Customer Reviews

Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Until Nickelodeon decided to revamp and update the children's world in 1991, parents had no problem keeping up with their kids' cartoon experiences. After all, Bug Bunny and Daffy Duck, the Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo (in so many incarnations) were all staples of a kid's fantasy world.

As hectic as the world is for a parent, it's hard to keep up with what shows they've watched or are watching when they're growing up. Sad to say, television cartoons have served as babysitters and best friends for kids for decades.

However, Nickelodeon changed the package when they released DOUG, RUGRATS, and THE REN AND STIMPY SHOW. Questionable content began to invade American living rooms and kids' bedrooms in subtle ways. DOUG and RUGRATS tended to be wholesome fare - though with strange ideas at times.

But there was just no excusing Ren and Stimpy's behavior. They were gross and inelegant at best, and downright disgusting and offensive at worst. However, your kids thought they were hilarious. If you sat down and watched part of an episode with them, you'd swear they were way too young to be caught up in something as crass as that.

You'd probably be halfway right. But Nickelodeon took the stance that kids were a lot more intelligent - and socially inelegant - than most parents wanted to believe. So they created entertainment that took all those facets into account.

And man, what a whirlwind it's been these past 16 years. My oldest son turns 25 soon, and my youngest is 10. I had five kids, and Nickelodeon has been a constant feature in my house from the beginning.

The problem with having kids, though, is that you have to work to provide for them. And to provide cable TV. So even though I tried to get in front of the TV to check out what they were watching, I couldn't do it often enough. I watched some of the Nicktoons (as they came to be called) but not all of them because I didn't have time.

Thankfully there's a book out now that will catch you up almost overnight with the thirty cartoon that have and are airing on Nickelodeon. Jerry Beck's (author of THE HANNA-BARBERA TREASURY and THE ART OF BEE MOVIE and other works concentrating on the cartoon pays much you')monstrous compendium is kid-intelligent and adult-friendly, and it's heavy and sturdy enough to use as a shield or as a weapon. Not only that, but it was produced with the full support and cooperation of Nicktoons.

When I first pulled the book out of the box, I thought some had gone badly wrong. The book felt...SQUISHY. I let go in a hurry and decided to finish opening the box to have a better look. Then I realized that the book was covered in green slime, another trademark of the network.

Just like a kid, I couldn't help mashing on the slime book cover to see what I could change and see how long it would retain the impressions I made. It was great fun. If you really want to get a strange reaction from another adult, just hand them the book without warning. The first time they close their fingers in slime, they're going to freak - and be instantly interested.

Once I opened the book, I was even more impressed. The table of contents is set up with icons of the television shows. One of the games you can play as an adult is try to identify the series from the icon, then open the book to that page to find out if you were right. I got more of them right than I thought I would.

The sections on the cartoons are adult-friendly too. There's not a whole lot of reading to be done to get up to speed on what the cartoon series was. Background and creative spark, as well as the names of the writers and or directors, are wrapped up in easy-to-read chunks. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, gleaned from storyboards and character concepts all the way up to finished presentations.

While I was reading through the book, picking out my favorite cartoons first (like DOUG, RUGRATS, THE ANGRY BEAVERS, DANNY FANTOM, and HEY ARNOLD), my ten-year-old dropped in, saw what I was reading, and snuggled into the couch next to me. Then he started telling me what he knew about the characters, favorite episodes, favorite comic bits, and when it was going to be on again, if that was the case. There are unexpected benefits that come from owning this book. And, unlike the television episodes, the book can be turned on at any time.

There's not a whole lot of reading here to be done, which should be encouraging to you as an adult, because I'm sure your lives haven't slowed down any more than mine have, but there are a ton of pictures and graphic media. If you don't think there's a ton there, try holding this book straight out from your body in one hand!

NOT JUST CARTOONS: NICKTOONS! is an amazing compilation of info regarding these shows. The beauty of it is the book makes a great Christmas present (maybe not so much a stocking stuffer) for a kid or an uninformed adult on your list that doesn't know about Nicktoons but has children. Pick up the book and wander back through the history of your child's imagination and excitement.

