10 Great Cartoon Shows

By: SM. Mehdi Hassan

Today, I will be talking about 10 great cartoon series. I live in Bangladesh where not all the families can afford television. I am lucky that my family could. Cartoons were and still are my favorite. Before the arrival of cable television in our country, there was only one television channel; Bangladesh Television. Every afternoon the cartoon series were broadcast between 5 p.m. to 6p.m; except Friday. I know that some of these cartoons are loved by almost everyone. They are great cartoons indeed.

Thunder cats

Image link: Thunder Cats

Thunder!! Thunder!! Thunder cats!! HO!!!

This cartoon series was the most popular among kids those days. Every Friday, at three p.m. we all remain glued to the television. The animated series was developed by Rankin/Bass. A Japanese company, Topcraft, did the animation of this cartoon series. The series was first shown in 1985 in USA. The first season had 65 episodes. In 1986, a television movie titled ThunderCats-HO!! came out in 1986.The series contained 130 episodes.

Teenage mutant ninja turtles (TMNT):

Image link: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This famous cartoon series actually started as a comic series first. Kevin Eastman was brainstorming with his friend Peter Laird with some of his comical sketch. Eastman and Peter published a studio and published a comic. This is how Ninja Turtle started their journey. The story is about four anthropomorphic turtles who are trained in Ninjitsu by their master (a man turned into mice) named Splinter. There are four turtles in the group expert in four types of weapons. Their named according to the four great Italian artists of the Renaissance period: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

Silver Hawk:

Image link: Silver Hawk

It is really strange that I could not find much information about this awesome cartoon series on net. Silver Hawk another popular miniseries broadcast in 1986. This series is based on the story of an elite team of crime fighting cyborgs. An evil criminal named Mon Star and his gangs have escaped from prison. They must be stopped. Mon Star’s hide out is situated on the other side of galaxy where no human can go. Hence, a group of devoted fighters volunteered to transform themselves into cyborgs.

Thunder sub:

Image link: Thundersub

I do not know whether this series was broadcast in USA. This is a Japanese cartoon series. This is a science fiction miniseries. The story is set in 2052. The human race is destroyed by the attack of an alien race. Their only defense against the alien is a submarine that has the capability to operate under water or in the space.

Voltron:

Image link: Voltron

Another popular Japanese cartoon series. The series was later dubbed in English for USA. The first series titled Voltron: Defender of the Universe was broad cast in Bangladesh Television in the 1980s. The first series was based on the stories of two cartoon series produced by Toei Animation Co., Ltd and Bandai Co., Ltd. Voltron is a shape shifting robot created to protect planet Arus from the evil clutches of King Zarkon, his son Lotor, and the witch Haggar.

There are five robot lions piloted by five warriors. During war, these robots mechanically join with each other and turn themselves into Voltron.

Tom and Jerry:

Image link: Tom & Jerry

I watched this series for the first time in video cassette. I watched it regularly after we took cable television. I am sure that many of you adults still enjoy watching Tom & Jerry. The main theme of this series is the universal fight between cat and mouse. Jerry is a mouse and Tom is a grey house cat. Most of the time, they are fighting with each other for supremacy. Tom wants to get Jerry out of his way and Jerry wants to stop Tom. However, it is Jerry who wins the fight most of the time. Jerry is very intelligent and smart while Tom is very greedy and foolish. Jerry makes trap for Tom and makes him suffer very much. Produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and created by William Hanna and Joseph Barber this series successfully ran from 1940 to 1957.

Defenders of the Earth:

Image link: Defenders of the Earth

“Defenders of the Earth,” an animated cartoon series based on the struggle of a group of people to protect Earth from an evil leader who hails from Mongo planet. Villain Ming the Merciless wants to invade Earth while Flash Gordon, a space fighter pilot, tries to stop this evil. In this mission, The Phantom and a magician Mandrake join with Gordon. The story is based on some moral ethics and the most important thing is that these three characters join together in danger. The character Phantom chants “By Jungle Law” which symbolizes a world where anarchy exists. The series had 62 episodes.

Galaxy Rangers:

Image link: Galaxy Rangers

Another science fiction with a mixture of Wild Wild West, Galaxy Rangers, was a very popular cartoon series. Set in a futuristic world where human being has the technology to travel faster than light, new colonies are created in different planets. In these colonies, various criminal activities are growing. BETA (Bureau for Extra-Terrestrial Affairs) has been created to stop the criminals in these colonies. Under this agency, five people with supreme abilities are appointed to fight with the criminals: Zachary Foxx, Shane Gooseman, Niko, and Walter Hartford.

X-men: Evolution

Image link: X-men: Evolution

I watched the X-men: Evolution series broadcast on Cartoon Network. A group of people with extra ordinary powers are struggling with the society for their existence and at the same time fighting with people who use their powers to harm human beings. “Fight between good and evil,” under this universal theme, X-man has created a different culture. According to X-Man writer Chris Claremont, it is a story dealing with social issues like: racism, bigotry and prejudice. X-men is a group of mutants united by a faith that through good work they can win human and make a place for them in the society but they are hated, feared and despised by all. People hate them because they are mutant: human beings with extraordinary capabilities.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe:

Image link: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Broadcast on Cartoon network in 2002, this series was also my favorite. He-man, is actually Prince Adam, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena, the rulers of the planet Eternia. He was bestowed a sword by the sorceress living in Castle Gray Skull. When time comes Prince Adams draws his swords and turns himself into a super-human warrior named He-man. His pet tiger cringer turns into big cat. Together they fight against Skeletor and his followers who are situated in the snake mountain. This whole concept has a mythical touch, like the great Indian Epic Mahabharata; the fight between the Pandavas and Kaurav’s. This is why I like this series very much.