Ramblings: Hanna Barbara Kids

Archive Kid Ramblings

 Old Cartoons, Old Ideas

     Hanna Barbara Kids

You know them, the cartoons featuring kid versions of some of Hanna Barbara’s biggest stars.

A Pup Named Scooby Doo

A well-known Scooby doo incarnation featuring Shaggy, Scooby and the rest of the gang as a bunch of kids.

Tom and Jerry Kids

Almost as well-known as A Pup Named Scooby Doo. This cartoon featured not only kid versions of the famous tom cat Tom and that lovable mouse Jerry but Droopy and his son Drippy, Dripple, Dripalong, I forget his name but they have their own segment. Spike and tyke also have their father and son segment.

The Flintstone Kids

No, it’s not about Pebbles and Bam Bam. They had their own cartoon as teenagers. It ain’t about Pebbles and BamBam's kids either. It’s about Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty as kids. If you're a big Flintstones fan you would know that the cartoon doesn't really make sense. Cartoon Network only aired it once during a Flintstones’ marathon but there’s an episode that tells how Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty all met. Captain Caveman also has a segment with his son, Teen Angels not included.

Yo Yogi!

This cartoon I swear no one knows it exists. Lasting the 7th day 13 episode life span. This short lived cartoon featured teenage Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo Bear, Cindy Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Snagglepuss fighting crime as the L.A.F. (Lost and Found) of Jellystone Mall, owned by Doggie Daddy, who is almost always accompanied by his son Augie Doggie. I only have one episode worth of archive data for this show. Like I said "No one knows this show exists" with good reason. Lasting only for 13 episodes or as I like to call it the 13th Saturday grave, there is no chance of this cartoon being rerun in later years and only by popular demand get a dvd release. The only hope of seeing this cartoon is through the video tapes that were released during its initial run. One day while browsing the video tapes in a thrift store I came across a Yo Yogi video tape. My tape is a cereal box prize (I guess it was in the box or you had to send a mail order in) from Rice Crispies. The box must have had some special 3d glasses but it's not really that important.

ANYWAY!

My point, why did Yo Yogi do so poorly. Yogi bear has been paired with the same cast of characters many times before. And the idea of making kid versions of well-known cartoon characters is something that Hanna Barbara has done before. I intend to find that answer through my own experience growing up with everything except Yo Yogi, which is a video tape that I got at the Salvation Army back in the 8th grade.

SO!

I'll start with a Pup Named Scooby Doo. Making a list of the best of the "Kids" shows. I'd say that A Pup Named Scooby Doo takes the 1# spot hands down. Why, because cartoon network has rerun this cartoon the most on its main channels and on Boomerang (before boomerang became SHIT). I remember watching the Flintstone Kids and Tom And Jerry Kids Show just as much as A Pup Named Scooby Doo back when I was a child. But I remember that as the years went by cartoon network moved the Flintstone Kids to boomerang and showed a little less of Tom and Jerry Kids, but A Pup Named Scooby Doo was still around. Long story short A Pup Named Scooby Doo is the cartoon that cartoon network kept around on its main channel and showed on boomerang at the same time. You could say that its success is an account of it being an incarnation of the Scooby Doo franchise. I agree with that. But A Pup Named Scooby Doo is different from Scooby doo where are you. The monsters aren't at all scary the show is all the more cartoonish. A Pup Named Scooby Doo has the perfect blend of Cartoon Comedy and Scooby Doo Mystery.

Yo Yogi, the characters aren’t kids but 14 year olds. LAF is a detective agency that solves mysteries or something at Jellystone mall. Finding more episodes of Yo Yogi online is something I have to do. I guess the mystery gang mystery element of the show isn't quite as perfect as Scoob's.

Flintstone Kids I remember being around during my early childhood. After a while cartoon network moved it to boomerang. I don't remember much about it but I do remember how well the kid aspect of it worked. Each of the characters were very kid like with their daydreams and the trouble they would get into. I really like this cartoon. It lasted for 34 episodes so it was liked a lot more to get pass the 13th Saturday grave.

Yo Yogi, I didn't really get a teen feeling from the characters in the show. I guess I kinda felt they were preteen but I mostly thought they were 10 years old. I looked on Wikipedia and found that they're supposed to be teenagers. I guess I should have known better. 10 year olds don't hang out at the mall. Course hanging out at the mall isn't that big a clue that they're teenagers. Maybe some Teen or preteen problems and etc. would be more of a hint. The characters feel more like kids than teenagers. I guess they didn't get that aspect down like in the Flintstones.

What can I say about Tom and Jerry Kids? Only that it’s still Tom and Jerry only smaller. Funny and the duo remains silent.

Yo Yogi, I'm not sure about the comedy, its Hanna Barbara so it’s okay. I guess?

In all truth, Yo Yogi isn't bad. The reason why it’s a 7713 cartoon is because of the fact that it tries to mix in too many elements. It tries to be mystery, with comedy and whatever else. A Pup Named Scooby Doo has the main focus of comedy and mystery. The other two focus on comedy. Most importantly the three all focus on what they truly are, another branch of three popular cartoons. They stay true to themselves. Yo Yogi, well it stays true. Yogi still loves picnic baskets, but he's not stealing them. The other characters act like themselves.  But Yo Yogi is a combination all of HB's secondary characters so it's more original, in a way. The usage of putting so many characters together means you have to give them a “thing” for lack of a better word. These characters have never been put into a something like this before so it is a good idea, kinda. In the past Hanna Barbara has brought these characters together before multiple times. This time was probably the last time. Secondary characters have only so much popularity and their popularity comes behind the #1s.

Here let me back up a bit to explain “thing.” The characters in Yo Yogi have been put together for specials and I think a series at one point. Also, looking through the archives I can assume that Yo Yogi uses the ACTUAL #2 characters as MCs (main characters). Hanna Barbara has a ton of other secondary characters and knowing HB they probably put them in there as either recurring characters or extras. Also, putting secondary characters together means that they must be given a “thing,” or something to do or …………. A thing. Okay!

 Time for an example: Scooby Doo + Mystery solving= Thing {What He Do}.

When you put a bunch of characters together like this, you have to give them a thing to do. Scooby doo always solves mysteries. Tom and Jerry are a cat and a mouse, they try to kill each other without saying a single word. Yo Yogi is yogi bear and the gang doing stuff. I kinda forgot where I was going with that.

In the end, Yo Yogi is a good cartoon but not one that would have lasted that long anyway. Putting secondary characters together will only get you as far as a few blocks down the street. After that people lose interest in them and then you’re running on empty.

I'm the archive kid saying PEACE OUT!