We've got a big one this week as we celebrate the series OK K.O., and we're joined once more by Series Creator Ian Jones-Quartey and Executive Producer Toby Jones . We cover OK K.O.'s final season, the story behind some of the last year's biggest moments, as well as how Ian and Toby addressed handling the finale. Then we go deep into the brilliantly creative finale, "Thank You For Watching The Show" to learn how it was all made! Listen now to learn how it's only magic! Support this podcast and g...
Dec 30, 2019•2 hr 46 min
To sum up what we're announcing in this podcast update: The last episode of Talking Simpsons each month will be replaced by Talk to the Audience?!?, which will now be free. The last episode of What A Cartoon! each month will be replaced by a free 45-minute (or longer) preview of that month's episode of What A Cartoon Movie! We'll be revisiting a new episode from a previously-covered series once a month on What A Cartoon!, and twice if said month has five Mondays. Super-concise summary: There wil...
Dec 28, 2019•13 min
It's the end of the month (and the whole year!) on the Talking Simpsons Network , so it's time for another of our in-depth, extra-long podcasts about animated feature films! In December, exclusively for our $10+ Patreon subscribers, we talk about Brad Bird and his underrated first feature, The Iron Giant! In this free preview you'll learn a bit about how Bird got into the director's seat, and then please subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and al...
Dec 27, 2019•27 min
It's a special podcast this week as we head back to Los Angeles to chat with Matt Burnett , co-creator (with Ben Levin ) of Craig of the Creek ! We discuss how the Cartoon Network series came to be, how Matt started working with Ben, and Matt's time on Steven Universe! Then we go scene-by-scene through the pivotal Craig of the Creek episode " Under The Overpass ," so grab your map and purse to prepare for an adventurous this podcast! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visit...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 49 min
Back in October of this year, we covered the third Peanuts TV special, so now it's time to go back to where it all began! Good Ol' Charlie Brown and the gang made their formal TV debut in this 1965 Christmas special that kicked off nearly 30 consecutive years of animated Peanuts, but this now-immortal chunk of television stood as a major risk for CBS. Even though it made some odd choices that still make it a curiosity today, A Charlie Brown Christmas remains one of the most-beloved and reference...
Dec 16, 2019•2 hr 1 min
Chosen by one of our premium Patreon subscribers, we get neo-retro with a Mickey Mouse holiday special on this week's podcast! Yes, we go into the history of how Paul Rudish and his team reshaped Disney's mascot for the 2010s, and we go through the season adventure of the Xmas special, Duck The Halls! So get festive and listen now! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @Talk...
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 38 min
We all wondered where Warner Bros. would go after changing kids' TV with Tiny Toon Adventures in 1990, and the answer was Animaniacs: a faster, funnier, and often more esoteric show that didn't need to use classic characters as a crutch. While extravagant animated productions of this nature would soon become a thing of the past thanks to cheapo imports like Power Rangers, for five seasons and 99 episodes, Animaniacs gave us song-filled, sarcastic adventures in pop culture parody and satire, ofte...
Dec 02, 2019•2 hr 42 min
Another month has passed at the Talking Simpsons Network , and that means we've got another awesome podcast about an animated feature film! This month, our $10+ Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about Pixar's immortal first film, Toy Story! Listen now to this free preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all twelve previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts! Sign up today !...
Dec 01, 2019•26 min
Disney's Bonkers has become a bit of a running joke on the Talking Simpsons Network, so of course we're doing an episode about it now that Disney+ has finally made it legally available for the first time in 15 years! While Bonkers remains the most unmemorable entry in The Disney Afternoon, it's not particularly awful —just spectacularly mediocre, especially at a time when Disney was well into their rise to conquer and consume all entertainment. But Disney believed in this troubled project so muc...
Nov 25, 2019•2 hr 12 min
Chosen by a premium Patreon supporter, we delve in the heart of the cards this week to form the Exodia of podcast! Yes, we're covering the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, and the debut episode. We talk about the edgier manga origins, the tough adaptation into animation, how 4Kids brought the card-selling toon to the USA, and how it all ended up owned by Konami! Plus, we go into the ridiculous first episode, so trust in the heart of the cards and listen now for your faith to be rewarded! Support this ...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 42 min
We wanna be the very best on this week's podcast with special guest Kat Bailey (Editor-in-Chief of USGamer.net )! Yes, it's time for the original Pokémon series on What A Cartoon! We discuss the history of the original games, and then how master animators adapted it, and THEN how one localizer turned it into a stateside monopoly. Then we go analyze the Squirtle Squad's iconic first appearance for tons of fun. So, to protect the world from devastation, please listen now! Support this podcast and ...
