Nickelodeon had its fair share of cartoons when the cable network first began all the way back in 1977, originally released as “The Pinwheel Channel.” It was only in 1991 that the NickToons debuted, introducing some of the most legendary characters to the world of animation. On August 11th, 1991, some of Nick’s biggest animated characters made their debut. While it might have only been three animated originals that arrived as a part of the Nicktoons lineup, five characters became household names that helped usher in a new era of animation. Let’s take a look at said characters and examine the impact that each NickToon had on the landscape of television.
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5.) Doug Funnie
As a part of the trio that was Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, and Doug, Doug Funnie’s life was perhaps the most down-to-Earth of the first NickToons. Experiencing a mundane school life, Doug would deal with many of the issues that modern-day kids would have to struggle with, whether that be crushes, bullies, money problems, or grades. Doug himself was joined by the likes of Skeeter Valentine, Patti Mayonnaise, and Roger Klotz as he found himself attempting to survive suburbia and grow at the same time. Following the first four seasons on Nickelodeon, Doug did what many other NickToons didn’t in outgrowing the cable network to be a part of ABC. For seasons five through seven, along with the feature-length film that arrived in 1999, Doug was given a makeover as the characters were “aged up” as Funnie became a part of the Disney-owned network. The beloved Nicktoon unfortunately hasn’t returned since the series finished in 1999, which is a major difference in relation to many of the other animated figures on this list.
4.) Ren Hoek
One half of the crudest Nicktoon duo to ever exist on Nickelodeon, Ren Hoek helped begin a legacy for Ren & Stimpy that lasted far longer than the show’s debut in 1991. Ren himself was something of the “ultimate straight man” to Stimpy’s cartoon-ish antics, though he was also considered to be the villain of the series thanks to just how angry and bitter he could be during any episode. There are, in fact, numerous episodes that poke fun at Ren’s unlikability, with Hoek sometimes even wondering if he could eliminate Stimpy in an effort to make himself more likable. Ren & Stimpy ran for five seasons on Nickelodeon, and while the crude pair never did receive their own feature-length film akin to Doug or The Rugrats, it would see a brief revival in 2003 thanks to Ren & Stimpy’s Adult Party Cartoon. Considering that this show was one of the grossest Nickelodeon cartoons of all time, it makes sense that it would have a big influence on animation moving forward.
3.) Angelica Pickles
Alongside Doug and Ren & Stimpy, The Rugrats debuted its first episode and was, perhaps, the biggest Nicktoon of the three. The animated series ran for nine seasons, setting the stage for several spin-offs and remakes that would follow the babies into some wild new territory. Much like Ren, Angelica Pickles was a “frenemy” to the cast, normally deciding to bully the babies she shares screentime with, tricking them into doing her bidding, or simply placing them into dangerous scenarios. In Rugrats: All Grown Up, Angelica wouldn’t be nearly as much of a bully as she was in the original series thanks to aging up, though her overall personality didn’t change that much. Luckily, Angelica’s bullying would be evened out thanks to Susie, a character who was the same age as the bully but was far nicer to Tommy and company. Angelica was, arguably, the most popular and recognizable character in Rugrats history, so it made sense that she would always return whenever the Nicktoon babies would do the same.
2.) Stimpy (Stimpson J. Cat)
Ren & Stimpy wouldn’t be the show that it was without the latter, nicer half of the equation. Stimpy, aka Stimpson J. Cat, was extremely lovable, though his affectionate outlook didn’t make up for his lack of intelligence, which Ren would usually supply for the show overall. While Stimpy certainly was far friendlier than Ren, he was typically the grosser member of the Nicktoon duo, helping usher in songs such as “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” while performing disgusting acts that still are seen as some of the grossest in animation history. Even when the franchise got a more mature makeover thanks to the Spike TV reboot, aka Ren & Stimpy’s Adult Cartoon Party, it was hard not to find something to love when it came to Stimpy’s demeanor. Even decades following the debut of Stimpy on cable television, the adorable feline still finds a way to be front and center and is considered to be one of the most popular, recognizable Nicktoons to be introduced as a part of Nickelodeon’s roster.
1.) Tommy Pickles
The de facto star of Rugrats, Tommy Pickles was always the leader of the group of babies, leading the likes of Chucky, Phil, Lil, and Dill on adventures in their household. Thanks to the babies not understanding the world around them and coming to their own conclusions, everything seemed far bigger than it appeared. Tommy helped to bring Rugrats to wild new heights, originally getting nine seasons, but then becoming so popular that the franchise would receive three feature-length films. Specifically, The Rugrats Movie, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, and Rugrats Go Wild took the band of babies around the world, with the most recent film in 2003 even seeing them team up with the Wild Thornberries, another major Nicktoon. Tommy was effectively the face of the franchise, routinely front and center whenever Rugrats was mentioned, and should the series return down the line, it wouldn’t be the same without the eldest Pickles son.
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