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The 1990s were a golden age of animation. While Disney was in the midst of their Renaissance period on the big screen, television saw a burst of animated content as new blocks like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and the Kids WB appeared. Alongside Disney, they would air some of the most beloved cartoons of the decade, including Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, and The Powerpuff Girls, among so many others.
With so many banger TV shows in this era, it’s understandable that some wound up overlooked for one reason or another. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find old media between streaming services and the internet, meaning many of these hidden gems can be unearthed and enjoyed.
10
‘The Pirates of Dark Water’ (1991–1992)
Prince Ren (George Newbern) is the heir to the ruined kingdom of Octopon on the oceanic planet of Mer. To restore it, he must find the Thirteen Treasures of Ruel, which can also be used to stop the mysterious and deadly liquid called the Dark Water, created by an entity called the Dark Dweller (Frank Welker). He is aided in his quest by an ecomancer named Tula (Jodi Benson) and a pirate named Ioz (Héctor Elizondo), but the quest to find the treasures turns into a race with Bloth (Brock Peters), a pirate who wants to find them so he can control the Dark Water.
The Pirates of Dark Water is the most atypical show to come from Hanna-Barbera, forgoing their usual lineup of colorful animal characters and witty jokes for a unique adventure-story with complex characters and mature storytelling. It also has some of the best animation to be found in early 1990s cartoons, especially when it comes to the water effects. Sadly, the show was canceled early due to its high production cost, but the episodes that do exist offer high-seas adventure, likable characters, and a creative world.
9
‘Hercules: The Animated Series’ (1998–1999)
In order to become a True Hero and rejoin his divine parents on Mount Olympus, Hercules (Tate Donovan) enrolls at Prometheus Academy. He makes friends with the eccentric inventor’s son, Icarus (French Stewart), and sarcastic oracle, Cassandra (Sandra Bernhard), but often finds it difficult to balance his training with his social life. It also doesn’t help that the god of the underworld, Hades (James Woods), is constantly showing up to ruin or even end Herc’s life, but the young demigod often finds allies among the other gods of Olympus.
Hercules: The Animated Series is one of several animated shows based on hit Disney films, and it’s by far one of the funniest. The show doesn’t even try to match the continuity of the movie, which works in its favor, as it allows Herc and Hades to have a proper hero/villain dynamic, and the writers can flesh out the other gods into actual characters with their own personalities, relationships, and rivalries. It also has a lot of fun with how it combines Greek mythology with pop-culture jokes.
8
‘Stickin’ Around’ (1996–1998)
Stacy Stickler (Ashley Taylor) is a young, adventurous girl who is best friends with Bradly (Ashley Brown), a young boy obsessed with comics and aliens from Uranus. The two go through the usual trials and tribulations of adolescence, such as navigating school, saving money for their favorite hobbies, and avoiding bullies. Fortunately, Stacy and Bradly are blessed with active imaginations, allowing them to transform their mundane world into one of limitless possibilities.
Stickin’ Around is a show that looks and feels as if it were created by kids for kids. The animation purposefully emulates stick figures a child would draw, right down to asymmetrical body proportions and colors bleeding outside the lines. The writing is a delightful mix of wacky jokes and surrealist images that could only be conjured by a child, all tied together by charming characters who have terrific banter with one another.
7
‘Rupert’ (1991–1997)
Rupert (Ben Sandford and Julie Lemieux) is a young bear from the village of Nutwood, in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, humans, and so much more. He has a love for adventure that often takes him to faraway lands of dragons, origami animals, living dreams, and nursery rhymes come to life. Fortunately, he’s often aided by his close friends, including Bill Badger (Torquil Campbell), Podgy Pig (Hadley Kay), and an ingenious human Professor (Colin Fox).
Rupert is an adaptation of the British comic series of the same name, brought to life by Nelvana. The show is bursting at the seams with creativity, ensuring that no two episodes ever feel the same, and always presents the audience with a reason to tune in for the next one. It’s also a very casual watch, with stories that are intense but not overbearing for kids, and which teach important lessons without being preachy.
6
‘I Am Weasel’ (1997–2000)
I.M. Weasel (Michael Dorn) is an eloquent, intelligent, and multitalented weasel who is loved the world over for his altruism. He is accompanied by his frenemy, I. R. Baboon (Charlie Addler), a dim-witted simian who is jealous of Weasel’s success and popularity, but is often his own worst enemy in his quest to one-up Weasel. The two are frequently accosted by the Red Guy (Charlie Addler), a naked devil-man who walks on his butt, who seems to love stirring up trouble.
I Am Weasel originated as a segment on the show Cow and Chicken before branching off to become its own program. Its humor can best be described as surrealist and off-the-wall, with a mix of visual gags, pop culture references, and the contrasting personalities of its lead characters. Things got even better as the show went on and Baboon and Weasel began teaming up, opening up even more possibilities.
