How’d you like to lay your eyes on an authentic 3’x3’ Smurf Village playset, which helped spawn the cartoon series? Or an original printing of “The Chipmunk Song,” the inspiration for Alvin? Or the series bible for Disney’s Gummi Bears? For the first time ever, scores of classic cartoon shows are gathering under one roof. The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, New York City’s only cultural center devoted to the toon world, is holding an exhibit entitled “Saturday Morning: Art & Artifacts from the Golden Age of Television.”

“It’s something most people can relate too,” says Matt Murray, curator and MoCCA’s chief operating officer. “Everyone has a favorite Saturday morning cartoon.” The exhibit, which runs from November 18th to March 16th, will include regular screenings, lectures, and a gallery filled with original art and memorabilia. Most of the items are focused on the time between 1966 and 1990, referred to as the “Golden Age” of Saturday morning cartoons.

“Kids have more options these days. There weren’t 24-hour cable cartoon channels. There were only three networks and in 1966 all three began programming original content for Saturday morning.” Murray also notes why this period ended in the 1990’s. “That’s when the Children’s Television Act was passed by Congress to increase the quantity of educational programming on television, and that’s when you see networks throwing in the towel and programming news shows … Also, the divorce rate had spiked and weekend mornings became very important to parents; there were drives to get kids more active in sports on weekends.”