Cel Animated Show That Switched to Digital Coloring

[ToonJay723]

A list of shows that were previously animated with hand ink and paint that switched over to digital ink and paint.

Disney

• 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”
• Hercules: The Animated Series
  • Episode 34 - "Hercules and the Dream Date" (only episode)
• Recess
  • Only 13 segments used digital coloring
    • 32a - Recess is Cancelled
    • 35a - Prickly is Leaving
    • 38a - The Biggest Trouble Ever
    • 39a - Gus and Misdemeanors
    • 40b - Here Comes Mr. Perfect
    • 41 - Good Luck Charm / Diggers Split Up
    • 43a - Schoolworld
    • 44b - Bonky Fever
    • 45b - This Brain for Hire
    • 46 - The Barnaby Boys / Buried Treasure
    • 47b - The Ratings Game
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
  • TBD

Warner Bros.

• The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries
  • Episode 48a - "This is the Kitty"
• Batman Beyond
  • Episode 27 - “Eyewitness”

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)
• Hey Arnold
  • Episode 63a - “Full Moon”
• Angry Beavers
  • Episode 44a - “Nice & Lonely”
• The Wild Thornberrys
  • Episode 41 - "Black and White and Mom All Over" (production order)
    • Episode 44 "Tamper-Proof Seal" and episode 45 "You Otter Know" premiered prior. Episode 40 "The Gift of Gab", the last cel episode, premiered after
• 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 - "SBB-129" (test, close up shot of Primitive SpongeBob and Patrick drooling)
  • Episode 21a - “Your Shoe’s Untied” (full time)

Cartoon Network

• 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” (mostly full time)
    • “West in Pieces” is the only episode since to use hand ink and paint
• Ed, Edd n’ Eddy
  • Episode 53 - “Out with the Old… In with the Ed”

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 which were produced for the previous season aired after this episode

Other

• Rupert
  • Episode 27 - "Rupert and the Ginger"
• 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"
• Arthur
  • Episode 66a - "D.W.'s Library Card"
• Daria
  • Episode 40 - "Partner's Complaint"
• Stressed Eric
  • Episode 7 - "Cricket"
• Dragon Tales
  • Episode 41a - "Lucky Stone"
• The New Woody Woodpecker Show
  • Episode 41a - "Woodsy Woody"
• Pokémon
  • Episode 263 - "Here's Looking at You, Elekid"
• Hunter x Hunter (1999)
  • Episode 71 - "Auction × Plan × 80 Percent"
• Slayers
  • Episode 79 - "AMAZING - The Astonishing Dragon Slave!?"
    • 11 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.