It’s Environmental Cartoon Week! – Smoggies

Further evidence that climate change is due to the actions of comically inept cartoon villains

Here’s the main problem with this sub-genre of environmental/ecological cartoons – the heroes are invariably either dull or annoying or both, and the villains are much more interesting in comparison. Smoggies is classic example of this. Our heroes are the “Suntots”, cherubs that are some sort of ecologically minded troll-like gonks with Care Bear-esque colour coding.

The Smoggies on the other hand are three comedically bumbling villains, but what makes them superior, and arguably the whole show, to the other cartoons of this genre, is that they aren’t just out and out evil. Their pollution of the environment is borne out of stupidity and laziness and greed rather than being a cackling supervillain who pollutes simply because it’s an EVIL thing to do. Which is probably a better reflection of real life than it’s peers. Plus, trios of bumbling villains who aren’t pure evil are one of my favourite cartoon tropes.

Oh and it’s theme is by Muppet songwriter Joe Raposo, so it has that in it’s favour too.