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Animaniacs
1993 · TV series · 5 seasons
The two Warner Brothers Yakko and Wakko and their Warner sister Dot had been (supposedly) created in the 1930's, but their cartoons were too screwy for the general public to handle. The three Warners were locked up in the studio water tower until they escaped in the 90's. There, they run wild, causing chaos everywhere!
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2 comments on Hacker News
You're right, my bad: Wikipedia only mentions them in the "animation" section of the side panel, while the actual article only mentions Frederator and Powerhouse.
My reply was incorrect, and I'm not trying to move the goalposts, but it has to be said that the studios you listed have animated many of what would be considered "western" shows: Ben 10, Spiderman, and Animaniacs show up in the credits for Mua Film and Tiger Animation.
My intent was not to focus on the American aspect as much as the "this is very much a western production, unlike what Netflix is trying to imply." I should have worded it better.
Don't forget Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Gummy Bears and Tailspin.
On the Warner Brother's side, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, Pinky and the Brain are almost as good as the original Looney Tunes (which I also loved as a kid and still do).
I know Looney Tunes was originally geared towards adults (as short films before movies), but grown ups and kids alike love them. I've recently gone back to watch the classic Looney Tunes[1] and was surprised at how much satire was in them related to the 30s, 40s and 50s. It's the kind of stuff you would only really noticed if you studied the history of the era and are somewhat aware of the pop culture then. They were definently not meant for children, but the slapstick comedy and music draw in all audiences. Looney Tunes was my first real introduction to classical music. I would later go on to play Violin (probably somewhat influenced from Looney Tunes) for a number of years in school and still listen to classical music when I program quite often.
I don't know what happened to cartoons, but nothing seems to be interesting that's also geared towards children these days. Most just seem like some half-hearted attempt to educate children while attempting to be entertaining, instead of being entertaining and also subtly educating at the same time.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looney_Tunes_Golden_Collection
edit: elaboration