A trip down memory lane...

Last week, almost everyone on Facebook started changing their profile pictures to images of cartoon characters that reminded them of their childhood years. It was supposed to be a drive against child abuse. I doubt though that it was an official project targeting a good cause. Some even thought it silly, like my Dad who laughed at the photos we posted. But the campaign made him recall the cartoons he used to watch back in the 60s and 70s, even if he didn't dare post it on his page. It caused quite a stir, with almost 90% of my friends following the trend. I found myself browsing through my friends list more frequently, just to check out the cartoon pics that people posted. Some would even reveal the person's age, if he or she chose a character that was quite old.

Now that this whole cartoon thing is trending, and today is the last day of the campaign, allow me to share with you a glimpse from my past. These were the cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid. I remember waking up early every Saturday morning to catch my favorites on TV. Of course, every kid loved Sesame Street and Batibot. Here were the other toons I was hooked on.


Super Book and Flying House were one of my all-time favorites. It was also probably the easiest way to introduce children to Jesus and the Bible.


I simply adored the Care Bears. I used to have a sticker album when I was a kid, gifted to me by my Lolo Efren and Lola Gaya. It was a big, expensive book, and the stickers were bright and glittery. I also remember having Care Bears jammies from the States. Another memory I have of this cartoon is the time when my Tito Gil (bless his soul) brought me to the cinema to watch The Care Bears movie. He even bought me a set of colorful stickers after the show. That was about two decades ago. Now people are still loving these cute bears and all the positive vibes they throw out. An absolute classic.


To make kids eat their veggies, particularly spinach, just tell them to watch Popeye. Oh yes, that worked for me. And it made me crave for burgers, too. :)


I never really totally understood the plot of G.I. Joe, but I still watched it regularly when I was a kid. I honestly thought the most gorgeous lady on the show was The Baroness.



I remember watching this cartoon with my siblings when we were kids. We lived in San Juan back then, in our little townhouse. I remember having a Smurfs coloring book, and when I finished up all my blue crayons, I'd just paint them with a different color.


"I am Adora, He-Man's twin sister, and defender of the crystal castle. This is Spirit, my beloved steed." Oh yes, I know this line by heart. That's how much I loved this cartoon back then. He-Man was on my list, too. :)


Who didn't watch Captain Planet? His long hairdo and the bluish hue of his skin were enough to get every kid hooked. And of course, The Real Ghostbusters! I had a huge crush on Egon Spengler!


If there's one cartoon series that made me cry with every episode, that was Princess Sarah, dubbed in the vernacular and shown on Channel 2. I hated Lavinia with all my heart, but I always thought she was so much prettier than Sarah. And of course there's Lottie and Ermengarde and Miss Minchin...


I was a huge fan of the X-Men cartoon series as well. My favorite character: Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm.

Disney movies are timeless! My favorite was Sleeping Beauty. Until Belle of Beauty & the Beast came along, I thought Aurora was the prettiest Disney princess.


I never quite understood why the Wicked Queen was so envious of Snow White. Yes, the magic mirror said she was the fairest. But not the most beautiful. And definitely not more beautiful than the Queen. I never liked the chubby girl with the ugly outfit and the irritating, high-pitched voice. The Wicked Queen was my favorite, in all her sophisticated bitchiness.


I changed my profile pic on Facebook to an image of Wonder Woman, complete with her magic lasso. Why? I've always wanted to be Wonder Woman. Back in kindergarten, my friends and I would play a game where we pretended to be members of the Justice League. I wanted to be the raven-haired heroine with the invisible jet. But my gay classmate would always beat me to it. Wonder twins na lang daw ako. I can't remember the name of that boy. But I remember how I wanted to punch him for disrespecting my favorite cartoon character.


So, what was your favorite cartoon? Go change your profile pic. You have until today to join the fun.

:)