When Celebrity Animated Cartoons became a fad in the 80's and why were they popular? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Hawkee · 09-06-2024, 02:24 AM

Back in the 80's and 90's it started a new trend of animated cartoons created by celebrities to start a new image of animated cartoons and brought a new style of cartoons that would become popular into the 90's. The first celebrity based cartoon series was the Jackson 5 cartoon that debuted in the 70's and based on this cartoon would soon start a new fad to have cartoons based on music groups and celebrities. The 80's saw a big boom in celebrity cartoons when NBC launched Camp Candy in 1989 that was to this day John Candy's only animated series which he starred and created providing his own voice to his animated character who ran a summer camp. Though Camp Candy was a success reruns were also added to Fox Family Channel's cartoon lineup and Camp Candy itself has never been released on DVD or not seen in reruns since though METV Toons should consider adding Camp Candy someday. Soon after the success of Camp Candy NBC added another celebrity cartoon this time with Rick Moranis in Gravedale High and despite high hopes Gravedale High wasn't successful as Camp Candy but still ranks as Rick Moranis's only cartoon to date. Once the 90's began more celebrity based cartoons appeared and became popular. While at their peak of fame New Kids On The Block got the chance to star in their own cartoon series in the 90's and while people thought it was a smart idea New Kids On The Block's cartoon series was a bit of a surprise to fans because the New Kids On The Block characters did not provide the voices of their cartoon counterparts but it soon paved the way for music stars Kid And Play and MC Hammer to launch their own cartoons. In the 90's FOX decided to jump on the celebrity cartoon bandwagon and team up with Howie Mandel to create Bobby's World and because of this Bobby's World became an instant classic which was actually based on the Bobby character voiced and created by Howie Mandel. Based on Bobby's World's success FOX would repeat this with the late Louie Anderson with Life With Louie and just like Howie Mandel became huge from Bobby's World Louie Anderson became more popular due to Life With Louie. I think as time goes by I think we will see more celebrity created cartoons go to streaming services like Netflix because I think that's when celebrities become household names as time goes by

Hawkee · 09-07-2024, 02:35 AM

I think what made celebrity animated cartoons popular was the fact that they used big name celebrities to hype the success of the cartoon. Take for example when John Candy launched Camp Candy before it's debut season John Candy did a promotion with the cast of Saved By The Bell to honor Camp Candy's debut and by having this promotion helped Camp Candy be popular. But as I mentioned before once the 90's began celebrity created cartoons became a fad and when Howie Mandel launched Bobby's World I think Howie was trying to gain a kid-friendly image and because of Bobby's World Howie Mandel created a line of children's educational software with a virtual mascot/alter-ego Lil' Howie and that proved to be a hit with children. But how Louie Anderson created Life With Louie for FOX i'll never figure out because like Howie Mandel I think Louie also wanted to attract children but Life With Louie i'll never know why it was even a hit in the first place. Another celebrity based cartoon that also was a mystery hit was The Wish Kid which had Macaulay Culkin as the title character and this was another cartoon that few people didn't know existed mainly because most people knew Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone but The Wish Kid was so funny and I cannot get how Macaulay Culkin came up with The Wish Kid but it was an awesome idea

biffbronson · 09-07-2024, 06:18 AM

There were cartoon series based on celebrities in the past. Abbott & Costello, The Three Stooges, and Laurel & Hardy all had animated TV series based on them. Those were done in the 1960s.

DadTheKing · 09-08-2024, 08:04 PM

Hi, Hawkee! I think they were popular because America got more celebrity obsessed in the 80's. Now everybody wants to be a celebrity themselves, but back then people loved to dee celebrities doing anything.
Hope this helps.\
DTK

merlinjones · 09-09-2024, 02:01 AM

The very successful mid-60s The Beatles cartoon predated Jackson 5 and The Osmonds by some years. I would say that was the breakthrough in this category.

In the 70s there was also Jerry Lewis from Filmation. And Mission Magic with Rick Springfield, The Brady Kids and Partridge Family 2022. And way later in the 80s, Mr. T. Also The Fonz. And Wolfrock TV (Wolfman Jack).

