Screenwriting : Favorite Saturday Morning Cartoon/Favorite Cartoon by Maurice Vaughan

Underdog and Spider Man!!!

I loved Spider-Man, Darrell Pennington! I'm not sure if I watched Underdog. Do you remember anything from one of those shows that writers can use for scripts?

Maurice Vaughan That would be back in the Nickelodeon days: "Rugrats" and "Doug", some "Hey Arnold", and then on Cartoon Network: "The Powerpuff Girls"

I loved those cartoons, Juliana Philippi! I remember hearing about Hey Arnold! in theaters. They played an ad for it before the movie. Do you remember anything from those shows that writers can use?

Maurice Vaughan Well, in "Doug", since you talked about "Rugrats" in your post, Doug himself is the main boy, he's sort of shy and kind of "boring", and he is in middle school, and he has a lot of friends different than him: looking different particularly, and the show plays on themes that are relevant, with comedy, and a simple palate of look, sound of voice, and conflict resolution.

You're right, Juliana Philippi. And I remember Doug daydreamed. Writers can use daydreaming for things in scripts, like showing the protagonist has a crush on someone.

Hi! Tom and Jerry

Hi, Oleg Mullayanov! I loved watching Tom and Jerry! I like the 2021 movie too. What's something from the Tom and Jerry cartoon that'll help writers with their scripts?

So many. I was obsessed with a lot of cartoons—like Sally, The Twins, Daddy Long Legs, Tom and Jerry, and various fairy-tale cartoons. I don’t know the exact English titles; I’m translating them from their Arabic titles.

I think I heard of Daddy Long Legs, Meriem Bouziani. What's something from one of those cartoons that'll help writers?

Meriem Bouziani Tom and Jerry the classic cartoons! I loved those too, such a good one, and a good example of using speed / rhythm in writing.

Hi Maurice, gi joe, transformers, dungeons and dragons, and Thundercats

I never thought about the speed/rhythm in Tom and Jerry, Juliana Philippi. Speed/rhythm is really important for a script. Thanks for sharing that.

Hi, Billy Kwack. I loved G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Thundercats! I didn't know there was a Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. What's something from one of those shows you and other writers can use for scripts?

Yes, that one is very famous—Daddy Long Legs. Daddy long legs and the Twins are more grounded in everyday school life, with small adventures centered around the girls’ experiences.

Sally, also known as Princess Sara, tells the story of a girl whose father passes away, causing her to lose her fortune. The school’s headmistress then forces her to work as a servant. In the end, she finds her father’s friend, who adopts her, and she regains both stability and wealth.

I think this series is a great example of how to write TV series with strong turning points and visible character transformation. Fairy tales, in general, are powerful tools for developing imagination and shaping language style. My Arabic writing style was deeply influenced by these stories. Maurice Vaughan

Yes, nowadays I’ve gone back to Tom and Jerry. I think it’s an excellent cartoon for learning how to show, not tell in writing. Juliana Philippi

Thanks for sharing those things, Meriem Bouziani. Writers can use fairy tales that are in the public domain or make up their own fairy tales.

You’re welcome. I think the influence isn’t always direct. When you consume a lot of stories over time, your brain quietly gathers small insights from each one and recombines them into something new. That’s the reality of creativity: we don’t truly create from nothing. The subconscious draws on countless stored details and reshapes them into new patterns. Maurice Vaughan

Sounds like an idea for a cartoon, movie, TV series, etc., Meriem Bouziani.

Hi Maurice, probably knowing is half the battle, from gi joe

That'll help writers with scripts, pitching, and more, Billy Kwack! And that's a great theme! Thanks for sharing it.

I loved Rugrats as a kid, and I've even been rewatching what's been uploaded on YouTube of Recess. It was such a smart show!

I loved watching Recess, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh! Have you picked up any writing tips while rewatching the show?

