Why did old cartoons not show the faces of their adults?

[Cicero]

examples, KND and early episodes of Fairly Oddparents. Why is this? What other cartoons did the same thing?

[BrassMonkey]

I dont know, but I have always wondered the same thing.

[TheMatrix]

TJP :arrow: Television and Cinema

[Mortal Coil]

My guess is that it was a subconscious decision on the part of the creators: shows intended for an adult audience tend to depersonalize young children, so a show with an intended audience of young children would logically depersonalize adults.

Also: The Powerpuff Girls.

[Cicero]

My guess is that it was a subconscious decision on the part of the creators: shows intended for an adult audience tend to depersonalize young children, so a show with an intended audience of young children would logically depersonalize adults.

Also: The Powerpuff Girls.

well it was only mrs. (i forgot her name) something, the mayor and proffessors faces were shown. i watch that show every now and again, and i think man this seems like it could also (kinda) be for an older audience! like that one demon devil thing, i couldve sworn he said hell at one point haha xD

[Mortal Coil]

OH SHIT MAN
he said hell
the state of American television...


Wait, you watched the Powerpuff Girls?
*snickers*

[Cicero]

OH SHIT MAN
he said hell
the state of American television...


Wait, you watched the Powerpuff Girls?
*snickers*

:whoops: When I was younger I did, in fact, I had one of the books i distinctly remember :P (It was the one where that one kid with big glasses ate glue and then he became that big glue monster) I even watched Totally Spies (which i LOVED that show :D Jerry, Clover, Sam and Alex. ehhh, weird how i remember there names after sooo long, like as long as kindergarden and first grade, and im in eleventh grade lol :eek:)

[TheMatrix]

Consider Tom & Jerry -- the original series from the 1950s of course -- the adults there did not have faces, either. Presumably it was because faces were too hard to draw and properly animate(for what it was worth at the time). And usually those people weren't the main focus of the show, so spending too much time on that would be a waste.

[FreeFall]

Reeaaaallly wanted to see Ms. Bellum's face! Ugh.

But it's like the Peanuts and how we never heard adults actually speak, just that wah wah noise.
I guess we're supposed to focus on the smaller characters (kids, cats, mice whatever) and see their world and feel like we're in it, and since they're usually knee/hip high to the adult it's easier to just cut them off than pan out and show their face.

[Zenos]

It's ageism ageism .lol

[dontfiguremeout]

hmmm I am not too sure, but I'm thinking they aren't the main focus at all! They wanted to keep the main focus on the main characters.

[ArsenicCatNip]

I imagine they made them faceless so kids could relate to them

[Aves]

Probably a way of minimizing animation, letting the viewer imagine who it might be, and just cause they wanted to. There was nothing saying they had to, but they just did.

[Eliza Snark]

My guess is that it was a subconscious decision on the part of the creators: shows intended for an adult audience tend to depersonalize young children, so a show with an intended audience of young children would logically depersonalize adults.

Also: The Powerpuff Girls.

Probably a way of minimizing animation, letting the viewer imagine who it might be, and just cause they wanted to. There was nothing saying they had to, but they just did.

These seem like the most likely answers to me. The protagonists in kid's shows are typically kids, adults play more of a background role.

[OldSchool]

Not all shows were like that, look at Johnny Bravo, its about a man child.

[Eliza Snark]

Not all shows were like that, look at Johnny Bravo, its about a man child.

You know, there's actually a funny fan theory out there that suggests Johnny Bravo is a child, and that the buff character you see on screen is just how he imagines himself. I find the show's a lot more funny when you look at it through that frame of reference.

[OldSchool]

You know, there's actually a funny fan theory out there that suggests Johnny Bravo is a child, and that the buff character you see on screen is just how he imagines himself. I find the show's a lot more funny when you look at it through that frame of reference.

If he was a child the women would say "awwww" instead of slapping him. Nice theory though. That show always made me enjoy my day.
Another example of a show where the parents are really completely seen is Cow and Chicken.

Can't believe these are considered old now, it's hurting my feelings.

[Eliza Snark]

Can't believe these are considered old now, it's hurting my feelings.

1990 was over twenty years ago, man.

[OldSchool]

1990 was over twenty years ago, man.

Johnny Bravo came out in 1996/8, Cow and chicken was also late 1990s.
None of the examples date to 1990, Heck, I don't even date to 1990 although I'm a year off or so.

[Human]

I'm not sure actually! Although you can see the face of Tom n jerrys owner in one episode.

[The Flash]

It cost too much money to draw the faces, each face would cost a great amount of money to show. so they did not show the faces.

[WickedWeekend]

Peanuts. Oh so much. The adults didn't even speak English.

[UnknownError]

Probably what was said about faces taking too long to animate for a small part for the older ones, and just for fun for the newer ones. PPG and C&C etc were probably done as a reference to things like tom and jerry.

Reeaaaallly wanted to see Ms. Bellum's face! Ugh.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2h5vhtw.png

[Pierce]

Don't forget Charlie Brown... I think.

[Noirtier]

Don't forget Charlie Brown... I think.

Well, Charlie Brown didn't even show anything of the adults. They didn't even say words, it was just "Wah wah wah wah" and such.

[TigerBoy]

I guess we're supposed to focus on the smaller characters (kids, cats, mice whatever) and see their world and feel like we're in it, and since they're usually knee/hip high to the adult it's easier to just cut them off than pan out and show their face.

Yeah I always thought it was to make it always seem like it was down in the perspective of the main characters. The adults weren't 'characters' they represented authority or whatever, so were just generalised ideas.

[RCT109]

its for kids and noone likes seeing adults in cartoons anyway so why waste the money
and look at peanuts the adults never spoke english

[Allanon]

i dont know:)

[Stronger]

Probably what was said about faces taking too long to animate for a small part for the older ones, and just for fun for the newer ones. PPG and C&C etc were probably done as a reference to things like tom and jerry.

image (http://i42.tinypic.com/2h5vhtw.png)

That is interesting. o.o

[Jupiter]

OH SHIT MAN
he said hell
the state of American television...


Wait, you watched the Powerpuff Girls?
*snickers*

i did. D:

also, it's probably the same reason in charlie brown that the adults had funny voices.

[PinkFloyd]

I think it was the creator wanting everyone to focus on ghe maincharacters and not the pointless ones.

[Mirage]

Locked due to (multiple :P ) OP requests.

:locked: