Reviving the Forgotten Frames
A fan-powered spotlight on the animated shorts that aired once and vanished—until now.
In the mid-1990s, Cartoon Network launched an ambitious experiment: an anthology series called What a Cartoon! (also known as World Premiere Toons and later The Cartoon Cartoon Show). Created by Fred Seibert and produced by Hanna-Barbera, the project gave animators full creative control to pitch original shorts—each one a potential pilot for a new series.
Each episode featured three standalone cartoons, each around seven minutes long, mirroring the structure of classic theatrical shorts. The goal? To return creative power to artists and revive the spirit of golden-age animation. And it worked: Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, The Powerpuff Girls, and Courage the Cowardly Dog all began here.
But for every breakout hit, there were dozens of shorts that aired once and quietly disappeared. These weren’t failed experiments—they were pilot-ready, creator-driven, and packed with potential.
🧪 The Ones That Almost Made It
Only three characters in the entire What a Cartoon! lineup received two shorts—a clear sign they were being seriously considered for full series development:
Yuckie Duck (Pat Ventura)
Pfish and Chip (Michael Rann and Eugene Mattos)
Sledgehammer O’Possum (Pat Ventura)
These weren’t just gags—they were genuine contenders. Their recurring appearances hinted at internal interest and audience testing.
🌍 The Hidden Gems with World-Building
Some shorts built rich, stylized worlds that begged for expansion. Their characters, tone, and setups felt ready for a full series—even if they only aired once.
Shake and Flick (Michael Rann, Eugene Mattos, George Johnson)
Yoink of the Yukon (Don Jurwich, Jerry Eisenberg, Jim Ryan)
Wind-Up Wolf (William Hanna)
Boid n’ Woim (C. Miles Thompson)
Podunk Possum (Joe Orrantia, Elizabeth Stonecypher)
Hillbilly Blue (Michael Ryan)
Gramps (Mike Ryan)
Bloo’s Gang (John McIntyre)
The Ignoramooses (John McIntyre)
Snoot’s New Squat (Jeret Ochi, Victor Ortado)
Buy One Get One Free (Charlie Bean, Carey Yost, Don Shank)
Swamp and Tad: Mission Imfrogable (John Rice, Achiu So)
Godfrey and Zeek: Lost Control (Jason Butler Rote, Zac Moncrief)
Jof the Cat (Bruno Bozzetto)
These shorts had strong characters, stylized humor, and pilot-ready setups that could’ve easily evolved into full series. Some leaned surreal, some comedic, but all had world-building potential.
🌀 The Experimental and Surreal
These shorts pushed boundaries with bold animation styles, offbeat formats, and creator-driven weirdness:
Fat Cats (Jon McClenahan)
Strange Things (Mike Wellins)
Captain Buzz Cheeply (Meinert Hansen)
Tales of Worm Paranoia (Eddie Fitzgerald)
They weren’t just funny—they were visually daring and format-flexible, perfect for revival in comics, podcasts, or indie animation.
🕰️ Legacy Revivals: Honoring the Past
Not all WAC shorts were original IP. A few revived classic characters from animation history, reimagined for modern audiences.
George and Junior (Tex Avery, revived by Pat Ventura)
Originally created in the 1940s, this bear duo returned in two shorts: Look Out Below and George and Junior’s Christmas Spectacular. Their slapstick dynamic remained intact, bridging golden-age humor with modern pacing.Wind-Up Wolf (William Hanna)
A spiritual successor to classic Hanna-Barbera chase cartoons, this short featured a robotic wolf trying to catch a clever sheep. It felt like a nod to Tom and Jerry and Wile E. Coyote, with a mechanical twist.
These weren’t pilot pitches—they were tributes. They reminded viewers that What a Cartoon! wasn’t just about the future—it was also about honoring the past.
📣 Let’s Keep the Memory Alive
If you remember these shorts, share your memories. Leave a comment. Post a tribute. Tag a creator. Every bit of engagement helps show that these works still matter.
Next up: a spotlight on Oh Yeah! Cartoons—Nickelodeon’s own incubator, packed with pilots that never got their chance.
Let’s revive the forgotten frames of animation history—one short at a time.