An Open Letter to Cartoons

Dear Cartoons,

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved cartoons. Most of us grew up watching them. I still remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to watch everything from Tom & Jerry to Avatar: the Last Airbender to Phineas and Ferb to Kim Possible. That's what kids do - they wake up early to watch cartoons.

Animation, for the most part, is exclusively marketed to younger audiences. Studios like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks are practically synonymous with 'stuff for kids.' And I know that any of the films produced by these studios and others oftentimes can contain adult themes and humor. These dirty jokes or dramatic themes are supposed to keep the parents interested, but why can't a parent just enjoy a cartoon for what it is?

When Steamboat Willie premiered for the first time in 1928, people of all ages were captured by the sheer amazement of what they saw on the screen. What changed?

As I got older, my love for animation never faded. Maybe my passion for art or the telling of stories kept me interested. When I started watching TV from the comfort of my laptop, I found myself drawn to cartoons marketed to adults, such as Bob's Burgers and Rick and Morty.

Still, even though these shows are meant for adults, people often chuckle when I tell them that Bob's Burgers is one of my favorite shows.

I think the reason for that is because cartoons are so strongly associated with kids that adults think there's no way that an animated show (specifically meant for television, as I'm sure most adults would agree that Pixar produces films worthy of audiences of all ages) could contain the same depth, comedy, and interest as its live action counterpart.

Because how could a show titled Bob's Burgers be better than Grey's Anatomy? Black-ish? Or a classic like Cheers?

Funnily enough, according to imdB, Bob's Burgers is rated higher than all of the shows I just listed. It's pretty high by television standards, too, as an 8.1/10. Rick and Morty is even higher than most other Emmy-nominated dramas, like The Handmaid's Tale and Stranger Things, and is rated a 9.3/10.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and lecture you on why you should watch my favorite cartoons, but I am going to explain why I'm so passionate about them as a medium, and why cartoons meant for adults shouldn't be dismissed as irrelevant and simple.

First off, acting for a cartoon takes a lot of talent. An actor or actress has to convey their character almost entirely through variations in their voice. Of course, their characters show facial expressions and body language, but an animated character can only come to life if they have a distinct, special voice. What would Woody be without Tom Hanks?

In many instances, voice actors also play several different characters in the show. To me, that displays an insane amount of talent, because one person is able to create unique voices for multiple different characters. Below is a clip of Sam Marin, a voice actor for Regular Show (8.3/10), who plays 3 different characters (Pops, Benson, and Muscle Man).

Pretty cool, right?

Another one of my favorite examples of talented voice acting comes from John Roberts, who voices Linda Belcher on Bob's Burgers.

Personally, I don't think these amazing voice actors get enough credit. While John Roberts and Sam Marin don't wear fancy costumes or special effects makeup, they have to pour so much of themselves into their characters to make them convincing and lovable.

And, because voices don't age as fast as our faces, animated shows can run for a longer amount of time than live action shows. The Simpsons, for example, has been on air since 1989!

Cartoons also showcase some pretty amazing art and imagination. Animators can't just go to the streets of New York City and start filming. Instead, they have to draw the entire set. This provides writers with a lot more creative freedom. Rick and Morty's titular characters, for example, couldn't jump through alternate dimensions nor encounter weird aliens if the show existed in any other form.

Additionally, every frame has to be drawn and brought to life. Every syllable for every word on the script has to be annunciated. Fabric and clothing have to fit just right, characters have to walk and emote naturally. Put simply, there isn't room for imperfection.

Lastly, I also want to mention the amount of heart in these shows. Bob's Burgers tackles the everyday challenges of family life and growing up in a way that is both heartfelt and funny. Rick and Morty reflects on the consequences of our actions through the lives of remarkably three-dimensional characters. Futurama has a more diverse cast and funnier political rhetoric than most shows in Hollywood. Daria is too satirical for it's own good.

Okay, so maybe I am trying to convince you to go watch my favorite animated shows. In this world, of crazy political drama, of unbelievable hate, of corruption, of all of the bad things that I write about every week, maybe part of me also wants to watch cartoons, so I can have a moment of feeling like a kid again.

Yours truly,

P.S. Don't even get me STARTED on clay-mation.

(Taken from Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs)