Cartoonin' In

The Little Mermaid: Part of Our World [Part One]

This week we begin our Official Two-Part episode on the classic nostalgia fest...Disney's The Little Mermaid. IT'S FINALLY TIME! Episode 1 of 2 focuses on the source material and studio information. So, of course, Aly starts us off with information about the original source material - Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. We hear a little bit about his life, and then a breakdown of the original tale (and how it is VERY DIFFERENT from the movie). She also gives us a breakdown on wher...

Exploring the Little Mermaid: Howard Ashman & Alan Menken

We're still on our journey towards The Little Mermaid, and this week we thought we'd discuss two men who really changed Disney forever. Alan Menken (composer) and Howard Ashman (lyricist) came together in NYC to write musicals for off-broadway. After Ashman was brought on to Disney for Oliver & Company, he brought Menken (as well as Jodie Benson) with him to work on The Little Mermaid and history was born. Listen to learn about their lives and what they did to change how movies were made at...

Exploring the Little Mermaid: Glen Keane

As we lead up to The Little Mermaid, we wanted to cover some of the artists who really helped create this cultural landmark. The Little Mermaid changed the game for animation and for Disney, and we want to credit a few people who really added to that change. Today Sarrah leads us through the life and art of Glen Keane, the character designer for Ariel as well as many other Disney favourites. So sit back, and learn about the gentleman who gave Ariel her legs, the Beast his soul, and Aladdin ...

All Dogs Go To Heaven: But maybe they shouldn't....

Are you ready for a journey? Because, wow, this week's episode is one! This week Aly & Sarrah sit down to discuss a movie they both liked as a kid - All Dogs Go To Heaven. Aly is first up with a bio of funny man and talented voice actor (and all around actor) Dom DeLuise. Sarrah steps up with her overview of the studio situation (not great) and other fun facts from the technical side of things. Together we discuss the voice cast, release and reviews and other such details. Finally, we star...

Kiki's Delivery Service: Good Boy, Jeff.

Ready for another Ghibli adventure? We know we are! This week we're watching and discussing Kiki's Delivery Service, from 1989. Aly of course fills us in on the series of children's books that the movie is adapted from, as well as their amazing author Eiko Kadono. As per usual, we'll learn more specific differences between the film and novels as we hit our walk-through. Aly also does a brief summary of witchcraft in Japanese culture and history. Sarrah chimes in with the path this movie to...

Oliver & Company: Rambo Kitty

We're back with another nostalgia classic, at least for us. This week Aly & Sarrah are discussing Disney's 1988 movie Oliver & Company! Aly starts off with a biography of Charles Dickens and a quick recap/Coles' Notes rundown of Oliver Twist and how it relates to this movie. So if you need info for your highschool lit class.....don't source us. We're not reliable. Sarrah discusses how this movie concept came to be (a gong-show) and where it started (picture either Batman or a panda. No joke...

The Land Before Time: Bambi . . . with Dinosaurs!

It is time to discuss The Land Before Time! Sullivan Bluth Studio's infamous 1988 children's classic that spawned five million sequels (well, 14). Aly has absolutely nothing to go on for source material for this sucker, so she decided to discuss everything that this movie got wrong about dinosaurs! (NOTE: They did do research, but what was known about dinosaurs when the movie was released vs. now is a whole different thing). Sarrah breaks down some fun facts about the creation of this movie...

Akira: Oh Kaneda we stand on guard for thee.

First off, we'd like to warn our listeners that this movie is rated R in North America, and so some of our discussions are going to have to do with some violent or dark stuff. You have been warned. 1988's Akira is noted as one of the biggest anime movies of all time, so we decided we couldn't skip it. Aly starts us off by telling us all about Katsuhiro Otomo. the author of the Akira screenplay as well as the manga that the movie is based on. He is an amazing Japanese artist who has brought ...

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? [Part Two]: I'd Murder Him, Too.

This week we follow up on our detailed breakdown of the behind the scenes on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. While we covered all of the technical aspects of the film last week, this week we're breaking it down into our other categories! Aly starts us off with Music and Casting (with some interesting alternative casting notes!), and Sarrah follows up with the litany of awards and reviews this film received. Aly lets us all know where Roger and his crew stand in the modern world before we head str...

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? [Part One] : I'd Have Died.

We're back with another Two-Part episode! This week and next we'll be tackling the monster that is Disney's 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' Aly starts off with an introduction the novel the film is based on and its author Gary K. Wolf. She then gives a breakdown on film noir, a very big influence on the Roger movie (check out our episode blog for some photos of the movies we reference!). Sarrah discusses how the film went from Wolf to Disney and how our favourite Spielberg got involved. The two...

