Nostalgia Galore: Old-School Cartoons

So, exam-time is nearing. I found that the best way to study is, of course, to procrastinate and cram all night long on the eve of the exam. This frees up a lot of time in your schedule these days. The Iron Warrior has the perfect solution for that. Not being a big fan of anime, I decided to go old school and watch those cartoons that would probably remind your father of his childhood. These cartoons (despite being incredibly racist sometimes) are also incredibly entertaining. If you have never watched any such cartoons, don’t fret. We are here to tell you exactly what you missed out on during your childhood.

Tom and Jerry

This show’s plot is the classic cat and mouse chase. Despite the premise being ridiculously simple, the characters in this show never fail to crack me up. Tom is a blue and white cat living with his owner (whose face is never revealed) in a large mansion. Jerry is a small brown mouse who is bent on making Tom’s life hell. These adventures are highly entertaining. Although they contain copious amounts of cartoon violence, these episodes are ingenious in the use of contraptions built by both Tom and Jerry. Every now and then, there were special episodes of Tom and Jerry set in the future or Tom and Jerry flying into outer space. Side characters in the show, Spike and Tike, a father-son bulldog duo, are often featured in the show. This series is especially impressive because of its ability to entertain without dialogue.

The Flintstones

This classic cartoon has been on TV since the 60’s, entertaining kids and adults alike. The Flintstones revolves around a family set in the (inaccurately represented) Stone Age. The misadventures of the main protagonist, Fred Flintstone, are the source of endless hours of entertainment. As a construction worker, Fred uses dinosaurs as cranes to move rocks around and build buildings. His family consists of his beautiful wife, Velma, his one child, Pebbles, and a pet dinosaur, Dino. Their neighbours, the Rubbles are also an integral part of the plot. The use of Jurassic era creatures as analogues to modern day technology is also a source of humour and constant jokes. Recently, it was announced that Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy and American Dad fame) is going to revive this cartoon with a new twist in the spring of 2013.

Wacky Races

This is by far my favourite old school cartoon. This follows a race of eleven cars around the world. The main villains, Dick Dastardly and Mutley (a dog with a very funny-sounding laugh), are constantly trying to sabotage opponents in order to emerge victorious in the race. All the standard characters are featured in this cartoon including the dainty damsel in distress (Penelope Pitstop), the cavemen (Slag Brothers), the Mafia characters (the Ant Hill mob), the hillbilly (Luke), the perfect gentleman (Peter Perfect) and more. There were several spin-offs spawned from the success of the series like The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines.

I hope these cartoons are satisfactory for those like me who enjoy watching cartoons and experiencing nostalgic flashbacks.