A Special Presentation, or Alf Will Not Be Seen Tonight

For the month of MAYrio, we're looking at various adaptations of the Mario Brothers video games! Next up: The Wizard. Is it a Mario Brothers movie? Well, it's got Mario and it's got some brothers. Fred Savage and Christian Slater star in this classic Nintendo commercial about family and also hustling traveling salesmen at video games.

For the month of MAYrio, we're looking at various adaptations of the Mario Brothers video games! Next up: The Wizard. Is it a Mario Brothers movie? Well, it's got Mario and it's got some brothers. Fred Savage and Christian Slater star in this classic Nintendo commercial about family and also hustling traveling salesmen at video games.

It's summer, so you know what that means: For the month of May, it's MAYrio! We're looking at a different Mario movie every week, because it's our podcast and we want to! We're starting off with the 1986 anime Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! , possibly the earliest ever adaptation of the video game characters to the screen. How does it compare? Pretty good, actually! This may well be close to a perfect video game adaption.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Ranger Rick was not good and also not educational? Iggy Arbuckle is here to answer that question! It's a cartoon based on a single strip from National Geographic Kids, and it's... well, it's education-like material, I guess?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Ranger Rick was not good and also not educational? Iggy Arbuckle is here to answer that question! It's a cartoon based on a single strip from National Geographic Kids, and it's... well, it's education-like material, I guess?

What if the Shmoo from Lil' Abner was back for reasons? I don't know, just assume that the shmoo's circa 1940 popularity sustained it into the 70s and that's why we have THE NEW SHMOO, where the shmoo is teamed up with three mystery solving teens who run a comic book company. But is it just a Scooby Doo clone? Or is there more to the New Shmoo than meets the eye?

What if there was a planet that was so much like ours that it looped around into being strange? Such a planet would have to be intensely... relatable!

It's Alan Moore's favorite comic, Little Lulu! She's that wacky moppet who likes to cause trouble. What an adorable little bitch! We all love Little Lulu.

To commemorate missing both Valentine's Day and the Superbowl, we're looking at TWO Peanuts specials for the price of one! It's the one where Charlie Brown DOESN'T go to the Superbowl (Talk about false advertising!) but it's also the one where he really DOES get his first kiss. Snoopy is there too. Mike really hates Snoopy.

It's Kudzu, the comic that's not about the title character. You old people will remember this, it's the comic about the preacher and the parakeet. They made it into a TV special but only the preacher made it in. There's no parakeet. It is very southern, though.

For Ethan's birthday, we speak about Captain N the Gamemaster, the cartoon series that celebrates all things Nintendo and also has Levi Stubbs starring as Mother Brain! It's such a fun series that, for once, we don't get distracted and just talk about the commercials that got included with this particular ripped recording of the show.

For Ethan's birthday, we speak about Captain N the Gamemaster, the cartoon series that celebrates all things Nintendo and also has Levi Stubbs starring as Mother Brain! It's such a fun series that, for once, we don't get distracted and just talk about the commercials that got included with this particular ripped recording of the show.

For Ethan's birthday, we speak about Captain N the Gamemaster, the cartoon series that celebrates all things Nintendo and also has Levi Stubbs starring as Mother Brain! It's such a fun series that, for once, we don't get distracted and just talk about the commercials that got included with this particular ripped recording of the show.

FINALLY, we bite the bullet and talk about the 1930 film "Soup to Nuts," famous for being written by Rube Goldberg of the Rube Goldberg machine and for being the first ever appearance of the comedy trio who would later be known as the three stooges. If you're a real stooge head, you might like this. Normal people will find little amusement in this shambling mess, though. We didn't.

In theory, we were supposed to talk about the Rube Goldberg-penned 1930 film "Soup to Nuts," but we got distracted and instead went through the entire history of the Ruben Award. The important takeaway is that, for a podcast ostensibly dedicated to comic strips, we know remarkably little about comic strips. Mike gets really made about Rhymes with Orange in this episode.

In theory, we were supposed to talk about the Rube Goldberg-penned 1930 film "Soup to Nuts," but we got distracted and instead went through the entire history of the Ruben Award. The important takeaway is that, for a podcast ostensibly dedicated to comic strips, we know remarkably little about comic strips. Mike gets really made about Rhymes with Orange in this episode.

Betty Boop is in the public domain. Well, sort of. The original Betty Boop, where she's a dog, is in the public domain. To commemorate this momentous day, we look at three incarnations of the Boopster: her original appearance in"Dizzy Dishes," her appearance with Little Jimmy in "Betty Boop and Little Jimmy," and the Bill Melendez special "The Romance of Betty Boop."