My Neighbor Totoro: Love, Love, Love.

This week we are headed back to Japan with a much loved classic 1988 children's movie: My Neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli. Aly starts us off with a discussion of shinto, what exactly Totoro may or may not be, and some spooky conspiracy theories that surround the subtext of the film. Sarrah takes this opportunity to tell us more about the life of Isao Takahata, who we lost earlier this year in 2018. Together we discuss the massive impact Totoro has had on culture! Our walkthrough has us f...

The Brave Little Toaster: Who Plays with a Vacuum?

After a haitus, Aly & Sarrah have returned! This week they are discussing a child-hood, nostalgia inducing, classic: Disney's (now) The Brave Little Toaster, from 1987! Aly as usual, starts us off with a biography on the author of the original novella - Thomas M. Disch. We learn that once again, writers sometimes have awful lives. She also breaks down some differences in the plot points of the book and the film. Sarrah talks studio and how this WAS a Disney movie, LEFT Disney, then came BAC...

Season 3(?) Trailer

We will be back to a regular schedule starting next week (Thursday, September 6th).  And we have a few changes to let you know about! 1) We are changing our release schedule. With the exception of the first two months (due to a two-parter and Halloween) which will be 4 on, 1 off, we will be uploading 3 weeks in a row, then taking a week off. This is so we can have a nice thing called work/life balance. We're looking forward to it :) 2) We will be having some new people on the show! So you'...

In-Betweener 5: Blooper Reel!

Hello Listeners! You're probably wondering "where did last Thursday's episode go?". Well, there wasn't one. We're taking a short hiatus here at Cartoonin' In. All is well and we should be back soon. In the meantime, have another episode of us being morons! These are almost all of our mistakes and weird tangents that we've been saving since December. We hope you enjoy!

Castle in the Sky: If the Robot Dies, I Quit.

This week we are finally discussing anime! And who better to usher us in but Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli? We're discussing their 1986 film, Castle in the Sky. This week Aly and Sarrah trade off a bit, as a lot of their information was shared. Aly talks about Miyazaki's TV show 'Future Boy Conan', which many believe had a direct influence on Castle in the Sky. Together, Aly and Sarrah discuss Retrofuturism and Steampunk, and how those styles influence this film. Our Voice Cast Corner di...

The Great Mouse Detective [Part 2]: Guns, Booze, & Wily Women

Welcome to Part 2 of our episodes discussing Disney's 1986 film, The Great Mouse Detective. This week Aly introduces us to Eve Titus' book series 'The Basil of Baker Street Mysteries', the children's novels that this film is based upon. Sarrah gives us a feeling for the studio at the time of this film and talks us through the journey that Basil took to be made into a feature film. She gives us some fun facts, and we even find out who animated each character! Our walkthrough has us wanting...

The Great Mouse Detective [Part 1]: The Source of the Source

Aly and Sarrah begin their two-week adventure with Basil and Dawson of Disney's 1986 film: The Great Mouse Detective. This week it's all about the sources of the sources. Aly discusses Sherlock Holmes and its author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We learn about Doyle's life, the publishing history of Sherlock Holmes, as well as a quick breakdown of its main characters. She also tells us about the crazily academic Sherlock fan club and it's mysterious "game". Sarrah shines a spotlight on one-time ...

An American Tail: Return of the Dragon Cats (Addition of Moustaches)

This week we get deeper into Bluth territory. We thought that American Tail was a well-loved classic, but we've realized in our research that maybe we're not the only ones who preferred the sequel. Since there's no official source material, Aly gives us some historical background to set the scene on what Feivel and his family were walking into. She touches on American Immigration Acts, and Factory conditions at the turn of the century, as well as some more personal details that helped the fi...

The Secret of the Sword : So Many Undertones

The Black Cauldron: The Movie that Never Happened.

This week Aly & Sarrah watch Disney's 1985 forgotten film - The Black Cauldron. What's that? GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE? No, Black Cauldron. Aly starts us off with a biography of Lloyd Alexander - the author of the Chronicles of Prydain, the 5 book series that The Black Cauldron is adapted from. She runs down some of the many changes between book and movie and also gives a BRIEF overview of some of the Welsh Mythology Alexander used as inspiration. So many names are butchered. And that's WITH lo...

The Care Bears Movie: HOW?

This week, Aly & Sarrah are watching Nelvana's 1985 film: The Care Bears Movie. Aly gets the fun job of telling us all about the Care Bears franchise - how they came from greeting card characters to a toy line, to the media masters they are today! Sarrah fills us in on the Canadian (yay!) Nelvana Studios, and how they made this film for basically no budget and in practically no time. Together we ponder the design choices for a Care Bear horse (it's not great), and go through the list of a...

