15. Count Duckula
For generations, the world was cursed with the one known as Count Duckula. Every time one was killed off, another would be reincarnated in its place. However, this time, things did not go according to plan. What was supposed to be a drop of blood to finish the ritual turned out to be ketchup. And what should have been a horrific monstrosity turns out to be a sweet fella who prefers a vegetarian diet.
The 90s were the best time for cartoons. It was also the best time for cartoon ducks to take the spotlight.
Ducktales. Darkwing Duck. Mighty Ducks. Duckman. All the classic Daffy Duck spin-offs.
Now we got vampire ducks! And a really cute one, by the way!
Count Duckula was a spin-off from the 80s cartoon Danger Mouse. It revolved around the vegan-friendly vampire who was completely clueless to his origins. His butler is less than pleased the reincarnation is not the bloodthirsty vampire he has respected. His ditzy maid however finds this new version adorable (like the rest of us).
I personally like it. I may not have been born in the 80s, but I can see it was a golden age for cartoons (and ducks). Edward Cullen WISHES he was Count Duckula.
For anyone who is a duck-obsessed (and HATES Twilight with a passion), this is the perfect cartoon!
For the people in 2021, guess what? Danger Mouse has a reboot series. And a reboot version of the character Count Duckula is in it too! And he is FINE!
14. Reboot
Guardian Bob along with his companions Enzo and Matrix work together to keep the citizens of Mainframe safe from viruses. They must battle gaming platforms and make sure the User does not damage their living. They also have to avoid crossing paths with the nefarious Megabyte and Hexidecimal, who want nothing more than for the computerized world to fall into their hands.
I remember watching this. Despite the graphics, it was actually a really good show!
And VERY creepy.
Imagine living in a virtual world that is at risk of being destroyed because some jerkass on the other side of the computer wanted to screw around with some bootleg software.
In this series, WE’RE the bad guys known as the User. As soon as we insert a game into the computer, we are practically causing genocide to thousands of digital characters.
That’s where the Guardians come in.
Play our game. Win. Save the people.
But if we win…
Well, congrats. Darth Vader would be proud.
And don’t get me started on Hexidecimal. Mega may be a buff, terrifying Emperor Zurg, but this lady is completely faceless. She relies on different expressional masks to give off her mood. That’s nightmare fuel right there.
If you get traumatized watching this show, may I recommend watching Ready Player One afterwards?
13. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
The Grim Reaper loses a bet with two children, thus fated with being their “best friend forever”. Now forced to reside in the human-populated city of Endsville, both his job and his dignity have become complex. However, if you were a citizen in a place like Endsville, you’ll realize that it is the perfect place for the Grim Reaper.
Maxwell Atoms created a gem of a show that Cartoon Network took for granted. (F*ck you, CN)
Dark. Wacky. Meme-worthy. And who would have imagined the Grim Reaper with a Jaimaican accent?
Every episode starts off normal (or as normal as Billy going to the mall to eat more socks), and then all Hell breaks loose and we get quality entertainment.
Grim, despite all bones, had a heart like the Grinch at the end of the movie. He is practically the only one with any really common sense in a world full of idiots.
Mandy has some sense of reality. But she’s too dark, brutal, and mean-spirited to even be considered a voice (that and she’s despicable, come on!).
Billy is that one kid in class who annoys the teacher with obvious questions. And picks his nose and saves the “contents” for his collection.
Other characters in the series come off just as crazy.
Weird. Vengeful. Dark. Attractive. But mostly crazy.
But as long-time fans of the ORIGINAL Cartoon Network, we are forever dedicated to these idiots.
Jeff the Spider. Hoss Delgado. Fred Fredburger. And let’s not forget Irwin.
God, Irwin was such a lovable dork who was hopelessly in love with Mandy. That was basically his original character though: to have a one-sided crush on the She-Devil, and become a punching bag for comic relief.
But then the series got interesting: his mom is a mummy. His grandpa is a vampire.
And it didn’t take until the freaking SERIES FINALE for both those traits to come to light.
Holy sh*t, we were going to get a spin-off with Irwin being part of Underfist.
Underfist which included the show’s most popular characters! Hoss Delgado, Jeff the Spider, Fred Fredburger, and motherf*cking General Skarr!