In 1984, Weird Al Yankovic teamed up with Scooby Doo to host a special preview of all the cool upcoming cartoons that kids could see on ABC Saturday mornings that season. For a long time, it seemed like no one had taped that special and it was doomed to be forever lost media. Well, someone finally uploaded it to the Internet, so now we can finally see... Saturday Morning Preview Park!

In 1984, Weird Al Yankovic teamed up with Scooby Doo to host a special preview of all the cool upcoming cartoons that kids could see on ABC Saturday mornings that season. For a long time, it seemed like no one had taped that special and it was doomed to be forever lost media. Well, someone finally uploaded it to the Internet, so now we can finally see... Saturday Morning Preview Park!

In 1984, Weird Al Yankovic teamed up with Scooby Doo to host a special preview of all the cool upcoming cartoons that kids could see on ABC Saturday mornings that season. For a long time, it seemed like no one had taped that special and it was doomed to be forever lost media. Well, someone finally uploaded it to the Internet, so now we can finally see... Saturday Morning Preview Park!

Mike and Ethan have got the crew together again! Rocketshark, Fattyatomicmutant and Glumdrop are all here to save Christmas! Sometimes you just want Christmas to STAY. SAVED., you know? I feel like the maid! That's why we're getting together to watch Christmas episodes with the highly specific theme of "Santa is real and the heroes meet him in person", featuring Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Men In Black: The Series, Jackie Chan Adventures, Super Duper Sumos, The Tick, and Pac-Man!

It's the holiday season, so it's Rankin Bass time! Rankin Bass made SO MANY holiday specials that were all sort of stealth Christmas specials. They still hold up, especially Jack Frost -- which is fun and also has everyone's favorite asshole Kubla Kraus the Cossack King!

A comet is threatening Moominland in this animated adaptation of the beloved Moomin comics by Finnish cartoonist Tove Marika Jansson. Moomin and his pals go to an observatory to get some info about a comet that's going to kill them all. Meanwhile, a philosopher takes up residence in the Moomin household. It's all very cute.

That's right, we're going to tell you about Homestuck and YOU'RE GONNA LISTEN. Mike seems to have stepped out for cigarettes and we hope to see him again soon, but until then, Tom from Flash In The Pan and “Jernacious” Jerna Van Vooren have returned to tell us all about the incredible and slightly baffling Homestuck pilot from the visionaries who brought you Hotel Of A Hell! Find out just how traumatic it can be for a kid to be home alone and how much that explains about Generation X. See more of Tom at:Flash in the Pan’s website and Flash in the Pan’s PatreonSee more of Jerna at:Jerna’s itchio andJerna’s BlueSky And read Ethan’s book “Joy Traveler” for free here: Joy Traveler at Bogleech.com

This week, we look at the forgotten 1994 action flick The Shadow and find a surprisingly fun little romp, studded with absolute stars like Alec Baldwin, Penelope Ann Miller, Tim Curry, a young Ian McKellen, John Ione, Sab Shimono, Koop, Neelix, Bob the guardian angel, Willie Tanner, and so many more! Thrills! Chills! Spills! They're all here! We like it!

It's the Fabulous Funnies -- a 1970s cartoon that adapts Alley Oop, the Katzenjammer Kids, and other beloved comics of the last century into the most boring, didactic series you've ever seen. The kids will love it, I guess. It notably does NOT include Tumbleweeds. Hmm.

It's the Fabulous Funnies -- a 1970s cartoon that adapts Alley Oop, the Katzenjammer Kids, and other beloved comics of the last century into the most boring, didactic series you've ever seen. The kids will love it, I guess. It notably does NOT include Tumbleweeds. Hmm.

Fattyatomicmutant joins us to talk about Beakman's World, the COOL kids' science show in the late 90s that gave kids an alternative to stodgy old Mr. Wizard and Bill "hello fellow young people" Nye. Did you know that it was actually based on a comic strip? Yup, it's based on You Can with Beakman and Jax! Jax was not included in the TV series.

By now you've surely heard that, sadly, this is the last year Halloween will be legal in America. They can't stop us from tricking and/or treating! Join Mike and Ethan and our Halloween havoc-wreakers, Fattyatomicmutant, Rocketshark, DMXI and Glumdrop, as we gather around the TV in a candy-addled stupor to yell back at the screen. This year we've got Spooky Boos & Room Noodles, The Great Bear Scare, SPOOKS with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special, "It's Hip To Be Fit" with the Original Pumpkin Patch Pals, and The Dancing Pumpkin.ANY QUESTIONS???