The Secret of NIMH: WHY IS THERE MAGIC?

This week Sarrah & Aly are finally discussing one of the big names of the 80s and 90s: Don Bluth. That's right, we're watching "The Secret of NIMH". Aly discusses the original book and it's author - Robert C. O'Brien, who used a pen name for his entire life to avoid contract disputes. She also breaks down the differences from novel to film and teaches us a little bit about the rat research experiments that inspired O'Brien to write NIMH. Sarrah tells us all about the early days at Don Bluth...

The Last Unicorn: Don't Fall in Love with Unicorns

Welcome to another nostalgia filled episode! This week, Sarrah & Aly take on Rankin & Bass's 1982 cult classic - The Last Unicorn. Once again, we have a movie based on a novel, and Aly gives us the scoop on the author: Peter S. Beagle. He has a pretty interesting connection to one of our previous movies! She also gives us a very brief summary of the history of unicorns. Sarrah takes us on a bit of a journey. We go from Rankin & Bass Rudolph Christmas specials, to Studio Ghibli. You'll want ...

Fox and the Hound : Enjoy Your Inevitable Social Role!

Get your tissues ready! It's time to see if this movie is really as sad as we all think it is! This week Sarrah brings her husband Curtis to watch Disney's 1981 movie The Fox and the Hound with us - because he's never seen it! Aly does a biography on the author of the novel The Fox and the Hound, Daniel P. Mannix, who might just be the most interesting man in the world. We also learn that this movie is very loosely based on the book, as there is a lot more death in the novel. Perhaps not s...

In-Betweener 4: Disney Channel Animation! (Let's Get Dangerous)

What's the sitch, listeners? After recording our Valentine's Day episode, Aly and Sarrah decided they wanted to talk more about Disney Channel Animated Shows. So we start with Gummi Bears in the 1980s and move forward, discussing our opinions, memories, and of course the voice actors and animation, for our favorite Disney TV Shows. Warning: Theme songs might be sung. So sit back and get listeners. Let's.Get.Dangerous.

Winnie the Pooh,A Valentine For You : Bitten By A Smitten!

Happy Valentine's Day Listeners! Well, actually, Happy Half Price Candy Day! Today we're celebrating another holiday by watching another holiday special! Aly starts us off by talking about famed voice actor Paul Winchell. This was his last film doing the voice of Tigger, so it felt fitting to give him his own spotlight on this episode. Sarrah discusses what the smaller, international, Disney studios were up to. That leads us to a long discussion about Disney's Animated TV Shows, which was ...

Watership Down: Rabbit Cults.

Well, the time has come. We were dreading it. But it honestly wasn't THAT bad! We promise! It's ok, you can hold our hand. Aly starts us off with an author biography on Richard Adams. Sarrah tells us all about the original director of Watership Down, John Hubley, who unfortunately passed away early in the process. Together we discuss the controversy over this movie being shown on Easter Sunday on TV, the new Netflix series announced, and how this film was not really pushed in North America...

The Lord of the Rings : A Poisoned Icicle [Part 2]

And we're back with more Lord of the Rings! Spoiler Alert: we did NOT like this movie and were NOT shy about saying it. If this movie is your jam, that's totally cool! Do your thing! But we weren't fans. Just a little warning. Sarrah starts us off this week talking about the release and reviews of Lord of the Rings, as well as some of the difficulties they had getting it done (it involves Spain and helicopters). She also tells us about Bakshi's passionate love for rotoscoping. Oh, how he lov...

In-Betweener 3 : Lord of the Rings (The Road Goes Ever On and On)

This week we start out new In-Betweeners! These (sometimes) mini-episodes will periodically pop up when we have something fun or extra to discuss. We wanted to use them to talk to people outside of ourselves and hear their opinions, memories, and knowledge of these films! Some episodes will be all about animation, some will be about the source material, and some will be a mix of both. This week, Sarrah temporarily vacates her seat at the podcast table for Aly's friend Em, a major Lord of the...

The Lord of the Rings : That's What We're Tolkien About [Part 1]

Welcome to this Long Expected Party...er....episode! Aly & Sarrah both love the Lord of the Rings, and Aly will not pass up an opportunity to talk about Ian McKellen soooo... WELCOME TO ANOTHER TWO-PARTER! There was way too much research and information to fit into one episode, so as we did before, this episode will talk about the source material and animation studio stuff, and next week will get into the specifics for this movie. So let's begin this week's journey (no shortcuts to mushro...

