Most Millennials today are products of the 90s. We were born in the last decade where technology did not dominate our lives, but rather enhanced it. I am sure that almost everyone born in the 90s is nostalgic for the culture of their childhood, and a huge part of that culture was the awesome cartoons that we all watched on our huge square televisions. Here is a list of the top 90's cartoons that will be sure to take you back.
This one may not be a favorite for the guys, but when I was little I was all about the "Powerpuff Girls." With sugar, spice, and everything nice, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup showed young girls everywhere that we were capable of doing great things. I have recently watched it as a 22-year-old and have found it less interesting than I remember, but again, it is designed for children, not college students, so I cut it some slack.
"The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" was one of my favorites growing up and still makes me laugh with its morbid humor. Follow the misadventures through our world and the underworld with Mandy, a fearsome girl who looks innocent but is pure evil, Billy, the stupidest boy known to man, and Grim, the Grim Reaper who is forced to be companions with Billy and Mandy because of a lost bet. The humor is dark but the laughs are frequent.
Another dark cartoon that is not for the faint of heart is "Courage the Cowardly Dog." This was my top favorite cartoon to watch when I was young, but I have loved the horror genre since my mother let me watch my first scary movie. Courage is a pink dog with terrible dental hygiene that lives on a farm in Nowhere, Kansas with a kind old lady named Muriel and her bitter husband, Eustace. Sinister creatures and apparitions find their way to Courage’s doorstep that puts his caregiver, Muriel in grave danger. Courage, who really is not very cowardly at all, must face his enemies to save Muriel despite the great discomfort he has to endure. This cartoon taught me that when you love someone you go to any length to make sure they are safe back in their rocking chair.
"Hey Arnold!" was also one of my favorite 90s cartoons growing up. I thought that "Hey Arnold!" really reflected the real lives of average kids living in the inner cities of the East Coast. All of the characters in the cartoon are diverse in their ethnicities and the problems they are dealing with. Arnold, the main character, lives in a boarding house that his grandparents own. His parents died when he was a baby and has been raised by his dad’s parents ever since. He attends P.S. 118 where he and his schoolmates get into predicaments. It is definitely worth a watch if you have not seen it!
Some honorable mentions that are definitely worth digging up are "Rocket Power," "Rugrats," "As Told by Ginger," "The Wild Thornberrys," "Dexter’s Laboratory," and "Ed, Edd, and Eddy." Have fun being nostalgic!
