Prepare yourself to recall the colourful world of cartoons! Cartoons have been entertaining us for generations, from childhood besties to some of the most iconic characters in history. They have animated lives with their vibrant characters, eccentric attitudes and unforgettable acts of valour. Then who rules the roost? On the other hand, which have made their way out of TV to become a staple of our communal pop culture heritage? To mark this momentous occasion, we here at Collider decided to dig back into the annals of TV history and countdown our Top 10 greatest cartoon characters in TV, celebrating some (though certainly not all) of those timeless figures that have been making us laugh since who even knows when.
1/10 Winnie-the-Pooh
Pooh Bear the honey-loving gentle Winnie-the-Pooh This lovable bear was the creation of writer A.A. Milne in some children’s books from the 1920s and later on with his animated versions became famous over screens, also whom Disney began adapting into Winnie the Pooh and as well as Honey Tree in 1966
2/10 SpongeBob SquarePants
The eternally optimistic and forever young sea sponge SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 with a series of the same name. Founded by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob lives in a pineapple under the sea with other oddly shaped creatures as he works flipping patties at Krusty Krab.
3/10 Jerry
The smart-mouthed and eternally intrepid other half of the legendary Tom and Jerry twosome has been delivering outsized grins since making his on-camera debut alongside reluctant nemesis in the 1940 short Puss Gets The Boot. Jerry was among the first characters created by animation legends William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who immediately captured hearts with his quick wit and unstoppable pluck. Bushy-haired Tom is all elegant plan while mouse Jerry has grit to spare – making him far more than just a chirpy sidekick in this battle of wills that leaves viewers cheering at every turn!
4/10 Tom
In 1940, Puss Gets the Boot introduced Tom Cat to our American lexicon of plucky feline foil to Jerry Mouse. The animated tom follies of Tom, which were created by the legendary cartooning team William Hanna and Joseph Barbera became a staple feature in their signature “Tom and Jerry” archived series.
5/10 Bugs Bunny
When Warner Bros. introduced Bugs Bunny, the lovable and wily hare made his debut in 1940. A Wild Hare, presented in his first official and distinctive version — the byproduct of a great team working on all simultaneously: Tex Avery who conceived him and adapted to quickly gags its creation with enormous bold brows; Bob Givens for aiding them make it visual; Mel Blanc when he started honing what is now a unique subdued voice.
6/10 Scooby Doo
Since Scooby Doo is a friendly Great Dane that loves food and solving mysteries, he sauntered into pop culture in 1969 with the release of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, Scooby was designed as a funny middle between the comedy of The Archies with the mystery/adventure style represented in series like Scooby Do satelli-go!
7/10 Mickey Mouse
Making his first appearance in Steamboat Willie in 1928, Mickey Mouse proved himself an icon with a heart of gold and a go-get spirit. Mickey Mouse was created as a replacement for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, an earlier cartoon character created by Disney’s closest way back when he lost control of his first creation “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” As business slowed to meet with Walt from Universal Studios about it.
8/10 Donald Duck
Oh boy! Mickey Mouse’s hot-headed, cartoon-shrinking nemesis with the distinctive Donald Duck voice has endeared himself to centuries of animated fans. With his slapstick yet clever wit, Donald has brought laughs to audiences for generations as seen in everything from cartoons with Mickey Mouse to even appearances of other Disney personalities.
9/10 Homer Simpson
Bumbling Simpson family patriarch Homer first debuted in 1987 on The Tracey Ullman Show before anchoring the Fox series The Simpsons from its debut in 1989. The much-loved but hapless father of The Simpsons, left, created by cartoonist Matt Groening negotiates the ups and downs of daily existence in Springfield.
10/10 Snoopy
The imagination-prone, highly independent beagle with his own lush inner life of Snoopiness made its debut on the comics page in Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts strip, dating back to 1950 and continuing up through today as—according to a new Apple TV+ release—the “humble heroic underdog.” The lovable mongrel, who most famously could be seen perched atop his doghouse as he pounded away at a typewriter or chasing the Red Baron in aerial dogfights as the World War I Flying Ace and whose only friend was that befuddled little yellow bird named Woodstock
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