March Madness Cartoon Bracket Second Round Breakdown

That first round was pretty interesting.  There were a lot of matchups that were decided early on, while a few that were decided in the wee hours by a single vote.  The only region that went “chalk” was the 1960’s – 1970’s region, with every other region featuring at least one upset (some which weren’t even anticipated).  With the amount of upsets we have seen so far, it should make the next few rounds very interesting. 

Pre-1960 Region:

Looney Tunes (1) vs. Mr. Magoo (9)

Matt:  Looney Tunes was not the clear-cut winner in the last round that we expected, but it did squeak one out.  As endearing as Mr. Magoo was as a character, I see the combined might of the Warners characters taking him down in this round.

Nik:  Seriously? Quick Draw McGraw gave Looney Tunes a hard time? If that’s the case, I worry about this matchup, to be honest. But I still vote Looney Tunes here.

Mickey Mouse (2) vs. Rocky & Bullwinkle (10)

Matt:  Mickey Mouse barely advanced (by one vote!) so I have no faith in him advancing further, especially against Rocky & Bullwinkle which powered through the last round like the Cinderella they may turn out to be.

Nik:  Oh snap, the Mouse is not as strong as we thought. So my vote goes to Moose & Squirrel.

Popeye (3) vs. Tom & Jerry (6)

Matt:  Tom & Jerry and Popeye both rolled over their respective competition in the first round, so I expect this matchup to be relatively close.  I think Tom & Jerry will take it, but it may be one of those “down to the wire” type victories. 

Nik:  I’m actually thinking Popeye on this one to surprise us.

Matt:  I like Tom & Jerry to win, but I wouldn’t shed a tear if the Sailor Man came out on top, both are strong candidates for advancement.

Yogi Bear (5) vs. Gumby & Pokey (13)

Matt:  The biggest upset in this region was Gumby & Pokey over Felix the Cat (just like you thought, Nik) but it was a really close victory, one that I don’t think Gumby can replicate here.  Yogi wins it.

Nik:  I’m thinking Gumby & Pokey on this one. Just like the Popeye/Tom & Jerry match up, I’m going to go against what I’d choose. I would like to think Yogi would take it, but we’ve seen enough wins that made me say “No shit” already, that I think Gumby takes it.

1960s/1970s Region:

The Flintstones (1) vs. Speed Racer (8)

Matt:  I see Flintstones taking this one pretty easily as well.  Not really much to add to that, Fred and Barney are a juggernaut.

Nik:  True. They both hold some nostalgia for those who watched them, but I think Flintstones has a stronger presence here.

Scooby Doo (2) vs. Underdog (7)

Matt:  A little dog-on-dog action here (I felt a little weird even writing that).  I think Scooby wins big, but I was definitely a little surprised at the authoritative way that Underdog dispatched Schoolhouse Rock in the last round, so the upset is not out of the question.

Nik:  Yeah, shocked to see Schoolhouse out so soon, but Underdog vs. the Scoob? Gotta go with Scooby on this one.

The Jetsons (3) vs. Pink Panther (6)

Matt:  Pink Panther swept Jabberjaw away in the last round, but I think that had more to do with inferior competition, which is set right here as The Jetsons win.

Nik:  Yup. Jetsons are the same as the Flintstones here.

Fat Albert (4) vs. The Chipmunks (5)

Matt:  This one is really hard to call.  I would like to see Fat Albert keep going, but I think the Chipmunks will win easily here.  No amount of Jell-o pudding can save the Cosby kids.

Nik:  This would be a great sweep from behind to see Fat Albert proceed here, but I don’t think they’ll pull it off. It’ll be close, though. I’m calling it close.

1980’s Region:

Transformers (1) vs. Muppet Babies (9)

Matt:  As we thought, the Muppet Babies were big winners over Mario last round, but Transformers won just as convincingly, and I think they continue their dominance here.

Nik:  Going to have to agree. But I don’t think this one’ll be close. I think Muppet Babies will be smooshed in this round.

Matt:  All I can think of is a Kermit puppet on the side of the road with tire tracks on his stomach.  Which I guess would be rather fitting considering how this matchup should turn out.

The Simpsons (2) vs. Duck Tales (10)

Matt:  This is the matchup of the bracket in my opinion.  I see this as a one vote victory for either side, with The Simpsons coming out ahead, just barely.

Nik:  Simpsons will take it by a landslide. I think Duck Tales is too far out of culture at this point to snag votes from the Springfieldians.

Matt:  Don’t underestimate a little Carl Barks duck magic here.  All those people that fondly remember Bubba Duck from the time travel “movie” may have something to say.

Ninja Turtles (3) vs. Real Ghostbusters (11)

Matt:  Another tough one to call, but I can see the Ghostbusters, who steamrolled Thundercats last round continuing their dominance here.  The Turtles barely got by Chip and Dale last round, so they may be out on their half-shells after this round.

Nik:  Shocked to hear that it was so close with the Turtles, but I think they’ll squeak by on this one too.

He-Man (5) vs. Inspector Gadget (13)

Matt:  Gadget surprised me by winning so convincingly over the Smurfs.  I think He-Man wins here though, but it may be closer than I (as an avid Masters of the Universe fan) would feel comfortable acknowledging. 

Nik:  I’m glad to see that I was wrong about He-Man. But the resounding yes of Inspector Gadget makes me think that he may be our guy on this round. Go, go, Gadget Voting Booth.

1990’s – Current Region:

South Park (1) vs. Bobby’s World (9)

Matt:  South Park barely won, while Bobby’s World was a decisive winner in the first round.  I think it will be close with South Park pulling through in the end.

Nik:  Sad to see Doug go, but I’m glad that he put up a solid fight (one of the best opening songs in cartoons). But, despite Bobby’s World trouncing poor Rocko, I don’t think he’ll stand a chance against South Park. I’m actually thinking landslide.

King of the Hill (2) vs. Beavis & Butthead (7)

Matt:  It’s a Mike Judge showdown which King of the Hill should win handily.

Nik:  Not surprised to see either come out ahead in the last round. But I think Beavis & Butthead take this one.

Matt:  It’s slacker vs. Americana in this matchup, I wonder if the inclusion of music videos in Beavis and Butthead’s case will tip the scales in their favor…

Darkwing Duck (11) vs. Talespin (14)

Matt:  The biggest surprise so far is this matchup.  With Ren & Stimpy and Family Guy bowing out in the first round.  That makes this one hard to pick, but I think Darkwing Duck will take this Disney slugfest.

Nik:  Super shocked at these! This’ll be tough, but the Duck moves ahead. Let’s get dangerous.

Animaniacs (5) vs. Tiny Toon Adventures (13)

Matt:  Much to your chagrin, Nik, both Archer and Futurama lost in the first round.  I wasn’t too surprised by Archer being sent home (as brilliant as it is) but Futurama not getting its due was shocking.  The two remaining shows here are quite similar which may just be a matter of “pick your poison” as opposed to a specific like or dislike of a certain brand of animation.  With the convincing way that Animaniacs dispatched of Archer in the first round though, I think they take care of business here as well. 

Nik:  Woof. So sad to see my two favorites destroyed so soon. Out of these two, my guess is Animaniacs. I think they left more of unique mark on cartoon watchers.

Matt:  I agree, I still look at modern day life through the lens of the old “good idea/bad idea” segments.