August and September are all about anniversaries and national pseudo holidays, as we celebrate the 13th and 26th anniversary of “The Regular Show” and “South Park,” respectively, and Batman Day this past Saturday.

For many, these cartoons have brought joy, adventure and curiosity during times of much-needed breaks from reality. Other times, they bring us back to a time of innocence, well, maybe not “South Park” so much.

But, still, all these shows captured a moment in time when thinking outside the box was celebrated, exploration was encouraged and saving network television channels and comic book industries from bankruptcy was crucial.

Ladies and gentlemen, I report the lone wolves who remain the victors of basic cable and comic book industries.

Cartoon Network has always been synonymous with animated programming. Whether it was the kid-friendly programs (Boomerang and Cartoonito) that ran from 5 a.m. – 6 p.m. (central time) or the adult animation featured on Adult Swim and Toonami later that night, Cartoon Network always banked on making assorted cartoons for assorted minds.

With that comes writing newer and innovative shows, and sometimes, for companies like Cartoon Network, it can be impossible to maintain and create content that can keep young consumers craving for more.

So, like most major broadcast companies, they chose a different route – one that would put the Warner Bros.-owned company on the brink of drowning: live-action shows.

Of course, television stations like Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel excelled with live-action content. But not Cartoon Network.

Kids and adults wanted cartoons, and the heads of the company just couldn’t collectively come together on a show that could garner the same cult-like admiration and ratings cartoons, like “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Ed, Edd n Eddy,” “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog” and “Johnny Bravo,” to name a few, pulled in for the network.

Alas, comes the “Regular Show.” Staged from the brilliant mind of J. G. Quintel, came the ever-loving and widely popular show that rescued the Cartoon Network ship from a watery grave.

“Regular Show” premiered on September 6, 2010, and ran till January 16, 2017. In those seven years, eight seasons and 261 episodes, we learned about two ride-or-die pals, Mordecai and Rigby, and their daily yet rambunctious experiences.

Centered around Quintel’s real-life experiences in college, Mordecai (a blue jay), Rigby (a raccoon), and their co-workers Muscle Man, Skips, Hi-Five Ghost, Pops and Benson all stood the test of time, overcoming obstacles unimaginable yet hilariously bonkers.

The zany show took home a Prime-time Creative Arts Emmy for its third season episode “Eggscellent,” which saw Mordecai take on an extraordinary challenge by eating a massive omelet for Rigby, who fell ill due to an allergic reaction to eggs.

Rigby’s goal was to win a trucker hat that read “I’m Eggscellent” which Mordecai eventually wins for his fallen friend.

Looking past the comedic production of this show (which is hard to do), it built a rapport on the importance of friendship and the power it has to help you face daily challenges head-on. “Regular Show” is available to stream on MAX and Hulu.

Speaking of friends who venture through outlandish incidents, the mecca of adult animation, “South Park,” just celebrated its 26th anniversary on August 13.

Going down to South Park, Colorado, we are introduced to four friends: Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick, who always tend to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Well, not to us viewers.

“South Park” will forever live in infamy for its profanity, dark, surreal and unapologetic satirical outlook on the country we call home. Part of the godfathers of 90s adult animation, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have brought us uncontrollable laughter for 26 seasons and 325 episodes.

Whether the main characters recite the line of, “You know, I’ve learned something today,” it’s apparent that despite cancel culture knocking on South Park’s door for years, lawsuits or challenging the FCC on how many curse words they could get away with saying in one episode, the beloved and stellar animated sitcom is not going anywhere anytime soon.

“South Park” is available to stream on MAX and Comedy Central.

And lastly, the only man who can police them all, the cape crusade himself, Batman, can finally hold his head high and potentially hang his cape up for a day, as September 16 of this year has officially been declared his day. Usually, Batman Day occurs every third Saturday in September.

Batman, a nerd culture icon since his inception in 1939 by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, introduced us to the mystique of a double life.

The tale of Bruce Wayne, the man behind the mask, all began the moment his parents were murdered in front of them. From there, the billionaire vowed to seek vengeance and shield the people of Gotham from the trauma he suffered.

Of course, Batman danced a dangerous game with evil adversaries over the years like the Joker, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Clayface, Posin Ivy and Bane, to name a few.

Most, if not all, of his enemies, played a critical part in fans’ participation in reading, watching and playing content surrounding the Batman universe.

If there is one takeaway of Batman, it’s that he, along with his cohorts in The Justice League (Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, etc.) familiarized us with everyday men and women who were mortal but were presented with the gift of immortality. And not one took advantage of this godsend ability.

Ok, I’ve said my piece. Now, go watch some cartoons!

Brie Coder can be reached at bmcoder@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.