What A Cartoon!

Two decades ago, Cowboy Bebop made its debut and the show feels just as cutting edge today as it did back then. Bob and Henry are joined by Nathan Ortega to discuss this special episode of Bebop as Ed gets her own adventure in "Mushroom Samba." Take a trip with us as Ed and Ein go searching for food and get ensnared in an action-packed tribute to blaxploitation. We explain history, the creators, a...

Our premium patron David Whittington returns for his second pick, the Cartoon Network cult classic Samurai Jack! We dig into the Spaghetti Western-style episode that barely even features the title character. It's one of the most interesting episodes in the series history and we dig into all five of the bounty hunters all trying to find the best way to capture Jack. Learn all about Genndy Tartakovs...

We've finally reached our first Adult Swim series on What A Cartoon, and it's their longest-running one to date: The Venture Bros.! Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer's creation launched as a Johnny Quest spoof in 2004, but over the years, it's grown into something much more ambitious that somehow survived despite near-cancellations and years-long delays between seasons. This week's episode comes via...

Star Wars expert and cool person Kat Bailey joins us to dive deep into the CGI series that did the impossible: Making the Star Wars prequels good! We hop into the twentieth episode of season four (currently available on Netflix), and get some cool action as well as meeting some of Star Wars best bounty hunters. It's a deep dive into a show some grouchier Star Wars fans like Henry overlooked. Strap...

Buckle in, because it's gonna get stupid as we dive into Mike Judge's first TV series (and first massive success), Beavis and Butt-Head. While on the surface B&B might seem like a braindead, ugly cartoon, like any Judge project there's a whole lot more going on under the hood than you'd think, and we explore its many nuances as much as humanly possible! So grab some nachos and listen in as we disc...

This week's What A Cartoon! takes us back to Fox's Kids and the early 1990s as guest Dave Rudden brings us into Bobby's World. The Howie Mandel passion project ran for a surprisingly long time, and we dig into the bits that are better than we remember and the stuff that's much more awkward than we recall. All while regaling y'all with stories of swimming, siblings, and almost drowning! Support us...

One of our premium Patreon supporters, Aziz, stops by with his pick for this week's podcast: the Cartoon Network classic, Dexter's Laboratory! In this one, the iconic duo is at odds but it's Dexter who learns from his hyper sister Dee Dee instead of the other way around. It's a fun, philosophical episode with an unexpected ending. We go over the show's history with guest Matthew Jay as well is thi...

Here at WAC we've now arrived at our first ever anime series, thanks in part to a request from one of our top Patreon supporters. We go over the inaugural episode of Kill La Kill, the action-packed (and fan-servicey) debut series of Studio Trigger. Is it amazing to look at? Is it a bit weird and/or discomforting? Find out as Bob and Henry are joined by Cartoon 101's Matthew Jay!   Support the show...

Modern TV animation owes a lot (or perhaps everything) to The Ren and Stimpy Show, a humble little Nicktoon that came out of nowhere and rewrote the rules of what a kids' cartoon could get away with. Despite its troubled co-creator and nightmarish production problems, Ren and Stimpy thrived for five solid years as a shining example of what an artist-driven cartoon could be. And for our podcast exp...

Do you know all the words to the Cookie Cat theme? Or are you still confused by the ideas of fusion and gems? Either way, this episode will be a real treat as Bob, Henry, and Matthew explore the first two episodes ever of the incredibly marvelous series Steven Universe! Grab your pork chops and hot dogs and listen along!

On our sophomore outing, we cover King of the Hill, the first truly successful Fox animated sitcom to follow The Simpsons (sorry, The Critic). While some still view Mike Judge's 13-season series as a mundane exploration of rednecks, episodes like the one in question prove King of the Hill is a subtle satire of Midwestern life that digs deep into its cast of unique characters. Listen in as Bob Mack...

Welcome to our brand new podcast series! We're going through a different animated series every week in our deep dive fashion, and we begin with the greatest episode of the greatest Batman cartoon of all time! Hosts Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert are joined by guest Matthew Jay (Cartoons 101) to discuss the Mr. Freeze starring episode Heart of Ice. Learn how they redefined the villain, how the series...