You’re only as old as the nostalgia you feel watching childhood favorites

The thing about pop culture is that anything and everything that might appeal to today’s youth is recycled from the sensations of a generation (or more) before.

My nephews, ages 6 and 3, have a hard time understanding how I know about the Autobots from “Transformers” or how I know who Shredder is from the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon series.

They look at me with wide eyes as if I’ve said something preposterous when I tell them those cartoons have been around since I was that age (give or take). The conversation, each and every time it has occurred — three so far this year — makes me feel old.

Adding to my “old age” is the fact that this week also marks my birthday. I typically hide out, but this year I thought I’d instead look back at seven cartoons that will take me back two decades in the face of turning 27.

First and foremost on this list is “Transformers.” It is, and I’m fairly certain will always be, my favorite cartoon.

I’ve been looking for the Generation One DVDs for awhile, and never really found them until I looked for the release date for the “Transformers” movie that came out this summer. Hidden several pages in on the Web search were the separate seasons of the Generation One DVDs Rhino released between 2002 and 2004.

Because of copyright issues, they are no longer in print, but if you search hard enough there are still copies available. They are, however, expensive.

The movie with Shia LaBeouf will be out on DVD on Oct. 16.

Second, and following close behind my No. 1, is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

In those hazy memories of my youth, TMNT begs the chicken or the egg question: Which one sealed my fandom, the show or the movie?

The answer: The first live action movie that came out in 1990 was the clincher on the “Turtles” for me, to the point that I forget my love of the cartoon is why I went to see it in the first place.

Raphael will always be my favorite.

Last weekend, my significant other rented the 2007 animated film for me and I shamefully admit to watching it four times, twice on Sunday alone, just to return to kidland. It is definitely one I want to add to the shelf beside the original live-action trilogy.

My No. 3 is “The Smurfs.”

To this day, I cannot get the Smurfs’ singing out of my head when I think of this show. Their little blue faces linger in thought whenever I see the right shade of the color, and yes, Azrael swayed my opinion of cats at an early age.

But more importantly, the misadventures of Papa Smurf and the lot — or at least the first season — will be on DVD this December.

My four, five and six for this list are in no particular order, but they include “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” “ThunderCats” and “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.”

As a younger sibling, I frequently lost the toss on the choices of cartoons. But, looking back, I’m OK with that, because these three were favorites.

“He-Man” has had a lasting effect on me, mostly because my mother still affectionately calls me Evil-Lyn on occasion.

“ThunderCats” forever is ingrained because of Lion-O’s call when the cats would go to battle, second only to the antics of Snarf, the quintessential court jester of the series.

And “G.I. Joe” brings back fond memories of my cousins and I doing battle with the action figures.

All three series have at least some type of DVD or movie out and are available locally.

The final show on my list might gather some snickers from those that associate it only with the role-playing game or the movie that came out in 2000. But “Dungeons & Dragons” cannot be forgotten, if only because it spawned my love of dragons and magic, and the endless possibilities within my imagination.

The first season of the cartoon is available at local stores such as Fred Meyer.

Heather Crabtree can be reached at 812-6090 or heather.crabtree@lee.net.