cast it with adorable kitty cats and then expect me to take it seriously. Same deal with Adventure Time and it's candy people and banana guards. You want that in your show? Fine, but don't ask me to take Banana Guard and Peppermint Butler seriously; that's like somebody trying to make a somber, dramatic version of H.R. Pufenstuf. Don't hand me something that I couldn't possibly take seriously and then expect me to take it seriously.

 

[The Overlord]

There are indeed dramatic talking animal stories. Nobody's debating that, but there's a difference: in works like Watership Down, Secret of NIMH, Animal Farm and the like, the premise either relies on the characters being animals or they're animals for allegorical reasons. The reason those work and Lackadaisy doesn't (for me, anyway) is that there's absolutely no fogging reason for the characters to be cartoon cats, beyond maybe the creator think cats are cute and they're easy to draw. You could turn the cast of Lackadaisy into humans and not a single thing about it would change. If you're going to anthropomorphize your animal characters that much, then you might as well just make them people. It's weird and creeps me out a little, like PBS' Arthur.

Someone wants to make an animated crime drama? Fine, have at it, but don't cast it with adorable kitty cats and then expect me to take it seriously. Same deal with Adventure Time and it's candy people and banana guards. You want that in your show? Fine, but don't ask me to take Banana Guard and Peppermint Butler seriously; that's like somebody trying to make a somber, dramatic version of H.R. Pufenstuf. Don't hand me something that I couldn't possibly take seriously and then expect me to take it seriously.

Okay, but that's what Red Wall is. It's a medieval fantasy action story with churches and towns and everything like that, but the world is populated by talking mice and rats. Red Wall started off as a novel series and became animated later.

Or there is a graphic novel like Maus, set in the darkest part of World War 2, but features talking animals.

People like talking animals in human situations. It can make a work stand out from the others.

I don't want to watch a crime drama starring humans. Why would I want to watch one with a cast of cartoon cats?

I have a term for that. I call that "anti-fun". No offense to anyone who likes that particular genre, but it's not for me. I don't want to see characters who look like they should be hanging out with Mickey Mouse and Goofy going through existential dread. Maybe I'm just too old and out of touch, but I don't see how that's entertaining. Somebody, throw a pie!

Fun is subjective, I think horror films are fun, but not everyone does.

I think a lot of people think Lackadiasy is fun. I think a lot of people think gangsters in the 1920s as cats is fun.

 

[PicardMan]

Dramedy has its place and Hey Arnold and Adventure Time are beloved. The issue is that ever since the advent of Adventure Time and Gravity Falls, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel have drastically cut down on their pure comedies to capitalize on the success of those shows. Animation could and should encompass every genre, not just comedy, but there is no reason to kill comedy. Nickelodeon seems to champion comedy animation over dramady as they seem to be the network that's not getting onboard the 2010s-2020s dramedy bandwagon (I'm not counting their action cartoons like Korra or TMNT as dramedy cartoons as action and dramedy are very different genres).