10 New Cartoons To Watch If You Were A Fan Of Courage The Cowardly Dog

Cartoon Network’s cult classic Courage the Cowardly Dog offered a unique reinterpretation of television horror. Courage’s series of bizarre encounters with spine-chilling ghosts and ghouls of all sorts was marketed as a children’s show but it was edgy enough to draw in mature audiences too.

Years later, the show is still remembered as an unconventional horror classic. Rather than relying on jump scares or gore, the show made good use of atmospheric tension and various sorts of villains who had their own share of disturbing backstories and eerie voice acting. However, this isn’t the only show to do this…

10 Invader Zim

Even though Invader Zim just ran for two seasons, the series’ blend of sci-fi and dark humor set it apart from other Nickelodeon originals. The series mainly focuses on the titular Zim, an alien lifeform from the planet Irk. All through the show’s episodes, Zim plots to invade Earth and enslave all of its inhabitants.

Invader Zim, like Courage, broke the barriers of acceptable TV for children. Rather than sugar-coating every situation, the cartoon offered conflicting moral decisions for the characters. And sometimes, it presented visual elements like gooey violence and mutated pimples that would have been ahead of its times. Even though Invader Zim succumbed to early cancellation, its ‘edgy’ themes set a market for cartoons targeting older children, like Adventure Time.

9 Rick And Morty

Rick and Morty is definitely not a kid’s show but beneath its deep-rooted analysis of philosophy and science, the Adult Swim series also presents a slight goofiness to its characters. For instance, the various monsters and creatures that the leading duo encounter are extremely silly.

And, yet, there lies creativity under the silliness, with self-aware humor and parodies of the sci-fi genre in itself. To put it in a nutshell, Rick and Morty relies on the usual tropes of an oversaturated genre and attempts to completely subvert them.

8 Animals

A highly underrated HBO original series, Animals is simply a show about…animals. The anthology series shares common themes throughout but each episode features specific suburban animals, ranging from pet dogs to turkeys at a butcher shop.

As implied from its title, the story arc for each of those animals resonates with human themes and stresses the fact that most human actions and values are ‘wild’ and ‘uncivilized’. Although the show is filled with extremely random moments sometimes, most people thoroughly enjoy the show for the thoughtful and satirical writing.

7 Castlevania

No horror animated series has been as raw and graphic as Netflix’s take on the Castlevania video games. While Castlevania deals with popular characters like Dracula and relies on a classic anime visual style, the show finds its own footing with its hyperviolent and storyline.

The bloodshed might be excessive for some but the show also relies on multi-layered characters balancing style with substance. It’s set against the backdrop of a medieval Europe, dominated by superstitious priests and bloodthirsty vampires. The trio of a monster hunter, a wizard, and a vampire prince embark on adventures to bring a balance between the two forces.

6 Kid Vs Kat

Kid vs Kat isn’t a nail-biter horror show but its protagonist’s frustration is somewhat reminiscent of many other characters. When Courage senses early signs of trouble, he tries his absolute best to warn Eustace and Muriel of the incoming danger but his efforts go in vain.

Similarly, Kid Vs Kat’s Coop Burtonburger is often at his wit’s end with his sister’s ‘alien’ cat. While the feline acts innocent in front of everyone else, it turns into a raging maniac around Coop. The Canadian animated series originally aired on Jetix and Disney XD, serving as a reminder of contemporary shows of the same networks like Kick Buttowski.

5 Adventure Time

Adventure Time, along with Cartoon Network productions like Regular Show, left a huge impact on PG-13 television. With its share of innuendos and fart jokes, Adventure Time signified the rise of early teens as a significant demographic for cartoons. The characters in the show didn’t place an emphasis on morality and neither do they emulate the pressure to serve as role models for kids.

Even though Finn, Jake, Ice King, and the rest of the ensemble have their emotional side, all of these characters are unabashedly themselves. Running for a whopping ten seasons, Adventure Time was arguably a pop culture phenomenon on its own.

4 Ben 10

Ben 10 started its journey on Cartoon Network in 2005. Since then, the show has spawned several TV films, spinoffs, and even a reboot. However, none seem to match the freshness of the original. In its early episodes, the show was essentially centered on a road trip as Ben Tennyson and his cousin, Gwen, encounter alien lifeforms and other beastly creatures as they travel in their grandfather’s RV.

On their adventures, a mysterious ‘alien watch’ clings on Ben’s wrist that allows the teenager to turn into ten different aliens, each with their own set of powers. The ten aliens, along with other extra-terrestrial characters, provided some good family-friendly sci-fi with a good-enough blend of comedy and drama.

3 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

The eleventh TV incarnation of the Scooby-Doo series, Mystery Incorporated almost functions as a prequel for it delves into the early days of the classic paranormal investigators. The essence of the show lies in its simplicity as it is mostly set in their own city and rarely relies on over-the-top villainy, and crossovers with other high-profile allies.

Tonally similar to Batman: Brave and the Bold, the show makes good use of self-parodying comedy to poke fun at its source material’s cliches. With that being said, Mystery Incorporated also has its dark and emotional moments and often references classic horror like HP Lovecraft’s literature, Saw, and Twin Peaks.

2 Ugly Americans

The adult-animated comedy Ugly Americans is set in a world where humans and the ‘non-humans’ live in the same world. Starting a new life in a city like New York can be a Herculean task for many such creatures. The show’s lead cast, a staff of social workers, help the humans and the monsters to get accustomed to the Big Apple.

Bearing heavy traces of black comedy and bizarro fiction, Ugly Americans makes for an engaging watch for those who are into grotesque animation and dry wit.

1 Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls might seem like a simple adventure comedy but its episodes sum up several genres, ranging from coming-of-age drama to surreal horror. At the core of its story are two siblings, Dipper and Mabel, who spend a summer at the sleepy town of Gravity Falls, with their quirky uncle.

The twins encounter several familiar and unfamiliar paranormal forces while running their uncle’s ‘tourist trap’ of a shop. Intentionally written for a two-season run, Alex Hirsch’s show is equally hilarious and heart-warming. The premise might seem derivative but enough gags and character arcs help in propelling the show to a new height.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
(727 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

More From Shaurya Thapa