TRAILBLAZERS IN ANIMATION

10 Saturday-morning cartoons that were loved for generations

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Catchy theme songs. Universal visual gags. Ageless catchphrases. These cartoons have woven themselves into the fabric of our culture, and have brought giggles to parents, their children, and their grandchildren. They shaped the language of animation and left us with iconic characters and music that can spark old Saturday-morning nostalgia. Let's look into the history of 10 titles that charmed audiences and evolved into movies, park rides, and merch that still live in countless homes around the world.

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As is the case with many early animated cartoons, Popeye the Sailor was born in 2D. The comic strip he first appeared in, Thimble Theater, was created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919. Interestingly, Popeye’s famous love interest, Olive Oyl, was introduced 10 years before him. Once Popeye was drawn into Thimble Theater, though, he stole the show. Popeye became so popular that Fleischer Studios decided to produce a series of animated shorts about him.

The 1933 show was one of the trendsetters for the rotoscope technique, where animators traced over live-action footage to create more realistic movement. Popeye the Sailor was also one of the first cartoons to incorporate sound effects synchronized with on-screen actions. Segar eventually revealed that the character had been based on an eccentric retired sailor he had once known, called Frank "Rocky" Fiegel.

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Did you know that Looney Tunes was conceived as a strategy for Warner Bros. to promote its music catalog? It began as a series of shorts in 1930 and so, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and many others were born. Looney Tunes became legendary for its use of humor and storytelling.

It introduced a faster-paced, more dynamic style of animation. We still remember the chattering, speedy speeches of many of these characters and some of their catchphrases, like "What's up, doc?", "That's all, folks!" or "¡Andale!". The series also established the device of "personality animation," where characters had signature moves, mannerisms, and quirks, setting the standard for character-driven style in the industry.

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It all began with a mouse and a cat. Tom & Jerry was created by animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who developed the series for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1940. The collaboration was so successful that it marked the beginning of one of the most enduring partnerships in animation history: Hanna-Barbera Productions. Remember that name.

Tom & Jerry was visual and musical storytelling, relying heavily on slapstick humor, with minimal dialogue, allowing physical comedy and expressive animation to drive the narrative. This focus on action and visual gags made Tom & Jerry universally appealing to audiences regardless of their mother language. Over time, it won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film.

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Mickey Mouse & Friends is what the series of original Disney shorts are popularly called. From 1928 to the present, the characters created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks have been cemented as some of the most iconic cartoons of all time. Since its inception, the series was a trailblazer in animation for its pioneering use of synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie, one of the first cartoons to feature a fully synchronized soundtrack. Walt Disney was soon established as a leader in the animation industry and technology.

The popularity of Mickey and his friends led to the creation of countless shorts, feature films, and television series that are still recreated and watched today. Mickey Mouse's iconic status was further solidified when he became the first animated character to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

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The renowned cartoon about two families in the Stone Age was one of the creations of Hannah-Barbera Productions. It premiered in 1960 as the first prime-time animated television series. The Flintstones paved the way for many other animated shows aimed at adults. To give an idea, The Flintstones was the first animated show to feature a married couple sharing a bed on-screen.

At its heart, this show was a sitcom. It was modeled after The Honeymooners, also consisting of scenes from a suburban family, but adapted to a prehistoric setting. The show’s success proved that animated series could attract an adult audience in prime time, which was a significant departure from the children’s programming that dominated the landscape at the time.

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The Jetsons was another of Hanna-Barbera Productions’ prodigal children. It premiered in 1962 with a concept deriving from the success of The Flintstones. This time, the suburban family scenes would be set in a utopian space-age world. The Jetsons offered a satirical yet optimistic view of the future, with flying cars, robot maids, and advanced technology.

The producers decided to emphasize the vibrant, high-tech world they were painting by broadcasting the show in color. This was rather new. While The Flintstones was also produced in color, it aired in black-and-white during its first two seasons. The Jetsons wasn’t a hit at first and was canceled after one season owing to low numbers, while it competed with Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. In the 80s, ABC came up with the idea to move the show to Saturday mornings, where it achieved widespread success and stayed on that schedule for decades.

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The original premise for the show was a musical group touring around the country in their van, accidentally solving mysteries (a twist on the by-then-famous The Archie Show). That’s why their talking dog, Scooby-Doo, was named after Frank Sinatra’s scat line, doo-be-doo-be-doo. Although the musical angle was dropped, the villain-unmasking group of teenagers still became legendary.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was released as a Saturday morning CBS show in 1969 to compete with the violence of superhero cartoons. Since then, the original episodes, along with spin-offs and revivals, have lived on. It became a trailblazer for being one of the first animated mystery series, blending winks to supernatural horror, comedy, and adventure.

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As unforgettable as its jazzy theme song, the Pink Panther is the icon of one of the longest-standing American TV and film franchises. The suave and silent character was introduced in the opening credits of Blake Edward’s 1963 The Pink Panther, set to the iconic music by Henry Mancini. The bit was so popular in the subsequent films that it developed into an animated series, The Pink Panther Show. The first installment was 1964's The Pink Phink, which won that year’s Academy Award for Animated Short Film.