Nov 11, 2019•2 hr 24 min
This week's What A Cartoon! podcast takes a journey back to the mid-60s days of Peanuts-mania with the property's third TV special ever! Charles M. Schulz's comic stood as a pillar of the funny pages for 50 years, influencing almost every type of pop culture in its extremely long run. So it only made sense that CBS would want to capitalize on its tremendous success with annual specials that would stretch all the way into the '90s. To close out this spooky season, we do our best to cover the long...
Nov 04, 2019•2 hr 22 min
This month's What A Cartoon Movie brings haunts and holly as we discuss The Nightmare Before Christmas for over THREE HOURS, and it's available for all our $10+ Patreon subscribers! If you want to hear what you're missing, listen to this free preview, then join the Talking Simpsons Network , (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the full podcast AND over 30 hours of our other movie podcast!!! Sign up today !...
Oct 31, 2019•20 min
Chosen by Nick, one of our premium Patreon supporters, we're covering the Halloween-themed episode of Gravity Falls! We explore the long history of Alex Hirsch's hit Disney Channel series, with a spoiler-free discussion of the show's mythology, history, and many talented writers and artists who worked on it. Then we analyze the made-up holiday of Summerween with the dangerous Trickster, melting skulls, and we REALLY have an ax to grind about Loser Candy. Listen now, if you SCARE! Support this po...
Oct 28, 2019•2 hr 11 min
Thanks to the generous patronage of Devin Hoffarth, this week's episode of What A Cartoon! features a Halloween classic that just celebrated its 70th birthday! Making up one half of the oddly named package film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Disney's adaptation of the classic Washington Irving story drove generations of children to madness with its terrifying depiction of the Headless Horseman. But while most people remember these vital eight minutes of the film, most forget the precedi...
Oct 21, 2019•2 hr 10 min
The second season of Disenchantment has dropped on Netflix, so we are here to share our thoughts on it all! We return to Dreamland to review the newest batch of episodes, discuss what has improved since, and then delve into the eighth episode of the season! Can Bean find fulfillment as a writer? Can a pig act? And what's with all these beheadings? Grab your opera glasses and listen along to find out! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons an...
Oct 14, 2019•1 hr 48 min
Before Neon Genesis Evangelion changed the anime landscape in the mid-'90s, the animation studio GAINAX had their first stab at a full TV series with Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. Based on the remnants of an old pitch by none other than Hayao Miyazaki himself, Nadia came into being as a highly troubled production, fraught with many difficulties, including some serious internal drama at GAINAX. Despite these issues, Nadia stands as a fascinating series with a seemingly lighthearted exterior th...
Oct 07, 2019•1 hr 45 min
Another month has passed at the Talking Simpsons Network , and that means we've got another awesome podcast about an animated feature film! This month, our $10+ Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door for more than FOUR HOURS! (It's our longest podcast yet!) Listen now to this free preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level to hear the whole thing and all ten previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts! Sign up today !...
Oct 03, 2019•32 min
Just in time for Cybersix's 20th anniversary, we celebrate this Tokyo-Vancouver collaboration with special guest, comic writer/artist/editor Sfé R. Monster ! We discuss the show's complex creation, the amazing TMS animation, and the queer and trans narratives Cybersix spoke to! So listen as we analyze the first episode and the impact it has had since! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! This podcast is brought to yo...
Sep 30, 2019•1 hr 51 min
Before cable television grew up in the late '90s by becoming a different kind of must-see TV, networks needed lots of content—and cheap. Enter Dr. Katz, a barely (but endearingly) animated show that mostly existed as a unique way to package existing stand-up routines. Despite its budget-friendly approach, Katz became a cult hit not just for showcasing the best material of up-and-coming comics, but also for the genuinely endearing relationship between Katz and his adorable failson, Ben. On this w...
Sep 23, 2019•2 hr 21 min
Thanks to the generous donations of patron and special guest David Whittington, this week we're exploring a very popular remake of perhaps the most popular anime of the modern era: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! While the 2003 adaptation did a great job of taking the story in an original direction, Brotherhood emerged a mere five years later, just as the original manga was coming to an end—meaning it's the most direct adaptation you're ever going to get. Listen in as we explain how this seemi...
