Ever wondered what cartoons your parents watched when they were young and why they are not impressed with modern-day animations? That’s because their generation witnessed some of the best cartoons ever produced, which is exactly what Joe Garner & Michael Ashley talk about in their book, It’s Saturday Morning!

Consider it a trip down memory lane or an ultimate guide for cartoon lovers, this book has been written for people of any age, living anywhere because most of the cartoons either made it to TV channels or were available on video cassettes since there was no Netflix or YouTube.

The book takes you back to the time before the arrival of cable channels as well, when Saturday mornings were the ‘kids’ time’. Your parents’ favourite shows which are sometimes aired on Cartoon Network are also discussed in detail on these pages and you will not be bored for a minute while reading about them.

Although the magical ‘once-in-a-week’ morning used to last from 8 am till 12 pm in the United States, Pakistan was a different territory and children like your parents watched them whenever they got free time. These characters were so relatable that they became the whole generation’s friends, which is exactly the reason why the decades of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s are known as the golden age of animation.

In this book, each decade has its own chapter, focusing on the most popular and influential cartoons of that time. If the 60s had Flintstones and Jetsons for the kids, the 70s had mystery-solving Scooby Doo as well as Battle of the Planets and Super Friends. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe along with The Transformers transformed the lives of kids growing up in the 80s while the 90s era had the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Tiny Toon Adventures for kids to enjoy.

It’s Saturday Morning! is packed with ‘never heard before’ information; why was Bugs Bunny called ‘Bugs’, how did the creation of ‘Underdog’ take place, why was there a need for Jetsons in the 60s, who was the first animated superhero and which cartoons were, in reality, toys before becoming famous. The book not only provides answers to these queries, but also revisits the shows, famous characters, theme songs, and even products the cartoons sold.

For the first time, It’s Saturday Mornings brings to the fore the creators of these cartoons. The thought and the eventual messages are also described in an easy-to-understand way. For example, Fat Albert was obese and rejected, but actually, the character was a humorous take on growing up in America as a person of a different race. With Tarzan, the kids learned the ways of the wild, while The Care Bears spread love every Saturday morning. The four hours every week promised pure entertainment and brought an experience that bonded generations.

The book is better than any encyclopaedia on cartoons, as it brings the best cartoons of multiple generations to you, with illustrations, and a lot of nostalgia. It also has the magic to bind the entire family together as it has a lot for everyone in it.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 18th, 2023