RJ Writing Ink

5 Animated Shows to Kick Off Summer

While some in America consider it to start on Memorial Day, June 21st marks the official start of Summer. That means shorter nights and warmer weather, and with vaccines fighting COVID-19, it’s safer to take vacations. At least, if it weren’t for the massive hike in gas prices because of Russia. Thanks a lot, Putin!

Even if travel’s hard right now, there are plenty of other ways to get into the spirit of Summer. When I was a kid, I’d watch cartoons like there was no tomorrow. Several of those cartoons took place during Summer Vacation. In other words, if you’ve got the Internet and streaming, these shows are perfect for getting into the spirit of the season.

Camp Lazlo Made Summer Camp Funnier Than it Had to Be

In the Summer of 2005, Joe Murray, the creator of Nickelodeon’s Rocko’s Modern Life, debuted a new cartoon on Cartoon Network named Camp Lazlo. The show focused on Lazlo, Raj, and Clam, three best friends spending Summer in the poorly run summer camp, Camp Kidney. The trio spent their days having fun and getting into trouble with their fellow campers, mean-spirited Scoutmaster Lumpus, and put-upon assistant Mr. Slinkman. If trouble involved marshmallow parties, building giant bean towers, and other zany, wacky misadventures.

Camp Lazlo was one of my favorite cartoons growing up, and it seemed to garner a lot of fans. That much of Rocko’s team returned to help Murray make the show helped establish a winning formula for new and old fans. It may not be as famous as its predecessor, but it’s perfect for getting into the spirit of Summer. Too bad it’s not on HBO Max

Phineas and Ferb Made Every Day the Best Day Ever

When you heard Phineas say, “Ferb, I know what we’re gonna do today,” you knew that the day would be good. Debuting on Disney Channel in 2008, Phineas and Ferb was a show that relied on a simplistic yet flexible formula. The titular brothers would look to make every day of Summer the best day ever with some crazy idea. Their sister Candace would see what they were doing and try to rat on them to their Mom. Meanwhile, their pet platypus, Perry, who’s a secret agent, would slip away to fight the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Then, the two plots would converge and get rid of whatever the boys worked on before Mom got home.

This show was one of the absolute greatest things that Disney ever put on TV. The premise behind it allowed the cast to participate in anything they wanted, be that giant rollercoaster or things that defied the laws of physics and reality. In addition, the show was famous for its catchy songs. Given how it ran for seven years, two movies, several specials, and crossovers with other Disney properties, it’s clear just how popular it was with kids and adults. I still listen to some of the music now and then.

Gravity Falls Gave us the Coolest, and Weirdest, Summer Ever.

What is there to say about Gravity Falls that hasn’t already been said? It’s an animated masterpiece that’s inspired a generation of cartoons? It tells the story of one of the weirdest small towns one could ever hope to visit? That it’s a coming-of-age story about the importance of never losing sight of one’s sense of wonder and the bonds we forge? Yes, to all of these.

Gravity Falls set the tone for cartoons for the next decade. Even though it’s been ten years since it premiered, the love for this show remains as strong as ever. I may not have been obsessed with it while it aired, but 

Ben 10 Was the Ultimate Summer Road Trip

Forget the 2016 reboot; this is the OG Ben 10!

The original show was a bit of an acquired taste at first, but once it hit its stride, it was pretty easy to love. With the Tennyson traveling across the country over the Summer, fighting crime all the while, this show took the idea of a Summer road trip and put an impressive sci-fi spin on it. While fans may better remember its sequel series Ben 10: Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, or even Omniverse, this series started everything. Best road trip ever.

Ed Edd n’ Eddy Captured the Spirit of Being a Kid During the Summer.

Thirteen years later, I still consider this Canadian-made cartoon among the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Airing on Cartoon Network from 1999 to 2009, the show followed the titular trio, collectively known as the Eds, as they spent their summer vacation coming up with schemes to become popular or make money off the other kids to buy jawbreakers. Unfortunately, the universe hates the Eds, as their plans almost always fail and leave them humiliated in an over-the-top fashion. 

