| Asterix |
René Goscinny, Uderzo Alberto. |
1959 |
French cartoon set in a village in Gaul around 50 BC. Asterix is the most popular of all French famous cartoon characters. |
Sidekick Obelix. Druid Getafix, Chief Vitalstatistix, dog Dogmatix, Julius Caesar. |
| Batman and Robin |
Bob Kane, Bill Finger. |
1939 |
Set in fictional US Gotham city Batman, alias Bruce Wayne, fights with sidekick Robin against evil foes. |
Batgirl, reporter Vicki Vale. Foes included The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Professor Hugo Strange, Clayface and others. The most famous duo of famous cartoon characters originally from a comic book. |
| Beavis and Butt-head |
Mike Judge. |
1993 |
Animated TV series about two socially inept teenagers living in the fictional town of Highland, Texas with no parental input. They’re dim-witted, bored, rock fans. They watch rock videos which are either cool or sucks . |
At Highland High School: Nerdy alt rock girl Daria Morgendorffer, Stewart Stevenson, a fat wimpy nerd and wannabe friend, teacher David Van Driessen, who tries to be helpful, Coach Bradley Buzzcut hates them, as does Principle McVicker. There’s also Tom Anderson their elderly neighbor and Todd Ianuzzi a deadbeat criminal. |
| Benjamin the Elephant |
Elfie Donnelly. |
1977 |
German animated children’s TV show about Benjamin, a talking elephant in Newtown Zoo, who takes on new roles and discovers new places. |
Friend Otto. Zoo director and animal lover Herr Tierlieb. Karl the keeper. |
| Bibi Blocksberg |
Elfie Donnelly. |
1980 |
German animated TV show (originally a radio drama) following the magical adventures of Bibl, a mischievous witch, and her friends. |
Parents Bernard and Barbara (also a witch), Grandma Grete. Friends Moni and Florian. Antagonist is the mayor of Neustadt. |
| Bugs Bunny |
Chuck Jones, T. Avery. |
1938 |
Bugs Bunny is a rabbit with a punchline What’s up Doc? |
Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, Speedy Gonzales. |
| Calimero |
Toei Animation. |
1963 |
Follows the mystery solving adventures of Calimero, an anime chicken that wears half an eggshell as a hat, and his friends. Originally Italian, popular in Japan and some European countries. |
Priscilla, Calimero’s girlfriend. Mr Owl, Deppa and Buta. |
| Captain Future |
Edmond Hamilton
Nedor Comics. |
1940 & 1978 |
Captain Future, alias Curtis Newton, was a pulp magazine superhero with superpowers who flew through space overcoming problems and space villains.
In 1978 an anime version of Captain Future, based on the original, was produced in Japan and broadcast worldwide. Nedor Comics also created Captain Future, the alter ego of scientist Andrew Bryant, who used his superpowers to fight crime with the help of his girlfriend. |
Professor Simon Wright, robot Grag, android Otho, Joan Randall, Marshall Ezra Gurney and Ul Quorn.
Grace Adams of the Agatha Detective Agency, girlfriend of Andrew Bryant. |
| Daffy Duck |
Tex Avery, Bob Clampett. |
1937 |
Anthropomorphic black duck with a lisp which has become more exaggerated over time. Daffy has various middle names; Dumas, Armando, Sheldon and, our favorite, Daffy Horatio Tiberius Duck. |
Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales. |
| Doctor Snuggles |
Jeffrey O’Kelly
(Richard Carpenter, Paul Halas, Douglas Adams, John Lloyd, Loek Kessels). |
1979 |
Animated British TV show about the amiable and elderly inventor Doctor Snuggles. He travels on a talking umbrella and pogo stick and in a wooden spaceship called “Dreamy Boom Boom”. His adventures typically involve dealing with his arch enemy Professor Emerald. |
Housekeeper Miss Nettles, Dennis the badger, Knobby mouse, Matilda the housekeeping robot. Professor Emerald, crazy magician and arch enemy. |
| Donald Duck |
Walt Disney |
1934 |
Cheeky animated cartoon duck character with a distinctive voice generated using the inner cheeks (Buccal speech). Typically dressed as a sailor and starred in a comedy trio with Goofy and Mickey Mouse. His nickname is Don and his full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck . |
His fiancée is Daisy Duck. Nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Uncle Scrooge McDuck. Cousin Gladstone Gander, the Beagle Boys. Inventor Gyro Gearloose, crook John Rockerduck, witch Magica de Spell. Arch enemy Black Pete. |
