A few major things happened in the 1990s that made the decade one of the best for animation. The first is that Nickelodeon finally started investing in its own original programming that wasn’t just live-action, giving the world the first Nicktoons that would become a staple of its programming. Another is that Cartoon Network launched, eventually following suit and creating its own original shows instead of just licensing old ones. Finally, while all that was happening, the likes of Fox Kids and UPN were still going strong with their own animation blocks that refined the era.
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Though there are plenty of cartoons that premiered during this time that continue to be relevant in some way, like X-Men: The Animated Series and SpongeBob SquarePants, there are just as many that are lost to the sands of time. Some of them aren’t even available on streaming officially, making them almost a forgotten piece of television history. For anyone who was alive in 1995, waking up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons, though, these are titles that may be buried in the deep recesses of the mind; gone, but not forgotten.
4) Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
First premiering in 1994, arriving seven years before Pixar’s wholesome take on monsters under the bed in Monsters, Inc, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters ran for four seasons on Nickelodeon. Though clearly aimed at kids thanks to the academy setting for its young monsters learning how to scare, and also the fact that many of the jokes centered around burps and hairy armpits, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters made a name for itself with fans of the era by feeling kind of dangerous for young minds.
Throughout any given episode of the series, Ickis may grow to an extreme size and bear his fangs, Krumm might roll his eyeballs down the table and have them stare at someone, and Oblina might pull her internal organs out of her mouth. It was just gross enough that kids could feel they were getting away with something by watching it, but not so gross that parents would find it off-putting (like, say, Ren & Stimpy).
Granted, Parenting magazine once gave Aaahh!!! Real Monsters the #1 spot in its “10 worst new shows,” calling the series “Graphic,” “scatological,” and “just plain gross.” True to form with the actual content of the show and the plight of its characters, though, some parents just don’t understand.
3) Eek! The Cat
The Fox Kids block may have been known eventually for the likes of Spider-Man and X-Men, but its humble beginnings delivered a slew of ’90s hits that are still treasured by Millennials. Though never quite as big as Bobby’s World or Life with Louie, the animated series Eek! the Cat is one that any ’90s kid who remembers eating Reese’s Puffs in front of the TV should recall.
Running from 1992 to 1997, the series pulled from the roots of classic cartoons by giving us the titular Eek, a cat with a nice family who goes on to suffer horrific injuries that provide plenty of fodder for laughs. Not unlike Tom & Jerry in terms of mischief, Eek! the Cat gave its titular hero one redeeming quality: he was always just trying to be helpful in the end. That said, he still got very, very hurt.
Across its seasons, Eek! the Cat also evolved, adding segments like The Terrible Thunderlizards and even bringing in guest stars like Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as their X-Files characters. 75 episodes of Eek! the Cat were made, and right now, there’s no legal way to watch them, as they’re not streaming anywhere (Disney technically owns the series now). So for fans that remember the series, that’s something to hold on to.
2) Bonkers
Inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bonkers told the story of a former cartoon star who got a job as a police officer, incorporating the animation physics that define most anthropomorphic characters with the procedural nature of police work. The result is a wild slapstick series that scratches a very specific itch, though one clearly aiming for a younger audience than the original Roger Rabbit film.
One major detail that the series had in common with Roger Rabbit, though, was cameo appearances by very famous faces, with the likes of Donald Duck, Goofy, Max, Lady, Tramp, Ludwig Von Drake, Darkwing Duck, Dumbo, and Alice in Wonderland characters all showing up.
Bonkers only ran for two seasons from 1993 to 1994 with over sixty episodes produced, making it a staple of syndication well through the ’90s, meaning it would have easily been seen alongside other hits of 1995, but it has largely vanished from the cultural consciousness of cartoon fans who weren’t around when it premiered. That said, the whole thing is streaming on Disney+, a nice change of pace.
1) Freakazoid!
In the same way that Bonkers made use of cartoon physics for a cop parody, Freakazoid! followed a similar playbook but layered it around superheroes. Not only does the titular character have a slew of super powers that give him universe-breaking advantages in fights, but he also turns and addresses the camera, speaking not only to the audience but to the people currently animating him.
Created by the Batman: The Animated Series team of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, the series already had the bones of a superhero show, but catapulted itself into an all-new arena with its absurdist humor and pop culture references, like a scene at a camp where Freakazoid scares some kids by jesting, “The scariest thing in the world would be if they gave Sinbad another TV show.”
Filled a slew of memorable characters like Ed Asner’s gruff but funny Sgt. Mike Cosgrove, Freakazoid! only ran for two seasons with 24 episodes total, making its shelf life short but memorable for hardcore cartoon fans. Freakazoid would at least go on to make further appearances, like in Animaniacs and even Teen Titans Go! For fans who still remember Freakazoid, the bad news is it’s not streaming anywhere; the good news is Freakazoid! can be purchased digitially one some platforms in 2026.
