It was August 11th, 1991, thirty four years ago, that Nickelodeon ushered in a new era of “Creator Driven TV animation – the first new animated series made exclusively for cable television, changing the course of ‘series’ cartoons created for the tube.
‘Creator Driven’ became the buzz word at the time. This was Nickelodeon’s response to the “factory produced” look of television animation during the 70s and 80s – product primarily churned out by Saturday morning factories Hanna-Barbera, Ruby Spears, Filmation, Dic and others. ‘Creator-Driven’ essentially meant a show would be creatively designed around the visual style of a singular artist (or team) – stamped with its own unique look and feel. There was a little more to it than that – but nothing could have made the case better than those first three Nick series: Rugrats, Doug, and The Ren & Stimpy Show.
Yes there were several other creator-driven series before ‘Nicktoons’ – notably The Simpsons (which was aimed at adults, for network primetime in 1989) and perhaps the anthology Liquid Television (again, aimed at adults, on sister channel MTV) which debut just two months earlier. The concept was in the air by 1991 – but Nickelodeon firmly committed to it.
(Technically, one could call the first era of made-for-TV animation – debatably 1949-1964 – ‘creator driven’ – What with the likes of Jay Ward’s cartoons as radically different from Hanna Barbera’s beautifully original Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear – not forgetting Bob Clampett’s Beany & Cecil, or Format’s The Alvin Show; and the Hal Seeger shop in New York – good diverse stuff – all different in tone and look).
Those first three shows begat several new wave animation studios – and dozens of great (and some not-so-great) series that went beyond the borders of Nickelodeon. In due time, Cartoon Network was born, The Disney Channel eventually adopted creator driven, and the whole landscape of series animation took off (for better or worse).
My personal interactions with Nicktoons go back to the beginnings of it all. At one point I was developing animated features for the network (and Paramount), at several other points I wrote studio-sanctioned books about their history. I had the chance to interview ALL the creators of Nickelodeon shows in 2007 for the first book I did on the subject. Archive.org has the whole thing on their website – check it out here:
At the personal request of Steve Hillenberg, I wrote this history of Spongebob in 2013; The SpongeBob SquarePants Experience: A Deep Dive into the World of Bikini Bottom. In some ways – the Spongebob series is the culmination of what a Nicktoon show was supposed to be. Offbeat, kid-friendly, relatable – and wildly original. I hope the book reflects that. Check it out at archive.org or below:
Ten years ago I was commissioned to write another history for Nickelodeon, but this time it was the story of the network and all its programming. It was a big project taking a year to put together… and when it was published, the studio pulled the plug on the project. Let me repeat that: “when it was published”… it physically exists. I have a copy. Several animators and interview subjects got copies. But it never came out! I wrote about this situation, five years ago, on my other blog Animation Scoop. I see you can buy one on eBay for $1,500. – that’s not me selling mine. I’m sorry no one has scanned it for Archive.org yet.
Nickelodeon: I salute your shorts (pun intended), series and movies. In tribute today – let me open the comments section to get everyone’s opinion of the original Nicktoons or all those that followed. Like them or not – they changed the world of animation that came since – and I think we are the better for it.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [
I didn’t have cable TV in the ’90s (apart from a brief period in 1996-97), so I only got to watch Nickelodeon when visiting friends who did. While it warmed my heart that the network promoted its sitcom reruns as a valuable cultural legacy, I never really warmed up to any of the original Nicktoons or their successors, although I admit that there were moments in “Ren and Stimpy” that made me laugh as hard as any cartoon ever has. My favourite animated series of the decade were the “factory produced” ones from Warner Bros. and Universal, as well as “The Simpsons”.
Still, Nickelodeon deserves a lot of credit. When they decided to launch original animated programming for their cable network, they could have done it the safe and easy way: by licensing existing properties and then contracting the production to established animation studios with a proven track record. Instead, Nickelodeon commissioned original content from independent creators who devoted their own small studios to that specific purpose. It was a big risk that paid off handsomely for all concerned, and an example that should be emulated by other networks, streaming services, and online platforms — now, and into the future.
