Cel Animated Show That Switched to Digital Coloring

[ToonJay723]

A list of shows that previously were animated with cels that switched over to digital ink and paint. Unless stated otherwise, every episode mentioned and the subsequent episodes after it are all digitally inked and painted.

This list also includes shows that started out with digital coloring, then switched to cels like A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. As well as shows that switched back and forth between the two such as Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

This list is only for episodes, not for opening or ending credits.

This list is incomplete, if you know anything that's missing or inaccurate, please comment below.

Hanna Barbera / Cartoon Network Studios

• Pac-Man (1982)
  • Episode 13 - "Nighty Nightmares / The Pac-Mummy" (only episode)
• The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries
  • Episode 5a - "Doom Service"
• The Jetsons
  • Episode 28 - "Judy's Birthday Surprise"
• The Snorks
  • Season 3 (only season)
• The Smurfs
  • Season 8 (only season)
    • "Grandpa's Nemesis", "Grandpa's Walking Stick", and "Memory Melons" are the only season 8 episodes to use cels
• A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
  • The first seasons used digital coloring. Seasons 2 - 4 used traditional cels.
• Yo Yogi
  • Only 5 episodes used cels
    • Episode 2 - “Huck’s Doggone Day / Groundhog Day”
    • Episode 6 - “Super Duper Snag”
    • Episode 8 - “Polly Want a Safe Cracker”
    • Episode 9 - “Mall or Nothing / There’s No Business Like Snow Business”
    • Episode 11 - “Yippee Yo, Yogi / Of Meeces and Men”
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
  • The 10 episodes from the first season animated by Pacific Animation Corporation were digitally inked and painted by Toon's Factory in France.
    • Episode 1 - "The Darkest Fathoms"
    • Episode 3 - "In the Realm of the Condor"
    • Episode 5 - "Ndovu's Last Journey"
    • Episode 6 - "Manhattan Maneater"
    • Episode 7 - "East of Zanzibar"
    • Episode 11 - "Return of the Anasazi"
    • Episode 17 - "The Spectre of the Pine Barrens"
    • Episode 22 - "Expedition to Khumbu"
    • Episode 24 - "Future Rage"
    • Episode 25 - "Alligators and Okeechobee Vikings"
• Johnny Bravo
  • Episode 27a - “Galaxy Boy Johnny”
• Dexter’s Laboratory
  • Episode 53a - “Streaky Clean”
• The Powerpuff Girls
  • Episode 41 - “All Chalked Up” (Test)
  • Episode 46 - “Superfriends” (full time)
• Ed, Edd n’ Eddy
  • Episode 45 - "Little Blue Ed" (few seconds for a comic book gag)
  • Special (2004) -"Ed, Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle” (full time)

Nickelodeon

• Ren & Stimpy
  • Only 15 segments used digital coloring
    • Episode 9 - “Sven Hoek”
    • Episode 10a - “Haunted House"
    • Episode 11b - "Man's Best Friend"
    • Episode 12 - “Son of Stimpy”
    • Episode 14b - “Out West”
    • Episode 15 - “The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen”
    • Episode 18 - "A Visit to Anthony"
    • Episode 23 - “Stimpy’s Cartoon Show”
    • Episode 27 - “Hard Times for Haggis”
    • Episode 32a - “Blazing Entrails”
    • Episode 33a - “Prehistoric Stimpy”
    • Episode 45a - "Big Flakes"
    • Episode 47b - “City Hicks”
    • Episode 50b - “The Last Temptation of Ren”
    • Episode 53 - "A Scooter for Yakmas"
• CatDog
  • Episode 21c - “Fetch” (theatrical short)
  • Episode 43b - “No Thanks for the Memories” (Test)
  • Episode 61/62/63 - “CatDog and the Great Parent Mystery” (full time)
• Tales from the Goose Lady (Oh Yeah, Cartoons!)
  • 2nd short - "Hamzel and Grandé"
• Hey Arnold
  • Episode 63a - “Full Moon”
• Angry Beavers
  • Episode 44a - “Nice & Lonely”
• The Wild Thornberrys
  • Episode 40 - "The Gift of Gab" (A few shots of Eliza getting her powers)
  • Episode 41 - "Black and Mom All Over" (full time)
• Rugrats
  • Episode 113/114 - “Runaway Reptar” (test)
  • Episode 128 - “Diaper Change” (full time)
• SpongeBob SquarePants
  • Episode 7b - "Jellyfish Jam" (test, the shot with SpongeBob standing on a rock looks at rows of jellyfish)
  • Episode 14a - "SB-129" (test, close up shot of Primitive SpongeBob and Patrick drooling)
  • Episode 21a - “Your Shoe’s Untied” (full time)
    • Episode 54 - "Ugh" (uses recycled footage from Episode 14a - "SB-129")
    • Episode 97a -"20,000 Patties Under the Sea" (uses recycled footage from Episode 3a - "Jellyfishing")