With its insane humor and over-the-top slapstick, this show was The Three Stooges in cartoon form. It made me laugh so much as a kid, and I still remember watching it. Underneath its humor, though, lies a show about three best friends trying to make the most of their summer vacation. While the show’s final season took place during the school year, I still consider it a summer-based show. You are missing out if you haven’t watched it on HBO Max yet.

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My Five Favorite Summer Cartoons

Okay, so there’s a global pandemic that’s making a lot of summertime plans really hard to follow through on. However, today’s the Summer solstice, and I’m not COVID-19 ruin that for me. So, to keep my spirits up, I thought I’d take a stroll down memory lane. Here are some of my favorite cartoons set during the kid-friendly season that is summer.

For this, I’m focused on shows that are set during summer time or summer vacation for the majority of their run. Shows with episodes that focus on summertime activities may get another post, but no promises.

Camp Lazlo

The Bean Scouts used to be a peaceful group of campers who spend their summer days obeying the rules in an orderly fashion. Then Lazlo arrived and turned everything upside down.

Premiering in the summer of 2005, this hilarious take on summer camp antics was the brainchild of the creator of Rocko’s Modern Life, Joe Murray. In fact, a lot of the voice actors, writers, and other staff from Rocko reunited with Murray in order. As a result, this quirky show about the titular monkey in a rundown summer camp inheirted much of Rocko’s appeal. While I was too young to remember Rocko, I adored Camp Lazlo as a kid, and still look back on it with fond memories. I never went to an actual summer camp as a kid, but when I think of one, I think of Camp Lazlo’s Camp Kidney.

Camp Camp

In hindsight, this next entry from the minds at Rooster Teeth seems like the reverse of Camp Lazlo. Like the previous entry, Camp Camp is set in a rundown camp run. Unlike Camp Lazlo, though, the roles of the main adult and kid are reversed. Here, the main child character, Max, is the cynical one who (initially) hates the Camp, while the main grown-up, Dave, is the wide-eyed idealist.

I haven’t really watched the show since season four, but I still think it’s a pretty good cartoon. It’s made by the people of Rooster Teeth, who are known for having a lot of talented voice actors, animators, and writers working for them. However, to sweeten the deal, several recurring characters are voiced by prominent voice actors like Yuri Lowenthal, Dante Basco, and Travis Willingham, to name a few.

Ed Edd n’ Eddy

If you’ve paid any attention to my blog, then you should know how much of a fan I am of Ed Edd n’ Eddy. One of the most successful and most enduring cartoons that Cartoon Network ever put out, this hilarious cartoon captures the childhood misadventures of our childhoods. Then it throws in the slapstick genius of The Three Stooges to create moments so hilarious that I almost busted a gut at them.

And before you say anything, I’m well aware that the final season took place during the school year. The majority of it, though, took place in the summer, so it counts.

Gravity Falls

How could I forget to put the modern-day classic that is Gravity Falls? I’d have to be crazy to do so! If you’ve been living under a rock, then allow me to tell you about the cartoon that would set the standards to which we now hold Disney cartoons. It’s about two twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, who get sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. While that sounds boring, the town proves to be one of the craziest places on Earth. Thus, the two spend their summer uncovering the many mysteries and weirdness behind the town.

Calling this show legendary is an understatement. It’s probably one of the most influential cartoons of the last ten years. Even years after the show ended, it’s still got a large fanbase. One of the best fanfics I’ve ever read had the cast of Gravity Falls play a big part in it. And Disney’s new hit shows, Amphibia and The Owl House, were created by people who worked on Gravity Falls. In conclusion, it’s an awesome show.

Phineas and Ferb

The legend itself, I hold Phineas and Ferb among one of the best cartoons I’ve ever seen, period. Not to mention its one of the best cartoons that Disney’s made in the 21st century. Debuting back in 2008 (God, that feels so long ago,) this show follows the titular brothers as they strive to make every day of summer vacation the best day ever. Whether it’s building the world’s coolest rollercoaster, traveling the world in a single day, or meeting their counterparts in another dimension, this show never ceased to amaze me. Also, it has some of the best songs I’ve ever heard in a cartoon.

Enjoy Your Summer, Everyone!

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