What A Cartoon!

This week we're doing Halloween right by finally covering perhaps the most famous cartoon dog of all time, Scooby-Doo! Were' joined by professional artist and Scooby fan Kris Dobbins (check out their work here ) to discuss the creation of the series and the life of Scooby creator, Iwao Takamoto! Then we dig into one of the best eps of the original series, featuring the gang being chased by The Cre...

This week, we're returning to one of our favorite Adult Swim series that always mixed horror and comedy so well: Aqua Teen Hunger Force! And for our second look at the series, we're discussing a classic Halloween episode all about Blood Feast Island Man, his missing mail, love of juice, and failed Freddy-Kruger-style zingers. Plus, you'll get to hear the guest of this episode berate one of our hos...

When the Back to the Future Trilogy wrapped up in 1990, the time-traveling antics of Marty McFly and Doc Brown seemed destined for an episodic TV series. And it would eventually see one the following year, though this animated show wasn't a shameless cash-in. Overseen by BTTF scribe Bob Gale, and featuring live-action segments with Christopher Lloyd himself, this cartoon offered a level of quality...

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 1994's The Return of Jafar! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all of our previous What...

This week we're joined by one of our top Patreon supporters, Devin, to discuss the 1983 cartoon adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons! How did the controversial and groundbreaking role-playing game become a Saturday morning favorite? Which anime company produced it? And how do the first adventures hold up to modern scrutiny? Grab your D20 and listen along to this week's podcast! Support this podcast an...

This week is a big one as we welcome back creator of OK K.O. Ian Jones-Quartey to talk about a character close to his heart: Sonic The Hedgehog! How did the fastest thing alive really move to two different animated series in 1993? How did Jaleel White define Sega's mascot? How did Ian craft a tribute to this series in his own animation? And why are there so many wizards in this more serious story...

Thanks to the generous contributions of patron David Whittington, we're heading back to anime country with a show that's off the beaten path. Inuyashiki Last Hero spins a superhero tale in modern Japan, but casts the roles of the hero and the villain in a completely unexpected way by making the protagonist a kindly old man and the antagonist a sullen teen. It's a surprisingly dark and surprisingly...

We've reached the end of summer on the Talking Simpsons Network , meaning it's time for us to discuss an animated feature film chosen by our supporters! This month, our $10+ Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all...

This week, we're making our third visit to the land of Ren & Stimpy with a thorough examination of the season two finale that brought an end to the show's Spumco era. As usual, we're joined by Ren & Stimpy scholar (and all-around animation expert) Thad Komorowski , but this time around, we also have a guest who worked on this legendary animated series: Bob Jaques! Via his studio Carbunkle Cartoons...

We return again to the world of Gargoyles, again joined by comics pro and Gargoyles lover Kory Bing! After filling in some of the history gaps we missed last time, we cover another important early season 2 episode! There's Halloween and werewolf talk, but really this podcast is about celebrating Xanatos as one of the best villains in cartoon history! So be sure to grab your Eye of Odin and listen...

Chosen by premium Patron Brian Hortin, we watched the arguably the best pilot Adult Swim ever produced, Korgoth of Barbaria! We discuss the career of creator Aaron Springer, the production of the pilot itself, and the history of '70s strongman fantasy it parodies. So listen now as we steal the golden goblin together! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/Tal...

We wanted to go back to the primal days of US anime VHSes, and with the help of anime expert Mike Toole , we go back to the landmark series Ranma 1/2! How was the series created by Rumiko Takahashi and what was its bumpy arrival on Japanese TV before its surprise popularity in North America? Plus, we discuss the first season's eighth episode, all in one anything-goes martial arts podcast! Support...

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 1985's The Black Cauldron! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all of our previous What...

Our premium patron Royce wanted us to talk about easily the best Avengers cartoon, Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Created just as Disney took over Marvel, we talk about the show's genesis, the team of comic and Batman veterans producing it, and the complicated cancellation of the series. Then we discuss the late season 2 episode "New Avengers" which has its own comic history to dig through. So assemble...

After covering his most famous film, it's time to return to Lupin in his most successful TV series! How did the silly thief steal the world's heart with Lupin III Part 2? How were Lupin vets Yasuo Otsuka and Hayao Miyazaki instrumental in building TMS's world-class animation team at Telecom Studios? And how did a giant airplane full of nukes lead to one of the best looking TV toons ever made? Lear...

Requested by premium patron Phillip, we're finally covering the groundbreaking Cartoon Network series Adventure Time! How did a student project become a viral sensation and then turn into a hit show that was a launching pad for many important toon creators? And after the history, we discuss two of the show's most beloved episodes, so get algebraic and listen along! Support this podcast and get doz...

We asked our patrons what Warner Animation film we should cover, and Space Jam won in a resounding, Jordan-esque victory. $10+ subscribers to the Talking Simpsons Network , can hear our looooong discussion of Space Jam now, but if you're not yet a subscriber, give a listen to this extended preview. Our good buddy and classic cartoon expert Thad Komorowski joins us to explore the complex Space Jam...

While Jim Henson tried and failed to break free of the Muppets throughout the '80s, his biggest commercial success that decade came from a series he had very little to do with. That show would be Muppet Babies, a vehicle for pint-size versions of the famous Muppet characters to sing, propagandize the powers of imagination, and obey the giant pair of legs that holds dominion over their kind. This w...

Our top-level patron David is back once more, and he asked us to check out DC Universe's breakout toon, Harley Quinn! This take on the animated character borrows from some of her best comics to craft a world of loser villains and white-faced fuckboys, all as Harley Quinn finds her independence. We cover the show's creation and how surprisingly funny the violent comedy is, so grab your favorite bas...

What the hell are YOU starin' at? Well, if you were watching the USA network in the mid-'90s, you might have been staring at Duckman, cable TV's answer to the Simpsons starring a cast of yellow characters much more twisted than anything Fox had to offer. Despite not being a ratings smash, Duckman's star power and status as a critical darling gave it an impressive 70-episode run, and it remains an...

We return to the Gundam franchise this week, and we're joined by Gundam expert/ USG Editor-In-Chief/our good friend Kat Bailey ! 20 years ago this year Gundam Wing premiered on Cartoon Network and had a huge impact on US anime fans, but how did this variation on the Gundam franchise happen? How did it get broadcast on TV? And what's its legacy? We discuss all that and the first episode in this gun...

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 1999's Toy Story 2! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all of our previous What A Carto...

Chosen by our premium patron Jibbly, it's time to return to the DC Animated Universe with Justice League! The 2001 toon made the Superfriends cool for the first time ever, and set ratings records for Cartoon Network. How did Bruce Timm's team grow to handle a bigger series and expanded the DC stories they had already told? We talk about that and the second half of the season one classic, Injustice...

Chosen by our premium patron L, we're covering the original Dragon Ball anime with our expert friend Shivam Bhatt (co-host of the Commanderin' podcast)! We discuss how Akira Toriyama developed his action-comedy phenom, how Toei Animation adapted it, and how Goku's earlier adventures had a weird localization history in the US. Then we break down one of the first battles in the initial Budokai tourn...

This week, we're visiting one of the earliest What A Cartoon! subjects—and one of our favorites—the great MTV cartoon, Beavis and Butt-Head. But instead of jumping back to their heyday in the go-go '90s, we're heading back to the less-distant year of 2011, when MTV's crude cartoon got a fresh reboot and all seemed right with the world. This short-lived revival might have come and gone in three sho...