It's Saturday Morning!: Celebrating the Golden Era of Cartoons 1960s - 1990s

With concept art, archival images, all-new interviews, and a foreword by Bobby’s World creator and funnyman Howie Mandel, It's Saturday Morning! celebrates the shows, characters, songs, and commercials that made Saturday mornings a pop culture event—decade by decade.

Broadcasting into family living rooms from the 1960s to the 1990s, this wildly creative art form wrought a beloved rite of passage. From the hours of 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., parents could sleep in while their children plopped on the couch to consume cartoons galore. From The Bugs Bunny Show, The Jetsons, and Jonny Quest to The Smurfs, He-Man, and Animaniacs, this window of time promised pure entertainment and an experience that united generations.

Organized by decade,find profiles of the most beloved Saturday morning cartoons:

• 1960s: The Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Space Ghost, and more!
• 1970s: The Pink Panther, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Fat Albert, and more!
• 1980s: The Smurfs, The Adventures of the Gummi Bears, The Transformers, and more!
• 1990s: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and more!

Each show profile is accompanied by easy-reference stats (years on air, network, number of episodes, and characters and voice actors), promotional and concept images of the cartoons, and candid photos of its creators and actors. The commentary explores the cultural setting that influenced its creation and behind-the-scenes insights from the show’s producers and artists.

This entertaining walk down memory lane is made complete by a review of some of the iconic products advertised between these favorite cartoons. “After These Messages…” segments provide fascinating facts about the merchandise that appeared in Saturday morning commercials, such as the Slinky, Lite-Brite, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Golden Crisp cereal.

This exquisitely produced guide to the golden era of cartoons is perfect for artists and illustrators, pop culture fanatics, or anyone who loves a heaping portion of nostalgia.