I remember when this show used to be “Grim and Evil”, which later broke into two separate shows as “Grim Adventures” and “Evil Con Carne”.
I only watched Evil Con Carne for General Skarr. And I remember the first time I flipped when I saw him appear on Grim Adventures.
Granted, his so-called “new life” in Endsville is kind of sh*t. But he would have had a bigger, BETTER role in the rejected Underfist spin-off idea!
Oh, WHY did CN have to put the idea down? Just like when they rejected Warburton’s spin-off idea for the Kids Next Door (again, f*ck you up the ass, Cartoon Network).
12. Spookiz
By day, it’s a normal school with normal students. By night, it becomes a playground for a group of monster children. Hiding from humanity, they are forced to live in the school and keep their existence a secret. Under the guidance of their teacher Sam Reaper, these nonhuman children attend their “night classes”. Preparing for the day they would be old enough to venture the world alone. But until that happens, the empty school is their domain and they find the fun in their confined life!
I somehow discovered this through YouTube (before they disabled the comments). I honestly was disgusted at first because first season was farting, toilet humor, and a lot of uncomfortable scenes (how the f*ck was this for kids?!).
What’s surprising is that despite being 3D animated, this is also an “anime”. A cartoon that is also an anime. Kind of like Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Thankfully, in later seasons, the gross factor died down. And we were introduced to more scary elements.
Vampire adolescence. Personality switches through lightning or magical objects. And lets’ not forget that the teacher is actually the Grim Reaper.
Then there was Spookiz: The Movie. And I don’t want to spoil anything because I want you to watch it too.
But I will say that humans are the real monsters.
11. Invader Zim
Not wanting to deal with the infamous Zim, the Almighty Tallest send him on a “special mission”. Which involves going to some overlooked planet called “Earth”. Zim takes this task seriously, hoping that he will rise as the greatest invader of Irk and win their approval. Meanwhile, paranormal enthusiast Dib believes that something is coming. And that something turns out to be the “new student” in his class that claims to be normal.
One of Nick’s DARKEST shows ever.
Even something as pleasant as chocolate bars can turn into something diabolically evil.
What can I say about this show when everyone knows who Invader Zim is?
That we need another movie or a reboot series. “Enter the Florpus” was completely balls. (Fight me on this)
10. Courage the Cowardly Dog
Abandoned as a pup, Courage was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her grouchy husband Eustace. Despite their simple life, creepy stuff happens in Nowhere and it’s up to Courage to save his new home!
A gem of the good ol’ days of Cartoon Network (unlike today’s sh*t that consists of Teen Titans Go).
The episodes are surreal. And they keep me from sleeping at night, but I don’t mind because the show is awesome.
Every episode has some evil mastermind or nightmare-inducing entity harassing Courage’s peaceful life. And every single time he goes to Hell and back just for his owners (mainly Muriel).
One episode that will forever haunt me is the one where this guy named Freaky Fred comes in and has “quality time” with Courage. For some reason, he had a fetish of shaving off excessive amounts of hair until the person was basically bald.
I can never watch that episode again because he is just so damn creepy!
But there have been some episodes that gave off Dark Crystal vibes.
Like the one where Courage rescues an alien squid mother’s babies from experimentation (I cried a lot in that one). Or my favorite where he helped a living shadow find purpose by “being with the stars” (one of the more wholesome episodes).
We all need a little Courage in our lives.
9. Monster Farm
A young man leaves the unfriendly city when he is told he just inherited his uncle’s farm. However, that’s not all he left behind. Jack meets his uncle’s farm animals...who are actually monsters residing in the haven that is the farm. Now a family, Jack will do whatever it takes to keep their existence a secret from nosey neighbors.
While this show was short-lived, it did leave an impact.
I get Scooby-Doo/Sam and Max vibes when it comes to this show.
All the characters were animal versions of classic horror icons. My absolute favorite was Count Cluckula. (If it weird that I have a crush on him?)
I also get Brave Little Toaster feels because the farm residents will do what they can to protect their “new master”. Isn’t that just the sweetest thing?
I really hope this underrated show gets picked up for a reboot.
After all, we are living in the era of reboots now (even though 1 out of 10 they might be sh*t...like what happened with The Powerpuff Girls).
