5 Retro Canadian Cartoons That Should Be on Netflix

Cameron Ohara
TV Animation
TV Animation Netflix

Hear the word Canada and what comes to mind? Maple syrup? Hockey? Awesome cartoons from the ’90s? Retro is in, and that’s not going to change. And Canada’s got some great content that would make a fine addition to Netflix’s digital library.

ReBoot

ReBoot (not the Guardian Code, but the original) takes place entirely inside a computer. The protagonists are up against computer viruses, video game users and software pirates. Bob, the hero of the series, is a guardian from the Net sent to help. But he needs the assistance of his friends to save the day.

Although the ’90s computer animation may be a bit dated today, people who watched ReBoot when it was first released will laugh out loud at the humour that went over their heads when they were younger. And fans who saw the entire four-season run can attest that each season is more mature than the last.

ReBoot holds a special place in television history as the first fully computer-generated cartoon. For this alone it deserves to be in a museum. So why not in a digital collection of TV and film masterpieces like Netflix?

The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police

If the title of the show didn’t already tip you off, The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police feature the titular Sam and Max, two police-for-hire detectives who often come across other-worldly or supernatural events while working on a case. This crime/sci-fi genre mixed with fast-talking humour provides plenty of opportunities to push TV and film tropes into absurdity.

Sam and Max are also known for the video games series based on them that was developed by LucasArts and Telltale. Yet it was the rapid-fire punchlines and the self-aware back and forth between the show’s two leads that earned the cartoon a Gemini Award (Canada’s version of an Emmy) in 1998. Award-winning cartoons on Netflix (even Canadian awards)? Heck, yeah!

Stickin’ Around

Stickin’ Around brought the childlike mind of the Canadian suburban kid to the small screen. The show follows a group of kids who use their over-active imaginations to make life interesting. Creativity is the keyword here: in one episode the characters may be in a video game and the next in an Inception-like dreamscape. On top of this, you have a soundtrack so quippy it’s practically a comedy routine on its own. The soundtrack covered a wide variety of styles, covering everything from alien invasion movie music to a song that sounds like it’s being played on an old record player.

Although this cartoon is more for the young-at-heart, Stickin’ Around is a safe bet for family viewing. The show was also ahead of its time, giving the two lead roles to a girl and her black friend. It’s a safe program to leave your kids with if you need to, but even more fun if watched together.

Captain Star

If you’re a sci-fi fan with a dry sense of humour and have an interest in little-known, short-lived TV shows, Captain Star is perfect for you. A British/Canadian series, Captain Star is about a spaceship captain who sits in a wheelbarrow awaiting orders to colonize and name planets after himself. Why? Well, to sell the inhabitants sundries of course.

Star Trek fans will immediately recognize the similarities between Star and Captain Kirk. The second-in-command also tends to resemble Beverly Crusher from the Next Generation (voice actor Denica Fairman sounds just like her, if not somewhat Vulcan). The characters enamour you with their unique charm, whether it’s Navigator Black’s obsession with fish or Captain Star’s distaste for ‘unhygienic’ carpets. Listening to Star say the word ‘unhygienic’ is priceless.

The Ren & Stimpy Show

Although The Ren & Stimpy Show is technically an American cartoon that debuted on Nickelodeon, its creator John Kricfalusi is actually Canadian, so it counts. That’s good because only a Canadian can get away with using the label, “Kilted Yaksmen.” In case you haven’t heard, Ren & Stimpy follows a maniacal chihuahua named Ren Höek and his buffoonish Manx cat friend Stimpson J. Cat. The pair’s love-hate relationship follows them through a wide variety of comedic situations.

Sadly, Kricfalusi was fired from Nickelodeon partway through the second season, but Ren & Stimpy remains a legacy. The cartoon inspired countless artists and animators to push the limits of their craft and explore more surreal and absurdist comedy. From Beavis and Butt-Head, which followed the success of the show to SpongeBob SquarePants, which borrowed visual gags and other jokes, Ren & Stimpy inspired a generation. It’s time Netflix allowed it to inspire another.

Cameron Ohara
Cameron here – I’m a science-inspired artist making maps, webcomics, graphic art, music, podcasts, and other stuff. I love writing/talking about my favourite fandoms - ReBoot, Star Wars, the Legend of Zelda to name a few.