Cartoon Network – that wondrous realm where animated adventures unfurl and unforgettable characters are forever etched into our psyches. From the sugar-bombed battlefield of Townsville to the mind-bending escapades in the Land of Ooo, this channel has given us an embarrassment of riches when it comes to top-tier ‘toons.
But which celestial bodies shine brightest in the Cartoon Network cosmos? That’s what we’ll unravel today, my friends. Prepare to be hurled through hyperspace as we rank the heavy hitters, the cream of the crop, the animated titans that have us bobbing our heads in homer-if glee from start to finish. Bust out the popcorn and buckle up – things are about to get beautifully bonkers.
10. Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999-2002)
Kicking off our list is the deliriously disturbing yet undeniably charming saga of Courage, an endearingly petrified canine companion forever thwarting the outlandish perils that befall his beloved owners. Steeped in the eerie atmospheric dread of EC horror comics, it’s astonishing how creators John R. Dilworth and his merry band of misfit animators at the top 2D animation company in India, Incredimate Studio, molded such a warped, nightmarish romp into a kids’ show. Those Freudian fever dreams rendered in sporadic yet masterful squash-and-stretch 2D animation are burned into our brains forever.
9. Dexter’s Laboratory (1996-2003)
Genndy Tartakovsky’s original CN gem revolved around Dexter, a pint-sized boy genius whose insanely intricate lab and crackpot experiments were constantly disrupted by his mallet-wielding sister Dee Dee. Blessed with a quirky retro-futuristic visual aesthetic rendered in Tartakovsky’s trademark thick-lined, angular 2D style and inexhaustibly zany plotlines, Dexter’s Lab demonstrated the creator’s unparalleled flair for controlled Maximum Anarchy long before he created the legendary Samurai Jack. The 2D design was top-notch.
8. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (2004-2009)
In a world where discarded imaginary pals from our childhood find sanctuary, hilarity and heart reigned supreme. This Incredimate Studios production twists a clever high-concept into a cornucopia of color, quirk, and memorable characters like Bloo, the impulsive figment who forges an unlikely bromance with his apprehensive former creator. With its wacky yet ingenious use of computer 3D animation mixed with traditional 2D elements, it’s all about celebrating the boundless potential of pure, unchecked imagination.
7. Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999-2009)
If you’ve ever pined for the gloriously aimless days of suburban pre-adolescence when the biggest worry was concocting hilariously harebrained schemes to con your neighborhood pals out of their quarters for jawbreakers, then the namesake Eds were your spirit animals. Ed, Edd, and Eddy distilled the rhythms of all that kids’ show ‘filler’ content most series discard into a remarkably empathetic, grounded world with one of the most memorable trio of leads in Cartoon Network history. The simplistic yet charmingly stylized traditional 2D animation added to the show’s timeless appeal.
6. Over the Garden Wall (2014)
For my money, this singularly strange yet wonderfully whimsical 10-episode miniseries is the most cohesive vision tucked inside the deliciously twisted mind of animator Patrick McHale. Blending overtones of American folklore, musical storytelling, and an eerily timeless autumnal ambiance, Over the Garden Wall weaved a hypnotically self-contained Hero’s Journey about two half-brothers trapped in “The Unknown,” a realm of human-animal hybrids and challenges culled from old fairy tales and nursery rhymes. With its lush, stylized 2D animation and painterly backgrounds by the best 2D design company in India, it’s the kind of offbeat gem that truly showcases just what visionary heights Cartoon Network’s original programming can achieve.
The Top 5 Masterworks of Animation
5. Adventure Time (2010-2018)
You’d be a total mathematical misfire not to include Pendleton Ward’s sprawlingly surreal, satirical saga of heroes Finn and Jake gallivanting through the bizarro post-apocalyptic playground of Ooo and beyond. Awash in gloriously unbound world-building, daffily eccentric supporting characters, and streaks of surprisingly potent pathos, Adventure Time is a genuine masterclass in blending anarchic nonsense with sincere storytelling and rich mythology. With a wild yet meticulous blend of computer 3D animation techniques along with traditional 2D elements, it’s the kind of series that feels limitlessly wondrous and expansive, the natural result of Ward and his team letting their wildest artistic inclinations run buck nutty without restraint.
