The Appeal of Kid’s Cartoons

I feel like we live in a golden age of cartoons or something. There are cartoons aimed at children (Steven Universe for example), and there are cartoons aimed at adults (Rick and Morty). Regardless of who it’s aimed at though, it seems to me as though more and more “adults” are watching “kids” cartoons. This is included, but not limited to, shows like Steven Universe, Race to the Edge (DreamWorks Dragons aka How to Train Your Dragon the tv show), or Gravity Falls.

I’m not totally sure if this is an actual phenomenon, or whether I’m just more conscious of it. Certainly I’m part of a demographic that grew up with cartoons, and therefore there are animated series aimed at us, such as Race to the Edge, that are essentially a continuation of cartoons from our younger days. I think that this observation goes beyond that though.

Part of it is that cartoons as a medium are being taken more seriously. About a decade ago, cartoons were seen as something for children, but the rise of shows like The Simpsons or South Park have made them relevant to adults as well (these shows are clearly not for kids).

What I think is happening now is that children’s cartoons are being taken more seriously, the writing is getting better and more developed than before. Characters on Steven Universe deal with issues like gender identity and abusive relationships, that would never have happened even a few years ago. Gravity Falls is a surprisingly complex show, with Easter eggs hidden all over for viewers to spot. And that’s appealing to older viewers as well.

It's kind of wonderful to watch, here’s a genre that nearly everyone has seen (think Disney) but clearly has not reached its full potential yet. And here we are watching it grow! I’m excited to see what happens.