The 90s were some of the best years for animation. Companies seemingly cared more about the craft and weren’t all about selling toys like such 80s hits asHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe. 1993 in particular was a stellar year for cartoons with brands still existing to this day in some form.
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There was also a lot of great live-action content for children as well worth mentioning thanks to Nickelodeon, who was hitting it big in the 90s. For example,The Adventures of Pete and PeteandLegends of the Hidden Templelaunched in 1993. Live-action content aside, let’s discuss the best-animated shows and movies that were released that year.
8Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehogis the more classic of thetwo Sonic-based cartoonsthat premiered in September 1993. This one was sillier, featuring all of those weird PSAs after every episode like warning kids about stranger danger.
This is also where Sonic fell in love with chili dogs. The ABC version, simply titledSonic the Hedgehog, was set in a dystopian society and followed the comics more. Both cartoons were fun for the time, giving rise to Jaleel White as everyone’s favorite voice for Sonic for ages.
7Animaniacs
Steven Spielberg, despite onlydirecting live-action films, had a huge influence on animation in the 80s and 90s. His first presented cartoon series wasAnimaniacs, which paved the way for the spinoffPinky and the Brainalong with the superhero parodyFreakazoid.
Animaniacswas like a parody too but of the Looney Tunes or more like a behind-the-scenes look at how cartoons are made. The humor landed for kids and adults with plenty of innuendos thrown in. It had a good run in the 90s with nostalgia bringing it back for two new seasons which began airing on Hulu in 2020.
6Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasmwas a continuation of the animated series in the 90s. It was theatricallyreleased on Christmasof all days. It was a good, longer episode of the cartoon that dived deep into Bruce’s struggles with being Batman.
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There’s a mystery afoot as well as the titular Phantasm offing mob gangs around town. Who is behind these killings? Does Bruce hang up the cape for good? It’s a good reveal at the end without spoiling anything.
5Beavis And Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-Headis a series that is cemented in the history of adult cartoons. Their antics shouldn’t work in a world where people are trying to be more understanding. Somehow hearing these two ghoulish teens can still bring a smile though.
It’s because they are so earnest about what they want in life, to score, even though they don’t understand what their want in life means. It ended in the 90s and has since been rebooted two times now andKing of the Hill, another Mike Judge cartoon, is set to be rebooted too.
4Bonkers
Bonkerswas one of the later Disney Afternoon shows before the cartoon block ended. The titular Bonkers was a cartoon cop who was partnered up with the human detective, Lucky Piquel. The two solved cases around Toon Town and the show involved some cameos from Disney’s large catalog of characters including the Mad Hatter fromAlice in Wonderland.
The relationship between Bonkers and Lucky was not as classic as the partnership between Roger Rabbit and Eddie Valiant fromWho Framed Roger Rabbit, butBonkers, as a cartoon, did an admirable job at trying to emulate that classic movie.
3Dragon Ball Z: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Z: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyanwas released in 1993 in Japan. The West would not see it until 2003, which was not that weird because the anime took a long time to bring over certain arcs as well. This movie was Goku’s first encounter with the legendary Saiyan.
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The movie was non-canon but fans still loved it for varying reasons and he appeared in two sequels. Getting to seea new Saiyanis rare, which is why Broly might have been so widely worshiped. The concept was re-examined in 2018 in Japan whenDragon Ball Super: Brolywas released as a reboot for the character.
2The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas’cultural impact could not be foreseen in 1993. It practically created the culture within clothing stores like Hot Topic. It quickly became the go-to movie for budding goths and emo kids in the 90s, which is funny considering this is a Disney film.
It’s easy to see why, thanks to the brilliant stop-motion animation and the catchy songs as it is a great musical. It just goes to show Disney is capable of exploring a wide variety of demographics.
1Rocko’s Modern Life
Rocko’s Modern Lifeis another cartoon from 1993 that saw a resurgence similar toBeavis and Butt-Head. The cartoon ended in 1996 and returned with a movie in 2019,Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, which continued right where the finale left off. Sadly there hasn’t been a movie or a show after this but it seems like the possibilities are still there.
Rocko works as a character in any era because he is a well-meaning person who gets thrown into jacked-up situations. If he gets pushed to the edge he will break, which creates some good moments in the original cartoon.
