In an endless sea of Dexter's Laboratory and Hanna-Barbara-esquire ripoffs, "Flapjack" certainly stands out. While it's simplistic main character designs (Flapjack, K'nuckles and Bubby) resemble the aforementioned cartoons, it's secondary character and background art truly shine. The backgrounds are not only handpainted, but utilize texturizing techniques (sponges and splatters) and multiple layers to give them a 3-D effect. It also incorporates claymation every once in a while to keep things interesting. The secondary characters range from pleasant looking to downright gross (I mean, that's what sailors most likely looked like). Just take a look at the opening sequence...awesome. Not since Ren and Stimpy has a cartoon shown so much attention to detail and proper animation techniques. I'd compare it to a cross between Pee-Wee's Playhouse and classic cartoons of the 50's and 60's. The animators and writers know what they're doing. Some of the animation is a bit graphic for very young children (the mermaid episode was almost nightmarish art-wise) but children, say, 6 and up will really dig it. Also the main character Flapjack is just a tad too androgynous for pre-schoolers to understand (everyone mistakes him for a girl and there is a little bit of gender-bending related subject matter) but otherwise it's pretty harmless. A great cartoon to let your kids watch, and a great cartoon for adults who appreciate classic animation. Watch it for yourself and see.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
(2008–2010)
Wild and crazy animated adventure.
15 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers