There was a time long ago..before cell phones and text messaging, where Michael Jacksons "Thriller" was #1 on the charts, when Prince Charles tied the knot with an angel named Diana, and America got this weird looking thing called a Nintendo. Back when MTV played nothing but music videos and we all got to do the Super Bowl Shuffle and check out Air Jordan while eating a Mc BLT. They were the eighties, quite possibly the greatest decade of all time. Well at least to this 33 year old kid. I know we had our tragedies too, with our president getting shot and the challenger shuttle exploding, but all in all it was a glorious decade, when things were simpler and a lot less stressful.

So what was it about the eighties that made it so memorable? Could it be Stephen Spielberg whipping out classic after blockbuster classic? Or was it that you could get a gallon of gas for 1.25 or a movie ticket for 3.50? Maybe it was the VCR giving us the opportunity to watch our shows whenever we want, or rent movies by the dozens and veg out for an entire weekend?

For me it was all of the above, but yet the true special thing the eighties gave me, and millions of others in my age bracket, was the fabulous after school cartoons. A long day of school made us all want to roll up and die by the time 3:00 came around. The only thing that we had back then to keep us going was the weekends and our 3:30-5:30 cartoon schedule. Coupled with a good dinner, playing outside, and some video games, it proved to be the greatest time of my life.

For that I owe, I'll never again be as free as the eighties made me feel, and so with that said I pay homage to those wonderful classics I grew up with by throwing them a bone. So as I stroll though memory lane, let me take you along as we crown the Top Ten Coolest Cartoon Characters of the 1980's!

#10 Scrappy Doo

Ta da da da ta da! Puppy Power! Born on December 20th at St. Bernard hospital, Scooby's sister Ruby Roo gave birth to a little pintsized miracle that instantly won the hearts of everyone. Scrappy Doo is his name and crime fighting is his game! His relentless courage and ability to overcome any obstacle, and doing it with such flavor, had us all laughing, and always tuning in for more. Scrappy really gave us something to cheer for when Uncle Scooby took his little powerhouse nephew on his adventures, always providing a much needed push when Shaggy and Scoob looked to run for the hills! His Brooklyn brawler style and quick wit proved every week, that good things indeed come in small packages.

#9 Mum-Ra

When the Thundercats hit the screens in 1985 we all stood back in surprise. Not only did a cartoon come out with a stunning new style of animation, but it also hit us between the eyes with our first absolutely frightening and totally badass super villain! Mumra was the reason 80% of us watched the show every day and he never disappointed. Continuously battling Liono and the Thundercats to capture the Sword of Omens, which held the mystic and powerful Eye of Thundera, this series went on dazzling us with visual effects and a superb storyline. Mumra stole the show in this one though, starting out as a weakened mummy sorcerer in every episode, he would then use his magic to transform himself into a huge rampaging super beast that made Lou Ferigno look like a spaghetti armed dwarf. With all the powers of fire and hell he would constantly give the Thundercat team all that they could handle, keeping the lucky who tuned in, on the edges of their seats, gasping, yelling, and begging for more.

#8 Unicron

What more can be said about a million ton robot that trolls the galaxy eating planets for breakfast. Simply put, it’s Unicron. Making his first appearance on the silver screen in the highly anticipated 1986 version of Transformers The Movie. He drops everyone’s jaw in the opening five minutes when he shocks the world, and then eats it! Never before had anyone even come close to envisioning a supervilian of such size and overwhelming power. Unicron, first portrayed by the voice of Orson Wells, later to be supplemented with Leonard Nimoy, became the badass of the decade as he waged war on both the Autobots and Decepticons in his efforts to possess the Matrix and subsequently control the entire universe. He was without a doubt a huge staple in the Transformers era and solidifies the #8 spot here. Oh, one more thing, if you haven’t yet seen this cartoon classic just let me tell ya, yes he transforms, and yes it’s unreal!

#7 Homer Simpson

You know his name and you know what he's all about. Making his debut in 1987 on an animated short during the Tracy Ulman show, a star was officially born. Now he resides as a cornerstone of American culture and cartoon creation. The one and only Homer Simpson. Spearheading quite possibly the best animated series on television ever, he hasn’t let the fame go to his head. He's still the man he always was, eating donuts and drinking duff beer in his underwear, screwing up everything at work, falling down the stairs, and strangling his son. A true testament to the American blue collar worker. Pounds and pounds of cool, for he's the only one in the entire world that can be himself, doing what he does, and yet while disturbing, makes it so damn entertaining. Matt Groening really gave us the gift that keeps on giving, week after week with his genius creation. He gave the world an Icon to laugh with and American families the longest running animated series ever.

