Screen Junkies

The 10 best 80's cartoons went on to become iconic parts of American pop culture. Cartoons become a part of the viewer's life, and they get carried from generation to generation. Thanks to DVD, Blu-Ray and movie adaptations, the best 80's cartoons will be around for a very long time. "The Transformers" (1984-1987). The characters in "The Transformers" is what makes this one of the best 80's cartoons ever made. People remember Optimus Prime and Megatron much more than they will ever remember any of the plot elements from the cartoon shows. That is a testament to the strength of the character development that the writers created. "Voltron" (1984-1985). There were several spin-offs from the original "Voltron" (1984-1985) show, but nothing beats the original. Human pilots bringing space ships together to create a large robot named Voltron and then heading off to fight villains is what made this one of the best 80's cartoons. "Smurfs" (1981-1990). Whether you like the little blue Smurfs or not, there is no denying their spot as one of the best 80's cartoons. The nine-year run of the original series is a testament to the popularity of the show. "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" (1983-1987). Every little boy that grew up in the 80's wanted to be He-Man. On the other side of the coin, just about every little boy that grew up in the 80's also owned a Skeletor action figure as well. "M.A.S.K." (1985-1986). This was a direct rip-off of the popular "G.I. Joe" (1985-1986) cartoons and ran at the same time as "G.I. Joe" (1985-1986). What made this one of the best 80's cartoons was the seemingly never-ending supply of transformable toys that the M.A.S.K. team had access to. You never knew what to expect from one episode to the next. "G.I. Joe" (1985-1986). The "G.I. Joe" (1985-1986) cartoons worked in conjunction with the development of the line of G.I. Joe toys. The stories always had a moral, and the characters of the show would often be featured in small public service announcements aimed at helping children make better decision. "Jem" (1985-1988). Children can sometimes be easily separated into boys and girls by television cartoon producers. The creators of "Jem" (1985-1988) went right to the girl audience and hit a huge home run with this very popular cartoon show. "My Little Pony" (1986-1987). The "My Little Pony" (1986-1987) original cartoon run was only one two season. But it has lived on in syndication as one of the best 80's cartoons ever made. "Super Mario Brothers Super Show!" (1989). Video games started to become extremely popular in the 1980's, but the characters had a hard time catching on with cartoon fans. This show gets a nod as one of the best 80's cartoons because it was one of the better video game cartoons to be produced. It only lasted one season, but it was fun to watch. "DuckTales" (1986-1991). The Disney people were experimenting with live action movies in the 1980's, but they did manage to put together the story of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. This show introduced a whole list of characters we would never see again including Ma Beagle and Doofus.

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