Is it okay if we also acknowledge “exclusive” cartoons Nick aired before the era in question, ones no other network would touch and which became somewhat iconic for the orange brand in the ’80s? I’m thinking “Mysterious Cities of Gold,” “Maya the Bee,” and the truly legendary “Danger Mouse,” which actually got a lot of original promotion from the British animation crew specifically for Nick viewers.
And now Paramount/CBS/whatever thinks these are the only cartoons they own.
Celebrating nails on Terrytoon’s coffin.
Considering the most prominent representation Paul Terry’s legacy had at the time was “The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse,” itself not exactly the days of wine and roses in terms of overall quality, I don’t entirely blame the “Viaclods” for backing their most winning horses.
The series was considered one of the turning points for television animation and I happened to enjoyed that series. Besides, they actually gave the mouse personality.
I will admit that I’m a good deal younger than my contemporaries. Born in ’02, to be exact.
However, I will proudly admit that the arrival of the first three Nicktoons was like a shot in the arm for animation. Yes, there were still corporately-made cartoons like TaleSpin or Tiny Toons on the airwaves, and there will still be corporate cartoons in the years ahead, but the 90-minute block on Nickelodeon’s Sunday morning lineup cannot be underestimated for what it brought to the table. Warts and all.
Doug provides a sense of childhood nostalgia by Jim Jinkins, whose own ties to Nickelodeon go as far back as Pinwheel. As such, it makes perfect sense to be the “green vegetable Nicktoon”, as the comparison may claim back then. Rugrats took place from the minds of infants and toddlers, but made up for the cutesy premise with one of the most recognizable house styles an animation studio had ever conceived. Not only does this make it the “main course Nicktoon”, but I can definitely see how and why it became the face of Nicktoons as the 90s came to a close. Conversely, The Ren and Stimpy Show was a definite throwback to the days of Bob Clampett, not surprising when he took over Tex Avery’s unit back in the 1940s at Warner Bros. However, despite its outrageous appeal to children and teens alike, its creative endeavors, led by John (braying noise), definitely make it one of the few Nicktoons that Paramount is afraid to touch with a 65-foot pole. To say nothing about its 2000s revival on Spike TV, which deserves to have nothing said about it.
And yet, if we look at today’s Nicktoons? With their hyper-focus on SpongeBob SquarePants and new second banana ‘toon The Loud House, adapting outside brands like Transformers, Monster High, and Big Nate, and rarely giving a second glance at an original series? It feels like you could cut out the Nickelodeon branding and change nothing about them. Heck, I’d even say that SpongeBob has transcended his company label as much as Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry have at WB after merging with Turner Entertainment back in 1996.
When comparing the modern approach to the initial results of the Nicktoon identity, it’s time we call it what it is: Nickelodeon Animation Studios should give way to a reintroduction to the Paramount Cartoon Studios identity. Especially if the Skydance merger allows for John Lasseter to enter the picture the way he did.
Paramount was going to revived “Ren and Stimpy” (in a reimagative way according to press), but after a large outcry from fans in a matter of days, that was quickly scraped right after it was announced.
If you’re talking about the reboot from the current decade, it wasn’t scrapped, several episodes have been made and have aired outside of the states.
I saw a couple of them. They’re sadly terrible. I just think the original show was lightning in a bottle.