Walt Disney Television Animation

• The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa
  • Episode 13c - "Stand By Me" (only episode, theatrical short)
• Quack Pack
  • Episode 5 - "Pride Goeth Before the Fall Guy" (only episode)
• 101 Dalmatians: The Series
  • Episode 48 - "A Christmas Curella" (only episode)
• Pepper Ann
  • Episode 14a - “Quiz Bowl” (mostly full time)
    • "Def Comedy Mom", "The Beans of Wrath" and "Effie Shrugged" are the only episodes since to use cels
• Hercules: The Animated Series
  • Episode 34 - "Hercules and the Dream Date" (only episode)
• Recess
  • Only 13 segments used digital coloring
    • Episode 32a - Recess is Cancelled
    • Episode 35a - Prickly is Leaving
    • Episode 38a - The Biggest Trouble Ever
    • Episode 39a - Gus and Misdemeanors
    • Episode 40b - Here Comes Mr. Perfect
    • Episode 41 - Good Luck Charm / Diggers Split Up
    • Episode 43a - Schoolworld
    • Episode 44b - Bonky Fever
    • Episode 45b - This Brain for Hire
    • Episode 46 - The Barnaby Boys / Buried Treasure
    • Episode 47b - The Ratings Game
• Mickey Mouse Works
  • Only 7 shorts used cel animation
    • "Pluto vs. The Watchdog"
    • "Pluto Runs Away"
    • "Donald's Dinner Date"
    • "Mickey's Remedy"
    • "Mickey Tries to Cook"
    • "Donald and the Big Nut"
    • "Topsy Turvy Town"
• PB&J Otter
  • Episode 62 - "Big Beaver Day / The Thing That Almost Ate Hoohaw" (only episode)
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
  • 26 out of 65 episodes used digital coloring.
    • "The Torque Armada"
    • "Gravitina"
    • "NOS-4-A2"
    • "The Beast of Karn"
    • "Tag Team"
    • "The Main Event"
    • "Lost in Time"
    • "Strange Invasion"
    • "Mind Warp"
    • "Mira's Wedding"
    • "Root of Evil"
    • "Downloaded"
    • "The Crawling Flesh"
    • "Rescue Mission"
    • "Devolutionaries"
    • "Star Smasher"
    • "Stranger Invasion"
    • "Eye of the Tempest"
    • "Revenge of the Monsters"
    • "Revenge of the Raenoks"
    • "Millennial Bugs"
    • "First Missions"
    • "Return of Karn"
    • "Speed Trap"
    • "Holiday Time"
    • "Ancient Evil"

Warner Bros Animation.

