What A Cartoon!

In the mid-80s, when no acclaimed film director would deign to enter the world of broadcast television, Steven Spielberg used his immense clout to create Amazing Stories. This big-budget anthology show mostly underwhelmed viewers during its two seasons, but its one animated experiment remains the series' greatest achievement. The brainchild of Brad Bird, "Family Dog" brought theatrical-level animation to the small screen in a particularly dire era for the medium, and presaged creations like The Simpsons—which Bird would later work on. This month on What A Cartoon, join us as we examine this highly influential piece of late '80s animation and desperately try to forget the one-season disaster it spawned many years later. Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

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 2014's Big Hero 6! 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 Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today!

In 1987, Ralph Bakshi assembled a ragtag crew of animation visionaries for the sake of rebooting Mighty Mouse: a C-tier cartoon hero mostly absorbed by Baby Boomers through ever-present reruns. Though the pitch seems lackluster, the execution certainly wasn't. Bakshi's team of animation rebels turned what could have been a corny concept into pure brilliance, and then went on to inspire and create all of the animation we enjoyed throughout the 90s and beyond. On this episode of What A Cartoon, join us as we explore how this simple show built to relaunch a lackluster character ended up being one of the most important animated series of all time. Support this podcast and get over 200 full-length bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow us at @TalkSimpsonsPod on Bluesky!

The Talking Simpsons Network is taking a week off, so to fill the content gap, we've decided to post a Patreon-exclusive interview from our archives! If you like this and want to hear more, head over to Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and sign up at the $5 level. Once you do, you'll have immediate access to all of our limited miniseries, covering animated shows like King of the Hill, Mission Hill, The Critic, and Batman: The Animated Series. That's over 200 bonus episodes to date! So visit Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and sign up today! Original podcast description: Special podcast surprise, Patreon supporters! Bob and Henry have a brand new interview with Simpsons legend, David Silverman! He's directed some of the show's most memorable episodes, his art has influenced the series immeasurably, and David has been working with the Simpsons from day one of the shorts way back in 1987! We talk about all of that and so much more, like the transition to digital, a few in-jokes finally explained, some of the show's growing pains, even the episode David co-wrote from this last weekend! Listen and enjoy!!! Note: This interview originally went live on April 26, 2018.

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 2012's Wreck-It Ralph! 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 Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today!

In a move befitting The Joker himself, we're once again hijacking the What A Cartoon feed to bring you a brand-new episode of Blabbing 'Bout Batman: The Animated Series! This time, we're joined by Daniel Dockery, author of the upcoming book, I Am The Night: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series. And our focus on this installment is Bane: the fairly new (for the time) villain that played a role in one of Batman's most important arcs. So listen in as we discuss this fearsome foe and what he has to teach us about head tube safety. Support this podcast and get over 200 full-length bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow us at @TalkSimpsonsPod on Bluesky!

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 2011's Winnie the Pooh! 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 Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today! And if you want to check out our initial history of Winnie the Pooh, listen to this 2019 episode of What A Cartoon: What A Cartoon - Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too

Hanna-Barbera built an impossibly huge stable of characters over the passing decades, but—until recently—ironic usage on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law was the last time this kooky cast saw the light of day. Fast-forward 20 years, and thanks to creator C.H. Greenblatt, we have Jellystone: a more affectionate reference pile full of deep cuts, crazy plots, great drawings, and slightly edgy humor. This week on What A Cartoon, join us as we explore an episode that pays homage to classic cartoon figures who received a similar revival 30 years earlier. Our guest: Storyboard artist Toby Jones Support this podcast and get over 200 full-length bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow us at @TalkSimpsonsPod on Bluesky!

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 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze! 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 Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today!