AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story, which is based on the video I just saw on YouTube, shows my reaction to what those dumb producers of Cartoon Network did to the old cartoons we grew up watching. Sure, it's a little dramatic and angsty at first, but there are some parts I added that are cheerful and has a few songs in it. Read this story and join me in the fight to bring back the classics.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hanna-Barbera characters featured in the story.

"The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self. It may be a santuary...or a prison. A haven of repose...or a place of punishment. As we ourselves make it."

It was a day of great sorrow in the world of entertainment. Over the years, many people have asked the same question: "What has become of the good old cartoons that we have grown up with? Where are they now?" The answer to that long-debated question is ominous enough to bring tears to one's eyes--they are all in a dire and cold-hearted place known only as "the Zoo".

Cartoon Network, which has been for a time the place for classic cartoons, went downhill when it had new shows and programs. The shows were awful--nothing but anime and live-action shows that would make any classic cartoon fan vomit. And the old cartoon characters were unexpectedly put into the Zoo.

The Zoo was not like any of the cheerful zoos that you know in the human world. It had a desolate and eerie air around it, and its lanes and public places were almost entirely empty. Here and there Hanna-Barbera cartoon stars wandered around, living miserable lives as prisoners of the Zoo. Others were locked up in places one should never peek in, in cells similar to those of penetientaries. All of them were forced to suffer a wide variety of situations concerning their time in the Zoo--starvation, thirst, death, emotional disturbances, and worst of all...deprivation of contact with their long-lost fans.

Eddy, of "Ed, Edd, n' Eddy" fame, had never agreed to the decision to lock up the cartoon stars in the Zoo--after all, they're his friends. The one person who pushed him to found the prison in the first place was the most dreaded of all the cartoon villains...the Red Guy. Long ago, before this mess started, Eddy lived a happy life with his two pals, Ed and Double D. Every day, he found so many opportunities to scam any person he sees in the cul-de-sac. But never...never in his whole life had he expected to be scammed himself. One day, the Red Guy came to his house (disguised as an ordinary businessman) and told him that he won a hundred billion dollars. Oh, did Eddy want so much of that money! But the Red Guy added that in order to retrieve his prize, he must sign the contract for building a zoo.

"What zoo?" Eddy asked, puzzled.

"You'll see what I mean," replied the Red Guy with a mischevious grin.

"So, what does it cost to get me the moolah and the zoo?"

"How about...your SOUL? You wouldn't sell your soul for a hundred billion dollars, WOULD YOU?"

Eddy was appalled at the idea for selling his soul in order to build the zoo. But then, the money offer tempted him and he had no choice but to accept the terms of the contract.

So, the contract was signed and the zoo was built. When Eddy showed it to his friends, they believed that it was going to be for real live animals. What they didn't realize is that the zoo was meant to hold a different kind of group of animals...cartoon animals. Once he saw all of his old innocent classic cartoon colleagues being caught and imprisoned, Eddy knew he made a mistake. The Red Guy had tricked him!

"Hey!" shouted Eddy angrily. "What's the big idea of locking my pals up in the zoo?!"

"Tut, tut," answered the Red Guy. "Not so fast, Mr. Eddy Boy. From now on, you're the BOSS of the zoo and there's absolutely NOTHING you can do about getting out of the contract!"

"But the hundred billion dollars..."

"Ah, yes, the prize. Well, guess what? The so-called 'prize' are the proceeds that will go to the ZOO! And your soul is now MINE! ALL MINE"

And there it was...the Zoo...with all of its poor cartoon prisoners...with no hope of getting out. And it was torture for two of his best pals from the cul-de-sac, Ed as one of the extra prisoners and Edd left to manage the finances of the Zoo. Bound by the contract, Eddy longed to talk to the Red Guy about closing the place and setting his friends free. But he feared that if he cancelled the contract, he'd lose his chance of getting the hundred billion dollars. After a while, he had seen the prisoners suffer and he had seen the Red Guy gloat over his victory. And so he did the one simple action he was sure to regret--commit suicide. He couldn't stand to watch his pals mourn their lost freedom.

Standing on the top of his swivel chair, the noose around his neck, Eddy prepared to take what was to be his last breath. He paused--what if his friends found out about his death? He just wanted to stop what he was doing and force the Red Guy to tear up the very contract that cost him his lifestyle and his friendship. But it was too late. The Red Guy kicked the chair out of the way...and Eddy was gone, along with his soul.

Now the Red Guy was entirely in charge of the Zoo. He treated the cartoon prisoners like dirt and left them without food, water, and comfort. He was indeed the cruelest villain of all, and it was hopeless. The one thing the cartoon characters desperately needed to escape from the Zoo was a miracle. They needed someone who would find a way to get rid of the zoo and give them the freedom they've always longed for. Someone who would offer them nourishment, companionship, and courage. Someone who would expose the Red Guy's nasty deed and put him away for good. Someone...who is a fan of classic cartoons himself or herself. That's where we come in...