But were the cartoon kids ever really easy on the eye?
(Image credit: Courtesy of Nickelodeon)
It's official: TV producers have run out of ideas. Alongside revivals of such 1990s classics like Frasier and Ren & Stimpy, we also have the Rugrats reboot to add to an evergrowing list of televisual comebacks. Rather predictably though, some '90s kids are already complaining after getting a glimpse of the show's new look in a first-look teaser which was released online yesterday.
While the classic pint-sized heroes of Tommy, Angelica and Chuckie all bear the same classic designs of the original show (and you can always check out our 27 top character design tips to make your own cool creations), it seems not everyone's a fan of the CGI makeover on display here.
When will studios who recreate such classics to so many people understand that the original graphics/animation/etc is part of our love for it??? Anyways this is me tweeting about The Rugrats at 8am https://t.co/viVCZXJbZOFebruary 25, 2021
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Twitter users reacting to the sneak peek have bemoaned the CGI look for robbing the Rugrats of their cute human charm. The main complaint is they're now like every other soulless and computer-animated toon coming off the animation production line these days.
Just do it in 2d animation again why does it have to look like they're possessed dolls who move at 120fps https://t.co/4hpGWRkcZ5 pic.twitter.com/xvucxK0sGCFebruary 25, 2021
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One fan pointed out that the new look takes away what made the show so unique back in the '90s, and that was its deliberately ugly choice of aesthetic. Created by beloved studio Klasky Csupo, the show was just one of its fleet of edgy and anarchic shows which defined the decade. Classic cartoons like Duckman, The Wild Thornberrys and even early Simpsons had that rough Klasky Csupo DNA, a style that was a million miles away from the polished look of Disney and Don Bluth.
That Rugrats picture is just making me appreciate the wonderful, alienating ugly weirdness of Klasky-Csupo in their prime pic.twitter.com/sSlOdEzyKcFebruary 25, 2021
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The CGI of the reboot may be ugly, but Rugrats was a show that was always less-than-beautiful. While lacking in charm, this revival is probably closer in spirit to the original than, say, the forthcoming Earwig and the Witch is to the rest of Studio Ghibli's sumptuous output. And the best news is that the original voice cast is coming back to reprise their roles, so it's not all doom and gloom for rabid Rugrats fans out there.
Giacomo is a writer and talking head who has covered creativity and creative tools for Wallpaper*, Digital Arts, Creative Boom, VICE, Little White Lies, the BBC and more. Giacomo has also hosted for Adobe and D&AD, and judged the annual New Blood Awards. He was deputy editor of Creative Bloq for a short time in 2021.
