Cartoon Breakdown

Mmmwwwwwaahaaahaaahaaahhaaaaaa! We’re switching from laughs to scares this week as Cartoon BOO-reakdown celebrates Halloween with a spooky selection of shorts. Are mice scarier than ghosts? What’s a proportionate punishment for unsuccessful chicken theft ? Are all cartoon skeletons contractually obliged to be played like xylophones? And what’s the link between Edgar Allan Poe and a really good bur...

It seems that almost every major animated star fought a bull at some stage in their career! Pared down from a huge shortlist, Andy and Todd take a look at four different studios’ takes on the controversial subject of bullfighting. As well as examining the inherent comedic potential of two adversaries trapped together in an arena, we discuss early awakenings to the image of Lina Romay, whether Pope...

In the third and final episode of our three part look at Tom & Jerry, Todd and Andy discuss Chuck Jones’s take on the characters. While agreeing that Jones never quite got a handle on the cat and mouse, we find things to enjoy in the psychedelic layouts and unusual gags. Todd tells the story of how Jones ended up taking on these characters and we discuss thick eyebrows, strange endings, interg...

In the second part of our three part look at Tom & Jerry, Todd and Andy discuss the short-lived Gene Deitch era, in which American director Deitch and his team of Czech animators produced some of the strangest and least acclaimed films in the characters’ history. From odd animation to misjudged violence and surreal soundtracks, we look at the problems with these infamous cartoons, while also a...

In this episode we begin our three part look at the theatrical era of Tom & Jerry. First up is the golden age of the Hanna-Barbera shorts that saw the cat and mouse win seven Academy Awards and the hearts of cartoon-lovers everywhere. Andy and Todd examine four shorts that represent the characters in their natural domestic setting, and discuss co-stars like Spike and Mammy Two-Shoes, the art o...

In this episode we take an in-depth look at the career of Stan Freberg, from his radio work and hit records to his voice work for Warner Bros. Todd introduces Andy to Freberg’s comedy album  Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America , and Andy introduces Todd to a mysterious stop-motion animation of Freberg’s Banana Boat Song . And, of course, we look at some of Freberg’s most famous char...

We’re all about pigs again this week as Andy and Todd take a look at other studios’ takes on the Three Little Pigs story. Wartime themes, musical arrangements and swapping pigs for pups: Do these fresh approaches work? Andy and Todd are finding out. SHORTS DISCUSSED: Blitz Wolf (1942, Tex Avery) Pigs in a Polka (1943, Friz Freleng) The Three Little Pups (1953, Tex Avery)

In this episode we take a look at one of the most important cartoons ever made, Disney’s Three Little Pigs , and the three sequels that followed (three and a half counting the propaganda short The Thrifty Pig ). Can you top pigs with pigs? Which of the Big Bad Wolf’s disguises is the sexiest? And are there too many butts in these cartoons? Andy and Todd will answer these questions and more. SHORTS...

In this episode we’re taking a close look at the iconic little black duck himself. Andy attempts to convince a very receptive Todd that Daffy Duck is not only the greatest cartoon star but also one of the greatest movie stars of all time, animated or not. Using three shorts by different directors, we take a look at how Daffy’s personality developed over the years from unhinged screwball to boyish...

In this inaugural episode, Andy and Todd take a look at some of their personal favorite animated shorts and discuss what each one means to them. Avoiding obvious choices, Andy aims to illustrate the many facets of animation beyond just the gags, while Todd’s picks provide a glimpse of the later years of the golden age. Examining six cartoons across five different studios, this bumper crop of anima...

In this short promo episode, Todd Liebenow and Andy Goulding introduce Cartoon Breakdown , the podcast about the golden age of the animated short. Andy and Todd outline how the show will work and what listeners should and shouldn’t expect, as well as teasing the subject of the upcoming Episode 1.