Get ready for an epic animation showdown! We're diving deep into the world of cartoons, comparing classic hand-drawn animations with modern digital techniques. From stop-motion to 3D, we'll break down how cartoon styles have evolved and determine which era truly reigns supreme!
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and in this installment of Versus,
00:09we're going to determine whether classic cartoons are better than modern cartoons.
00:13We're considering classic cartoons to be anything predating the dominance of 3D animation,
00:18so roughly the early to mid 2000s.
00:21But hey, the ocean's really beautiful from up here.
00:25Yeah, it is.
00:29Round 1. Stop Motion
00:32Stop motion is one of the most time-consuming animation techniques,
00:36but arguably the most rewarding. Tons of classic cartoons utilized stop motion,
00:41with Gumby being one of the earliest examples, originally released in 1953.
00:47Other popular examples include Pingu, Paddington, and Postman Pat.
00:52Won't they be excited when they see all these parcels?
00:56They are lucky. I remember when I was their age, waiting for the post.
01:00Hey, I'd better be on my way. They'll be looking out for me.
01:04These were all generally aimed at children, with lighthearted stories and often minimal dialogue.
01:09Experimentation was also common, with animators playing around with clay,
01:14puppets, and a whole variety of models.
01:16Gosh, said Judy, how did you learn to do that?
01:19My Aunt Lucy taught me, said Paddington. She said it might come in useful one day.
01:23While it was more frequently done, it was never a mainstream staple,
01:27and only a few cartoons were made using the technique.
01:30In the modern day, stop motion is still common,
01:33and digital technology has transformed the process.
01:37Animators now have access to high-resolution cameras,
01:403D printing, and digital compositing software.
01:43So making stop motion has never been easier.
01:46Modern shows made with stop motion include Sean the Sheep, Pwee Pwee Mole Car,
01:51and the adult-targeted Robot Chicken.
01:54Rules! Mrs. Santa?
01:56That's right! The mastermind behind this evil attack on Christmas is me!
02:02Hybrid techniques have also begun to evolve, combining stop motion with other styles,
02:07which is regularly employed in The Amazing World of Gumball.
02:11It's still not a common animation technique,
02:13and is usually reserved for high-budget cinema rather than cartoons.
02:17Was there an earthquake, or did you just walk into the room, you dork muffin?
02:20What is wrong with you?!
02:22Okay, okay, I'm trying, but you're going too fast!
02:24In case you haven't noticed, it's kind of hard to text with these!
02:27We're going to give this point to classic cartoons,
02:30since stop motion used to be so much more common, warmer, and required a lot more effort.
02:35Winner – Classic Cartoons
02:38Round 2 – 2D Animation Style
02:42For decades, the vast majority of animation was 2D. It was the primary way to animate,
02:47giving rise to some beautiful and creative shows.
02:50SpongeBob SquarePants is a perfect example of this. The technology used is now outdated,
02:55but the creativity of its style is timeless,
02:58making it look better than most modern cartoons, including its newer seasons.
03:03We are having a wonderful time in the South Seas, and we miss you very, very much.
03:11My subscription to Jellyfishing Monthly's expired.
03:13Remind me to renew that, will you, Squidward?
03:14A lot of old cartoons were meticulously hand-drawn, making them appear incredibly detailed.
03:20Color palettes were much less varied, though, limited by what materials they had access to.
03:25I am vengeance. I am the knight. I am Batman!
03:32Now, 2D animation is way easier to produce. Digital tools allow for vivid colors,
03:38intricate texturing, and shading not possible in traditional animation.
03:42This also means hybrid styles, which combine 2D with CGI techniques, are more common.
03:47BoJack Horseman is a creative, modern 2D show which often shakes up its style.
03:53You shouldn't indulge her delusions. It's not right.
03:55But she seemed really down, and you're never around anymore.
03:58It was getting depressing to look at her.
04:00That's why I made her this pillowcase. You just put this over her head, and everything is fine.
04:05On the other hand, both Rick and Morty and Family Guy inspired a whole genre of cartoons
04:11lazily copying their now-generic style.
04:14Oh my god!
04:14What is it, Peeta?
04:16Look at this. Dennis the Menace is just shoveling snow.
04:18He's being helpful. Might as well just call it Dennis now. He's not a menace.