• Superman: The Animated Series
  • Episode 47 - "Absolute Power" (the black hole was painted digitally, the rest of the episode was painted in cels)
  • Footage of Flash from "Speed Demons" was recycled in the Justice League episode "Paradise Lost"
  • Footage of explosions originating from this show have appeared in other Warner Bros. shows such as Batman Beyond, Static Shock, Justice League/Unlimited, and Xiaolin Showdown.
• The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries
  • Episode 48a - "This is the Kitty"
• Batman Beyond
  • Episode 27 - “Eyewitness”

20th Century Fox

• The Simpsons
  • Episode 130 - "Radioactive Man" (test)
  • Episode 138 - "Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" (clip show episode)
  • Episode 260 - "Tennis the Menace" (test)
  • Episode 292 - "Treehouse of Horror XIII" (test)
  • Episode 297 - "The Great Louse Detective" (full time)
• King of the Hill
  • Episode 105 - "Bobby Goes Nuts" (test)
  • Episode 116 - "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Hill" (nightmare sequence only)
  • Episode 136 - "Megalo Dale" (test)
  • Episode 142 - "The Miseducation of Bobby Hill" (select scenes only)
  • Episode 150 - "Patch Boomhaur" (full time)
    • Four episodes that were produced for the previous season aired after this episode

Japanese Animation

• Rurouni Kenshin
  • Episode 95 - "End of Wanderings" (final episode)
• Cyborg Kuro-chan
  • Episode 66 - "Big Shopping Date Duel!"
• Crayon Shin-Chan
  • Episode 440 - "Nupan IV Is Here!"
• Detective Conan
  • Episode 96 - "The Cornered Famous Detective! Two Big Murder Cases" (test)
  • Episode 219 - "The Gathering of the Detectives! Shinichi Kudo vs. Kaitou Kid" (test)
  • Episode 263 - "The Osaka Double Mystery - The Naniwa Swordsman and Toyotomi's Castle" (test)
  • Episode 284 - "Chinatown Deja Vu in the Rain, Part 1" (full time)
• Pokémon
  • Episode 142 - "Let's Battle! Hassam VS Heracros!!" or "Wired for Battle"
    • Battle between Heracross and Scizor
  • Episode 263 - "Nanako and Elekid" or "Here's Looking at You, Elekid"
• Mahoromatic
  • Episode 14 - "Return of the Maid"
• Doraemon (1979 series)
  • Episode 1682 - "The Mini-Dora Rental"
    • Episode 1694 "All the Way From the Country of the Future" was the only episode since to use cels.
• The Big O
  • Episode 14 - "Roger the Wanderer"
    • 3 year gap between previous season
• Inuyasha
  • Episode 99 - "Sesshomaru and Koga: A Dangerous Encounter"
• Hunter x Hunter (1999 series)
  • Episode 71 - "Auction × Plan × 80 Percent"
• Slayers
  • Episode 79 - "AMAZING - The Astonishing Dragon Slave!?"
    • 11 year gap between the previous season
• Sazae-san
  • October 6, 2013 episode.

Other

• The Super Mario Bros. Super Show
  • Episode 18 - "Count Koopula"
• Willy Fog 2
  • Episode 14 - "A Maritime Mystery"
• Rupert
  • Episode 27 - "Rupert and the Ginger"
• Sandokan
  • Only 9 episodes use digital coloring
    • Episode 6 - "The Rebellion of the Dayakos"
    • Episode 13 - "The Kidnapping"
    • Episode 14 - "The Search for Dama"
    • Episode 16 - "The Battle on the Marsh"
    • Episode 18 - "Escape"
    • Episode 22 - "Sandokan Taken Prisoner"
    • Episode 23 - "The Pills of Death"
    • Episode 24- "Together Again"
    • Episode 26 - "A Double Wedding"
• Beavis and Butthead
  • The first two seasons used digital coloring, then switched to cels starting with Season 3. It returned to digital ink and paint in Season 8 when the series was revived in 2011.
• Fantastic Four (1994)
  • Season one mostly used digital coloring. The following episodes and season two used cels
    • Episode 7 - "Super Skrull"
    • Episode 9 - "The Mask of Doom, Part II"
    • Episode 11 - "Mole Man" (show switches to cels full time)
• Dennis and Gnasher
  • Episode 14 - "The Competition"
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
  • Episode 1 - "The Reindeer Hunter"
  • Episode 14 - "Panda-monium" (full time)
• All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series
  • Only two episodes used digital coloring
    • Episode 26 - "All Creatures Great & Dinky"
    • Episode 39 - "Haunted Is as Haunted Does"
• The Country Mouse and City Mouse Adventures
  • Episode 27 - "Bicycle Mice"
• Men in Black: The Series
  • Episode 27 - "Puppy Dog Syndrome"
  • Episode 34 - "The Out to Pasture Syndrome"
  • Episode 37 - "The Bad Doggie Syndrome"
  • Episode 41 - "The Future So Bright Syndrome" (Full time)
• Daria
  • Episode 40 - "Partner's Complaint"
• Stressed Eric
  • Episode 7 - "Cricket"
• Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
  • Only three episodes used digital coloring
    • Episode 19 - "5000 Fingers of Rusty"
    • Episode 21 - "Sickout"
    • Episode 23 - "The Lower Depths"
• Dragon Tales
  • Episode 41a - "Lucky Stone"
• Babar
  • Episode 66 - "The Departure"
    • 9 year gap between the previous season
• The New Woody Woodpecker Show
  • Episode 41a - "Woodsy Woody"
• Cyberchase
  • The pilot episode "The Podville Case", which aired as the seventh episode, used cels. The rest of the series used digital coloring, and later rigged puppets.
• Blinky Bill
  • Episode 53 - "The Great Escape"
    • 9 year gap between the previous season

