Top 10: All-Time, Best Cartoon Series Ever

This is a very controversial topic, and I expect several Facebook "de-friendings" and Twitter "un-followings" as a result of this post. But it needed to be done.

The only criteria I used for my selection process was that each had to be a cartoon television series that ran for at least an entire ratings season and it had to be good - either funny or well-written.

Here are the Top-10: All-Time, Best Cartoons Ever - in descending order.

10. StarBlazers - not a lot of people will know this cartoon, but it was incredible to me when I was 11 years old. I recently bought the entire series and was blown away all over again 30 years later.

9. Speed Racer - what's not to love?? The Mach 5, Chim-Chim, Racer X, Trixie, Spridle and Pops - it set the bar for Anime.

8. Super Friends: Justice League of America - this was a Saturday morning stalwart on the ABC network for years. It would have been ranked higher if it wasn't for the Wonder Twins and Gleek “...form of an eagle, form of [cue Gleek with the bucket] water...” (sheesh!)

7. Batman and Tarzan: Hour of Power - I remember this great show every Saturday at 10am on CBS for a couple of seasons, the first half hour was Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle with a combo half hour of Batman. Awesome!

6. Avatar: The Last Air Bender - I didn't want to like this series because it reminded me of the eminently stupid Dragon Ball Z. However, I’m continually surprised and engrossed by Avatar’s supremely better premise, writing and characters. It’s really “must-see” cartooning.

5. Tom & Jerry - ONLY the old school version where they beat each other’s brains out. It's not politically correct, but it's still funny as all heck.

4. (TIE) Flintstones/Jetsons – the Jetsons and Flintstones are the exact same show, only one was set in the Stone Age and the other in the Space Age.

3. Pinky & The Brain - this was an Animaniacs cartoon that was popular when I was in college. My housemates and I never missed a show; it was ahead of its time.

2. Simpsons - what else can be said about the first primetime cartoon ever that hasn’t already been said? Homer MADE the Fox Network.

And my pick for number cartoon series of all time is.....

Image via Wikipedia

1. SpongeBob Squarepants - never has so much been done with a premise so littered with holes (literally). I love that I can watch, laugh and enjoy every episode with my daughters.

Let me know which other animated gems I've missed and where it should go in the rank or reply with your own Top-10 ranking (if you dare)!