Who's Hiding the Next SpongeBob?

Comedy is hard; cartoon comedy is even harder. With SpongeBob SquarePants rounding out its 13th year, both kids and buyers are curious to know where the next big animated comedy is going to come from. If Ren & Stimpy proved that animators could indulge their creativity on TV as well as the big screen, SpongeBob proved that kids like originality more than they did the merch-heavy cartoons of the ’80s and early ’90s.

Now that the offbeat animated series has opened the door to even weirder, goofier fare, here’s a look at a few of the up-and-comers in the literally wild and woolly world of kids’ comedy cartoons. 

Phineas and Ferb
Disney Channel
This one is already a ratings bonanza for Disney, though it skews a little older than most kids’ comedy.