#6 Snake Eyes

Okay now we've officially cracked through the crust and entered the absolute nuclear, hard core area of the list. Snake Eyes is the epitamy of what a true level E-7 Army Sergeant 1st class is all about. In 1980 a new breed of fighting force took on a mission, and it all got to be seen by the American viewing public on a daily after-school basis. It shook the ground of cartoons and would change imaginations forever. It didn’t take long for G.I Joe to become a national food group and an essential part of our daily breakfast. And with Snake Eyes breaking through as the sleekest and most complete military assassin ever conceived, we were all along for the ride, loving every minute of it. Along with his loyal companion Timber the arctic wolf, coupled with his vast Ninja background and his wide arsenal of weapons, you could safely say it was pretty much game over for any would be foe. Extremely cunning and silent, but yet would chuck a grenade at ya with no hesitation, if the mood caught him right. Truly an assassin for the ages and a no brainer for the #6 slot here.

#5 Voltron

In 1984 Japanese anime hadn't made much of a dent in American culture, more than half of us didn't even know what anime was, then came a cartoon that changed things forever. It didn’t take a full season before Voltron spreaded like wildfire. Transformers were here and making a serious killing, then came this new kid on the block and the new "gotta have toy" on everyone's Christmas list. It’s crazy, I was only eight years old but I remember in exact detail when I ripped the wrapping paper off and saw what I'd hoped for months I'd get. Voltron, there he was, and I couldn't say a word. 5 lions, which all had an elite pilot with different sets of skills and weapons to keep our galaxy safe from evil mutant space creatures. Even by themselves they were exciting, but when they decided to group at the end of every episode and form the spectacular Voltron, that’s when the show really started. It happened every day and it was the pinnacle of our entertainment. Swinging his sword and lighting up the heavens with rocket blasts and lasers, it rivaled the greatest Fourth of July I'd ever seen. And rest assured that our heroes always saved the day, for Voltron was "The Defender of the Universe".

#4 Starscream

Never really was much of a Megatron fan, I always cheered for the underdog and loved a good come from behind kind of player. Someone who was always openly honest about being a real scumbag, that’s why starscream has been one of the greatest chief antagonists of all time. He gets mad style points too; I mean you don’t get any cooler than a freaking F-15 Eagle now do you. With ability to reach speeds of Mach 2.8 while dealing out wicked cluster bombs by the dozens and how could we forget about his twin null ray cannons mounted on each arm which systematically disrupts electricity flow through any functioning device. He is bar none a true badass villain that in my opinion was the greatest decepticon of all time. Never got his props in the cartoon until the very end of his existence, but his heart and ferocious dedication to being a total prick earns him kudos on this list, and gives him the illustrious rank of #4.

#3 Leonardo

Rest assured there was no way I was going to make this list a not put Leo in the thick of it. The eighties gave us allot to cheer for but none bigger than Eastman and Lairds contribution. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles just literally jumped and smashed onto the scene in 1987 showing us a side of amphibian life that we'd never even thought of. Armed with twin samurai swords, Leonardo was more than just the leader of the group; he was the face of the franchise. Perfect example of the complete ninja warrior, tranquil in clarity of mind and had total emotional control. Plus he could slice a voltzwagon in half with a single swing. Friday pizza nights would never have been the same without my brother and our TMNT video collection. Looking back now, those times in my life were the ones I hold the dearest and I owe them all to Leonardo, and those wonderful turtles.

#2 Optimus Prime

I really don’t know how to open this one, I mean what really needs to be said here that already hasn't. Simply put, Optimus is the absolute truth. Not only one of the most spectacular of all the autobots if not the most, he's a standard staple on what all of human-kind should strive harder to be. He was the ultimate standard of what a true leader was all about. Standing for good, and forever leading the autobots out of their darkest hours to achieve victory on the battlefield. Optimus was our hero and the one we all identified with on a personal basis. I remember watching his final battle with megatron in 1986 on the silver screen, as the autobots were being crushed to pieces he flew in as he often did, to save the day in heroic fashion. Wielding his electron axe he fought like a warrior poet but fell in an unfair battle as megatron shot him to the ground while holding a fellow autobot hostage. America was crushed and it was evident as there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Optimus softly turned his head and his eyes grew dim. He gave his life for his fellow man, and died a hero, for that alone he gets the #2 spot forever.

#1 Cobra Commander

Here he is ladies and gentleman, the mysterious man behind the mask! Now before you discount this pick, let me just enlighten you for a moment because this is absolutely true, Cobra Commander was a freaking used car salesman before he became the leader of the most ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. And he's just a dude! He's not a bionic robot, or a mutant superhero, he's just a dude! But far from run of the mill, what made Cobra Commander the coolest cartoon character of all time is his ability to come from nothing and manipulate his status in the world to that of global tyrant. I’m serious; he was selling used cars one day when he heard that his brother got into a car crash and lost his life. Our dear commander did have a heart at one time and it was torn to shreds, thus making him victim to the biggest meltdown in cartoon history. In his grief, he waged war on just about everything known to man, and started building an empire against the government to which it stands. Now I know he's always cowering and running with his tail between his legs at the first sign of defeat, but that’s exactly what makes him the total anti-hero and proving in every episode after another, that he's the guy we all love to hate.