TV Animation - 1970

- Ink on paper, plus digital work

- January 2025

I know it's been six months since I drew the last one, but these are animated cartoon characters that debuted on American television in 1970.

Left to right:

Josie - Josie and the Pussycats

Doctor Dolittle - Doctor Dolittle

Drac - Groovie Goolies

Meadowlark - Harlem Globetrotters

Sabrina - Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Jerry Lewis - Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down

Mr. Toad - The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show

A little background:

Hanna-Barbera was again dominating Saturday morning cartoons this year with Josie and the Pussycats (which was similar to Scooby-Doo) and Harlem Globetrotters. But they had some competition with Filmations Groovie Goolies, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down. Alongside those, DePatie-Freleng had Doctor Dolittle and Rankin/Bass had The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show.

Coming out of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Harlem Globetrotters (based on the actual team) was the first Saturday morning cartoon with a predominantly black cast of characters. The legendary Scatman Crothers provided the voice of Meadowlark Lemon.

Additionally, both Josie and Sabrina starred female leads. And Sabrina was part of a "shared universe" with the Archie show from a couple years earlier, with characters showing up in both series.

The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show has absolutely no connection with the older Disney cartoons. This series was Rankin/Bass' adaptation of the original literary source material.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you want to see more, check out the "History of TV Animation" section of my gallery.