5
‘Fox’s Peter Pan and the Pirates’ (1990–1991)
Peter Pan (Jason Marsden) is a boy living in Neverland, a magical island where he never has to grow up. He leads a band of fellow runaway youths called the Lost Boys on various adventures, often clashing with the pirates of the Jolly Roger, led by Captain Hook (Tim Curry), who wants vengeance on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile. Recently, Peter’s band has gained three new members in the Darling siblings, consisting of elder sister Wendy (Christina Lange) and her brothers John (Jack Lynch) and Michael (Whit Hertford).
One of Fox Kids’ first programs, Fox’s Peter Pan and the Pirates has since fallen into obscurity, which is a shame because it’s one of the best Saturday morning cartoons ever produced, and one of the best adaptations of J. M. Barrie‘s Peter Pan story. This is thanks to how effectively it captures the darker aspects of Neverland and Peter’s character, while also fleshing out the island and its inhabitants through various episodic adventures. The pirates are the best example of this: the crew of the Jolly Roger is fully realized characters with unique personalities, and Curry’s Captain Hook is a fearsome and captivating antagonist with a detailed backstory.
4
‘Taz-Mania’ (1991–1995)
The land of Tazmania is a land way under, down under, where the sky is always yellow in rain or shine. Living here is Taz the Tasmanian Devil (Jim Cummings), who can usually be found either working as a bellhop at the Hotel Tazmania, collecting bottle caps, or chasing after a yellow Kiwi bird. Taz also interacts with a wide cast of characters, including his immediate family members, a timid Tasmanian Wolf named Wendal (Jim Cummings), his human boss Bushwhacker Bob (Jim Cummings), and his mother (Rosalyn Landor), and a duo of platypus brothers named Daniel and Timothy (Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen).
Taz-Mania doesn’t have quite the same amazing writing as juggernaut Warner Bros. cartoons like Tiny Toon Adventures or Animaniacs, but the show is still a lot of fun thanks to its screwball premise and fourth wall-breaking humor. It’s one of those shows that knows exactly what it is and so doesn’t even try with continuity, instead presenting various wacky situations for the characters to navigate, peppered with jokes that range from physical comedy to self-aware references. Taz’s family is also pretty funny, both because of their varied personalities and because they all act and sound like a typical sitcom family, making Taz’s feral behavior an interesting contrast.
3
‘Shadow Raiders’ (1998–1999)
Graveheart (Paul Dobson) is a miner from the planet Rock in the Cluster System, who frequently goes on raids to the planets Ice, Fire, and Bone to acquire supplies and retaliate against their own raids. During a raid on Ice, he and Ice’s king, Cryos (Mark Oliver), meet Princess Tekla (Donna Yamamoto), the last survivor of Planet Tek, which was consumed by a cosmic entity called the Beast Planet. It now has its sights set on the Cluster, so Graveheart and Cryos join forces to try to convince the other planets to ally for their mutual survival.
Shadow Raiders came from the same company behind ReBoot and Beast Wars: Transformers, and though it didn’t last as long as those shows, the 2 seasons we did get are more than worth a watch. Most episodes focus on the complex politics that come from trying to make an alliance out of eternal enemies, which plays into the show’s primary themes of unity and courage when standing against impossible odds. It also dips into cosmic horror with the Beast Planet, which is presented as an unfeeling force of nature that cannot be defeated, only eluded for as long as possible.
2
‘Earthworm Jim’ (1995–1996)
When an ordinary earthworm crawls inside an alien super-suit, it transforms him into Jim (Dan Castellaneta), a flamboyant and slightly wacky earthworm superhero. He finds allies in the form of Peter Puppy (Jeff Bennett), a dog who can transform into a giant monster, and Princess What’s-Her-Name (Kath Soucie), the ugly (at least by their standards) princess of the Insectikan who wishes to overthrow her sister, Queen Slug-for-a-Butt (Andrea Martin). The trio goes on numerous adventures together, battling all sorts of evil, all while Jim tries and fails to get a date with What’s-Her-Name.
Based on the side-scrolling video games of the same name, Earthworm Jim is by far one of the wackiest and off-the-wall kids’ shows of the 1990s. The writing is self-aware, and revels in 4th wall jokes that involve the characters reading the script, animators skipping major action sequences, and characters waiting for the next story beat to happen. Speaking of characters, they’re all fantastic, and keep you hooked every second with their larger-than-life personalities, hilarious dialogue, and stellar voice acting.
1
‘The Tick’ (1994–1996)
The City finds itself with a new guardian angel in the Tick (Townsend Coleman), a mysterious and boisterous superhero with incredible durability and a commitment to the law and justice. He befriends a neurotic accountant named Arthur (Micky Dolenz and Rob Paulsen), whom he takes on as a moth-themed sidekick. Now the two live in a cramped apartment, and between paying rent, they square off against some of the most evil and varied superheroes imaginable.
In a world where superhero stories live in the shadow of the MCU, The Tick offers a hilarious alternative focused on satirizing beloved superhero tropes. Each episode can best be described as the writers plopping the Tick and Arthur in the middle of a classic superhero story, then stretching and bending the familiar story beats as far as they can go. The result is an unforgettable barrage of puns, nonsensical speeches about justice and the duties of a superhero, and attempts to turn “Spoon!” into a catchphrase.
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Tyler B. Searle
Almontather Rassoul