04:23SpongeBob SquarePants is a useful example, with its newer, modern episodes,
04:28struggling to capture the imagination of its early art style.
04:31The point goes to classic cartoons for the countless hours spent hand-painting selves.
04:36Winner, classic cartoons.
04:39Round 3. Anime
04:41We're considering anime its own category since it's distinct enough to be set apart from western
04:46animation. Classic anime was barely animated. Instead, it felt more like a slideshow with
04:51dialogue. This was due to economic constraints and different production techniques.
04:58They often tried to produce vast quantities of episodes for relatively cheap, since they
05:16were usually adapting large mangas. This gave it a distinctive look and feel, but always appeared
05:22more static than western cartoons. Movies were a different ballpark entirely, with Akira looking
05:35better than the vast majority of modern animations, but we're only considering television
05:40cartoons here. In the modern era, this is rarely the case. One Piece perfectly shows this fact.
05:47It originally started in 1999, and most of the fights had barely any animation. Now,
05:52it features some of the best animation in TV history, with stunning levels of complexity and
05:58detail. Such levels of detail have become way more normal in anime. A big reason is that it's
06:16more popular globally than ever before. Hence, there's way more money given to the art form,
06:21and it sure does show. It's easy to see who wins this round. It's Modern. Winner, Modern Cartoons.
06:36Round 4. 3D Animation Style
06:40Classic cartoons rarely featured truly 3D animation, barring stop motion. Rotoscoping
06:46could help achieve this appearance, but it always appeared somewhat 2D. Early, fully,
06:513D digitally animated cartoons were Reboot and Veggie Tales. They might have looked good at the
07:09time, but looking back, they just don't hold up. One of the earliest popular 3D TV shows has to be
07:15The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius. It definitely looked better than earlier shows,
07:29but it still has a weird, uncanny aesthetic, and all the characters have an uncomfortable
07:34style of moving. Now we have the opposite issue, where it's used way too much. It's cheap and easy
07:41requiring at a basic level just models and keyframes. It's completely oversaturated the
07:47market, and most of them don't even look that good. Of course, if effort is put in,
07:52it can look impressive. It's combined with 2D more frequently than ever.
07:57Arcane is a perfect example of this, blending both together to create a wonderfully unique art style.
08:03Naturally, pure 3D shows look generally better than their classic counterparts,
08:13with Star Wars The Clone Wars being a perfect example. But with advancements in technology,
08:19we wouldn't expect otherwise. Modern 3D
08:33cartoons have wildly varying qualities, but it's a big step up from classic 3D cartoons,
08:39which were few and far between. That's why this round goes to Modern Cartoons.
08:43Winner, Modern Cartoons.
08:46Round 5. Production Process
09:03Classic cartoons were so much more labor-intensive, and corners could rarely be cut. As mentioned
09:09earlier, a lot of them were hand-painted onto transparent cells. Detailed backgrounds were
09:14painstakingly painted, and hundreds of character cells were placed on top. Rotoscoping was also
09:21done, which involved tracing over live-action footage, but this was also intense. Lip-syncing
09:26would be a serious challenge, and special effects were beyond complicated. The upside is it gave
09:33them a distinctive look, which few modern cartoons can replicate. Let's follow the storyboard of the
09:38sequence in which Kaneda has to bring his bike to a screeching halt to avoid being injured by
09:44an explosion. Otomo's layout is tremendously exciting and highly realistic. We can almost
09:50sense the full impact of the action from his drawings alone. Unfortunately, it was way less
09:56accessible and much more difficult to become an animator, whereas now everyone can pick it up at
10:02home. Now, everything is digital, and anyone can make complex animations if they have the time,
10:08as opposed to before, when you could barely get by without a team. Higher-quality animations can
10:13be made with much less effort, but as the saying goes, limitations foster creativity.
10:19And the ploobus and grumbo are shaved away. That leaves you with a regular old plumbus.
10:27I always wondered how, uh, plumbuses got made.
10:29Digital advancements allow for a broad range of styles and experimentation, but it's not as common
10:35as we'd hope. The modern cartoon market is flooded with lazy cartoons, many looking like Rick and
10:41Morty copycats. Although, if we head to the internet, you can find countless different
10:46types of animation, by independent creators, which have been blossoming on the web for over a decade.
10:59This is why this round goes to Classic Cartoons for the remarkable effort put into producing them.
