The Evolution of TV Cartoon Characters

To the average cartoon viewer, SpongeBob is SpongeBob and Bart Simpson is Bart Simpson, but cartoon connoisseurs recognize that characters evolve over the years, not just personality-wise but graphically. Buzzfeed, of all sites, has posted an interactive feature showing the design evolution of characters from The Simpsons, Doug, Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants and Hey Arnold!

I usually gravitate toward the earlier versions of characters when the design and animation are looser and haven’t been locked down through repetition. Below is a look at the Flintstones, not included in the Buzzfeed article, which also underwent significant streamlining during the show’s original run.