I may have been aware that they were on, but I did not truly register the Nicktoons as a collective entity until at least 1992 (“Nick Arcade” is my favorite show of all time, after “Spongebob” and “Rugrats,” and I guess “Double Dare” is nice). Of the original three, I found “Ren and Stimpy” too strange and infrequent, “Doug” a pleasant watch but far too “normal” for my particular tastes, and “Rugrats” practically perfect in terms of characters, pacing, and an infectious spirit of adventure and discovery that still hits big at any age. After that generation, I sorta stopped thinking about the ‘Toons in terms of the network, and tended to pick ones that spoke to me on a personal level. “Rocko” was quite informative to me about the absurdities of the grown-up world in the same manner MAD Magazine spoke to earlier folks; “Fairly OddParents” and “ChalkZone” championed imagination and were filled with top-notch humor; “SpongeBob” had all the ingredients of the best TV toons of yore and is clearly the best thing Nick ever has done; “Avatar” had action and philosophy of an Eastern flavor that appealed strongly to animation fans of all stripes (I’ll get to “Korra” one day); “Catscratch” could’ve been a bonafide classic if it had a better timeslot (and if the comic it was spawned from, “Gear,” were a touch more age appropriate and relevant to the onscreen premise of rich cats living the spoiled life); and I’ve barely paid attention to anything past 2010 besides the “SpongeBob” spinoffs. I’m not sure if Nick Junior shows count here (if not, then hi, “Rupert,” “Papa Beaver’s Storytime,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Go Diego Go,” “PAW Patrol,” and “Yo Gabba Gabba!”), but, man, it was awesome that they briefly programmed “Rugrats” as the first show on Nick Jr. weekday mornings. Probably not suitable for that young an audience, but, hey, I watched it every day, so they clearly knew what they had!
Of the three mentioned, the only one that made an impression on me was Ren and Stimpy. I still remember the day I saw it for the first time. The episode was ‘Big Baby Scam.’ I was about 15 years old at the time. My brother came running to tell me that there was a new cartoon on television that was worth watching. My response: ‘A new cartoon? You mean, made now, in this day and age? You idiot! Nothing worthwhile has been produced since 1954!’ Without knowing it, we were reproducing the R&S dynamic.
I was there for the premiere night when I was a mere eight years old. I liked all three debuts, but Ren & Stimpy in particular clicked with me back then. I think a big key to NickToons’s early success is the wide range of art/animation and writing styles between the three shows; they all looked and sounded unique, so there was variety for the viewer. There was no set house style to the NickToons brand, and that largely continues to this day, with some exceptions.
I remember watching Ren and Stimpy when it first came on. While I loved it I also immediately thought “I can’t believe this is on Nick aimed at kids”.
I have both the Nicktoons and Spongebob books and throughly enjoyed them, though the slime cover for the Nicktoons book has seen better days.
Excellent article Jerry. I loved all three shows when they debuted over the course of three different channels here in the UK. Doug was obviously the safest but had a lot of charm and honesty to its characters and situations. Rugrats offered something fresh. It was clearly written knowing the parents watching would pick up on the cleverness that would go over us kids heads. Also the designs were so unusual!
Ren and Stimpy was like a lightning bolt. As far as I was aware there had been nothing as strange or as funny as this before. It was like the “anti cartoon”, it couldn’t be more different in style and tone and from the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or A Pup Names Scooby Doo.
We were incredibly fortune in the 90s that animation went through an incredible renaissance and these three shows contributed to it immensely.
One thing I appreciated about Ren & stimpy was that they understood the value of not having their characters confined to a timeline or setting. Just like bugs and Yosemite Sam might face each other as medieval knights or as pirates, ren &stimpy could be in outer space or working in a factory or wherever, whereas tiny toons set them in all in acne acres, I believe.
On the other hand, my favorite of the nick toons was Rocko, which very much had a setting and timeline. It never occurred to me that about them being more creator identified. I guess that’s true though because I always remembered Joe Murray’s name – even until decades later when I found a copy of Who Asked the Moon to Dinner on a bookshelf. I suppose it was a fine line for these companies to have these creator driven shows but keeping the rights
In the early 2000s I remember watching Nicktoons like Hey Arnold! Spongebob Squarepants, Doug, Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life. good times!!! I remember I was about seven, I heard Ren and Stimpy was originally aimed at adults. when it first aired on Nickelodeon, it developed a strong following among adults. and is often associated with the culture surrounding cannabis use which was insane!