11:09Winner, Classic Cartoons.
11:12Round 6. Writing Quality
11:14Older cartoons were simpler and episodic, with few overarching plotlines, and were mainly made
11:21for children. They also relied heavily on slapstick humor, as was the case for Looney Tunes.
11:29And you can't fool me again.
11:32Huh? Why, uh, yeah, yeah, that's right, doc. This little bitchy animal is made out of straw.
11:38But you're not.
11:39Visual comedy was the main way to tell jokes, since the medium allows for so much creative
11:44imagery. Themes covered were usually lighthearted, clear-cut conflicts,
11:49like a chase or a competition, with a simple resolution.
12:00It seems like it took a long time for cartoons to switch focus from
12:08easy-to-digest entertainment to deep storytelling and addressing complex themes.
12:13Now, some of the best-written shows are animated. Take Adventure Time or Avatar the Last Airbender.
12:19Both these shows cover complex themes with phenomenally well-done overarching plotlines.
12:25The humor has evolved massively, too, straying from simple slapstick jokes to more creative
12:30styles of humor.
12:31I know you must be surprised to see me here.
12:34Not really, since you've followed us all over the world.
12:37Right. Well, uh, anyway.
12:41Wordplay has become sharper, quicker, and more reflective of adult sensibilities.
12:46It's not always about laughs. Adult cartoons also explore dark humor,
12:50and discuss more serious themes and issues. Dialogue that appeals to both children and
12:56adults is more regularly found, too, with writers trying to make children's cartoons
13:01entertaining for all ages.
13:03You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain, and you do love being a hero,
13:07don't you? The cheering children, the swooning women. You love it so much,
13:12it's made you my most reliable accomplice.
13:15Accomplice? What are you-
13:17You could have crushed me any time you wanted,
13:19and it wasn't the law or the will of the people that stopped you. It was your ego.
13:24In the modern era, cartoons are much more than just children's entertainment.
13:28They've been embraced for the wonderfully creative art form that they are.
13:32Winner, modern cartoons.
13:477. Characters
13:53Characters used to be one-dimensional, simple archetypes with clear and easily recognizable
13:59traits. For instance, you'd usually have the hero, the villain, the sidekick, etc.
14:04Okay, Doc, this is the spot. We'll start digging for groundhogs.
14:15That's dead.
14:16Growth was rarely found, especially in shows like Tom and Jerry.
14:20Deep narratives and personal growth just weren't a focus. Not that these characters
14:24weren't lovable, they just weren't complex. Instead, they were idealized to fit the narrative,
14:29and to an extent harder to connect with. Scooby-Doo had a handful of core characters,
14:34and most people could relate to at least one of them. They all had defined personalities,
14:40but would never evolve, being pretty much the same character for years on end.
14:44And I'd have found it if it wasn't for you, Snoopers. How can I ever thank you young people?
14:50Just point us to the nearest pizza parlor before Scoob and I collapse from starvation.
14:55Modern cartoons have changed focus entirely, and multidimensional, evolving characters are
15:00way more commonly found. BoJack Horseman, for instance, has some of the most complex
15:05and human characters in television history, despite most being animals.
15:10Some asexuals are also aromantic, but others have relationships like anyone else.
15:15But involving boats?
15:17I feel like you're getting really hung up on the boats thing.
15:19So it's not weird for an ace to get married?
15:22No, if you found someone who really accepts you for who you are, go for it.
15:26They're also much more diverse, representing a plethora of different identities and issues.
15:32Steven Universe focuses on Steven, a young boy learning about his identity,
15:36and features emotional arcs centered around family dynamics and gender identity.
15:41Together we'll be unstoppable!
15:49No!
15:50What?
15:51What we had wasn't healthy! I never want to feel like I fell with you! Never again!
15:56In the past, these ideas would be considered too adult for children's cartoons.
16:00But in the modern day, children are becoming increasingly exposed to such struggles.
16:05That's definitely a good thing, since excluding them from the media doesn't remove them from
16:10reality. No prizes for guessing this round. It's modern cartoons for the win overall.
16:16Winner, modern cartoons.
16:19Do you agree with the result, or do you think classic cartoons should have won?
16:23Let us know what you think and why in the comment section.
16:26We just felt it was time for a change.
16:29Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo,
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