It was the golden era for cartoon lovers

Ah, the '90s - a much simpler time. It was a time when your biggest worries were if you'd fed your Tamagotchi enough food while you went to school; or whether or not you should dye your hair platinum blonde like the newest rap sensation Eminem.

We're kicking it old school today, and looking back on eight popular cartoons from the '90s. What made the cartoons so great was heading home after school, switching on Network 2, and watching The Den with Dustin, Socky, and Zuppy until the dreaded/much loved 'Home and Away' started at 6 o'clock. Then it was time for you to actually start on your homework. Raging.

'Rugrats'

Back where it all began, our love for Tommy Pickles and Chuckie Finster knows no end. From the moment we heard that catchy theme song, we knew 'Rugrats' would be the show for us. Particular highlights from the show included Tommy's mother, Didi, and her utter reliability on everything Doctor Lipschitz wrote in his books, and Grandpa Lou's gambling-addicted cousin, Aunt Miriam. We've also taken the liberty to completely erase the ill-fated spin-off 'All Grown Up' from our minds, and recommend that you should probably do the same.

 

'X-Men'

The 'X-Men' animated series brought Marvel's strongest and largest superhero team onto our TV screens for the first time. Originally created as a series entitled 'Pryde of the X-Men' in the late '80s, the show was never picked up but came back three years later as one of the best superhero animated series ever created. Running for five seasons, the show stuck close to the source material and featured fan favourites Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Beast, and Storm battling baddies such as Mister Minister and a comic-accurate Apocalypse.

 

'Dexter's Laboratory'

'Dexter's Lab' is one of the true highlights of '90s TV, whether you were a child or a teen. The boy genius and his highly elaborate inventions always kept us entertained, especially when he was trying to compete with follow know-it-all Mandark. Not forgetting his beloved sister Dee Dee, whose overenthusiastic ballerina skills would sometimes lead Dexter to blow a fuse or two. Spawning four seasons and a TV movie, the series ran from 1996 until 2003.

 

'Kablam!'

Presented by Henry and June, 'Kablam!' was certainly a comedy sketch show like no other. Turning the pages of a comic book, the pair introduced us to some of the most random comedy that Nickelodeon could produce in the late '90s. Running for four seasons, we saw the likes of real-life dolls come to life to save the day in  'Action League Now!', and 'Prometheus and Bob' which was a claymation feature involving an alien attempting to teach a caveman how to use technology.

 

'Animaniacs'

Another anthology cartoon, and arguably one of the most memorable cartoons from the '90s, 'Animaniacs' made off-the-wall comedy that has stuck with us for decades. Focusing primarily on the incredibly loveable siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, the variety show also introduced us to the likes of Goodfeathers (influenced by 'Goodfellas'), Buttons and Mindy ("Okay, I love you bye-bye"), and of course Pinky & The Brain ("Narf!"). Potentially even better than the main cartoons though, were the parodies and sketches conducted by the three siblings, like the nations of the world song up above.

 

'Batman: The Animated Series'

Can't remember why you love Batman so damn much? This show might be the culprit. By far the darkest cartoon on our list, but also one of the most sought after, 'Batman: The Animated Series' introduced a brand new generation of viewers to the antics that Batman really gets up to. It was a stellar show for those who were too young to watch Tim Burton's reboots or those who could only remember Adam West's questionable take on the character from the 1960s.

 

'Hey Arnold'

Hearing "Move it, football head!" still makes us yearn for a time when we'd come home from school and pop on 'Hey Arnold' for an afternoon of 'The Den'. Probably the one with the most heart on our list, the cartoon was never afraid to tackle issues that kids and adults alike might be going through. Topics such as body image, interacting with elders, and even immigration were dealt with head-on while also dealing out the laughs. Not forgetting, of course, Helga's undying, yet crushingly relatable, love for everyone's favourite football head.

 

'Doug'

Over 100 episodes and seven seasons later, 'Doug' has stood the test of time. The cartoon series follows the life of Doug Funnie and his family, who move to a city called Bluffington, and focuses on Doug's adaption to high school life. The blow-in soon befriends a very blue Skeeter and makes enemies with a very green and wavy-haired Roger. The story of Doug and his dog Porkchop won a sleuth of awards during its run, including Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards' Favourite Cartoon four years running.

Those are just eight of our favourites that we watched on 'The Den' - what were yours?