Another cartoon that is an alternative to the American ones: The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian illustrator Hergé
The Adventures of Tintin is widely regarded as a classic of comic art, but some issues are rightly criticized for racial stereotyping and a romanticized view of colonialism. This is hardly surprising, however, as the series dates back to the 1930s.
My local library has probably close to the full run of these so I read most all of them growing up and while they are a product of their time I have such good memories of them.