Cartoon Cartoons

For other original series produced by Cartoon Network, see Cartoon Network Original Series and Movies.

Cartoon Cartoons is a collective name for 15 Cartoon Network Original Series that premiered between 1996 and 2003. They were produced by Hanna-Barbera and/or Cartoon Network Studios, with smaller studios like A.K.A. Cartoon, Kinofilm, Stretch Films, and Curious Pictures focusing on individual projects. Most Cartoon Cartoons were featured on CN’s Friday night programming block, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.

The “Cartoon Cartoon” moniker was first introduced in 1997. In 2003, CCF was retooled into the live-action Fridays, and in 2004, CN stopped using the moniker for its original animation that was still in production. Many original series have premiered since then, but are not considered Cartoon Cartoons. From 2005 to 2008, the moniker was primarily used for CN’s “retro” cartoons that were being re-run on Cartoon Cartoons: The Top 5 and The Cartoon Cartoon Show; it has been dropped since then.

As of 2012, the Cartoon Cartoons along with other Cartoon Network Studios shows (from the post-Cartoon Cartoons era) have been airing in reruns on the 2012 revival of Cartoon Planet, a block strictly airing Cartoon Cartoons and other original shows for the network’s 20th anniversary.

In 2021, the Cartoon Cartoons name was resurrected by the network for a new animation showcase program as a successor to the What a Cartoon! project.

History

Cartoon Cartoons were first showcased as World Premiere Toons and later in 1995 on What a Cartoon!, a series of comedic animated shorts produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Cartoon Network Studios guided by Fred Seibert. Seibert had been a guiding force for Nickelodeon (having overseen the creation of Nicktoons shortly prior to his departure) prior to joining Hanna-Barbera and would establish Frederator Studios years later.[1] The first series to spin off from The What a Cartoon! Show was Dexter’s Laboratory in 1996. A year later, Johnny Bravo and Cow and Chicken joined Dexter on the Cartoon Network lineup. The Powerpuff Girls became a Cartoon Cartoon in the fall of 1998. I Am Weasel and Ed, Edd n Eddy were the first two Cartoon Cartoons not to be introduced as What a Cartoon! shorts.

More shows premiered bearing the Cartoon Cartoons brand, airing throughout the network’s schedule and prominently on Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, which became the marquee night for premieres of new episodes and shows beginning June 11, 1999.

On March 3, 2002, Cartoon Network introduced Cartoon Cartoons: The Top 5, an hour-long programming block featuring a countdown of the week’s five “best” Cartoon Cartoons. The block was cancelled on July 13, 2008.

In October 2003, the Cartoon Cartoons brand was discontinued (however, the Cartoon Cartoons bumpers remained intact until the network’s rebrand in June 2004) and Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was rebooted as Fridays, hosted by Tommy Snider, Nzinga Blake (2003–2004), and Tara Sands (2005–2007). It aired shows outside the Cartoon Cartoon moniker, such as Samurai Jack, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, Squirrel Boy, and Class of 3000. The last airing of Fridays was on February 23, 2007.

On September 19, 2004, Cartoon Cartoons: The Top 5 expanded its programming to include both newer CN Originals (such as Camp Lazlo, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) and older Cartoon Cartoons.

On September 12, 2005, CN re-introduced The Cartoon Cartoon Show, a half-hour program featuring re-runs of older cartoons that were no longer shown regularly on the network. The block was cancelled on June 21, 2008.

The block Cartoon Planet was revived on Cartoon Network on March 30, 2012, airing in a format similar to The Cartoon Cartoon Show. It features Cartoon Cartoons such as Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Codename: Kids Next Door, and other original Cartoon Network Studios series such as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, and Chowder. Cartoon Planet returned on October 5, 2012, for Cartoon Network’s 20th anniversary. On February 8, 2014, the block ended.

In April 2021, Cartoon Network announced a new iteration of the Cartoon Cartoons shorts program.[2]

On November 23, 2021, the first new Cartoon Cartoons shorts completed production.[3] On June 7, 2022, more Cartoon Cartoons completed production.[4]

List of Cartoon Cartoons

Full series

• (+) Indicates that the show originally aired as part of Grim & Evil, and that the 2003-2004 episodes were not produced for the standalone show.

Anthology/showcase series

Title

Premiere date

Finale date

What a Cartoon!
February 20, 1995
November 28, 1997

The Premiere Premiere Show
June 8, 2001
December 13, 2002

Blocks

Bumpers

These opening bumpers of the Cartoon Cartoons brand were used from November 6, 1998 to June 13, 2004. It featured a Cartoon Cartoon character pops out of the first “O” in “CARTOONS” and says, “Cartoon Cartoons!” on the blue swirly background with beaming circles and rays.

Generic version, which was first shown before all shows on November 6, 1998 as part of the second Cartoon Cartoon Weekend marathon.

Dexter (Dexter’s Lab)

Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)

Chicken (Cow and Chicken)

I.M. Weasel (I Am Weasel)

Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls)

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls)

Eddy (Ed, Edd n Eddy)

Mike Mazinsky (Mike, Lu & Og)

Courage (Courage the Cowardly Dog)

Sheep (Sheep in the Big City)

Otto Osworth (Time Squad)

The Grim Reaper, Hector Con Carne and Boskov (Grim & Evil)

Robot Jones (Whatever Happened to… Robot Jones?)

Abigail Lincoln/Numbuh Five (Codename: Kids Next Door)

Appearances in other media

DC Comics ran an anthology comic based on the Cartoon Cartoon umbrella title, the ongoing series ran from March 2001 to October 2004 for a total of 33 issues.

The Cartoon Cartoons logo was featured in the OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes episode, Crossover Nexus.

Trivia

• The 1st logo of Cartoon Cartoons (from 1997-1998) consisted of the letters taken from the 1992-2004 Cartoon Network logo (which the word “NETWORK” is replaced with another “CARTOON”) placed on a green oval, making it into a fisheye-like effect. The 2nd logo (from 1998-2004; 2005-2007) consisted of the words “Cartoon” in a script-like typeface, and “CARTOONS” from the Powerhouse era’s texts from the bumpers.
• The theme song of Cartoon Cartoons is written and composed by Primal Screen.
  • The song was first played in the “What’s That?” promo from 1997 where the Red Guy teaches to Cow about the Cartoon Cartoon moniker (note that it included a looping percussion). This was also played on a promo from Latin America in 1999.
  • The 12-second intro version is also played as a remix for Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.
  • In 2000, an improved version of the song was played on the What a Cartoon! reruns as an intro/ending, as well in promos of Cartoon Cartoon Summer and Primetime.
  • From 2005 to 2007, a new remixed version of the song is played for the intro of The Cartoon Cartoon Show.
  • A rearranged and modernized version of the song is played in the OK K.O. episode “Crossover Nexus”.
• Its jingle is also played at the Cartoon Network Productions “ripple” logo that can be seen at the end of CN original series from November 26, 1999 to November 3, 2017.
  • It can also be heard on some shows that were distributed by various international Cartoon Network channels such as Animal Control: Season 1 and Courage the Cowardly Dog: The Fog of Courage (both were distributed by the Southeast Asian branch of Cartoon Network).
• Many fans tell the original Cartoon Network series from 2003 until now, Cartoon Cartoons, to think that the term Cartoon Cartoons, was discontinued since 2003.

Gallery

Mad Libs book

Cartoon Cartoons Welcomes Dexter’s Laboratory comic book (17th issue, June 2003)

Mama’s New Love comic book (7th issue, November 2001)

1st Toon Packed Issue comic book (1st issue, March 2001)

Dance Party comic book (25th issue, February 2004)

See also

References