Black animation has been on our minds since the start of this year with the bittersweet ending of Cartoon Networks’ Craig Of The Creek, which left us feeling a bit worried for the niche culture overall and future entertainment of Blerds everywhere. In a surprising twist though, things have been rolling out with optimism over these past few months with the introductions of Iyanu, the hilarious Oh My God…Yes!, the highly-anticipated Eyes of Wakanda and (finally!) a new season to look forward to of The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder.
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With the future looking so bright, we’d be remiss if we didn’t give a shoutout to the pioneering Black cartoons of the past — props to Static, Storm, Susie Carmichael, Huey and Riley just to name a few. If we’re being honest, you’ve even got a few of the ambiguous ones that can always come to the cookout as well. Think about it: we all have a favorite character that either comes from a race-free universe, is an anthropomorphic animal or was specifically written in a way that kept their racial identity elusive for the sake of universal marketing. At the same time though, you can’t help but notice the AAVE in their dialogue, a wardrobe design inspired by urban attire and in some cases a voice actor that pretty much seals the deal. Remember when Jaleel White (and Tahj Mowry as Young Sonic!) voiced the titular role in the classic 1990s cartoon series adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog?
We believe the term kids nowadays are calling it is “Black-coded.”
Don’t think of this as a deep race debate; it’s just us Blerds having a little fun. You can choose to agree or disagree, but either way it’s strictly about expanding your imagination even further to see the argument that we’re trying to make. Does Lola Bunny give off Mariah Carey vibes like she does for us? Doesn’t Elmo feel like the universal lil bro we must protect at all costs? Is the hair on the heads of Marge and all her sisters in The Simpsons not kinky like ours?!
Take a scroll and let us know if you agree that each of these classic cartoon characters can pretty much go ahead and identify as Black:
Arthur, Arthur
Skeeter, Doug
Piccolo, Dragon Ball Z
Lola Bunny, Space Jam
The Entire Cast Of The Lion King (1994)
Frylock, Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Powerline, A Goofy Movie
Sonic, Sonic The Hedgehog
Uncle Ruckus, The Boondocks …i.e. NOT an Irish-American with “reverse vitiligo”!
Darwin, The Amazing World of Gumball
Elmo, Sesame Street
Goliath, Gargoyles
Panthro & Cheetara, Thundercats
Brock, Pokémon
Daffy Duck, Looney Tunes
Mushu, Mulan
Michigan J. Frog, Looney Tunes
Knuckles, Sonic The Hedgehog
Miss Sara Bellum, The Powerpuff Girls
The Simpsons, The Simpsons
Great Job Keenan Higgins & the Team @ Black America Web Source link for sharing this story.
