Throwback 90s Cartoons: The Ones You Forgot (Or Never Knew) You Loved
Let’s take a moment and dive into a time when cartoons were actual cartoons—not just big-budget CGI slogs. Yes, we’re talking about the ‘90s, the era where kids watched cartoons that had no problem being weird, dark, or just straight-up confusing. So let’s dust off your VHS tapes (or, you know, pull them up on YouTube) and revisit some of the most underrated, hard-to-find gems of the 90s cartoon world. Strap in, folks—this is gonna be one wild ride through the archives of nostalgia that you probably haven’t thought about in 25 years.
1. The Tick
If you missed The Tick (1994-1996), congratulations—you’ve officially been living under a rock, probably made of your own questionable choices. This cartoon is the definition of absurdist humor. Think of a superhero who is so confident in his own strength, it’s almost pathetic. A big blue idiot in tights, fighting crime, all while completely oblivious to his own ridiculousness. If you ever wanted to see a guy who can’t tell the difference between fighting crime and just, well, existing in a world of chaos—The Tick was your show. Its brilliance was in its complete disregard for logic, much like your uncle who “knows a guy” who “can hook you up” with the thing you don’t need.
2. DuckTales (Original 1987-1990)
Yes, I know you’re thinking, “But Johnny, wasn’t DuckTales just a staple of the 90s?” Well, you would be WRONG, my friend. The original series wrapped up in 1990, so while it’s technically a late 80s-to-90s transition cartoon, it still deserves recognition. And no, the reboot doesn't count—because nothing is quite as iconic as Scrooge McDuck diving into a pool of gold coins. That’s what you call ambition. This show took a rich duck and his three nephews on some of the most ridiculous adventures known to man, all while somehow teaching kids about greed, capitalism, and also how to be super entertained for 30 minutes. Don’t act like you weren’t fist-pumping when the theme song played.
3. The Head
Okay, let’s get weird. The Head (1994) is a show that no one seems to remember but everyone should. It was on MTV’s Liquid Television, so you know it had that surreal, artsy vibe with just enough weirdness to make your parents question your taste in television. The plot centers around a guy named Jim, whose head is... well, bigger than anyone else’s. Literally, his head’s ginormous. But here’s the twist—inside his head, there’s a second head controlling it. This show was just pure, nonsensical madness—kind of like that one time you tried to put IKEA furniture together after three beers and a bad day at work.
4. Street Sharks
If you missed this, do yourself a favor and watch it in all its glory, because Street Sharks (1994-1997) was basically everything that was wrong (and right) about 90s cartoons. Four human brothers get turned into half-man, half-shark mutants—because science—and then fight crime. There’s no subtlety here, folks. No deep philosophical undertones. Just sharks. Fighting bad guys. With some of the cheesiest dialogue ever written. It's like a fever dream where the ‘90s got caught in a loop of too many action figures and not enough plot.
5. Mighty Max
Ah, Mighty Max (1993-1994)—the show that managed to make you feel like you were embarking on a grand, heroic journey while simultaneously wondering why anyone would put a cap on a child’s head that was constantly defying gravity. The show follows a kid named Max, who’s destined to save the world because sure, why not? He has a magic cap that grants him access to different worlds, and he has to deal with an evil force named Virgil. If you love your cartoons with some 90s grit and plenty of "that could never happen in real life, but I'm still watching" moments, this one’s a hidden treasure you didn’t know you needed.
6. The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest
This one barely gets a mention nowadays, but The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest (1996-1997) was a high-octane, heart-pounding, weird-fueled ride through the ‘90s. It’s like Indiana Jones if Indy was a teen boy with a computer in his back pocket and his super cool friends by his side. The show combined futuristic tech with some real world adventure. Sure, the graphics were totally ‘90s, but this cartoon was all about pushing boundaries. If you ever wanted to see a kid face off against a mutant brain or travel through a computer simulation, Johnny Quest was your jam. It had action, mystery, and a genuinely cool aesthetic that kept you hooked. It's like the precursor to The Matrix but for kids.
7. Aeon Flux
This one isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re the type of person who enjoys trying to decode the meaning of a 3-minute-long weird, action-packed animation with no clear plot, then Aeon Flux (1991-1995) is your jam. It’s the visual equivalent of a fever dream you’d have after eating way too much spicy food at 2 AM. The show is weird, dystopian, dark, and just so confusing, but it’s one of those cartoons that made you feel like you were part of something more artistic, rebellious, and slightly unhinged.
8. ExoSquad
No, this is not a knockoff Power Rangers. ExoSquad (1993-1994) is an underrated masterpiece that mixed giant robots with intricate political plots and existential angst. Imagine Starship Troopers meets Transformers—but with way more moral ambiguity. If you didn’t watch ExoSquad, you missed out on what could be called one of the darkest and most sophisticated animated series of the 90s. The show isn’t just about people in power armor fighting aliens. It’s about loyalty, betrayal, and a future that doesn’t look all that bright. Go ahead, add it to your list of things to watch while sipping that second cup of coffee, pretending to have your life together.
So there you have it—eight underappreciated ‘90s cartoons that you need to absolutely revisit. Sure, some of them are hard to find (but you know how to Google things, right?), but they’re all worth tracking down if you need a quick nostalgia trip. If you didn’t catch them the first time around, it’s time to catch up—and if you did, it’s time to dust off those memories and laugh, cringe, and question your life choices just like the good old days.
Now, go watch a few. You're welcome.
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