Transformers

Cars and jets are cool. Big robots are awesome. The idea to have a show about cars and jets that turn into robots was absolute genius. Unlike that other transforming robot show that was too lame to even deserve to be mentioned by name, it didn't end there.

The story lines were involved and full of intrigue, betrayal, and even the deaths of major characters. The show was also kept fresh with the introduction of new robots like the Constructicons, who spent far more time destroying things than building them (this was good) and the Dinobots (dinosaurs AND robots... absolute brilliance).

The toys from the show didn't disappoint either. Transformer toys taught us to be jealous of the rich kids. If there was a status symbol among grade-schoolers, this was it.

Robotech

For three reasons more than anything else:

1- It turned a generation onto Japanese animation. No way was it the first Japanese import, but "Robotech's" release along with the growing popularity of VCR's in the 80's went a long way toward giving American fans a taste of anime. A lot of fans ended up tracking down bootlegs of the "Macross" feature, and that led to other titles.

2- Unlike "G.I. Joe" where people always jumped to safety on parachutes, or "Voltron," where everything was controlled by "robots", when the jets and robots got shot up, people died. In the 80's cartoons were just so G-rated that it was a shock to see major and background characters die and have their deaths affect the plot.

3- It had a huge serial plot that wasn't wrapped up in a single episode or a mini-series. You had to keep track of what happened in each episode and pay attention. Yes, it DIDN'T insult its audience.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero

Propaganda is distributed in many forms, one of them being this cartoon created in the eighties, its messages aimed at young boys. As children, we would hear horror stories from various sources about the horrors of war and the irreparable stigma of being part of our military. The Vietnam war was still fresh in the minds of American adults, and questioning authority was still the intellectual trend. Along comes G.I. Joe to reverse the clutches of anti-military campaigns across the nation, and suddenly our heroes become Snakeyes and Chief Torpedo instead of Don Mattingly and George Brett. The show was a staple of our youth, and continues to broadcast today.

Duck Tales

The idea of swimming around in a silo full of money is so attractive. Now, these fowls traveled the world solving mysteries and doing good. And it was always nice to see Scrooge's heart warm up by the end of each episode. He really was a good guy. Not the coldhearted tyrant that he seemed to be. Huey, Duey and Louie have got to be the smartest ducks this side of the planet. And they have created more laughter and have more campy wisdom than The Muppets and Fraggle Rock combined. Mmmm...swimming in money.