What A Cartoon!

Move over, The Avengers! There's a much worse version of you from 20 years earlier that absolutely no one likes! That's right, the most epic crossover in entertainment history took the form of Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, which saw animated superstars like ALF and Garfield put aside their differences to fight in the famously successful War on Drugs. And thanks to the generous support of patron Phil Jacobi, this week we're digging deep into this highly embarrassing relic from an earlier time. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your favorite cartoon characters entered the real world and then started acting like huge jerks to you? Just say YES to this week's podcast to find out! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

Just as we did last year, to kick off April we're deviating from our standard subject matter a bit to dive into the world of live-action cartoons! In 2019, we covered the dark and subversive Strangers with Candy, so it's only fair that we follow that episode up with a look at its kid-friendly spiritual predecessor, The Adventures of Pete & Pete. It's a series born out of the same circumstances that led to our favorite shows from cable TV's early era: a need for programming so desperate that networks were willing to throw (a small amount of) money at outsider weirdos to fill slots on a barren schedule. And thankfully, the right group of misfits assembled to make Pete & Pete one of the hippest, smartest, and surprisingly sincere kids' shows ever written. So lean back and let our podcast envelop you like warm flannel as we take you on a tour of one of Wellsville's most memorable tales. Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And

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 2004's The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie! 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!

This week we're joined again by Woolie (check out his many Let's Plays on YouTube), all to talk about the iconically Canadian animation, ReBoot! Chosen by our premium subscriber Brian, we go into the earliest days of televised CGI to experience the virtual world and its deep history. Then, we take a deep dive into the season 3 Bond homage, "Firewall," so get ready for this week's alphanumeric podcast!! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

We're heading back to the world of Acme Acres to explore a proper episode of the early '90s classic cartoon, Tiny Toon Adventures! And if you listened to our episode of What A Cartoon Movie! about the direct-to-video feature, you'll know that Plucky Duck is by far our favorite character. That seemed to be the opinion of both Warner Bros. and Fox, because in 1992 he got his own cynical Saturday morning spinoff that consisted of mostly recycled content. But the single original episode produced for The Plucky Duck Show remains one of TTA's finest outings, and stands as a fascinating look into the Hollywood hubbub of 1991. So join us as we explore the hilarious and lavishly animated exploits of Tiny Toons' wacky, egomaniac-y duck! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

We return to the ever-growing DC Animated Universe with a request from Royce, one of our top Patreon subscribers! Yes, more powerful than a locomotive, it's Superman: The Animated Series! We talk about the Krytonian's origins, how the show spun out of Batman, and how it paved the way for many DC toons to follow. Then we break down the season 2 episode Heavy Metal, which introduced the hero Steel to Metropolis, so up, up and away, mild-mannered listener!! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

It's time to delve back into '90s toy cartoons, and Matt McMuscles returns to help us out with Street Sharks (check out his YouTube channel and his Patreon!). How did Mattel decide on sharks as their response to turtles? How many different animation studios made this monstrosity? And is there anything salvageable about the concept? We discuss all that and more on this Jawsome podcast! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

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 the 1986 Disney classic, The Great Mouse Detective! Listen now to this free 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!

Thanks to the generous support of patron Alex Irish, this week we're exploring some uncharted Disney Afternoon territory via Goofy's very first TV show! Disney had done action and adventure with their afternoon cartoons before 1992, but with Goof Troop, they created their very first animated sitcom. And though this series went through quite a bit of development hell, it ended up redefining Goofy and Pete for a new generation—and let two brilliant actors totally own these roles to this very day. On this week's podcast, join us a we explore an episode that highlights the very entertaining dynamic between Goof Troop's two animated dads: "Nightmare on Goof Street." Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

This week we are joined by premium Patreon subscriber Casey to talk about the Netflix hit, Hilda. Based on the hit comic series of the same name, we talk about the books' amazing adaptation into animation! Then we dig deep into the third episode as we celebrate birds and festivals! Listen now, or you won't earn your next Sparrow Scout badge! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

This week we return to Yu-Gi-Oh! for another duel, this time in a cyberpunk future with special guest LittleKuriboh! We chat about how YGO's arrived in a dystopian third series, try our best to understand the timeline and synchro summons, and we go deep into the show's debut episode, "On Your Mark, Get Set, Duel!" So let's rev it up and listen now! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