 

[Classic Speedy]

King of the Hill

• Episode 150 - "Patch Boomhaur"
  • Four episodes which were produced for the previous season aired after this episode

The first KOTH episode that was digitally colored was "Bobby Goes Nuts", along with the dream sequence in "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret Hill". Also, certain scenes in "The Miseducation of Bobby Hill" were digitally colored too.

 

[Classic Speedy]

An addition: "The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries": The series switched to digital coloring starting in season 5.

 

[Moleoman]

From what I see, Nelvana's "Rupert" series has switched to digital coloring starting from Season 3 (Episode 27 - "Rupert and Ginger").

 

[cheril59]

Many people keep saying PBS' "Arthur" used hand-painted cels for the first five seasons, then switched to digital in season 6. Well, really, the show used digital coloring already, but not as bright and vivid as season 6 just yet.

Same story goes for Nickelodeon's "Little Bear". Even as the show used digital coloring already, the fifth and final season had brighter colors.

Yoram Gross' incarnation of "Blinky Bill" switched over to digital ink and paint beginning in series 3, episode 1 "The Great Escape".
Another Yoram Gross show "Tabaluga" had this trailer pitch using hand-painted cels:
But because of special effects and crud like that, they decided it would be one of the first Yoram Gross cartoons to use digital coloring with Animo.

Animaniacs had "Wakko's Wish" in digital ink and paint.
And as for the PPG episode "West in Pieces", it probably is digitally inked and painted, but they added effects to make it look like an old western.

Some episodes of MGM Animation's "The Pink Panther" used digital ink and paint. "Pink in the Middle", for instance. And all the episodes co-starring the Inspector.

Another MGM show "All Dogs Go To Heaven: The Series" had two episodes digitally colored: "All Creatures Great & Dinky" and "Haunted Is As Haunted Does". And "An All Dogs Christmas Carol" was all half-and-half. As far as I can tell, the digitally-colored scenes for the movie were done at Wang Film Productions, while the hand-painted cel scenes were at Thai Wang Film Productions.

While most of "The Wacky World of Tex Avery" used digital coloring, some others used the hand-painted cel method.

We all know the main title sequence to "Ed, Edd n Eddy" was digitally colored. And for the record, "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle" was the first digitally-colored episode, and the show remained that way since.

The only digitally colored piece on the "Ren & Stimpy" episode "A Visit to Anthony" was the ending bumper "World Crisis with Mr. Horse". "Big Flakes" had the "Vericose Veins" bumper digitally colored. And "A Hard Day's Luck" wasn't digitally colored, so leave that out.

"Static Cling: The Rocko Special" used digital coloring, but the backgrounds were hand-painted.

The first season of "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" was digitally-colored, but switched to cels next season.

"Beavis and Butt-Head" was digitally-colored for the first two seasons, as well as a later episode, afaik "True Crime". It even used digital coloring in the revival season.