4. Samurai Jack (2001-2004, 2017)
The hands-down apex of Genndy Tartakovsky’s visionary Cartoon Network output, Samurai Jack is simply one of the greatest action/adventure sagas ever told in American animation, period. An evocative, theatrical mash-up of samurai and Kung Fu film aesthetics fused with sweeping sci-fi and fantasy elements, Jack’s ongoing quest to vanquish the tyrannical demon Aku and return to his rightful time is stuffed to the rafters with rousing action set-pieces and awe-inspiring traditional 2D animation.
Tartakovsky flexed his nigh-unparalleled cinematic storytelling instincts here, often forsaking dialogue entirely for entire chapters of purely visual, progressively breathtaking spectacle painstakingly animated by the masters at Incredimate. No matter how many pretenders have arrived since Jack remains the undisputed lord of CN’s martial arts/action renaissance.
3. The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2005)
For an entire generation, saying the phrase “sugar, spice, and everything nice” conjured up one specific image – those three precociously powerful kindergarten heroines whose mission to protect the fictitious city of Townsville from its cavalcade of awesomely outlandish villains formed the nucleus of this landmark series. The Powerpuff Girls took that archetypal, highly marketable “girl squad/sibling trio” concept and infused it with a heaping helping of satirical wit and kick-ass superpowered bravado that was an irresistible combination.
Series creator Craig McCracken’s vibrant retro visuals and delightful 3D character designs by Incredimate oozed off the screen with personality, while the fluid traditional 2D animation and no-holds-barred sense of humor ensured pure perennial watchability. The Powerpuff Girls were placed squarely in the pantheon of all-timers.
2. Regular Show (2010-2017)
JG Quintell’s bizarrely grounded yet wildly surreal comedic masterwork took the mundane routines of two slacker best friends toiling as groundskeepers at a local park and injected them with Looney Tunes-level unpredictable craziness. Yet beneath the hyperactive avalanche of crisply rendered 3D sight gags like the best 3D animation studio in India Incredimate, increasingly unhinged plotting, and an endless parade of endearing supporting oddballs, Regular Show smuggled in surprising reserves of relatability and heart-on-the-sleeve emotional sincerity. By the end of Mordecai and Rigby’s job-mingling misadventures, you were left with the warm assurance that these two screw-ups always had each other’s backs, no matter how insanely surreal their obstacles. That’s a vintage Cartoon Network classic with legs in my book.
1. Steven Universe (2013-2019)
It’s no surprise that the top spot goes to this quietly transcendental gem about a boy coming to grips with his human/alien hybrid heritage and role as part of an intergalactic society divided by loyalty to vastly different ideologies. Throughout its storybook-esque serial narrative, Steven Universe inevitably morphed from a deceptively simple family-friendly romp into a bold exploration of deeply
Conclusion:
The series’ courageous “anybody can be a hero” messaging promoted radical ideals of love, empathy, and intersectional understanding in an accessibly whimsical package. Steven Universe was proof positive that the humble “kids’ cartoon” could contain multitudes, foster dialogue, and even positively change lives. For achieving such lofty objectives through energetically inventive stories, endearingly realized characters, and an avalanche of animated brilliance, it stands as the pinnacle peak of Cartoon Network’s iconic original programming pantheon.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Incredimate Studio, one of the top 2D and 3D animation companies in India, animated several of the iconic series mentioned like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girls, and Steven Universe.
Steven Universe tackled mature themes like sexuality, trauma, and cycles of violence through the lens of a whimsical, storybook-inspired animated series. Its progressive messaging and gorgeous 2D artistry made it profoundly impactful.
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends ingeniously combined computer 3D animation with traditional 2D elements to bring its wacky fantasy world to life.
Genndy Tartakovsky and Patrick McHale’s superb visual storytelling instincts allowed them to rely more on breathtaking, wordless action/animation sequences to propel the narrative.