By 1968, the show was airing on Saturday mornings on NBC. It was groundbreaking in its use of minimal or null dialogue. Set only to jazzy original scores, the Pink Panther’s endearing personality and his visual gags transcended language barriers and became popular worldwide.

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The Smurfs was created in Belgium, and it might have stayed there if it hadn’t caught the eye of Hannah-Barbera. Belgian cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) was the creator behind the 1958 comic strip, Les Schtroumpfs. The blue humanoid beings, who were friendly teamworkers and lived in mushroom-shaped houses, had in fact been born as side characters in a previous successful comic strip by Peyo.

Just like Popeye had, these colorful, wholesome creatures won the audience’s hearts and got their own strip. In the following years, animated shorts featuring the Smurfs were released in Belgium. Attracted by their success, Hanna-Barbera decided to produce a series to run in the U.S. This Saturday-morning cartoon aired for the first time in 1981 via NBC and is still broadcast in the country to this day.

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Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, designed an animated dysfunctional family and named its members after his own. He only changed his name to "Bart". The Simpsons was released in 1989 as a half-hour prime-time show after a series of shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 became popular.

The satirical sitcom soon became a cultural phenomenon. The show pioneered a willingness to tackle controversial topics, a style that grew to become a subgenre of animated TV. Opening with one of the most recognized themes in television history, by Danny Elfman, The Simpsons has won numerous awards, including 34 Primetime Emmy Awards. It also holds the record as the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American scripted prime-time television series.

LINGUISTIC MINEFIELD

Ten Surprising Military Terms That Made It Into Sports

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Military terminology often infiltrates our everyday language, and sports are no exception. From strategies to equipment, the lexicon of warfare has found its way onto the field, court, and pitch. We can blame the Ancient Greeks for this connection, where many feats of athleticism - like javelin throwing or chariot racing - were clearly inspired by war and military tactics.

Although we can be certain that there is no comparing the realities of war to sports, no matter how rough the plays, the association is deeply embedded in our language. Here are ten curious instances where military terms have made it into sports!

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In many sports, a "counterattack" is a swift offensive maneuver launched in response to an opponent's attack, exploiting vulnerabilities in their defense. This term mirrors military counter-offensives, aiming to turn the tide of battle in one's favor by thwarting an enemy offensive and recovering lost ground in the process.

A saying attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte illustrates the vital importance of this strategy both in war and sports: "The greatest danger occurs at the moment of victory."

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In golf, "fore" is a warning shouted by players to alert others of an errant shot heading their way. The most accepted etymology for this term claims that it comes from "beware before," a term artillerymen used to shout to warn fellow soldiers standing nearby that they were about to shoot their cannons.

Its modern usage in golf serves basically the same purpose, as it allows nearby players to react quickly and seek cover to avoid being struck by a stray ball.

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In volleyball, a "Filipino bomb" or just a "bomb" is a powerful, high-speed serve aimed at overwhelming the opposing team's defense, also called a spike. As its name suggests, the term originated among volleyball players in the Philippines, in the 1910s.

Like its military counterpart, this aggressive tactic seeks to create chaos and disrupt the opponent's strategy.

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In football, a "blitz" refers to a defensive strategy where additional players rush the quarterback to disrupt the offense.

Meaning "lightning" in German, the term is a reference to the blitzkrieg tactics developed by the German forces during World War II, where a quick combined arms attack would be used to disrupt enemy lines and rapidly advance positions on the battlefield.

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In football, an "air raid" refers to a series of aerial attacks, typically involving long, high passes aimed at breaching the opposing team's defense. This term quite plainly draws parallels to military airstrikes aimed at penetrating enemy lines.

Coaches such as Mike Leach and Hal Mumme have popularized this offensive scheme since the late 80s, but the term has been applied to similar tactics since at least the 1940s.

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In motorsports, a "minefield" often describes a very difficult track or even a section of a track that is littered with debris, oil slicks, or other hazards, making navigation treacherous for drivers. This term mirrors the dangers of navigating an actual minefield, where caution and precision can make the difference between life and death.

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In basketball, employing a "full court press" means aggressively defending the opposing team from one end of the court to the other, effectively "surrounding" the opposing team and blocking action.

Reminiscent of military encirclement strategies, this tactic aims to apply relentless pressure on the offense. Perhaps not coincidentally, the strategy was first applied by college coaches whose previous experience was with military sports leagues.

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During World War I, baseball lingo and military lingo happened to live in extremely close quarters, as baseball was one of the most popular sports among North American troops stationed in the European trenches at the time.

This led to many baseball terms being applied to the battlefield, and also a few military terms being introduced into baseball. For example, the term "dud" was often used to describe a bad pitch, a term originally used for ammunition that failed to detonate upon impact.

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In hockey, a "sniper" refers to a player known for their exceptional accuracy and ability to score goals with precise shots. Much like a military sniper who carefully selects and executes their targets from a distance, a hockey sniper strategically positions themselves to take advantage of scoring opportunities, often trying to catch the goaltender off guard.

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In American football, the "neutral zone" is the area between the offensive and defensive lines before the play begins.

Like many terms in gridiron football, it has a military origin. In fact, it is directly borrowed from military demilitarized zones, which represent an agreed buffer area between opposing forces where neither side holds dominance.