"It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown!" was the first digitally-colored Peanuts special.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Disney switched to using digital ink and paint for their films in 1989 and the very first shot to use the process from them was the final rainbow shot in The Little Mermaid.

 

[cheril59]

The fifth season finale of King of the Hill had a few shots done in digital ink and paint.
So did the "Board Games" episode

 

[Dylan James Yi]

The SpongeBob SquarePants season one episodes "Jellyfish Jam" and "SB-129" are both to test with digital ink and paint animation used for "Jellyfish Jam" for the shot were SpongeBob is on top of the rocky hills and on "SB-129" for that shot were Primitive Sponge and Primitive Star are drooling.

Franklin was switched from cel animation to digital ink and paint sometimes in 2000, I guess...

Caillou was even the first Cinar production to used digital ink and paint animation for season one.

Kipper used digital ink and paint instead of being cel animation.

The 1995 british/france series for Mr. Men and Little Miss doesn't used cel animation, instead it used digital ink and paint animation.

Well, Dora the Explorer had used digital ink and paint animation since season 1 until ended in 2015.

I'm glad that Family Guy was even the first FOX animated show to use digital ink and paint animation since season 1 until around later switch to be animated with Toon Boom (But not count on this, the first to use this was on The Simpsons episode "Radioactive Man").

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episodes from Count Koopula to Robo Koopa had used digital ink and paint animation, that was the first DiC show to use this before The Wacky World of Tex Avery.

The Oh Yeah! Cartoons Chalkzone shorts have used the digital ink and paint animation instead of cel animated which was the first Nicktoon to use digital ink and paint animation (Not counting with The Ren & Stimpy Show).

 

[cheril59]

The SpongeBob SquarePants season one episodes "Jellyfish Jam" and "SB-129" are both to test with digital ink and paint animation used for "Jellyfish Jam" for the shot were SpongeBob is on top of the rocky hills and on "SB-129" for that shot were Primitive Sponge and Primitive Star are drooling.

Franklin was switched from cel animation to digital ink and paint sometimes in 2000, I guess...

Caillou was even the first Cinar production to used digital ink and paint animation for season one.

Kipper used digital ink and paint instead of being cel animation.

The 1995 british/france series for Mr. Men and Little Miss doesn't used cel animation, instead it used digital ink and paint animation.

Well, Dora the Explorer had used digital ink and paint animation since season 1 until ended in 2015.

I'm glad that Family Guy was even the first FOX animated show to use digital ink and paint animation since season 1 until around later switch to be animated with Toon Boom (But not count on this, the first to use this was on The Simpsons episode "Radioactive Man").

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episodes from Count Koopula to Robo Koopa had used digital ink and paint animation, that was the first DiC show to use this before The Wacky World of Tex Avery.

The Oh Yeah! Cartoons Chalkzone shorts have used the digital ink and paint animation instead of cel animated which was the first Nicktoon to use digital ink and paint animation (Not counting with The Ren & Stimpy Show).

Well, one episode of "Mr. Men and Little Miss" used cels: "Little Miss Splendid's Gift".

In recent seasons, Family Guy is super fast-paced with rapid-fire dialogue, (I mean extremely speedy dialogue), even the animation looks puppet-like. Ditto to The Cleveland Show. But American Dad is a tad less.

And in my opinion, all episodes of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show" looks more like it used cel animation than digital ink and paint.

And once again, "An All Dogs Christmas Carol" used both hand-painted cel scenes and digitally-colored scenes.

Talking of Ren & Stimpy, "A Hard Day's Luck" used cels, not digital colors.

And Franklin was already digitally colored from the start.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Stressed Eric's first season was traditionally inked and painted but switched to digital coloring for season 2.

 

[Dylan James Yi]

Well, I guess maybe the only Cyborg kuro-chan anime series episode to use digital ink and paint was on the lost final episode 66 of this.

Even though The Little Lulu Show may have already used the digital ink and paint animation.

Futurama does not used cel animation on the start because it already used the digital ink and paint.

Invader Zim pilot may have used cel animation while the main show used the digital ink and paint animation.

