With that in mind, yours truly will take a look at some cartoon trends of the 1990's and attempt some forecasting of my own based on recent observations. I will endeavor to explain why I believe these predictions will come to pass, and what they may mean for the foreseeable future of animation. So - enter...have a seat...gaze into my crystal ball...you need not cross the gypsy palm with silver, this is a free service of ANP...Ah! The smoke is clearing and I see...
1. "Funny Animal" Cartoons Disappearing
This trend has been picking up speed since the early 1990's. Unlike most
cartoons of the 1960's-1980's, most of today's biggest cartoon stars are
human/humanoid in form and feature. I present as evidence the casts of King of the Hill, South Park, and (more or less) The Simpsons. Dr. Katz, Johnny Bravo, Dexter and Deedee are all human, not to mention Louie, Bobby, PepperAnn, Beavis, Butt-Head, Arnold, Daria, and the Rugrats. (You missed Bob and Margaret...Webkeeper) There are now
more funny kids than funny animals. Few of the shorts scheduled for Oh
Yeah! Cartoons! focus on crazy critters, and Cartoon Sushi is hardly a beastiary, either. We still do have Cow and Chicken, Sam and Max, Rocko, and the Angry Beavers, but this is a far cry from the days when most animated luminaries sported a tail. We have moved away from Bugs, Daffy, Mickey, Donald, Huck, Yogi, Goofy, Tom, Jerry, and Woody towards a distinctly hominid style.
I believe the changes are due to a fresh young generation of animators who have been profoundly influenced by anime. The Japanese prefer human antagonists and have little use for the "funny animal" genre. Anime is subtly affecting both style and content of American animation in several ways, and this is one of them. Another possibility? The first wave of American animators drew dogs, cats, ducks, and mice. The second wave animated them with personalities. The third and current wave might well be tired of them. This trend could result in more dramatic, adult-themed animated characters and series in the future. (The "Furries" aren't gonna like this trend...Webkeeper)
2. Further Loosening of Network Broadcast Standards and Practices
Why, you ask, do I predict this after all the invective I've spewed
against the unfair and unwanted influence of watchdog groups over the
industry? Simply put, it's happening now. One could argue that this trend
began with John Kricfalusi's Ren & Stimpy, but then one would only be partially correct. Cartoon mayhem, rudeness, and envelope-pushing has been gathering momentum since the beginning of the decade, and we are routinely seeing scenes that would certainly been left on the cutting-room floor in 1989. BS&P departments may be inconsistent and even self-contradictory at times, but thay are decidedly more liberal of late. There are several reasons why this is happening, and why the trend will continue.
First and perhaps foremost is a backlash against Action for Children's Television and all their ilk. Censorship is a sociatal issue that tends to run in cycles, and the return to cruder and more physical humor in cartoons represents that tendency. As cartoons also become increasingly creator-driven and more independents enter the fray, constraints on creativity through the use of censorship and prosocial mandates will face further challenges. Animation students must have cringed at the thought of graduating into a world of Care Bears and Glo-Friends ad infinitum. The 'dogs have had their day for now, and toons will be a little bit wilder as a result. Second, cartoons had ceased to become funny or entertaining, and therefore profitable; never underestimate the power of Mammon to push aside morality (Lest you consider that an overly cynical statement, it merely describes one of the mechanisms by which cultural change takes place). No one loved the tamed-down toons of the late 80's...including networks and sponsors who were going broke while kids tuned into old Warner Bros. shorts laden with wild chases, dynamite explosions, and perfectly placed anvils.
Finally, there were those who dissed the censors and went for broke, like John Kricfalusi, Mike Judge, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and Peter Chung. Although Kricfalusi went down testing limits to the bitter end and Mssrs. Stone and Parker have a long way to go artistically, the success of Ren & Stimpy and South Park did for cartoons what All In The Family did for prime-time sitcoms. Ratings bark louder than watchdogs, and once the boundaries are stretched others will - indeed must - jump in. BS&P departments will increasingly let them do so, and the networks, sponsors, and merchandisers (not to mention the fans) will be grateful. Until, that is, the cycle turns again.
3. Superheroes Will Make A Major Comeback
Again, this has to do with cycles and history, though quality is also
involved. In the 1960's and 70's superheroes were bounding out of every
inkwell in California. Some series were simply devoted to camp or classic
superheroes and teams; in other instances, established cartoon characters
(such as Archie) would occassionally slap on a cape and take a turn as
"Super (fill in the blank)". These cartoons earned the deepest opprobrium
of the nascient watchdog movement. In fact, it was allegedly an episode of
the Fantastic Four that caused Peggy Charren to denounce Saturday Morning television as "wall-to-wall monsters" and then become the founder of ACT. These cartoons were subsequently demoted to the ranks of the un-kewl and banished.
