As I’ve written different scripts and even books, I’ve found that different lines I’ve written bear a striking resemblance to different cartoons that I watched growing up. Even as a technical adult, I still love watching cartoons that are marketed towards children. A lot of cartoons have had an impact on my writing, but I decided to narrow it down to 10 that had the most. Here are the first five in chronological order by when they began. This will be limited to Western cartoons. Anime is a different story.
Spongebob Squarepants (1999-): As a 2000s kid, it should be obvious that this quintessential 2000s cartoon about a happy-go-lucky sponge living in a wacky underwater town be on this list. The goofy sense of humor is what draws in the kids, but the part of Spongebob that shows in my writing are the visual gags. Sure, you can’t display visual gags in a script, but I can still describe them, such as when Zaki mistakenly launches her Inkzooka like an Inkstrike in “SplaTOON!”. Also, the underwater-themed expressions from “SplaTOON!” are totally inspired by “Spongebob.”
The Fairly OddParents (2001-2017): This show about a boy and his crazy adventures with his fairy godparents was also a classic that I watched as much as Spongebob, but this one definitely influenced my dialogue more. I didn’t realize until later on that the characters are sassy, especially Timmy and Wanda. What if this is where Daph-Nii got it from? It’s also a treasure trove of comedic ways to hide things, a trope I absolutely love.
Code Lyoko (2004-2007): This show about a group of teens trying to save a virtual world from an evil virus is less well-known than the last two, which is a shame. I didn’t even watch it as a kid. I found it when I was 16 and watched it for the next six months. The whole thing is amazing because of the unique animation style (real-world scenes are in 2D, but in the virtual world of Lyoko, everything's animated in 3D!), vivid cast of characters, and dark subject matter. I’d say that this show is one of the shows that taught me that it’s okay to get a little bit dark in a children’s program (hint hint “SplaTOON 2!”), and it also ushered in my “techno phase” of junior year where everything I came up with had cool computers and stuff.
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (2004-2009): I didn’t start watching this one until my first semester of college, and I was immediately hooked by the bright visuals, wacky but refreshing sense of humor, and something about the concept of a home for outgrown imaginary friends that ignited a creative spark in me. It also taught me how important it was to have relatable characters because Mac is probably the most relatable character both in a #relatable kind of way and, like, he acts just like me. I’ve already written two characters in “Unity Squad” based off of him (Jett “Sugar Rush” Swiftley and the kid literally named Mac from Episode 16).
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008): Avatar is an amazing show. Point blank period. This show about a boy who is chosen as the Avatar and must save the world from a 100-year war along with his friends was the only show I watched as a kid where all the episodes seemed to link together, my first exposure to the serial format, which I use in “Miitopianime” and “SplaTOON!”. Zuko’s character development and eventual redemption taught me that villains are characters who are just as important as the heroes (including Circe in "Run Like the Wind" or the Octarians in "SplaTOON 2!"), and let’s be real here, everything I learned about sarcasm, I learned from Sokka. He’s still my favorite.
Honorable mentions (before 2006): Invader ZIM, VeggieTales, W.I.T.C.H.
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