The Rescuers : Alligators and Eyelashes

This week Aly gives us a fairly uncomplicated and happy author biography. This movie was actually based on a series of books by Margery Sharp! Sarrah takes us on a journey this week. We learn about how one of the animators based a character on his (ex) wife, that this was the last movie for a few of our 9 old men, we see some new animation faces join the team, we learn about a potential movie that was being discussed that may or may not have been about Nazi Monkeys, and we (of course) talk a...

The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh : Rabbit Has Issues.

And we're back with another package film from Disney, this time it's 1977's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This time, we couldn't even tell by watching that it was a package film! Those sneaky Disney people. Aly once again gives us the biography of the creator and author of the Winnie-the-Pooh books (A.A.Milne) and his illustrator (E. Shepherd). We also learn the different things that inspired the Pooh books, and that Christopher Milne was not exactly thrilled with being the boy beh...

In Be-tweener 2: Merry Christmas ... Here's Everything We've Cut

Thank you for being such an amazing group of listeners, as a Christmas gift of sorts, we thought we'd make up a reel of some of the most random things we've said during recording. Have a safe and Happy Holidays!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! :Let's Try to Be Logical With Dr. Seuss!

Hello to all the Whos down in Whoville! And to anyone who feels their shoes are too tight! This week we have our Holiday Special (we're time traveling a bit here) and are discussing Chuck Jones' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! from 1966. Aly starts us off with a lengthy biography of Dr. Seuss himself. We learn his real name, what he was doing during WWII, and how he lived out his later years. Sarrah has another artist spotlight with Ken Harris! He is an animator who worked with Chuck Jones...

Robin Hood: Sorry, Aly Won't Shut Up! [Part Two]

Aly & Sarrah are back with more Robin Hood! This week Sarrah takes us through the details of the movie's release and reception. Spoiler: people weren't really huge fans until AFTER it hit home video. Shocker. Aly lists of the wonderful voice actors that bring these characters to life (you may recognize a fair few of them), and tries to name everything Robin Hood has inspired or influenced. Turns out, while the legend has a boundless influence on our society and pop culture, Disney kind of l...

Robin Hood: FINALLY! [Part One]

It finally happened. We reached Disney's 1973 movie: Robin Hood. Predictably, Aly loses her shit. She talked so much we had to make this our very first TWO PART EPISODE. In Part One Aly tackles the source material. She includes not only the literary history (from ballads to broadsheets) of Robin Hood, but also covers the historical period the legends took place in. We learn about Crusades, King Richard, Prince John, yeomen, warfare and weaponry, and a whole lot more. Sarrah takes us through...

Charlotte's Web: That's Some...Unbalanced Friendship!

We are feeling terrific about this episode! This week we discuss Hanna-Barbera's most un-Hanna-Barbera-like movie: Charlotte's Web from 1973. Aly talks about the lives of both the author and illustrator of Charlotte's Web: E.B. White and Garth Williams. We manage to get through both of their lives without anything too tragic happening - progress! Sarrah talks about the road to adapting this movie from the beloved children's book, and how White wasn't super keen on it. He even turned down Di...

The Aristocats : Hey, I Just Met You...

This week Aly and Sarrah go into detail about another French cat movie! Disney's The Aristocats! Aly describes the events leading to the creation of this original story (it involves two lawsuits!) and how The Sherman Brothers' helped to shape some of their songs. Sarrah talks more about xerography as well as the consequences of Walt's absence (due to his recent death). Both Aly and Sarrah contemplate how his absence may have caused some lack of direction or specificity in some of the choice...

The Phantom Tollbooth: Just Dead Inside

This week we go on a traditional adventure into the imagination with the Chuck Jones classic from the year 1970 - The Phantom Tollbooth! Aly discusses the biographies of our source materials author and illustrator: Norman Juster and Jules Feiffer. Sarrah goes a bit more in-depth to the history and career of Chuck Jones (who you may remember from our Gay Purr-ee episode) and some of his more famous cohorts. Together we wonder how exactly a ten-year-old kid can be so dead inside, what the p...

Tintin and the Temple of the Sun : SABOTAGE AND BLASPHEMY!

This week Aly and Sarrah are discussing another European favorite (so prepare for some butchering of the French language) with Tintin and the Temple of the Sun. Aly tells us all about yet another tragic creator. This time it's Tintin's creator: Georges Remi (better known as Herge). Sarrah discusses the three studios that produced this film, and tells us about Clear Line art, also known as the style of art that Herge made famous. Our walk-through has us realizing how condensing a full book...

Yellow Submarine: There's Four Of Them, Right?