Starting in 1991, the Nicktoons family has become synonymous with edgy, defiant and just plain funny TV animation. Toon icons like Spongebob, the Fairly Oddparents and Rugrats are lavishly represented on this huge (about 11" x 10.5") coffee-table book. Each and every Nicktoon ever released to date is present through its 280 pages, even if it may seem at times as if each show's depth of coverage were directly proportional to its level of popular success (compare the 12 pages devoted to Spongebob vs. 4 for Chalkzone, for example). This, however, shouldn't shy any Nick fan away - animation buffs in particular will appreciate the tons of rough sketches, storyboards and concept art present throughout the book, not to mention the "how it came to be" stories of the show's creators. It's a feast for the eyes.

The cover itself is probably one of the book's main features - the online pictures just don't do it justice. What looks like stains in the online picture is really a kind of green goo (an old Nickelodeon trademark staple) trapped inside an outer plastic cover - a concept that works perfectly with this book, and makes it truly stand out. I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is passionate about animation, illustration and cartoons in general.

From the ooze-infused cover to the stunning variety of artwork, this book is impossible to leave on the shelf once experienced. Featuring 90s and 00s television art at its very best, the variety of style and itegrity invested in these sketches is surprisingly impressive. The book rescues mountains of unseen development art from some of the unique cartoons of the last 16 years, and even the weaker shows are reperesented by pre-production artwork which hides their on-air flaws.

Inspiring and overflowing with flair and orginality, it is, for me, the must have animation art book of the year. Bravo, Mr Beck!

It has some information for each show, but I didn't feel like it had enough information. Sure, it had some short interviews, but it wasn't very satisfying. I'd like for it to get into more depth.

Some parts were longer than others. Some had way more pictures than others. It's a decent book and great for children who enjoy Nicktoons.

Oh yeah, the cover is sweet. It's green gooey glop that you can push around the cover.

The book is awesome! The cover is cool and very Nickelodeon. I enjoyed learning about many of my favorite shows. The only problem would be I wish there was more. It's neat to know what went/goes on behind such beloved series, but it's kinda just a Q&A with the creators/people who worked on the show, and art work. Still, it's a must have for a fan.

For those in my age group (early 20s), Nickelodeon was second to none. They had amazing game shows, original shows, and cartoons. The best of these were the cartoons. This book goes in debt with one of the greatest eras of cartoon history, taking the reader behind the scenes, giving neat facts and awesome artwork. It's kind of expensive, but well worth it for someone who loved these shows as much as I did :-)

This book is not only an tremendous coffee table book, but also a wonderful trip of nostalgia. Every Nicktoon from my childhood is within this book, as well as the newer generation. Tons of drawings, pictures, and info about each show. Wish this had more, but it's definitely a great browsing item and interest piece!

This one is the bible of cartoon animation. Great book with lots of information and arts of cartoons ! Must have

I will not say anything bad about the content of the book, it may be good for all I know. But my complaint is about the "slime" encased cover clinging to the outside of the book. In my particular case, I had worked for a certain company and processed the product. The cover was literally filled with slime. Algae. Algae growing inside of it. The company did not express concern, and I had to continue in processing it. Therefore, I must warn people. The cover even without the algae is smelly, with a very strong plastic odour. Maybe you could just buy it and keep an eye on it in case it starts turning bad.

As cool as this book is (read the other reviews for that) I was very disappointed in the fact that, during the Kablam! section, they completely failed to mention anything about the music for the show! The music really made that show POP and get your attention. The music was created by The Toasters (the United States longest running ska band based in NYC 1981 - present day) recording under they pseudonym The Moon Ska Stompers. The recorded over 85 tracks for Nickelodeon, with about 12 different complete tunes. These songs were recorded as anywhere from 10 second to 2 minutes versions, to be used in every single instance that Kablam! would need them for. Fading to commercial, returning from commercial, the main theme song, all the small cuts and clips and ending titles.

It's a big disgrace not to give props to the band that made millions of kids remember your animated show, because they were singing it's theme song all day long!