10 Children's Cartoons That Shaped My Writing (Part 2)

I know, I know. It's been seven months since I wrote Part 1. Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, you don't have to wait any longer. Here are the other five children's cartoons that shaped my writing in chronological order from when they began.

1. Chowder (2007-2010): As a kid, there were several shows which I watched in phases, meaning I'd be super-obsessed with it for a few months and then never watch it again. There was my "Powerpuff Girls" phase, my "Adventure Time" phase, my "Invader Zim" phase, and then there was my "Chowder" phase, which might have been longer than a phase. It was 10 years ago. Do you expect me to remember? Anyway, there is one reason I chose this in particular: FOURTH WALL BREAKS. They're probably what the show is most remembered for even 10 years later. Practically every episode of this show about a boy working as an apprentice in a cartoony kitchen features the characters talking to the audience or otherwise making remarks that revealed that they knew they were in a show. It taught me that shows don't have to be so uptight with their dialogue. Let loose a little. Add a line about the show itself. That just adds to the humor. I don't mind adding a fourth wall break every now and then (such as this brilliant one in Unity Squad) thanks to this show.

2. Back at the Barnyard (2007-2011): I'm not sure how many remember this one, but this show was definitely more than just a phase. I never really cared for the Nickelodeon movie "Barnyard," but the spinoff series, "Back at the Barnyard," was actually pretty hilarious. I don't remember much of this show about the cast of "Barnyard" going on wacky adventures on the farm where they live, but I do remember that the sense of humor was just quirky enough that no two episodes were the same. The only line I can remember clearly enough to write down is in one episode where they find the skeleton of an explorer in a hole, and Pip the rat says, "It's the burial ground of the Village People!" That's my entire sense of humor right there.

3. Phineas and Ferb (2007-2015): Another quintessential 2000s cartoon but with fewer 90s kids in the age demographic. This cartoon about two brothers with 104 days of summer vacation no doubt has left an impact on tons of kids my age. The show pretty much nails the formulaic episode format by including several running gags (do "Yes, yes I am" and "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" sound familiar?) that appear in each episode to guide the young viewer through the episode but adds a different spin on it each time to make the episode interesting. I could never dream to do it as well as Phineas and Ferb, but I am a sucker for running gags and have experimented with within-episode running gags in Miitopianime. I'd also like to mention the show's musical aspect; nearly episode has an original song. Similarly, I have a soundtrack laid out for SplaTOON which is a combination of original songs and covers. Last but not least, Dr. Freakin' Doofenshmirtz. I talked about sympathetic villains with Avatar, but Dr. Doofenshmirtz is a very special type of villain whose strong point is that he can't be taken seriously with his evil inventions which never seem to work. He seems to be the biggest inspiration for Dr. Hysteria from Unity Squad.

4. Steven Universe (2013-2020): I wish I was in this show's age demographic. It is amazing. This show about a half-human, half-Gem (a race of rock-based aliens) boy and his Gem caregivers protecting the Earth was high school sophomore me's greatest obsession. It was the first show I created OCs for, and practically everything I wrote then had fusion in it. I might not watch it as much as I used to, but it's still a huge source of inspiration for my writing. It adhered by the concept that there are no filler episodes or one-time characters and each one has its space in the show, and I try to adhere to that as well. This show also taught me that it's okay to be gay in a children's program. SplaTOON has so many lesbians, it's not even funny. That also extends to other serious issues. I've included things such as dating violence and racial discrimination in SplaTOON, more specifically in SplaTOON 2, and I think Steven Universe encouraged me to do that.

5. Sonic Boom (2014-2017): Pretty much anyone in the Sonic fandom will tell you that the game "Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric" is a terrible game, but the spinoff cartoon series? Sheer gold. With all the other series so far, I've let bits and pieces of them influence my writing, but this show in particular, a show about platforming legend Sonic the Hedgehog going on wacky adventures on a tropical island and protecting it from Dr. Eggman's evil machines, is my direct inspiration for Unity Squad. Each member of Unity Squad is based off one of the Sonic Boom main characters (Will=Sonic, Debbie=Amy, Max=Knuckles, Alist=Tails, Chaz=Sticks). This show's iteration of Dr. Eggman was also my direct inspiration for Dr. Hysteria. This show has some of the best dialogue and slickest fourth wall breaks I've ever heard, and it perfectly blends sitcom and action elements, two things I try to work that into Unity Squad as well.

Honorable mentions (after 2006): T.U.F.F. Puppy, Milo Murphy's Law, Johnny Test