For the Love of Animation!

By Samantha Soria

Animation has always been a part of my life. Growing up, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon were regulars in my house as my sister and I watched our favorite cartoons. I also often marveled at my brother’s drawings as he showed me his flipbook, my eyes lighting up as I watched an elderly man drive a scooter and eventually blow out a tire, but most of all, for myself, my sister, and my cousins, Spongebob Squarepants was a huge constant. Now, even in our adulthood, it’s one of the many animated shows we continually watch. With one of my cousins, whenever something happens in our personal life, we always find a connection to the show and refer to it. We laugh as we agree with the irony that as we get older, we find ourselves relating to a children’s animated show over and over again. 

I’ve always found it fascinating and wondered why animated shows (and movies) have continued to resonate with adults. For so long, children’s animation was solely for kids; this was how it was marketed. However, for some, this was different. Take The Powerpuff Girls, for instance. In an episode titled “Meet the Beat-Alls”, there’s a reference to The Beatles and their career. As Kodi Maier writes in “Kids at heart? Exploring the material cultures of adult fans of all-ages animated shows”, one could say that back then, the writers of the show and Cartoon Network were aware of the popularity that The Powerpuff Girls had among adults. Fast forward eighteen years after the original show ended and the three superhero girls are still beloved. Its fanbase is still strong, and they were the first to express their skepticism when they learned of a CW live-action version. The love for this classic animated show continues to thrive, and it continues with many others.

Though not a series, the impact that Shrek has had on adults who grew up with the character and films is fascinating. Some fans adore all four films, and others, like me, solely love the first two. If you asked me which was my favorite, I’d quickly tell you it’s Shrek 2. As a child, the many pop culture references went over my head. Still, as I got older and watched the film, I caught onto them, and so did other adults, making the experience and connection to the green ogre more enjoyable. Sometimes, I wonder if the creators deliberately did that so that the generation who grew up with it could find them later. I also wonder if the creators knew how much of an impact the films would have on the audience that grew up with them, and how these now adults would come together and throw a party in honor of the character. 

For myself, whether it’s with Spongebob or Shrek, an unbreakable bond has been created and has always been there since the beginning. An emotional string connects me to this show and series of films, as is true for many others. For many of us, when it comes to dealing with whatever chaos is happening in our lives, we know that the joy we felt when we first watched these animations is the one thing we will always feel when we return to them. We also know that since the beginning, these animations have always kept us in mind and that when we got older, we would always be there for them — dedicated and endlessly referencing. ♦