Ah, the joy of an animated TV show. Whether watching a Saturday morning cartoon, something not quite suitable for children, or the classics from the days of yore, you can probably bet on one thing—you’re gonna hear a bangin’ theme song. Christina selected this week’s theme to honor her love for one particularly jazzy cartoon classic, but she later felt mortified after she realized she didn’t so much as mention one of her favorite theme songs of all time—”Linus and Lucy” by American jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi from one of the best cartoons of all time, Peanuts.
Let us diverge from our regular pattern for just a moment to give “Linus and Lucy” (and the Peanuts comic strip and cartoon) its flowers. Peanuts was, in my (Christina) humble opinion, way ahead of its time. It was a cartoon about how difficult, joyful, confusing, and weird it can be to be a child, and how the adults… just don’t get it. It’s about friendship (human and canine), sorrow, self discovery, and generally figuring out life. If I’m waxing poetic here, it’s because I’m a longtime fan. So much so that I had a radio show in college called “Charles Schulz Lives” (and yes, “Linus and Lucy” was indeed my opening music). I once made a pilgrimage to the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA, where, yes, I wept tears of joy and emotion seeing the behind the scenes of this iconic strip.
So, while I am beside myself for not talking about “Linus and Lucy” on our Cartoon Theme Songs episode… maybe it’s for the best. I probably would have cried, that DEFINITELY would have made Christine feel uncomfortable, and what started as a fun podcast episode about goofy cartoon music would just become… too much.
So anyway, cartoon theme songs. A treat for the young and the young at heart! They are unique, fun, and sometimes hide a fun Easter egg. More on that later. Back to Christina’s pick, the Pink Panther theme song, which originated thanks to the Pink Panther live action movie and featured our little pink friend in the opening and closing credits. Pink, as we shall call him, was so popular that over 100 standalone cartoon shorts of the panther were made featuring hijinks, jazz, and even a live action cameo by the song’s composer–Henry Mancini. It’s an oldie that stands the test of time!
Christine (perhaps to her chagrin) did not disappoint with her pick! By selecting the somewhat spooky and totally goofy “Inspector Gadget” theme song, she was able to share some fun cartoon history facts… For example, did you know the Inspector Gadget theme song composers Shuki Levy and Haim Saban (of Saban Productions) have created approximately 3,800 songs, themes and musical underscores? OR that the Inspector Gadget theme song is a riff on Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King”? Go Go Gadget creativity, am I right?
If your inner child allows, we hope you’ll cruise over to the Stereothematica Instagram and share YOUR favorite cartoon theme song. We’ll see you in the funny papers!
Stereothematica 