Awesome Sites About Old School Cartoons

With the advent of Pixar and other computer generated animation studios, the art of ink-and-paper animation is quickly becoming a relic. For generations of kids, however, these cartoons were a Saturday morning ritual that couldn’t be skipped. Each decade came with its own specific style of cartoon, from the animal antics of early Disney to the superhero craze of the 1980′s.  If you’re feeling nostalgic, here are ten great sites dedicated to the cartoons we all grew up with.

Credit: Disney

1. Old-Cartoons.Com – Few sites can rival the exhaustive resources of this site; links to related shopping, background information and video clips from hundreds of old school animated series place Old-Cartoons.Com at the top of the heap.
2. RetroStatic.Com – Not just limited to the cartoons intros we knew and loved in the 80′s and 90′s, RetroStatic.com is also home to rare commercials and a discussion forum.
3. 80sCartoons.Net – The mission statement of 80sCartoons states that, “Our objective is to archive cartoon information-television series, specials, animated films, straight-to-video cartoons-everything created in the 80′s.”
4. TheGreat70s.com – Each click of the “Watch Another Cartoon” button randomly generates a new clip to the embedded Hulu.Com link, keeping users guessing about which ‘toon they’ll see next.
5. Cartoon-Factory.Com – Interested in collecting cels from your favorite vintage cartoons? Cartoon Factory should top your list, as it’s the largest selection on the web. Thorough explanations of animation terms, tips on caring for your valuable investments and appraisal services can all be found here.
6. HBShows.com – Dedicated to everything Hanna Barbera, HBShows houses a database of cartoons and interesting facts about the dozens of classic Hanna Barbera titles.
7. CartoonBrew.Com – Detailing the animation industry from its infancy to today’s trends, Cartoon Brew is sure to be a favorite among animation aficionados.
8. BCBD.Com – The Big Cartoon Database also ranks among the online heavyweights in the classic animation department, with a directory that lists several thousand titles. Sections are broken down by studio, making the site a browsing dream. Among the offerings are gems from Fleischer Studios, the early-era Disney rival behind classics such as Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor and Gabby. Prepare to spend hours perusing the links, because BCDB is definitely addictive.
9. KidsWB.Com – This Warner Brothers site offers a ton of streaming Looney Tunes and other vintage WB titles for your nostalgic enjoyment, including a dedicated section for fans of the various incarnations of Scooby-Doo and his cohorts.
10. YouTube.Com – While certainly not limited to cartoons, this video sharing giant has enough vintage cartoon episodes to keep viewers entertained for hours. A simple search of your favorite retro title will net dozens of results. Suggestions can often remind you of titles long-forgotten, rekindling Saturday morning memories.

In addition to these sites, there are scores of discussion forum communities, blogs and micro-blogs with an emphasis on the animation of years gone by. While I personally prefer www.cartoon-online.com where you could find many cartoons which were telecasted in our childhood :) Valuable sources for emerging sites and links to memorabilia marketplaces, these communities are a must-visit for the true cartoon connoisseur.