Obscure cartoons. We all have one we remember.
Before the internet and cable TV, kids looked forward to cartoon shows. Whether it was after school, on the weekends, or Saturday morning, we’d plunk ourselves down for a half hour of fun. Toymakers everywhere rubbed their hands together in glee, capitalizing on cartoons’ success. He-Man, Thundercats, Care Bears, and GI Joes? All the rage. In fact, their popularity as toys extended their series for months or even years.
Studios churned out hundreds of cartoons. Naturally, some fell into obscurity.
When people think of classic cartoons, they probably think of Scooby-Doo, The Powerpuff Girls, or Transformers. Here, we’ll remember some obscure cartoons that may be forgotten by the masses, but still gained a cult following. Of note: anime series aren’t included because that deserves a list on its own.
A Gem of an Obscure Cartoon: Jem
[Image via Hasbro]
Jem captures that ’80s pop star energy as a character. Jerrica Benton founds her own music company in California and secretly moonlights as the lead singer Jem. With the help of a computer hologram Synergy, Jem and the Holograms try to keep keep the lid on her two identities, while helping out the orphans her company’s charity cares for.
Hasbro and Marvel Productions collaborated to make Jem. They even enlisted the help of anime powerhouse Toei Animations for most of the episodes. The series ran for three seasons from 1985 to 1988, telling tales that show how outrageous stardom and performance can be.
Naturally, Jem produced toys, comics, and music that excited kids about music. Come 2015, some attempted to kickstart a live-action movie adaptation. Alas, fans who grew up with this ’80s icon critically panned it.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Obscure Cartoons Version
[Image via D&D Entertainment]
Dungeons & Dragons needs no introduction. The famous tabletop game burst onto the scene in 1974. How could it be one of these obscure cartoons?
Well, that second word is key here. Yes, it was also a cartoon series.
Six kids are magically transported into Dungeons & Dragons‘ world. There, the Dungeon Master aids them to find their way back home. Each character plays a role in every class on the tabletop game. During their journeys, the group ends up encountering the Force of Evil, Venger.
The Dungeons & Dragons TV series ran from 1983 to 1985. Honestly, watching a game session taking place captured many’s attention. Characters were well-written and the voice actors made the show feel cinematic. Did we mention the great Peter Cullen voices Venger?
However, after three seasons, the network cancelled the show. It was never given a proper season finale. Then in 2020, fans discovered a fan-made “season finale” to give fans proper closure. It might not have been a smooth ride for our players, but it was a great one.
The Littles
[Image via ABC Entertainment]
Remember how everyone was trying to compete with The Smurfs? The Snorks are best known for that. Yet another Smurf-inspired cartoon that many tend to forget about is The Littles. Based on the children’s novel written by John Peterson, The Littles aired in 1983 just as The Smurfs were making a comeback in the early ’80s.
Henry Bigg vacations with his family only to end up finding something rather… interesting living under his house. A family of small mouse-like people dwell in the walls of the Biggs after falling inside Henry’s briefcase. Henry and his new friends, Tom and Lucy Little, travel around together embarking on adventures, all while Henry makes sure to keep them a secret.
It’s easy to think that this was a Smurfs rip-off, but the book series carried on for years. Alas, the TV series only lasted until 1985 for three total seasons. However, the books would continue into the early 2000s, even after Peterson himself stopped writing them. They might not have had as big of an impact as The Smurfs, but The Littles left a big footprint in the media despite their size.
Mystery Obscure Cartoons: Goober and the Ghost Chasers
[Image via Hanna-Barbera]
After the success of Scooby-Doow Where Are You?, it was only a matter of time before imitators would try to capture that thunder—some even with the blessings of Hanna-Barbera! The most obscure cartoon of the bunch is Goober and the Ghost Chasers.
Three teenagers and their talking dog Goober travel around solving mysteries in haunted places. Unlike a certain mystery-solving dog, Goober can speak much more clearly. Plus, he turns invisible when he’s frightened by ghosts. Oh, and Goober also looks like he may or may not be into that “recreational” lifestyle if you get what we mean.
The series went from 1973 to 1975, spanning 16 episodes. Alas, Goober would eventually fade into obscurity like many Scooby-Doo copycats. However, it is still interesting to see just how much of an impact Scooby-Doo had on cartoons to spawn imitators like this.
Obscure Cartoons for Toys: M.A.S.K.
[Image via DIC Entertainment]
The Mobile Armored Strike Kommand or M.A.S.K. told the tale of a group of people with extraordinary vehicles and high-tech masks. Led by Matt Trakker, they join together to take down an evil organization known as V.E.N.O.M. Trakker, for his part, swears vengeance for the death of his father and will stop at nothing till V.E.N.OM. is destroyed
Story-wise, this show sounds about as intense as it gets. Anime clearly influenced the art style, and the producers even had the help of the Japanese studio Ashi Productions. While the action scenes and weaponized cars were cool, you then see that all this was just one big toy commercial.
