15 Artistic TV Characters We Miss From Our Childhood

Last week, James Franco announced to the world that his television show about art James Franco Presents will premiere on Ovation in November. While we're sure Franco will pick out and feature some A-list artwork on his new show, it turns out that we've been exposed to some great artists on TV long before Franco.

Those of you who grew up in front of the TV during the '90s surely remember Judy Funnie, the art snob older sister on Doug, the filmmaker Twister from Rocket Power, and Hal's painting binge on Malcolm in the Middle. Check out our list of the 15 Most Artistic Characters from Our Childhood. James Franco, you've got a tough act to follow.

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TV Show: Friends

Phoebe Buffay was known as the "Smelly Cats" musician on our favorite '90s sitcom Friends, but recall that she also dabbled in visual arts. Phoebe created two multi-media works of creepy women emerging from inside a picture frame, Gladdys and Glynnis. When cleaning out her apartment, Phoebe decided to gift the creations to Rachel and Monica.

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TV Show: Ed, Edd n Eddy

You probably remember Jimmy as the crybaby on Ed, Edd n Eddy. As the weakest, most accident-prone, kid in the group, Jimmy has a pretty good reason to cry. Not to mention the fact that he's an artist, subject to many failures in even his craft. If there's anyone who understands the suffering artist, it's Jimmy.

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TV Show: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Okay, so the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles weren't exactly artists, but they were named after famous painters, so we had to include them. Not to mention, they are trained in the art of kicking ass.

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TV Show: Rocket Power

When this Rocket Power boy wasn't skateboarding and wrecking havoc with his friends Otto, Reggie, and Squid, Twister was always on the sideline videotaping all the action. On a mission to capture "the dopest footage," Twister is an aspiring videographer. Judging from the friends' adventures, Twister probably has some quality recordings on that camcorder.

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TV Show: One Tree Hill

Peyton Sawyer from One Tree Hill is not an artist you want to fuck with. Break up with Peyton, and you can count on her dedicating a few pages in her sketchbook to you. Overlooking the fact that most of her art depicts the angst-filled days of high school, Peyton's drawings were actually kind of impressive.

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TV Show: The Baby-sitters Club

You may have heard of The Baby-sitters Club, a popular book series from the late '80s that was later made into a TV show and movie. Claudia Kishi was the club's VP. This girl had a flair for the arts and, like any middle school kid, a rebellious streak. She sketched, painted, and designed her own clothes and jewelry. She also had junk food and Nancy Drew novels stashed all throughout her room because her parents didn't allow them. What a total badass.

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TV Show: Rugrats All Grown Up!

In Rugrats All Grown Up! our favorite baby swaps his bottle for a camcorder. Ten years later, Tommy Pickles is still best buds with Chuckie and the rest of the crew, but he's also developed a penchant for filmmaking. However, it's a talent that his family and friends sometimes have a difficult time understanding. In one episode, Tommy makes a movie called Gesundheit about sneezing. Deep.

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TV Show: Family Ties

Those who grew up during the late '80s probably remember Nick Moore, the hot shot, artsy biker boyfriend of Mallory Keaton. It was probably his artistic side that won her heart—or maybe it was that earring of his. Nick was one of the most popular characters on Family Ties. For that reason, dude got his very own, albeit short-lived, TV show called the The Art of Being Nick.

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TV Show: ChalkZone

Rudy Tabootie of ChalkZone is so good at drawing his artwork literally comes to life. With help from a piece of "White Lightning" chalk, Rudy is able to enter a realm composed entirely of characters he had once drawn and erased, while simultaneously fleeing the school bully. Rudy ends up taking his best friend and crush to ChalkZone, to meet his friend Snap, a drawing Rudy did when he was eight.

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TV Show: Pokémon

Tracey Sketchit was one of Ash Ketchum's many sidekicks during the protagonist's Pokémon-catching journey. As his last name suggests, Tracey was an avid artist, who would observe Pokémon and then render them in his sketchbook. He ended up leaving the gang to become Professor Oak's assistant—that's how good he was.

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TV Show: Malcolm in the Middle

As the father of four (later five) troublemaking boys and husband to a woman like Lois, Hal Wilkerson was bound to go off the deep end at some point in his life. In the second season of Malcolm in the Middle, Hal takes weeks off his job to start painting. Though he initially becomes a happier man, he ends up growing obsessed with painting, stopping only when his finished work collapses on him.

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TV Show: Invader Zim

Indifferent to her brother's worries about an alien invasion, there isn't much Gaz from Invader Zim is interested in besides video games, pizza, and occasionally art making. While she's certainly got the attitude of a stereotypical artist, she occasionally diverts from her cynical, grumpy self. In one episode, Gaz goes unleashes her fury on her brother Dib who keeps disturbing her while she attempts to draw a little piggy. Classic case of the angry artist.

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TV Show: Doug

Even though Doug's older sister Judy Funnie was more of an actress than an artist, she is undoubtedly still the artsiest person in all of Bloatsburg. In fact, the drama queen actually attended the Moody School, a school for artistically inclined students like herself. From her beret to her shades, Judy was the original hipster artist.

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TV Show: SpongeBob SquarePants

While Squidward Tentacles is no doubt the more artistic character on the show, he tried really hard, and we don't like a poser. Spongebob, on the other hand, was able to effortlessly create crazy bubble replicas of Krabby Patties, jellyfish, and all sorts of underwater creatures. Sorry, Squid.

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TV Show: Daria

Not only is Jane Lane from Daria every dude's dream girlfriend with that down-to-earth, no drama demeanor, she's also one dope artist. From her paint-strewn room to her cynical outlook and rejection of conventional society, it's obvious that Lane is a true creative type. She made the most eccentric paintings and sculptures. Remember her abstract, Picasso-like portrait of Quinn? Or that cow skull? No doubt an allusion to Georgia O'Keeffe.

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