Sep 16, 2019•2 hr 9 min
This week we kick some spoot with Norb and Dag in the classic Nicktoon, The Angry Beavers. We take you through the series' surprisingly long development, the career of creator Mitch Schauer, the show's rejected final episode, and so much more before diving into the shorts "Up All Night" and "Dag For Night." So put on some comical boxers and listen along to find out if these beavers are angry, or just passive-aggressive! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.co...
Sep 09, 2019•2 hr 14 min
Strap on your proton packs and grab your PKE meters, as we head back to the late '80s toy-fueled toon, The Real Ghostbusters! We uncover how the fairly adult film transitioned into a Saturday morning blockbuster, the many changes the show went through, and the many talented folks who worked on Real Ghostbusters (both in America and Japan). Then we dig into one of the most celebrated episodes of the series, the apocalyptic Ragnarok And Roll! Who YOU gonna call? Support this podcast and get dozens...
Sep 02, 2019•2 hr 6 min
You've probably never heard of Chihayafuru, but after this episode of What A Cartoon!, it just might be the next anime series you get into! At the request of this week's special guest, voice actor , YouTuber , and anime expert SungWon Cho , this time around we're taking a look at a cartoon that turns a seemingly dull premise into compelling drama. Chihayafuru takes all the beats you love about sports anime, but applies them to a much more obscure subject that should be completely foreign to an A...
Aug 26, 2019•1 hr 49 min
Our $10 Patreon subscribers got quite a treat in August with the monthly What A Cartoon Movie! We did the brand new, Netflix-hosted reboot of Rocko's Modern Life, Static Cling! If you're not yet a premium subscriber, here's a preview of that special podcast as we explore just how the new Nicktoon came to be! And if you want the full podcast, just pledge $10 at Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons to get Static Cling and all our previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts!!!!!!...
Aug 24, 2019•22 min
If you weren't paying attention to TV between 1993 and 1994, you might have missed Mighty Max: one of the best cartoons to be made entirely for the sake of selling toys. Despite its cynical roots, the show's creators were somehow on an extremely long leash, which gave this micro-size action figure adaptation a surprisingly dark and serious tone. On this episode of What A Cartoon!, Kat Bailey joins us to explore a surprisingly great series that's gone completely forgotten, even in the nerdiest co...
Aug 19, 2019•1 hr 51 min
Jeremy Parish of Retronauts returns for the what might be the most '80s anime ever made! We're covering the original Bubblegum Crisis OVA that was one of the first big hits for uncut Japanese cartoons in the United States! We look at the show's influences, BC's complicated legal history, it's many influences from American films, and we chat about the very impactful episode Red Eyes! Watch out for Boomers, strap in for a Hurricane, and listen now to Rock On! Support this podcast and get dozens of...
Aug 12, 2019•1 hr 48 min
We welcome back Matthew Jay ( The Deep End , Cartoons 101 ) for a millennial classic that's a tribute to anime, robots, video games, wrestling, comic books, and all the other pop culture we love! Yes, we head to New Jersey in 2004 for the lost Toonami series Megas XLR! We go deep in how the series came to be, its many inspirations, and the complex tax reason it may never get a second chance. Plus we dig into the show's pilot, so rev up your robot and listen now! Support this podcast and get doze...
Aug 05, 2019•1 hr 43 min
Another month has passed at the Talking Simpsons Network , and that means we've got another awesome podcast about an animated feature film! This month our $10+ Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about the 1996 classic Beavis and Butt-Head Do America for more than THREE HOURS! Listen now to this free preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level to hear the whole thing and all the previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts! Don't but a buttmunch, sign up today !...
Jul 31, 2019•25 min
Third Impact has arrived on our podcast as OK KO: Let's Be Heroes ' showrunners/animation experts Ian Jones-Quartey and Toby Jones return for our Evangelion episode! We go deep into the career of Hideaki Anno as he went from an animation prodigy to one of the most daring animation directors to ever live. We talk about the show's enduring popularity, its continuing controversy, the multiple localizations in the United States, and our love for the exuberant episode full of dance and personal inter...
Jul 29, 2019•2 hr 24 min