The Fairly Oddparents originally used cel animation for the Oh Yeah! Cartoons shorts before switching to digital ink and paint animation when it became a full series until switched to flash animation for last few final season's episodes.

The Kablam! Sniz and Fondue shorts probably originally used cel animation until switching to ink and paint digital animation for later seasons until removed for last few episodes.

The Courage the Cowardly Dog pilot "The Chicken from Outer Space" is the only What-A-Cartoon! short to use digital ink and paint animation as because it was not animated by a korean animation studio.

 

[cheril59]

Well, I guess maybe the only Cyborg kuro-chan anime series episode to use digital ink and paint was on the lost final episode 66 of this.

Even though The Little Lulu Show may have already used the digital ink and paint animation.

Futurama does not used cel animation on the start because it already used the digital ink and paint.

Invader Zim pilot may have used cel animation while the main show used the digital ink and paint animation.

The Fairly Oddparents originally used cel animation for the Oh Yeah! Cartoons shorts before switching to digital ink and paint animation when it became a full series until switched to flash animation for last few final season's episodes.

The Kablam! Sniz and Fondue shorts probably originally used cel animation until switching to ink and paint digital animation for later seasons until removed for last few episodes.

The Courage the Cowardly Dog pilot "The Chicken from Outer Space" is the only What-A-Cartoon! short to use digital ink and paint animation as because it was not animated by a korean animation studio.

"Psyched for Snuppa" and "A Toxic Tail" used cels while all others used digital ink and paint.
And the Invader ZIM pilot used digital ink and paint.

 

[Dylan James Yi]

While Babar used cel animation, the final season even used digital ink and paint which is make any sense.

I think that The Jetsons 1980s revival was the first animated TV show was the first to use digital ink and paint.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Was the Quack Pack episode "Pride Goeth Before the Fall Guy" digitally colored by any chance? It sorta looks like it, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[cheril59]

Was the Quack Pack episode "Pride Goeth Before the Fall Guy" digitally colored by any chance? It sorta looks like it, but I'm not 100% sure.

Wow! "Pride Goeth Before the Fall Guy" used digital ink and paint? And I thought the main title sequence was the only thing done in that practice. I'm not so sure if any other episodes used digital coloring?

By the way, most "Mickey Mouse Works" cartoons are in digital ink and paint, while some others used hand-painted cels.

 

[Dylan James Yi]

The Schoolhouse Rock! song I'm gonna send your vote to Collage and the Schoolhouse Rock! Earth songs are the only Schoolhouse Rock! songs to use digital ink and paint.

 

[cheril59]

The Schoolhouse Rock! song I'm gonna send your vote to Collage and the Schoolhouse Rock! Earth songs are the only Schoolhouse Rock! songs to use digital ink and paint.

"Busy Prepositions", "The Tale of Mr. Morton" and "Dollars and Sense" also used digital ink and paint.

 

[ToonJay723]

Was the Quack Pack episode "Pride Goeth Before the Fall Guy" digitally colored by any chance? It sorta looks like it, but I'm not 100% sure.

Yeah, I couldn't tell by watching it, but the credits confirm it was digitally colored.

 

[Dylan James Yi]

I noticed that the part on The Simpsons episode I Am Furious (Yellow) were the man adding color to this Angry Dad cartoon was digital ink and paint instead of being in cel animated.

 

[Dylan James Yi]

I'm back, I was just saying, Dennis and Gnasher 1996 have switched to digital ink and paint since series 2.

Animal Stories (1999 cartoon) have already used digital ink and paint since it does not used cel animation.

And I just saying, the only Cyborg Kuro-chan episode to use digital ink and paint was on the final episode 66.

None of The Magic School Bus episodes used digital ink and paint or tested with this.

And as for the first season of Caillou, already used digital ink and paint animation as the credits for many season one episodes confirmed that it was digitally colored.

I was just saying again, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show episode "Count Koopula" have even used digital ink and paint animation.

And for the Dilbert TV series, this is only digital ink and paint animation for the intro of the show while this used cel animation.