Steph Cherrywell, author of Unboxing Libby and The Ink Witch, joins us to talk about Wednesday, the rather Monster High-esque new Addams Family iteration. Jenna Ortega is finding her niche in a world with four different kinds of monsters and also whatever the hell the Addamses are supposed to be this time round.

Longtime friend of the pod Mike Westfall of Advent Calendar House has returned, and so have the comic strip-themed commercials! Mike, Mike, and Ethan get to wax nostalgic and share personal stories about their favorite comic strips and the products they advertised; Snoopy is certainly here, but you'll also see Popeye, Garfield, Annie, Andy Capp, and even Ziggy?? Hope you like Zingers!

It's Flash Gordon! Not the movie with Queen, it's a Filmation joint that's so incredibly boring that we got derailed into doing an improv session about the Monarch and Mrs. Dr. the Monarch from Venture Brothers dealing with an unexpected bout of blueberry inflation.

In honor of the passing of Nelvana, the little animation studio that could, we're joined by Tom of Flash in the Pan to look at their most ambitious project: Rock and Rule [1983], the rock and rule fantasmagoria about a cyberpunk furry future where legendary Superrocker Mok is on the hunt for a voice that can summon a demon for reasons of evil!

In honor of the passing of Nelvana, the little animation studio that could, we're joined by Tom of Flash in the Pan to look at their most ambitious project: Rock and Rule [1983], the rock and rule fantasmagoria about a cyberpunk furry future where legendary Superrocker Mok is on the hunt for a voice that can summon a demon for reasons of evil!

It's an actual Peanuts theatrical movie: Snoopy Come Home! It's both more and less than the Peanuts television specials. It's the special where we learn what the relationship between Charlie Brown and Snoopy is really about.

We're back on our bullshit this week with TWO Peanuts specials wherein Snoopy almost leaves Charlie Brown for (the same?) girl dog.

We intended to talk about two Peanuts specials, but we got distracted and just talked about Big Johnson shirts for an hour. It's a Big Johnathon!

Friend of the pod Ryan Estrada returns to tell us about the exciting, intense, and lucrative world of Korean webcomics (or, as they call them in Korea, webtoons)... turns out that in Korea webcomicking is a profession that gets you some respect! Then we take a look at Korean thriller "The Neighbors," about a serial killer and his suspicious apartment building neighbors, also based on a webtoon!

Can it actually be??? A good Fantastic Four movie? After Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four (2015), one would hardly even dare hope!

The Ur-webcomic Pokey the Penguin is being adapted into animated form. And they said it couldn't be done!

The Fantastic Four are back and they're still not very fantastic! Boy! They suck!

They keep trying to make movies about the Fantastic Four and they keep SUCKING. There's nothing fantastic about this turkey, wah wah wahhhh!

Before they made the Dennis the Menace theatrical movie, they made the Dennis the Menace made-for-TV movie, wherein Dennis discovers a dinosaur bone and shenanigans ensue.

Hanna Barbera is known for ripping stuff off, so of course they tried to rip off the Muppet Show. How did it? Ehhhhhhhhhh...

Did you know that cartooning is a waste of time and paper? Janet from Three' Company sure thinks so as a reporter assigned to interview veteran cartoonist Ted Knight in this attempt to get kids to watch Saturday morning cartoons!

Did you know that cartooning is a waste of time and paper? Janet from Three' Company sure thinks so as a reporter assigned to interview veteran cartoonist Ted Knight in this attempt to get kids to watch Saturday morning cartoons!

Remember the good old days when they had to sell kids on the exciting cartoons that were going to be on Saturday morning by making a prime time special about Scott Baio opening a disco in Hazzard County, Alabama, and getting extorted by Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane? Also the Sid and Marty Kroft puppet was there? We sure do.

We're breaking our own rule to ostensibly talk about the Q*Bert cartoon from Saturday Morning Supercade, but actually we got distracted to talk about Hazbin Hotel and other stuff instead. Cuz Q*Bert suckkkks! The coloring book is way better.

Paul McCartney is, as you might know, one of the Beatles. Then he did that frog song.

Oy Vey, Toy May! continues as Mike Westfall of ⁠Advent Calendar House⁠ joins us to talk about the Huggabunch movie, a bunch of babies who have one solution for every problem: HUGGING! It can cure death too.