cartoons

Recaptured 80’s

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I love nostalgia. It’s the one thing that I am often thinking about. I always share stories of my youth and seek out ways to relive those memories.

I follow a fantastic Instagram account that really taps into my 80’s desires. Recaptured 80’s. I love that there is new images added daily along with videos and polls. Following along has sparked memories I didn’t even know I had until I saw them once more.

My 80’s PJ top with iconic cartoon characters.

I’m just a big kid who loves his 80’s. From cartoons to movies; toys to video games; books to candy- it all brings me joy. Sometimes I put on some old cartoons in the background, like GI Joe or Transformers and enjoy the sounds as I live my life. In our pool I’ll play some 80’s favorites and rediscover some lost classics.

Our kids have also grown a love for 80’s films. So much so that they both bought rather expensive Lego sets for themselves with some of their Christmas money. The Delorean and Ecto-1. Both iconic cars from a couple of great 80’s films.

I’m glad that my passions have become my kids’ passions as well. They have even taken to loving music my wife loves. Our middle has taken over my wife’s records and has a love of the same music as my wife. Not to mention that our kids also steal our sense of amazing clothes and wardrobe style.

Have you passed on what you love to your kids? I know I’ve seen some pictures and stories from a few of you. I love it all.

Recaptured 80’s

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I love nostalgia. It’s the one thing that I am often thinking about. I always share stories of my youth and seek out ways to relive those memories.

I follow a fantastic Instagram account that really taps into my 80’s desires. Recaptured 80’s. I love that there is new images added daily along with videos and polls. Following along has sparked memories I didn’t even know I had until I saw them once more.

My 80’s PJ top with iconic cartoon characters.

I’m just a big kid who loves his 80’s. From cartoons to movies; toys to video games; books to candy- it all brings me joy. Sometimes I put on some old cartoons in the background, like GI Joe or Transformers and enjoy the sounds as I live my life. In our pool I’ll play some 80’s favorites and rediscover some lost classics.

Our kids have also grown a love for 80’s films. So much so that they both bought rather expensive Lego sets for themselves with some of their Christmas money. The Delorean and Ecto-1. Both iconic cars from a couple of great 80’s films.

I’m glad that my passions have become my kids’ passions as well. They have even taken to loving music my wife loves. Our middle has taken over my wife’s records and has a love of the same music as my wife. Not to mention that our kids also steal our sense of amazing clothes and wardrobe style.

Have you passed on what you love to your kids? I know I’ve seen some pictures and stories from a few of you. I love it all.

Sunday Morning Cartoons

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday I briefly mentioned Saturday Morning Cartoons. There were always a new series of cartoons being added into the roster on tv. From Muppet Babies to Gummy Bears- the shows we’re constantly changing. The next day of the weekend never changed.

I disliked Sundays very much because of tv. When I was little I attended a catholic school. But we rarely went to church. It just wasn’t something that my parents enforced. And as a kid, I never really asked to go. So I was at home trying to find something to watch on tv.

There wasn’t much selection on a Sunday as most early morning programs were religious based. But I managed to find “The Mighty Hercules” followed by “The Smurfs”. When you only have a handful of tv channels to pick from, the selection was pretty sparse.

These two shows were my go-to on a Sunday until my father took over the tv for golf, cooking, and “This Old House”. During that time I would retreat to play Lego or use our tiny tv to play Colecovision and Intellivision. Playing video games that just never ended. A looping of memorizing the pitfalls and perils in order to see how many hours you could spend playing these games. The games became very easy.

Easy like Sunday Morning. No selection available- you just watched what was on.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Back in the 80’s, Saturday morning cartoons were the best part of childhood. I’d read thru our TV guide and set my morning ritual watching about 2-3 hours of shows. Once 10 am arrived, it was time to get outside and play. Until then, rotting my brain in front of a tv was the thing to do.

This morning, I went on YouTube and found some episodes of “Kidd Video” to watch. I watched the first episode while eating my grilled cheese sandwich. For the second episode, I curled up on a beanbag chair with my ALF blanket.

There was some great commercials as well that someone uploaded with the first episode. Targeting kids with a variety of toys and Spaghetti-o’s. The show made no sense, and the ads made little sense as well. All the while trying humor to fill the gap of confusion.

Some things need to be left behind in the memory banks. Shows like this do not hold up. Even though it was more entertaining to make fun of the show with my son.

What did you do on a Saturday morning during your childhood? What do your kids do on a Saturday morning?

Let me know in the comments.

Cartoons For The Young & Old

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I grew up watching cartoons.  Back in the 80’s it was “Scooby Doo”, “GI Joe”, “My Little Pony”, “Jem & The Holograms”, “Transformers”, and “The Real Ghostbusters” that filled my viewing time.  I continue to watch cartoons with my kids and appreciate the humor that can be found in newer shows like “MLP:Friendship is Magic”, “Teen Titans” or “Phineas and Ferb”.  My wife and I fell in love while dating as we watched “The Powerpuff Girls”.

Back in my late teens I discovered an animation festival that changed my attitude towards cartoons.  It was a traveling show that came to Vancouver once a year called Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation.  A bunch of my friends and I went to the show and laughed.  We laughed a bunch.  So much so that we made it a tradition to go see the show every year for the next four years or so.


Obviously, things have changed in cartoon viewing since then.  Adult Swim has one of my favorite shows- “Rick and Morty”.  I also enjoy “Archer” and “Robot Chicken”.  These shows push the boundaries of acceptable jokes but still remain on a higher level of intellectual humor when you really pay attention.  From “Family Guy” to “The Simpsons” cartoons are more mainstream than ever now.  Often poking fun at themselves and pop culture.  Even YouTube has made it easier to share more profound or even disturbing cartoons.


I’m not saying all disturbing cartoons are funny or worth watching.  But sometimes a gem shines through and really sticks with you.  There was one short film that I absolutely fell in love with.  Every so often I go online just to watch it again.  I recommend you enjoy the film.  It’s maybe PG rated, so it’s not the worst of the animated shows I’ve mentioned.  It is shown like a nature documentary and is cute in it’s delivery.  

Here is the link, please enjoy: The Hidden Life of The Burrowing Owl. On Vimeo