Popular Icons of Cartoons

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What are the greatest icons in cartoon history? What are some you can think of? (Not including Disney movie characters)

First, there are the two greatest icons of the golden age of animation: Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.

The 60s, 70s, and 80s bring Scooby-Doo, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and He-Man.

Nickelodeon's icon is the immortal Spongebob Squarepants.

Icons of anime are Pikachu and Goku.

Any other icons worth mentioning?
 
1920's: Koko the Clown
1930's: Mickey Mouse,Donald Duck,Goofy,Pluto,Betty Boop,Popeye,Porky Pig
1940's: Bugs Bunny,Daffy Duck,Droopy,Elmer Fudd,Yosemite Sam,Woody Woodpecker, Tom and Jerry
1950's: Huckleberry Hound,Yogi Bear,SnagglePuss,Quickdraw McGraw
1960's: The Flintstones,The Jetsons,Pink Panther,Scooby Doo, Johnny Quest
1970's: Hong Kong Phooey
1980's: The Smurfs,Transformers,He Man,GI Joe,TMNT
1990's: Simpsons,South Park,Family Guy,Rugrats,Dexter's Lab,Powerpuff Girls
2000's: SpongeBob,Kim Possible,Billy and Mandy
 
I definetly wouldn't consider Hong Kong Phooey, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, Kim Possible, and Billy and Mandy icons.

The most iconic characters would've been able to get a theatrical movie, and sell merchandise out the wazoo.
 
I consider Pikachu an Icon, since he is in every episode, every game, and has a balloon in the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade, thus making him stand out more for anime than anyone else.
 
Well, he's America's biggest anime icon (with Sonic in second place, probably), but in Japan, there are a lot more icons that are bigger than Pikachu and Sonic, like Doraemon.
 
Theatrical shorts animation: Disney, Looney Tunes, Tom&Jerry, Tex Avery Toons, Fleisher Animation, UPA, Felix the Cat, Oswald the Rabbit, Gertie the Dinosaur

Theatrical Full-Length Animation: Snow White, Fritz The Cat, The Secret of NIMH, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Aladdin, Toy Story, The Incredibles

Licensed animation: Transformers, The Real Ghostbusters, G. I. Joe, Jackie Chan Adventures, Pound Puppies, TMNT, ThunderCats, Yu-Gi-Oh

British Animation: Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Astrix

Japanese animation: Astro Boy, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Spirited Away, Dragon Ball, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Naruto (i'm considering giving the anime a second chance), One Piece, Gatchaman, Sailor Moon, Gundam

Sitcom Animation:The Flintstones The Simpsons, South Park, (I'm giving this show a second chance too.), King of the Hill

Clay/StopMotion Animation: Gumby, Wallace and Gromit, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Will Vinton, Ray HarryHausen

Comics Animation; Fleisher Superman, 90's Batman, Justice League, SuperFriends, HellBoy, WitchBlade anime, HBO's Spawn

Saturday Morning animation: Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats, Inspector Gadget, Scooby-Doo, Jay Ward shows, Ducktales, Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin

Gaming animation: Captain N The Game Master, Super Mario, Pokemon, Sonic the Headgehog, Dragon's Lair, Pac-Man

Internet Animation: HomeStar Runner

Holiday Animation: The Grinch, Rudolph, Frosty

New Animation done right: The Boondocks, Codename: KND, Avatar, Spongebob, FOP, Danny Phantom, Kim Possible, Samurai Jack, Xaolin Showdown, Skunk Fu, The Batman, YinYangYo, Legend of the Dragon
 
I knew I should have added an "American Market" comment in my post for some reason.

Also I know for Japan that the guy from Shonen Jump longest running series, KochiKame, Ryutso, is popular enough to have 2 statue of him erect somewhere in Japan. So I think he is consider a popular icon in Japan.
 
Yeah, I remember that in the news when I was in Japan. I didn't know there were two.

Nothing says icon, like a statue. Minnie the Minx, Desperado Dan, Andy Capp, Popeye, along with others have statues.
 
Popular icons not necessary in order.
Bugs Bunny
Mickey MOuse
Popeye the Sailor Man
Betty Boop
Felix the Cat
Oswald the Rabbit
Gertie the Dinosaur
 
I doubt most of those would be considered "Iconic". Skunk Fu is easily forgettable, and pretty much seems like ev3erything else we have out there. Plus it's not that popular.



I would say he's more of a comic book icon than an animated icon, as his comics are usually more famous than the movies.
 
Aside from Batman and Spongebob, none of this stuff is iconic.

Iconic = Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Woody Woodpecker, Betty Boop, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Snoopy, Garfield, Scooby Doo, The Simpsons, Spongebob Squarepants...
 
Most of those are shows, not characters. And except for Batman and Spongebob, all of them are too recent to be considered iconic. An icon is an important and enduring symbol or one who is the object of great attention and devotion. One could say that about Felix the Cat, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Popeye or Betty Boop, or even Yogi Bear or Scooby-Doo but the Johnny-Come-Latelies in that above list of shows haven't earned what the true icons have earned.

Any character from a show less than a decade old isn't an icon.
 
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