After HBO Max took the plunge and rebranded, a total wipeout of animated content followed in its wake. As expected, it didn’t go down very well, nor has it since — as it continues happening even weeks later. In the golden age of cartoons, it was Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon that ruled the roost, but now, plenty of CN shows are getting axed as HBO Max takes the “out with the old and in with the new” mindset too literally.
For any ’90s kids who couldn’t get enough of Cartoon Network (myself included), this is a sad time for us all. Luckily, the keyboard warriors out there are looking out for us, protesting against this heinous crime. To make matters worse, though, Max hasn’t even announced the removals, but merely taken down these beloved shows without so much as the courtesy of a prior warning. Among the casualties, we have DC’s The Batman animated series, several Ben 10 titles — Ben 10: Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, and Omniverse — and even Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Yes, you read that correctly.
As if this weren’t a travesty in its own right, it’s been an ongoing issue for weeks now. Unfortunately, Ben 10 and The Batman aren’t the first victims, nor will they be the last. Several Redditors have gathered in their masses to bid farewell to some dearly departed shows, many of which shaped our childhoods.
We can’t imagine the slaughter spree will stop there, especially as Max seems hell-bent on removing all animated content from the face of the Earth. And what about us ’90s and 2000s kids who grew up watching these shows? These truly are dark times we’re living in for more reasons than one. If we aren’t worrying about Trump 2024, we’re defending the LGBTQ+ community against internet homophobes or losing out on Cartoon Network classics.
When will this nightmare end?