It's time to gather all the lonely people and go live in a Yellow Submarine! This episode is all about the Beatles animated movie from 1968. Aly, having no real source material, goes over the history of The Beatles (at least up until this movie was released, this podcast tries to stay under 2 hours). Sarrah goes over some of the artistic choices of the film, which include our old friend rotoscoping. And people, she's got opinions. Our recap has us talking about music (how could we not?), ...

In-Betweener 1: The Skeleton Dance

Hope everybody is having a safe and spooky Halloween! This Halloween, Aly and Sarrah are filling your treat bags with an In-Betweener. This episode discusses the Silly Symphony short: The Skeleton Dance. Aly goes a little bit sideways and takes this opportunity to talk about Edvard Grieg, the man who composed the classic movement: The March of the Dwarves - which Carl Salling incorporated into the short. Sarrah gives us the highlights on the life of Ub Iwerks, the other man who started the...

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Parenting?

On this week's episode, Aly and Sarrah celebrate Halloween a little bit early with our Season 2 Opener: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). Aly talks about the life of Peanuts' sole creator, Charles M. Schulz, and gets a little obsessed with his life philosophy. You might get inspired. Sarrah walks us through the different stages of Peanuts' journey on television, starting with some commercials for Ford! She also points out differences between the comic strip, and the animated spe...

Asterix the Gaul: THIS IS MY JOB!

This week we are discussing Asterix the Gaul, the 1967 film from Dargaud. Aly brings us into the mix with an introduction to the source material, the very popular Asterix comics (or albums, as they are referred to in Europe). She tells us all about the authors: Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (their lives actually weren't horribly tragic!), and how Asterix came to be and the main characters/themes of the albums. She also takes us on a short history lesson of the Roman and Gaul conflict, whic...

The Jungle Book: Team Old And Cranky

This episode we discuss Disney's 19th theatrical feature, and the final film finished before Walt's death in 1966. Aly takes us on a wild ride with the life of author Rudyard Kipling (No. He did not have a joyous life full of rainbows and sunshine. None of our source material authors do.) as well as a quick run down of what happens in his The Jungle Book (as well as the second one!) Sarrah tells us another tale of the adventure of Mr. Bill Peet. Specifically, why Jungle Book may have made h...

The Man Called Flintstone: A Diet of Danger

This week we are back to Hanna-Barbera and get to talk about one of our favorite childhood memories: The Flintstones. Particularly, The Man Called Flinstone, a 1966 movie from Hanna-Barbera. Aly tells us all about the Flintstones tv show and how it changed history, Sarrah tells us the biography of animator Iwao Takamoto in a new Animator Spotlight, together we discuss all the ways the Flintstones have come into our lives and of course, tackle those amazing live action movies! Our recap has ...

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!: Cartoon Physics

This week we move away from Disney once again and tap into those crazy television animators - Hanna-Barbera. But wait! We don't do TV, only feature films! You're correct, but Hey There, Yogi Bear was a feature film. Hanna-Barbera's first, in actuality. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the limited animation. Since this movie is based on an original story, Aly gives us a condensed biography on the animators/directors/producers that are William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Sarrah gives us a timeline ...

The Sword in the Stone: Are We Getting Old?

This episode Aly & Sarrah discuss Disney's The Sword in the Stone. Aly follows the source material from medieval literature to T.H. White's classic novel. Sarrah talks about some drama happening between Bill Peet and the rest of the Disney animators. Our recap has us commenting on magic, aging, consent (grabby hands are back!), and a lot of book to movie comparisons. So grab on to your hats, let's say the magic words, and get to it! Higgitus Figgitus! Podcast Music by: http://www.bensound...

Gay Purr-ee: Let's Get Back to the Plot

This week we leave our familiar Disney family behind and head out into the unknown...with UPA and Chuck Jones's Gay Purr-ee. A movie that most likely no one else has really heard of ...because we sure hadn't! Aly really didn't have much to do this week so she read a book of interviews with Chuck Jones and fills us in on his very strong opinions about things! She also talks up Robert Goulet (mmmm) and Paul Frees. Sarrah discusses the history of UPA and limited animation. Together, we embark on...

101 Dalmatians: This Week on Hoarders...

This episode we dig into Disney's 101 Dalmatians! Aly once again leads us into a discussion about the original author: Dodie Smith and fills in some details about storyman Bill Peet with help from Sarrah. Sarrah explains the change to xerography and a whole new style (which Walt was less than pleased with). Together we recap this movie and talk about hoarding, rave about couple goals, and generally wonder at the absolute genius of these dogs. Seriously, they keep this up and it'll be the ne...