Hanna-Barbera (remember them) was one of the first animation studios to successfully produce cartoons especially for television. They began in 1957 and were held privately by the owners William Hanna and Joseph Barbera until 1967. At that point the company became public and eventually became defunct in the year 2001.
Hanna-Barbera cartoons aired on all three networks’ Saturday morning lineups, and dominated the CBS and NBC schedules in particular. Besides Scooby-Doo, Hanna-Barbera also found success with new programs such as Harlem Globetrotters, The Addams Family and Hong Kong Phooey along with the hit 1973 feature film Charlotte’s Web. For many of us who grew up in the era The Flintstones and The Jetsons were favorites as were their theme songs. As the show started up we always knew the show was starting by its theme song.
Another giant among cartoon production enterprises is Looney Tunes. It’s a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. Since its first official release in the1930′s the series has become a worldwide franchise, spawning several television series, films, comic books, music albums, video games and amusement park rides. As well, the series features some of the most well-known and popular cartoon characters in history, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Tweety Bird.
Another huge industry cartoon mega producer is Disney. The name Disney is synonymous with kids and fun and fantastic characters. Some classic cartoon characters that the Disney company has created are those of Goofy, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. Disney is also one of the great producers of full length animated feature films. Since their inception in the 1920′s the Disney company has become one of the largest movie production companies in the world
In modern times, they have teamed up with the creative people of Pixar Animation Studios and created some of the most magical and memorable movies have been the result. This duo created the top quality, classic feature films which stand the test of time like Toy Story, A Bugs Life, and Cars. The Disney/Pixar team has created unforgettable characters such as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen, Wall-E and Nemo.
Since premiering in the summer of 1997, the outrageous cartoon show South Park has taken the American pop culture by storm. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park is the cornerstone of Comedy Central’s lineup. Love it or hate it, South Park is a truly original animated series with off-the-wall plot twists and comic relief. If you love oddball humor, then this is the show for you.
South Park is the kind of cartoon show that is geared almost entirely for adults. This really isn’t a show that parents sit down with their kids to watch, although some do. South Park also includes a number of famous people on their show regularly. Examples are, the Devil himself, Saddam Hussein, Kathy Lee Gifford, Scott Baio, Elton John, and of course, Jesus Christ. We did mention this is not a cartoon show you sit down and watch with the kids…