New Year's Resolutions are not a new phenomenon in our day and age. Year after year people have been making goals and starting new trends only for a lot of them to fall through as the year carries on. From going to the gym to getting organized, resolutions come and go, turning a goal-setting time of the year to the source of a joke. People laughingly make New Year's Resolutions now, knowing that soon they will be forgotten and broken. However, this year I think that the idea of resolutions can be spread further and even upheld. Humans aren't the only ones who can have resolutions to live up to; cartoons and cartoon companies can have some level of accountability as well.

1. Even Out The Viewing Schedule

One thing that humans enjoy is a level of variety. We are always told to try new things, even if it may be a sneaky way for parents to get kids to eat vegetables. However, the idea of variety does hold a lot of truth; we honestly would get so bored if we did the same things over and over again. Given this, I think a level of variety in cartoon production companies would be a great standard to set for the New Year. Often, companies get settled and rely heavily on what is considered working and reliable. The phrase 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' isn't a bad one to live by, but it can also serve as a crutch. Thus, we get cartoon companies that rely on the same limited selection of shows instead of branching out and taking risks. All companies are guilty of this from Nickelodeon with "SpongeBob" to Cartoon Network with "Teen Titans Go!." The realm of creativity is limitless and the shows that air on television should reflect that level of potential.

2. Make Character Designs Consistent

People, even if they claim otherwise, are hesitant when it comes to change. As stated earlier, we enjoy the comfortable and the idea of stability is centered around that concept. Thus, in a cartoon series it is good to maintain a level of stability when it comes to characters and character designs. From here, one New Year's Resolution should definitely be to maintain a consistent level of character design in every show. One big offender of this concept is Cartoon Network's "Steven Universe." Now, I do enjoy "Steven Universe' because it holds a special spot in my heart as a show that got me interested in story telling and animation. However, my love for the show will not blind me to the problems the show contains, mainly in its art and design department. The storyboard artists for this show change consistently, each with a slightly different drawing style or design. Now, a large cast is great and I am all for the idea of teamwork, but when this work results in jarring and noticeable changes in your show's characters, then there is a problem. It may seem like a little thing, but it is so important to make sure that your characters are being drawn in a consistent manner. If not, a viewer could be taken completely out of the cartoon-watching experience. Thus, character design consistency is extremely important.

3. Expand Style Possibilities

Shows in this day and age share a lot more than just fun characters and story premises; they also seem to follow a style trend. A lot of people claim the style for the modern cartoon era as the "CalArts" style with major similarities in face and mouth shapes. Shows supposedly guilty of this include cartoons like "Steven Universe," "Gravity Falls," and "The Amazing World of Gumball," Now, on one hand I will argue that each show has a different feel and explores animation in a different way. For instance, "Gumball" takes on a variety of animation styles and types when animating its large cast of characters. On a different note, "Steven Universe" seems to be heavily be focused within the realm of reality-based movements that seems to contradict those found in shows like "Star Versus the Forces of Evil" or "Gravity Falls," All of these shows have quirks to set each other apart, but I would be lying if I said I didn't see where people are coming from. There does seem to be a common trend with style and honestly it would be nice to see a rich variety of animation styles and designs. I do remember times where we would have "Ed, Edd n Eddy" being paired up and compared with shows like "Johnny Bravo." Overall, I really enjoy the designs and quirks of each show, but I would love to see a show that completely thinks outside of the creativity box.

4. Listen To Your Actual Audience, Not An Imagined Audience

Often, when creating a show, movie, or really any work intended to entertain one has to imagine how an audience might react. When writing a script or pitching an idea, it is impossible to 100% know the public's opinions. Thus, I know it is hard to completely understand what it is that people want to watch. However, you can't live within this world of unknown guessing. Television networks would really benefit from listening to their watchers. After all, it is these people that they want to bring in and entertain. A good example of this really comes from Nickelodeon as a whole. Now, I love Nickelodeon to pieces for its shows; "SpongeBob," "The Fairly Odd Parents," "Invader Zim" and many more shows have completely shaped my childhood and creative process. However, I, and many others, wish that Nickelodeon would listen when it comes to creating new cartoon content for its audience. A "Hey Arnold!" or "Invader Zim" movie sound really great, but wouldn't it be even greater to see that money be driven back to fund new showrunners with amazing and creative new ideas? I see so much merchandise that focuses on old cartoons from my childhood and so little time dedicated to advertising new shows or programs. A greater focus should be taken when it comes to the opinions and words of those who receive the product; it is a true way to guarantee a product's success.

5. Don't Be Afraid To Let Go

Letting go is something that we as people struggle with on a daily basis. Thus, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to find that animation companies share a similar problem. As I have stressed, people get comfortable with the shows that bring them stability which can result in people holding on to ideas that honestly should have been gently laid to rest a long time ago. Once again, let's take a look at Nickelodeon's track record. Shows like "SpongeBob" and "The Fairly Oddparents" have been airing for over a decade. While these are good shows and are rightfully considered entertaining, that is an awful long time to keep a show up and going. Everything as a type of expiration date and cartoons are no exception to this rule. If anything, you want to go gracefully out on your own terms instead of being shut down by a part of the company that is higher up. Plus, closing down some programs for good would allow others to be born in a great circle of life. After all, cartoons have a type of life in them with a birth date and a death date. Thus, one should give these shows the best life they deserve with the highest level of quality imaginable.

The New Year brings new outlooks, new goals, and often a new image. These concepts may not always be upheld, but setting ideals is a very important step when it comes to change. I hope cartoons for 2019 will remember this as we fully enter the new year.