09-06-2024, 02:24 AM	#1
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,841	When Celebrity Animated Cartoons became a fad in the 80's and why were they popular? Back in the 80's and 90's it started a new trend of animated cartoons created by celebrities to start a new image of animated cartoons and brought a new style of cartoons that would become popular into the 90's. The first celebrity based cartoon series was the Jackson 5 cartoon that debuted in the 70's and based on this cartoon would soon start a new fad to have cartoons based on music groups and celebrities. The 80's saw a big boom in celebrity cartoons when NBC launched Camp Candy in 1989 that was to this day John Candy's only animated series which he starred and created providing his own voice to his animated character who ran a summer camp. Though Camp Candy was a success reruns were also added to Fox Family Channel's cartoon lineup and Camp Candy itself has never been released on DVD or not seen in reruns since though METV Toons should consider adding Camp Candy someday. Soon after the success of Camp Candy NBC added another celebrity cartoon this time with Rick Moranis in Gravedale High and despite high hopes Gravedale High wasn't successful as Camp Candy but still ranks as Rick Moranis's only cartoon to date. Once the 90's began more celebrity based cartoons appeared and became popular. While at their peak of fame New Kids On The Block got the chance to star in their own cartoon series in the 90's and while people thought it was a smart idea New Kids On The Block's cartoon series was a bit of a surprise to fans because the New Kids On The Block characters did not provide the voices of their cartoon counterparts but it soon paved the way for music stars Kid And Play and MC Hammer to launch their own cartoons. In the 90's FOX decided to jump on the celebrity cartoon bandwagon and team up with Howie Mandel to create Bobby's World and because of this Bobby's World became an instant classic which was actually based on the Bobby character voiced and created by Howie Mandel. Based on Bobby's World's success FOX would repeat this with the late Louie Anderson with Life With Louie and just like Howie Mandel became huge from Bobby's World Louie Anderson became more popular due to Life With Louie. I think as time goes by I think we will see more celebrity created cartoons go to streaming services like Netflix because I think that's when celebrities become household names as time goes by
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team Last edited by Hawkee; 09-07-2024 at 02:40 AM. Reason: Camp Candy actually debuted on NBC in 1989 not 1987

09-07-2024, 06:18 AM	#3
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,525	There were cartoon series based on celebrities in the past. Abbott & Costello, The Three Stooges, and Laurel & Hardy all had animated TV series based on them. Those were done in the 1960s.
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

09-07-2024, 02:35 AM	#2
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,841	I think what made celebrity animated cartoons popular was the fact that they used big name celebrities to hype the success of the cartoon. Take for example when John Candy launched Camp Candy before it's debut season John Candy did a promotion with the cast of Saved By The Bell to honor Camp Candy's debut and by having this promotion helped Camp Candy be popular. But as I mentioned before once the 90's began celebrity created cartoons became a fad and when Howie Mandel launched Bobby's World I think Howie was trying to gain a kid-friendly image and because of Bobby's World Howie Mandel created a line of children's educational software with a virtual mascot/alter-ego Lil' Howie and that proved to be a hit with children. But how Louie Anderson created Life With Louie for FOX i'll never figure out because like Howie Mandel I think Louie also wanted to attract children but Life With Louie i'll never know why it was even a hit in the first place. Another celebrity based cartoon that also was a mystery hit was The Wish Kid which had Macaulay Culkin as the title character and this was another cartoon that few people didn't know existed mainly because most people knew Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone but The Wish Kid was so funny and I cannot get how Macaulay Culkin came up with The Wish Kid but it was an awesome idea

09-08-2024, 08:04 PM	#4
DadTheKing Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 21, 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,270	Hi, Hawkee! I think they were popular because America got more celebrity obsessed in the 80's. Now everybody wants to be a celebrity themselves, but back then people loved to dee celebrities doing anything. Hope this helps.\ DTK

09-09-2024, 02:01 AM	#5
merlinjones Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 30, 2019 Location: los ángeles Posts: 933	The very successful mid-60s The Beatles cartoon predated Jackson 5 and The Osmonds by some years. I would say that was the breakthrough in this category. In the 70s there was also Jerry Lewis from Filmation. And Mission Magic with Rick Springfield, The Brady Kids and Partridge Family 2022. And way later in the 80s, Mr. T. Also The Fonz. And Wolfrock TV (Wolfman Jack).