šļø Saturday Morning Rituals: A Guest Submission by DJ Fad
There was a time when Saturday mornings werenāt just a break from schoolāthey were a full-blown ceremony. A weekly rite of passage. A sacred scroll of comfort, chaos, and cassette rewinds. And for me, DJ Fad, it was the one morning where the world slowed down just enough to let imagination take the wheel.
š The Wake-Up Call
No alarm needed. My internal clock was synced to the sacred rhythm of cartoon intros and cereal commercials. Iād bolt out of bed like a linebacker chasing a fumbleāfeet hitting the floor, heart already thumping to the beat of Inspector Gadget or The Smurfs. The house was quiet, save for the hum of the tube TV warming up and the faint hiss of the VCR ready to record.
𧦠The Uniform
Wardrobe was non-negotiable: footie pajamas if it was cold, or my faded Seahawks tee if the sun was out. Bonus points for mismatched socksāone neon green, one with a hole in the toe. This wasnāt fashion. It was armor. It was identity. It was the look of someone ready to conquer pixelated worlds and cereal box mazes.
š„£ The Fuel
Breakfast was a ritual all its own. Iād pour a mountain of Fruity Pebbles or Cinnamon Toast Crunch into a bowl that was way too big, splash in milk, and let the sugar do its thing. The spoon was my scepter. The cereal box was my newspaper. Iād read every word on the backāgames, trivia, promos for toys Iād never get but always dreamt about.
šŗ The Lineup
Cartoons werenāt just entertainmentāthey were gospel.
- Thundercats taught me honor.
- M.A.S.K. gave me tech envy.
- The Real Ghostbusters made me believe in the unseen.
- Pee-weeās Playhouse? That was pure chaos magic.
Iād rotate between channels like a DJ flipping vinyl, chasing the perfect lineup. And if I missed a show? No worries. The VCR was always rolling. Tape labeled in Sharpie. Rewind. Replay. Remix.
š® The Side Quest
After cartoons came the joystick pilgrimage. NES or Atari, depending on mood and sibling negotiations. Contra, Punch-Out!!, Duck Huntāeach game a test of reflexes and ritual. Iād sit cross-legged, controller in hand, eyes locked in, fingers dancing like I was spinning vinyl.
āļø The Creative Burst
By mid-morning, the sugar rush hit peak velocity. Thatās when the sketchbook came out. Iād draw logos for imaginary teams, remix cereal mascots into superheroes, or design badges for my own Saturday morning league. Sometimes Iād cut up old magazines and make collagesālayered chaos that somehow made perfect sense.
š§ The Legacy
Saturday mornings werenāt just fun. They were formative.
They taught me rhythm, storytelling, and the power of ritual.
They gave me a space to dream, remix, and build worlds from scratch.
And now, decades later, I still carry that energy into every creative move I makeāwhether itās designing for FD Assets, remixing sports rituals, or building out 80sBeat.com as a sanctuary for nostalgia and empowerment.
š Whatās Your Ritual?
Drop your Saturday morning lineup in the comments.
Badge your favorite cartoon.
Tag your cereal of choice.
Letās build this shrine togetherāone memory, one remix, one ritual at a time.