8. Aqua Teen Hunger Force
If you see a cup, a box of fries, and a meatball near your driveway...lock the doors, call the police, and get a shotgun ready. Three guys who are basically a rejected Happy Meal live together and cause crazy hell for their neighborhood. And especially driving their neighbor Carl insane. Well either that or accidentally kill him.
One of Adult Swim’s best shows.
Nothing ever stays normal for long in the episodes. And someone (usually Carl) ends up getting sliced, diced, mutilated, or even sucked through a portable toilet.
A lot of crazy creatures pop in and you either fear them or love them until they explode.
Everyone knows Adult Swim. Home of Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty, and especially Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Aqua Teen Hungerforce was among the greats of adult television!
If you’re wondering how scary this show can get. There was that one episode where Shake pissed off nature so bad that it fought back. And Carl’s skin got ripped off to use for paper (mind you, these were sentient trees doing that).
7. Tutenstein
Egyptian Pharaoh Tut died at the age of 10 saving a friend. 3,000 years later he suddenly awakens inside a museum. He meets tween girl Cleo, who becomes his first friend in the modern world. While trying to help him navigate his new place and setting, there are dangers lurking around them. Old enemies of the former pharaoh. Dumb teens. And Tut refusing to lay in his sarcophagus for longer than ten seconds.
When people talk about “that one cartoon with the mummy”, some will immediately think we’re talking about The Mummy: The Animated series, which is based off that Universal Pictures film.
As underrated as this show seemed, it was still an important part of the early 2000s.
Monster-human friendships (and even romances) are nothing new. Tut and Cleo’s dynamic was something we enjoyed watching. And Tut was like that foreign kid who was trying to fit in with his American peers.
If any show deserves a reboot, it’s this one.
6. Scooby-Doo
Everyone knows those meddling kids and their talking dog!
I swear, this franchise gets bigger every year.
First they were solving mysteries and unmasking salty antagonists.
Then they had crossovers with people like Batman and even The Three Stooges.
Then the monsters became real (I love Zombie Island).
Then the crossovers got way more surreal. They met JOHN CENA.
There were a lot of series and spin-offs.
My top 3 would have to be A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, What’s New Scooby Doo?, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (Urkel was in that one!)
I did somewhat enjoy Mystery Incorporated. Only because they managed to make Shaggy somewhat sexy and arousing in this. Also Velma had a lot of sass and that’s why she’s my favorite.
The live-action movies were cheesy at best. And then there was the 2020 film that is either a sweet love letter or a punch in the face for some of us die-hard fans.
Can’t wait for an Alien crossover!
5. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Sometimes when you go to bed, you wonder if there’s a monster lurking around waiting to scare the absolute sh*t out of you. And you’re right. But before they do that, they must first get schooled. Three young monsters Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm attend a school led by the Gromble in order to perfect their scaring.
Some of you are going to say “They copied Monsters Inc!”.
Bitch, please, this series was in the 90s (where good cartoons were at). Monsters Inc was in 2001.
A classic of the Nicktoons era, it really showed a whole new world just laying under the dumps of New York. Despite being monsters, they showed great quality at living a proper civilization. Sure, toenails as a currency is gross. But at least their economy isn’t bad!
And it showed how tough school was, even for a monster. Trying to measure up to expectations. Feeling overshadowed by others. And possibly putting your own existence at risk.
We can relate the most to Ickis. He’s the son of a famous monster. And he’s trying to live up to his family’s legacy. Pretty hard when you just want to have fun and have no respect for rules.
Fun fact: Did you know that the characters from this show actually made an appearance in a Rugrats episode?
4. Regular Show
Mordecai, Rigby, and all their friends work at the park where out of the ordinary occurs on a daily basis. Whether it’s literally prank-calling the 80s. Sending someone to the moon using a magical keyboard. Or simping so hard over a girl who doesn’t even know you exist by literally saving the world. Regular show? It’s anything but.
One, this is where I first learned the word “SIMP”.
Two, this show is a reminder to stay in school (and don’t drop out to become a “media influencer”, you jackasses).
While the overall concept of the show is wacky, surreal, and overwhelmingly weird. It can get pretty scary.