But they'll be coming back. Spearheading the charge is Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and crew with Batman: The Animated Series. This stylish, moody masterpiece, boosted by excellent scripts and meticulous production values, has been making the superhero genre respectable once more. It wasn't long before Warner extended the same treatment to Superman; after a slow and less-than-profitable start, the series improved to the point where it easily outshone the ridiculous comic book (what with Superman "dying", transmuting, splitting into several Supermen and other such desperate nonsense), and the way was paved for team-ups with Batman. Todd Mc Farlane's Spawn, warped as it was, found a viewership on HBO. Saban's flashy Silver Surfer series was next, and I believe that a trend has begun.
Classic superheroes in more adult storylines may be poised for a big comeback, especially if the large and loyal following for Batman: TAS is any indication. Me, I'd love to see some studio or animation house attempt a series based on DC's tour de force Kingdom Come. This powerful vision of well-known superheroes as austere, aging demigods all too aware of their position above mere mortals would make for strong drama. If my predictions are correct, I may someday see it happen.
4. Creator-Driven Cartoons Will Take Over
The future belongs to them. A growing awareness and insistence upon
creator's rights is intersecting with rising demand for creator-driven
product. This trend is producing a rich spawning ground for the future of
network and cable animation. Experiments such as What a Cartoon, Liquid Television, Oh Yeah! Cartoons! Nicktoons, World Premiere Toons, and Cartoon Sushi are merely avatars of commercial animation's future. With more people working in the medium than ever before, there are naturally more great ideas. Fortunately, there are more cable stations and programming slots becoming available. At least two full-time cable stations are devoted to animation now, and more are reportedly in the planning stage.
Independents have never had it better. Anyone now training in the field of animation is virtually assured of a lucrative career due to programming (and studio feature) demand. Besides, how many episodes of Scooby Doo on how many networks can viewers stand before calling the Humane Shelter? (Thank you! Nobody's had the guts to say that particular Emperor is naked! -- Webkeeper) I for one have permanently had my fill of this dated, overplayed schlockfest and would fervently welcome new blood. It should also be noted that the creator-driven shows mentioned above have birthed some memorable cartoons and even series, such as Aeon Flux and Dexter's Laboratory. There are other trends I foresee, but perhaps we can examine them in a later column, if you'd like. (You are correct, O Turbaned one! Return to us soon! -- Webkeeper) I have reserved the remainder of this month's offering for a brief editorial:
"Goll-EE Mr. Wizard, I sure would like to be a famous movie star! I could wear sharp clothes and drive a big fancy car and live in a mansion and have lots of girls! Can ya make me a movie star, PLEASE Mr. Wizard?" "Tooterr, Tooter, za life of a movie star iss not for you..."
So, my dear readers, if fifteen minutes of fame came your way, how would you deem to spend them? If you were, say, Madonna, you might generate ploys to gain another fifteen minutes, and then another. If you were Sharon Stone, you might strive to make those fifteen paltry minutes so legendary that they comprised an entire curriculum vitae. If you were Pauly Shore, you might gratefully take two of those minutes and wisely punt. However, If you were Matt Stone and Trey Parker, you might trash them completely on something called BASEketball. Here we have the creators of South Park starring in a movie that has the potential to make Bio-Dome look like Schindler's List in comparison. Examine the movie poster and website, then explain (if you can) why Stone and Parker aren't making an effort to shape South Park into a better cartoon instead of wasting their time on this mindless, moronic drivel.
BASEketball indeed! I am reminded of the inane trash my comrades-in-sin and I used to think up in our dorms after a few rounds of brews. One thing is certain: if Stone and Parker had not been the creators of the Hot Toon of the Hour, they would not be appearing on over a thousand screens for the facile enjoyment of mallrats everywhere. I have stated several times in several places that South Park is currently no more than a work in progress, with plenty of room for improvement. While there have admittedly been some highlights to this second season, I have not seen nearly enough of them to radically change that opinion. There is still time to make of South Park more than a passing fad, but not if the guiding minds are behaving as if they've lost theirs. What a waste of fifteen minutes! By the time Stone and Parker discover that South Park will not run forever on the merits of its outrageous crudeness, it may already be too late.
"Remember, Tooter: Alvays be what you is, and not what you is not; folks that does this is der happiest lot!"
And your opinion? Tell Dr. Toon. I await your thoughts and opinions.
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