On April 28th, 1996, the Cartoon Network series, "Dexter's Laboratory", premiered on television. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, it became the first official "Cartoon Cartoon", a flagship brand for Cartoon Network's original programming. The series was lauded for its distinct visual style, which merged vintage UPA-style minimalism with modern, fast-paced slapstick comedy, and for its backup segments: "Dial M for Monkey" and "The Justice Friends", which parodied classic comic book tropes. The success of "Dexter's Laboratory" helped launch the careers of major industry figures like Craig McCracken, who went on to create "The Powerpuff Girls" and Seth MacFarlane, who created "Family Guy". Though the show originally ended in 1998 with a TV movie called "Ego Trip", the show was revived for two more seasons in 2001 under a new production team, ultimately totaling 78 episodes and securing its legacy as a cornerstone of the 1990s animation boom.
