[kylactus]

I think it's kind of sad that beyond the 80's there seems to be a lack of original thinking in the cartoon/toy industry. Hell look at the comments "Their" version of TMNT or Transformers. I'm not saying that these characters should be retired, but why the hell isn't anyone inventing anything new for these genera? I can't think of much past the 90's that was introduced, in the way of action sci-fi comic type characters/ Stories that strike me as lasting or epic in the way that say DC, Marvel Universe, Star Wars, Ghost Busters, He-man, Star Trek, TMNT, Transformers, Indiana Jones do. It seems to me that there is way to much out there going to the same old well instead of trying to make something new.
I think it boils down to this, In the 80's and early 90's, most of us had between 8 and 12 channels and most cable channels had little original programing geared towards kids, this meant that every kid in America watched the same cartoons on the same couple channels (my personal crack was fox Saturday mornings). this gave every kid in the country a shared experience and a shared cultural identity. now it depends on what cable provider, or satellite you have or what a particular kids parents choose to expose them to o the net as to what cartoons a child is exposed to. This is also why you don't see as many "famous" commercials and PSAs like when we were kids. also no more of those "say no to drugs" and "stay away from strangers" after school specials... because networks don't have after school programs... unless you count Dr. Phil. in short I think the lack of good cartoons, and therefore good cartoon toys is because a fundamental shift in the structure of TV networks.