The ’80s was an interesting time for cartoons since Hasbro’s work was meant to sell more toys to kids. Shows like M.A.S.K. serve as a classic example. You can see the story has great potential. However, there’s very little character development, if any. Hence, its fall into obscurity.
M.A.S.K. ran from 1985 to 1986, with only two seasons. However, its toy line is still sought out by collectors and has since gained a cult following years later.
The Familiar Obscure Cartoon: The Real Ghostbusters
[Image via DIC Entertainment]
The Ghostbusters movie series had a huge impact on pop culture. Even to this day, no ’80s movie has garnered so much popularity. Two years after the first movie, The Real Ghostbusters haunted TV.
The titular paranormal investigators and their ghostly companion Slimer travel around New York to uncover what just goes on in the middle of the night. Some of the classic ghosts like Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow and add some new ghosts. Although the original cast of the movie doesn’t voice the characters, it’s still a very refreshing and even silly way to enjoy Ghostbusters.
The series ran for five years spanning seven seasons. Throughout the early ’90s, networks ran reruns of The Real Ghostbusters. Yet for some reason, people tend to remember the movies much rather than this obscure cartoon. Still, if you wanted to see what the Ghostbusters look like animated, this will scratch that itch.
The Flintstones as an Example of Obscure Cartoons?
[Image via Hanna-Barbera]
Have you ever wondered what life was like for Fred and Wilma Flintstone before they married? Yeah, neither did we. But that didn’t stop Hanna-Barbera from creating this pint-sized series of our most beloved cave families.
Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty try to carry on their lives in school out in Bedrock while dealing with bullies. There are returning side characters like Dino and Frank Slab. New characters in the form of the burly Rocky Radrock and the preppy-rich Dreamchip Gemstone also appear.
Between these episodes, there would be short snippets with Captain Caveman, another underrated character. The short-lived series lasted only a year but was a cute and fun time while it lasted. It made kids shout out “Yaba-Daba-Doo” with their parents, which is all we ever wanted.
Beetlejuice, The Obscure Cartoon Version
[Image via Tim Burton]
You would never think that Tim Burton’s horror comedy Beetlejuice would ever get its cartoon show. But this was the late ’80s and early ’90s after all. It was an era for experimentation and even some decent adaptations. What we got was a hilarious and terrifying adventure with Beetlejuice and Lydia.
This time around, Lydia and Beetlejuice partner up as the ghost with the most causes some scares and scams from the Nietherworld to Lydia’s hometown. Many characters will disgust the audience, while others will have you laughing out loud. Sadly, Micheal Keenan did not reprise his role. However, the show still maintains a really strong voice cast and a very lovable art style.
Beetlejuice ran from 1989 to 1991, going strong for four seasons. Even after that, it would have reruns on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network up until 1996. With a new movie currently in the works, this is one of the obscure cartoons that may be coming out of obscurity.
Josie and the Pussycats
[Image via Hanna-Barbera]
Josie and the Pussycats started as a comic book series with Archie Comics. Its popularity grew enough for Hanna-Barbera to create a cartoon centered on this band. Running sixteen episodes from 1971 to 1972, this short-lived series has a catchy tune we can all jam out to.
The titular band and their members try to perform their concerts while getting mixed up in crazy situations. From spies and mysteries of the supernatural, it feels like Scooby-Doo with a much more funky musical score. It doesn’t even hurt that this band has their iconic leopard print leotards and cat ears.
Although it was very short, Josie and the Pussycats would continue their story in another show called Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space a year later. They would go on to have comics printed and even a live-action movie. However, that movie is best left to obscurity.
Bravestarr
[Image via Filmation]
It is the 23rd century and the planet of New Texas is constantly in turmoil thanks to the vicious Tex Hex and his band of outlaws. The only one capable of bringing justice to the new Wild West is Marshal Bravestarr. Using his wits, his companions, and the spirits of his ancestors, Bravestarr will keep New Texas safe from everyone the only way he knows how.
Like most cartoons from this era, Bravestarr was really trying to capitalize on the popularity that He-Man and Thundercats offered. In fact, Bravestarr was already a toy line by Hasbro before the series even started. It seemed like a good idea at the time since space-themed shows usually sell.
The series ran from 1987 to 1989, spanning 65 episodes, a movie, and even comic books. To this day, Bravestarr is taken more as a bit of a fun jab at Westerns in general. While it has fallen among obscure cartoons, it maintains a cult following for those who want to see the Marshal of New Texas deliver old west justice.
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