A Brief History of Notable Animation Makeovers10

By B.Z., Mar 03, 2010 in Pop Culture

• Share

A Brief History of Notable Animation Makeovers

They may not be real, but that doesn’t mean cartoon characters can’t take on human qualities. Take the aging process, for example. While some of America’s favorite animated personalities, such as the Smurfs, have barely evolved since their decades of existence, others have indeed aged faster than a Meth addict with a home tanning bed. I mean, have you seen the original Bart Simpson recently? He flat-out looked like a Meth addict. Fortunately if it’s animation and controlled substances you seek, look no further than “High Hopes”, a clever visualization of comedian Steve Hofstetter’s edgy stand-up act (embeded below). For a cleaner, quicker shot of fun animation, try “My Life at 26”. And so, in homage to the art of animation, we present you with a trip down cartoon memory lane. Got a makeover to add? Drop us a line in the comments section and maybe it’ll make the sequel.

1. Mickey Mouse

This image from the third-ever Mickey Mouse feature cartoon, Steamboat Willie, represents some of the earliest animation on record, and contributed to the first Disney cartoon to feature synchronized sound. Illustrator Ub Iwerks’ work laid the foundation for what would become animation’s most iconic character of all time. Note the dramatic alterations on Mickey, including the addition of pupils, lighter skin, and a pear-shaped body.

1928:

Latest incarnation:

2. Bugs Bunny

In 1938, an unnamed precocious rabbit debuted in the animated feature, Porky’s Hare Hunt. And so began America’s love affair with Bugs Bunny, although it wasn’t until 1940′s A Wild Hare that audiences were treated to that classic, Bugs-defining phrase, “What’s Up, Doc?” As you can see below, Bugs has come a long way since illustrator Cal Dalton first sketched him in 1930.

1930:

Latest incarnation:

3. The Flintstones

Originally titled “The Flagstones”, this cartoon sitcom premiered in 1960 and would become the first primetime animated series to last more than two seasons. As animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s original drawings suggest, the show initially targeted adults.

1960:

Latest incarnation:

4. The Jetsons

Another Hanna and Barbera piece of work, “The Jetsons,” was to be the space-aged equivalent of “The Flintstones”. Though the show lasted just one season in primetime, it went on to enjoy a dominant run in the Saturday morning arena. Illustrative aging was good to the Jetson family, although the original characters did have higher-pitched voices than their 1980s counterparts, when the actors were 20 years older.

1962:

Latest incarnation:

5. Tom & Jerry

A seven-time Academy Award winner for Best Short Subject (Cartoons), “Tom & Jerry” is known to have been subtly more highbrow and suggestive than its younger audiences realized. Built on a perennially contentious rivalry between a housecat and a clever mouse, the show’s popularity lasted decades. And indeed, Hanna and Barbera’s original 1963 artwork underwent some noticeable alterations over that period.

1963:

Latest incarnation:

6. Scooby Doo

Originally titled “Too Much”, “Scooby Doo” received its name from Fred Silverman, CBS’ executive in charge of children’s television. Silverman was inspired by Frank Sinatra’s song, “Strangers In The Night”, and its catchy scatting phrase: “Doo-bee-doo-bee-doo.” Save for some slight visual enhancements, the cartoon canine and his gang stayed pretty true to their original 1969 form as illustrated by, you guessed it, Will Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

1969:

Latest incarnation:

7. The Smurfs

Born from a dinner joke between Belgian illustrator Peyo and a colleague, “The Smurfs” started as a Belgian comic strip in 1958 before becoming an American TV animation staple in the 1980s. The blue-skinned humanoids haven’t changed their look much in 50 years of existence, though the one and only Papa Smurf was a welcome addition when the clan broke into TV in 1981. A live-action Smurfs movie is reportedly in the works.

1958:

Latest incarnation:

8. The Simpsons

When The Simpson family first appeared as a short on Fox’s “Tracy Ullman Show”, no one could have predicted the family’s phenomenal TV stardom. The year was 1987, and creator Matt Groening mistakenly assumed his crude drawings would be cleaned up prior to airing. Now in its third decade, “The Simpsons” characters have undergone quite a few illustrative upgrades, to say the least.

1989:

Latest incarnation:

9. Beavis & Butthead

With its unique blend of lewd humor and bonehead social criticism, “The Beavis and Butthead Show” was a lightning rod for controversy in the early 1990′s. Premiering on MTV’s animated lineup, “Liquid Television”, the show connected strongly with adolescent viewers, and the boys even went on to star in a commercially successful feature film in 1996. Illustrator Mike Judge’s original drawings grew a bit more polished over the years, but never to the demise of the unmistakably moronic expressions glued to these fools’ faces.

1993:

Latest incarnation:

10. The Boys from “South Park”

What began as one of the Internet’s first viral video shorts in 1992, “South Park” shocked viewers when it went from the web to the tube five years later. The show’s in-your-face social commentary spares nobody of taboo ridicule, and creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker were just as fearless when they launched the show nearly 20 years ago—even if their drawings weren’t quite as skilled as their commentary.

1992:

Latest incarnation:

Watch More Episodes of “My Life at 26”!

Upon further excavation, we came up with a still from the original 1940 “Tom & Jerry” installment, Puss Gets The Boot. Thanks, T&JFan!