| Flintstones, The |
William Hanna, Joseph Barbera. |
1959 |
Animated comedy cartoon set in the stone age in a town called Bedrock centered around the Flintstone family. Fred’s yabba dabba doo! became a hallmark of the show. |
Fred (main character), Wilma (wife), Pebbles (daughter) Flintstone, Barney (neighbor and best friend) and Betty Rubble, Dino (sauropod dinosaur/family pet). |
| Flash Gordon |
Alex Raymond. |
1934 |
Handsome and debonair cartoon superhero Flash Gordon, together with his companions, helps saves earth. |
Companion Dale Arden (Camille is some countries) and scientist Doctor Hans Zarkov. Princess Aura, Prince Vultan, Prince Barin. Arch enemy Ming the Merciless. |
| Garfield |
Jim Davis. |
1978 |
Garfied is a lazy and greedy cat that annoys its owner, Jon Arbuckle |
Odie the dog and Arlene the cat. Best friend: Pooky the teddy bear. |
| Inspector Gadget |
Andy Heyword, Jean Chalopin, Bruno Bianchi. |
1983 |
Tongue in cheek animated TV series (and movie) following the adventures of Inspector Gadget, a dim-witted detective with gadgets built into his body. |
The village policeman Gadget, his niece Penny and Brain the dog. Dr. Claw is his nemesis. |
Bolek and Lolek
(Bennie and Lennie, Jym & Jam) |
Alfred Ledwig. |
1962 |
Animated Polish TV comedy (and films) about two brothers who go on mostly outdoor adventures around the world. |
Tola, a cute girl with orange hair and pigtails who lives in the forest, is the love interest for both brothers. |
| Little Mermaid, The |
Hans Christian Andersen,
Walt Disney Company. |
1837,
1989 |
Originally a fairy tale about a mermaid who gives her life for the love of a human prince and a soul. Released as an animated Disney film in 1989. |
Ariel, her father, King Triton, Ursula, Prince Eric, Sebastian the crab, Flounder the fish and Scuttle the seagull. |
| Lucky Luke |
Morris (de Bevere). |
1946 |
Belgian comic book set in the American west starring cowboy Lucky Luke who could shoot faster than his shadow. |
His horse Jolly Jumper. Rantanplan his stupid dog. He deals with the bumbling Dalton brothers, Joe, William, Jack and Averell and meets many historical wild west characters including Billy the Kid and Calamity Jane. |
| Mickey Mouse |
Walt Disney. |
1928 |
First appeared in a short film called Steamboat Willie in 1928 then as a comic strip character in 1930. |
Originally intended as Mortimer after childhood pet. Girlfriend Minnie, friends Goofy, Daisy, Donald, Pluto the dog, enemy Black Pete. The first of all famous cartoon characters. See also Minnie Mouse. |
| Minnie Mouse |
Walt Disney. |
1928 |
Minnie first appeared in a comic strip in 1930. |
Father Marcus Mouse introduced her as Minerva Mouse, although this is rarely used. See also Mickey Mouse. |
| One Hundred and One Dalmatians |
Walt Disney. |
1961 |
Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita have 15 puppies and Cruella De Vil offers to buy them but their owner Roger refuses so she has them kidnapped. |
Pongo, male Dalmatian and Perdita female Dalmatian have 15 puppies. They are helped by Colonel, a sheepdog, Sergeant Tibbs, a tabby cat and Captain, a gray horse. The villain is Cruella De Vil. |
| Peanuts |
Charles M. Schulz. |
1947 |
American comic strip which enjoyed worldwide success centered around timid eight year old Charlie Brown and a host of other famous cartoon characters. |
Charlie’s sister Sally Brown, his pet dog Snoopy, Woodstock, a small bird and friends Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Marcie, Pigpen and Franklin. |
| Popeye the Sailor Man |
Elzie Crisler Segar. |
1919 |
Adventures of Popeye, a sailor who loves spinach which gives him superhuman strength. |
Mistress Olive Oyl, baby Swee’ Peam friend Wimpy and arch enemy and rival for Olive’s affections Bluto aka Brutus. |
| Prince Valiant |
Hal Foster. |
1937 |
Popular and long running US comic strip loosely set in the days of King Arthur and Camelot. This epic tale follows Val, exiled from Thule to Britain from a young boy to fatherhood. It’s still published today.
Various adaptations include a 1954 film and an animated TV series called The Legend of Prince Valiant . |
