The 2000s Had Plenty Good But Obscure Cartoons

Ten Best but Obscure Cartoons from the 2000s

If you were a kid growing up in the 2000s, then you know it was a great time for cartoons. Whether it was on animation titans like Nick, Disney, and Cartoon Network, educational channels like PBS, or the afterschool/Saturday morning lineup of Kids WB, there were plenty of places for kids to watch cartoons, several of which remain popular to this day. Sadly, for every Avatar and Phineas and Ferb we got, there were even more cartoons that have since fallen into obscurity. What makes this a huge shame is that many of these shows proved successful in their own right, yet have become so obscure that not even its fans may remember them. Case in point, these ten great cartoons from the 2000s might be so obscure that most people don’t even know they existed in the first place.

Camp Lazlo (2005-2008)

Most people who grew up watching Nickelodeon in the 90s are bound to remember Joe Murray’s hit cartoon, Rocko’s Modern Life. History has also proven kind to the show, if not for its own merits, then for the sheer amount of people who worked on it finding their own success. However, people are less likely to remember Rocko’s younger brother, Camp Lazlo. Premiering in the summer 2005 on Cartoon Network, Camp Lazlo actually had most of Rocko’s staff return to work with Murray once more. Focusing on a trio of misfit scouts at a rundown summer camp, Lazlo proved every bit as funny as Rocko, even winning a few Emmys during its run. Despite being successful in its own right, Lazlo has never managed to get out of Rocko’s shadow, falling into obscurity after ending in 2008.

Clone High (2002-2003)

Technically, this no longer qualifies as obscure due to its recent revival, but during its heyday, Clone High was fairly obscure. Created by Phil Lord and Chris Miller before they became famous, this parody of teen drama shows originally aired on MTV. But due to a combination of low ratings and controversy about its portrayal of Gandhi leading to Indians organizing hunger strikes, it got cancelled after one season. While the modern revival did manage to last two seasons, its unceremonious cancellation means its future remains in doubt. And right as Joan was about to decide if she wanted to date Abe or Confucius!

My Life as a Teenage Robot(2003-2008)

Based on a short from Nick’s Oh Yeah! Cartoons series, My Life as a Teenage Robot has quite the impressive pedigree behind it. Its creator, Rob Renzetti, has worked in the animation industry for decades, most notably alongside Craig McCracken and Genndy Tartakovsky. His own show, though, centers around XJ-9, AKA Jenny, a sentient robot built to protect the world from threats, but due to being designed as a teenager, she’s more interested in normal teen stuff. The show was fairly good, thanks to its retro art style and sense of humor, yet never quite reached the level of popularity it was aiming for. These days, poor Jenny hardly gets any love from Nickelodeon!

Teacher’s Pet (2000-2002)

If this kid’s cartoon looks an awful lot like the Cranium games, there’s a reason for that: it was created by the guy who made the artwork for Cranium. Initially airing on ABC before moving to Toon Disney, this quirky show was about Spot, a dog who disguised himself as a boy and attended school alongside his owner, Leonard. The show managed to do well during its time, garnering some Emmys and even getting a theatrical movie that served as the finale, though it’s since fallen victim to obscurity. Thankfully, the entire series and movie are available on Disney+.

And yes, Spot is voiced by the man who plays Timon in The Lion King.

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005)

Newer Star Wars fans might not know this, but before Cartoon Network released The Clone Wars show in 2008, they had already made another series about that pivotal conflict five years earlier. Directed and produced by famed creator of Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory, Genndy Tartakosvky, this micro-series was meant to bridge the gap between Attack of the Clones and the then-upcoming Revenge of the Sith. Praised by fans and critics for its emphasis on action over talking, Clone Wars proved immensely successful and brought home multiple awards. However, due to Disney resetting the franchise in 2014, the entire series has been declared non-canon. These days, fans are more likely to remember its canon successor show than Clone Wars.

Dave the Barbarian (2004-2005)

You might have already seen clips of this show on YouTube and wondered what the heck you’re watching. And for good reason. Airing on Disney Channel for less than a year, Dave the Barbarian was a silly parody of the medieval fantasy genre, and it was very much aware of this fact. So much so that regularly breaks the fourth wall by having the narrator talk to the characters. Between this, the utter lack of seriousness, and the horse voiced by Christopher Walken, this show is a barrel of laughs. It may not have lasted for long, but it’s still remembered fondly by those who watched it. Just don’t expect to find it on streaming; the episode’s are only found on YouTube.

El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007-2008)

Before they created The Book of Life and Maya and the Three, Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua created El Tigre for Nickelodeon. Airing on Nickelodeon and later Nicktoons in 2007, the series followed the titular Manny Rivera, a 13-year-old boy with superpowers who comes from a long line of heroes and villains, yet he can’t decide what he wants to be. With its unique art style, balance between action and comedy, and emphasis on the value of family, the show managed to score multiple awards during its short run. While it may not have lasted that long, those in the know about it can agree that this show is a hidden gem among Nicktoons.

Code Lyoko (2003-2007)

Code Lyoko is unique on this list for a few reasons. Originating in France before making its way to Cartoon Network in 2003, the show centers around a group of pre-teens who fight to protect the world from an evil supercomputer known as X.A.N.A.. To do this, they travel into a virtual world inside the supercomputer and fight its viral minions while stopping whatever plot it has in store. The show proved to be a very popular addition to Cartoon Network, becoming a mainstay of its afternoon Miguzi block. Since the show came to an end in 2007 for France and 2008 for the US, though, it’s largely fallen by wayside. Which is a shame, as it was one of the few shows to combine 2D and 3D animation and look good while doing so. Also, that opening song was an absolute banger!

X-Men: Evolution (2000-2003)-

There have multiple cartoons about the popular superhero team the X-Men, but this early 2000s one was one of the more unique. Airing on Kids WB from 2000 to 2003, X-Men: Evolution returned the team to its early days by having most of the members aged down to their teen years, with all the problems that that entailed. In addition, unlike other adaptations, the team and Mutants remained a secret for its first half, with the resulting fallout and backlash driving much of the plot in the latter half. The show itself wasn’t bad, but between the more popular X-Men: The Animated Series that preceded it and Nicktoon’s Wolverine and the X-Men in 2009, it’s pretty obscure.

Chowder (2007-2010)

This last pick, created by SpongeBob and Billy and Mandy veteran C.H. Greenblatt, isn’t that obscure, but it is incredibly absurd. Set in the whimsical Marzipan City and centered around an aspiring chef’s apprentice, Chowder was one of the strangest shows ever to grace Cartoon Network. Between the fourth-wall breaks, countless food puns, and foods with names so silly that Dr. Seuss could’ve come up with them, Chowder was a comedy gem. Sadly, it also came around right as the network was trying to pivot towards more live-action shows, leading to its eventual cancellation in 2010. Not that Greenblatt seemed to mind.