Ten People I'm Thankful For (in Animated TV)

To some, Matt Groening is the god of all animated TV series. Certainly, The Simpsons has surpassed anyone's expectations for a show that started as animated bumpers during The Tracey Ullman Show. Thanks to his quirky drawing and over-the-top family musings, The Simpsons has been on the air for over 20 years. Consider Simpsons merchandising and theme park rides, and Matt Groening has his own world-famous empire.

Mike Judge is the quiet, creative force behind Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill (technically a spin-off of Beavis and Butt-head), two of my all-time favorite cartoons. Though these two cartoons seem at opposite ends of the comedy spectrum--one subtle, one crude--they are both very funny and honest in their own rights. I moan to think King of the Hill may be off the air soon, but I'm looking forward to Mike Judge's perspective on being green in his new endeavor, The Goode Family.

You may think I've included Seth MacFarlane on this list because he created Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. But you'd be wrong. I've included MacFarlane on this list because of his prodigious vocal talents. He provides voices for not only Peter Griffin, but also Stewie Griffin, Brian and many voices on Robot Chicken. Let's consider his singing talents, especially on duets with himself when Brian and Stewie sing songs such as in "The Road to Rhode Island." How does MacFarlane produce a smooth baritone, a nasal buffoon and a lispy know-it-all? One word: talent.

Again, there are two people listed here, but they cannot be considered one without the other. Stone and Parker have created a phenomenon known as South Park. Eric Cartman's potty mouth paved the way for late night cartoons aimed at adults. When South Park premiered in 1997, Cartman and friends shocked audiences with their vulgar language and thorny topics. Now, fans have come to expect that and more from the animated show, which tackles politics, pop culture, religion and parenting in equally crude ways. What began as a viral video of Santa battling Jesus is now a long-running TV series, all thanks to the adolescent humor of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Loren Bouchard speaks right to the heart of me. His sense of humor and style makes me feel like I'm the only one who gets the joke, yet I'm busting a gut with millions of other fans. First came Home Movies, a quirky, wiggly cartoon with a long history of networks that finally ended on Adult Swim. Then came Lucy, Daughter of the Devil, a short-lived cartoon that also aired on Adult Swim. Now I feast on Bob's Burgers, a cartoon about a family of characters full of personality and as different from each other as can be. While the characters are outlandish, somehow the extremes of their flaws makes them even more relateable and personal.