Cartoons in the '90s came with an edge, and these must-watch shows -- from boundary-pushing adult programs to influential anime -- are the cream of the crop.

As the decade in which cel animation reached its arguable peak of large-scale sophistication before the CGI takeover of the 2000s, the '90s are nothing short of a platinum era for television cartoons.

By the '90s, the launch of new channels and networks helped push along the animated heyday. Fox Kids launched in 1990.