Anyone who has watched this show has already seen Mordecai and Rigby die more than once. Sometimes either of them die at the other’s hands (like that time Mordecai sort of killed Rigby because he was being a SIMP again...although Rigby asked for it, don’t lie).
And the Halloween episodes? Do NOT watch them in the dark.
It feels like almost anything in their world legit wants to kill them.
A cheesy song. Coffee beans. Even punk unicorns (I will never forget there was an episode where Benson was practically molested for his “gumballs”).
You’ll never look at lollipops the same way again.
3. Archie’s Weird Mysteries
I’m telling you this right now: DO NOT watch that horrible live-action series called “Riverdale”. It basically bastardized the entire Archie franchise. Not to mention every female in that series is a total whore.
Archie’s Weird Mysteries was a show you were willing to miss school for. Not only is it based on the actual comics where they solve mysteries and rewrite history (Ducktales, WOO-HOO!), but it really gave our beloved characters more to love.
Sure, Archie still has Betty and Veronica fighting over him. Jughead is still hungry. And Reggie is still an egotistical prick.
But when you throw in martians, witches, and especially time-travelling stoners, it is a bone-chilling comedy that would make Goosebumps quiver!
My absolute favorite episode was when an object from space tampered Riverdale’s water supply. It caused every adult to be a teenager! And let me tell you, Miss Grundy was FINE!
Just give us another Archie series and get rid of that “depressive emo teen” crap.
2. Monster High
There is a school where monsters of every kind go to: Monster High. Zombies, demons, vampires, and even yetis attend this wonderful, accepting place where being you isn’t bad. It’s terror-rific!
What do you get when you cross Barbie and classic horror?
A dolline that is “freaky fabulous”.
As the Cryptkeeper said in that one Robot Chicken episode, it’s glamorizing death.
I honestly like the idea of dolls that represent horror classics in a trendy, fashionable light.
Who would have thought that Frankenstein’s monster, the Mummy, the Werewolf, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and even Dracula could look so gorgeous as high school girls? (Well, possibly Japan, but they’re busy exploiting underage girls with big titties.)
There is a lot of brilliance coming up with horror-related ideas to every character. References like Little Shop of Horrors and even Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are represented beautifully.
What really makes this franchise amazing is the realistic issues that even us “Normies” face: racism.
There was a special about wolves and vampires hating each other purely out of tradition. And a guy who strove to ensure monsters and humans remained separated because “being united” disgusted him.
Also, spitting at Twilight here, but the werewolves and vampires in the special were able to do it better than Edward and Jacob could.
1. Happy Tree Friends
Do not let the name fool you.
Granted, the HTF characters are the absolutely most adorable little guys to grace our internet.
Which is why they are absolutely the most horrifying to watch die.
But let me say this: you are not a psycho if you love this show.
You fall in love with the characters, that it really HURTS when they get killed off. But then they resurrect in the next episode! Only to get killed again.
As fans, we usually don’t care when Lumpy of all characters dies (especially since his stupidity is the cause of so many deaths). But we cry buckets when the cutest and sweetest character Flaky goes through the same torture and dies.
I have my favorite HTF Sniffles who, in the beginning, went through so much tongue torture because of some goddamn ants. Like that sh*t is not even close to funny. I love him and I’m so glad the creators decided to get rid of those motherf*cking ants.
And let’s not forget he-who-flips-out. You know everyone’s screwed if he’s in an episode.
The people at Mondo Media had to be geniuses to come up with something so eye-catching at first glance. That would seconds later become so traumatizing for us to watch!
But we still keep watching anyway!
And we want more!
As of right now, small studio Mondo Media has put the show on a hiatus. And the fandom is clamoring for new episodes (the most recent was 2017 with five Still Alive episodes).
I really want to see more of Cuddles, Giggles, Lumpy, and everyone else frolicking in Happy Tree Land again (is that what the place is called?). And watch their practically-paper-and-glass-bodies try and survive an episode. (Can we agree that Mime did not deserve his death in “A Hole Lotta Love”?)
Like Cruella DeVille once said, “Poison them. Drown them. Bash them on the head. I don’t care how you kill the little beasts, just do it and do it now!”
And haters say the fandom is dead.