Recess still rules Maurice Vaughan! I think just “write earnestly,” because you really do get the feeling that the writers take the story just as seriously as the characters do, and it doesn’t feel forced at all. Even the really wacky storylines like remodelling the school bus was treated with sincerity. And of course the whole playground ecosystem is still rich haha

Maurice Vaughan I'm gonna have to give that one some serious thought. Both were such iconic cartoons for me. I honestly wouldn't even consider watching the Underdog movie and none of the SpiderMan movie have been impactful to me. Until I discovered music, those cartoons were my refuge. Perhaps a story about a young boy willing himself into one of the cartoon story lines to escape his destiny.....

Fantastic tip, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh! Thanks for sharing it.

No problem, Darrell Pennington. "Perhaps a story about a young boy willing himself into one of the cartoon story lines to escape his destiny." I'd watch that cartoon, movie, etc.!

I grew up watching Looney Tunes Maurice Vaughan . I also remember watching Animaniacs in the 90's I think. I loved Pinky and the Brain. Can't think of anything writers can use in their scripts.

Maurice Vaughan As a Canadian, I feel I could do a lot with the "City Beavers" concept!

I'm old school, like Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends old school. Haha Also loved Looney Tunes.

Wow, such major nostalgia here. I didn't follow all of these shows, but have vague memories of many. I was a big fan of Tom & Jerry and The Animaniacs. However, my love of sci-fi action started with G.I. Joe and then Exosquad, the latter of which I recently rediscovered via a retrospective look.

You're welcome, Maurice Vaughan~

Oh gosh. Doug. Looney Tunes. Animaniacs. Pinky and the Brain. Tom and Jerry was top though.

I still watch some of these now if I happen across them.

I loved watching those shows growing up, Marie Hatten! Who was/is your favorite Looney Tunes character?

Go ahead, Michael David. I just came up with the name and made a quick poster for City Beavers for this post. And your concept doesn't have to be beavers in a city. It could be beavers in a time loop or something.

I haven't heard of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Ervin Anderson. I'll have to check it out. Did you pick up any writing tips from that show or Looney Tunes?

I loved those cartoons, Michael Dzurak! I'll have to check out Exosquad. Do you watch any cartoons now?

What's one of your favorite things about Doug, Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, or Tom and Jerry, Elle Bolan?

For all but Doug, it was the character dynamics. The back and forth was fascinating!

With Doug... Haha... It was the theme song. It grabbed my ear.

Definitely also remember the humor of Looney Tunes and Animaniacs, and the writing style infuenced me for sure.

Character dynamics are really important in stories, Elle Bolan! I still remember the Doug theme song and some of the words to the songs, like "Banging on a trash can. Drumming on a streetlight."

That's great that the writing style influenced you, Ervin Anderson. The writing styles in cartoons like Rugrats, Looney Tunes, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, and Scooby-Doo influenced me.

I haven't watched cartoons in a long time, Maurice Vaughan. But here is the look back at Exosquad that I recenty saw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTRJ-Jk-fSs

Thanks, Michael Dzurak. Exosquad could be a live-action movie/TV series.

Cool topic and picture, Maurice Vaughan! My favorites as a kid were Courage the Cowardly Dog and Justice League.

Thanks, Dwayne Williams 2. I loved watching Courage the Cowardly Dog! I'm not sure if I watched Justice League growing up, but I watched Batman: The Animated Series. What’s something about Courage the Cowardly Dog or Justice League that writers can use for scripts?

Maurice Vaughan I think what Courage did well was setting up a vulnerable location with an unexpected protagonist always facing fear in new ways, and human emotion associated with the dog more than the humans was a unique take, constantly facing new threats and different antagonists. Justice League was fun because every protagonist/hero brought a unique worldview, so you got to see more of your favorite superhero world and how they lived alongside each other; I never got bored watching it.

Thanks for sharing those, Dwayne Williams 2. I saved your comment. It'll come in handy, especially "every protagonist/hero brought a unique worldview..." since I'm outlining a Fantasy Action ensemble script here and there.

Thanks, Maurice Vaughan! I’m glad it helped. Have you found any comparables that match the tone or structure you’re aiming for?

You're welcome, Dwayne Williams 2. John Wick and Alice in Wonderland. I'm also outlining a Sci-Fi Drama TV series that has an ensemble cast too. The comparables are Game of Thrones, Fallout, and The Last of Us.