Every month we wrap things up with a What A Cartoon Movie! This January Talking Simpsons Network is heading back to 2003 for the pioneering anime anthology, The Animatrix! Exclusively for our $10+ Patreon subscribers, we chat about The Wachowski Sisters and how The Matrix became a cultural event worthy of a collection of nine anime shorts from some of Japan's best animators! This lengthy preview covers the history and the first short, but if you'd like to hear over FOUR HOURS of Animatrix chat,  then please subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all fourteen previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts! Sign up today!

Thanks to the generous support of our patron Jibbly, this week we're taking a look at a fairly obscure entry that still persists nearly 30 years later in the form of action figures: Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! Developed by G.I. Joe legend Larry Hama, Bucky entered the world in the mid-80s as the perfect pitch for a toyetic kids' cartoon of the era—but had the misfortune to debut in the early '90s, when those types of shows were on the way out. From top to bottom, Bucky O'Hare is an interesting curiosity engineered to sell merchandise, so don't be surprised if you find yourself scrambling to eBay after listening to purchase your own plastic, lime-green rabbit. Now sit back and get ready to croak some toads with this week's podcast! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

This week on the podcast, we start our new tradition of once a month returning to a cartoon we had previously covered, starting with this iconic episode of Batman: The Animated Series! All the coolest villains come together for a game of poker to tell their favorite stories of almost getting Batman, but there's more twists than it seems at first. So grab your favorite rock and throw it as you listen to this week's podcast! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

This week our top-level patron David is back and he's got another new anime for us: Psycho-Pass! This scarily believable cyberpunk story is an exciting sci-fi series, and after going through the deep history of animation studio Production I.G., we detail our thoughts about the show's first episode, "Crime Coefficient." Listen now lest you endanger your hue... Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

Voice actor, YouTuber, and anime expert SungWon Cho is back to assist us in exploring another off-the-beaten-path anime series! And this time, he's selected Mushishi, the much-beloved 2005 anime anthology series about a wandering expert on all things supernatural. Though some may view this anime as a little too low-key, if you're in the right mood, it can really grab you. Join us for this week's episode of What A Cartoon! as we look at Mushishi's first episode, one that really pulls you into its bittersweet exploration of the unearthly. Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

We've got a big one this week as we celebrate the series OK K.O., and we're joined once more by Series Creator Ian Jones-Quartey and Executive Producer Toby Jones. We cover OK K.O.'s final season, the story behind some of the last year's biggest moments, as well as how Ian and Toby addressed handling the finale. Then we go deep into the brilliantly creative finale, "Thank You For Watching The Show" to learn how it was all made! Listen now to learn how it's only magic! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!

To sum up what we're announcing in this podcast update: The last episode of Talking Simpsons each month will be replaced by Talk to the Audience?!?, which will now be free. The last episode of What A Cartoon! each month will be replaced by a free 45-minute (or longer) preview of that month's episode of What A Cartoon Movie! We'll be revisiting a new episode from a previously-covered series once a month on What A Cartoon!, and twice if said month has five Mondays. Super-concise summary: There will still be new releases at the end of the month—the content will just be slightly different. For more, listen to the whole podcast and/or visit the Talking Simpsons Patreon!

It's the end of the month (and the whole year!) on the Talking Simpsons Network, so it's time for another of our in-depth, extra-long podcasts about animated feature films! In December, exclusively for our $10+ Patreon subscribers, we talk about Brad Bird and his underrated first feature, The Iron Giant! In this free preview you'll learn a bit about how Bird got into the director's seat, and then please subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all thirteen previous What A Cartoon Movie! podcasts! Sign up today!

It's a special podcast this week as we head back to Los Angeles to chat with Matt Burnett, co-creator (with Ben Levin) of Craig of the Creek! We discuss how the Cartoon Network series came to be, how Matt started working with Ben, and Matt's time on Steven Universe! Then we go scene-by-scene through the pivotal Craig of the Creek episode "Under The Overpass," so grab your map and purse to prepare for an adventurous this podcast! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the new official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod!