Animation... and Beyond!

In this episode of Animation and Beyond, hosts Ezra and Julian dig into the block-buster world of Minecraft! They explore its origins, core gameplay mechanics, and explore its lasting cultural impact. They discuss what makes the game Minecraft such a powerful tool for creativity and world-building, and why its simple design has captured imaginations for over a decade. The conversation digs into the 2025 Minecraft movie, its cast, and how it connects to the gaming community. The episode concludes with the newly named trivia segment "I bet you didn't know” and personal updates from the hosts. Recorded in November 2025.

In this episode of Animation and Beyond, Ezra and Julian explore the connection between animated characters and the actors who inspire them. They look at how some characters are designed directly after real-life performers and how that differs from characters who are brought to life through voice alone. Along the way, they highlight the influence of iconic performers like Robin Williams and Tom Hanks, break down the differences between voice acting and on-screen acting, and discuss how these choices shape character design and development. It’s a fun, behind-the-scenes look at how animation blends performance and personality to create unforgettable characters.

In this week’s episode of Animation and Beyond, Ezra and Julian crawl into the adorable (and occasionally chaotic) world of babies in animation. They chat about films with baby leads, explore the idea of forever babies, those cartoon kiddos who never grow up, and compare them with coming-of-age characters whose journeys allow them to evolve and mature on screen. Ezra and Julian explore why baby characters are so lovable, the unique storytelling angles they bring, and how animated films use them to highlight family values and found-family dynamics. They also consider how these characters have evolved over time and what makes them such effective emotional anchors in their stories. The episode wraps up with trivia, laughs, and a few thoughtful reflections on why animation just can’t quit its cutest characters! Recorded October 2025

🪞Mirror, mirror on the wall… who’s the fairest of them all? After a long break, Animation and Beyond is back! Ezra and his new co-host Julian dive into the story that started it all — Snow White! From Disney’s 1937 classic to modern adaptations, join us for poisoned apples, quirky dwarfs, and a timeless tale as we break it down one bite at a time🍎

On this episode, we're talking about the emotional rollercoaster of Inside Out! In this 2010's coming-of-age film, there's plenty to love. Plus, Mardy is saying goodbye to the role of Animation and Beyond cohost! Don't fret, though. Ezra will be back with a new cohost and the podcast will go on!

On this episode, we're talking about the world's most gluttonous cat! Your furry, orange, comical friend, Garfield, is returning to the screen with a new movie, and we're celebrating by going over his long history of shows, films, games, merch, and more!

This week we've got a special episode...and interview with the Creator, Executive Producer, and Showrunner for the series "Angry Birds: Mystery Island," Eric Rogers!

On this episode, we're talking about our favorite canine family....the Heelers! Specifically, Bluey, the protagonist of the adorable childrens' show. Join us to enjoy Bluey's song, friends, and family values!

Our favorite Spanish-speaking, Swiper-stopping, map-minding, adventure-adoring explorer, Dora, is back with a new 3D-animated TV show. On this episode, we're talking about Dora's early years as a 2D cartoon, her live-action film, franchise, characters, and more!

If there's something strange in the neighborhood....it might be one of the ghosts from this classic franchise, which got a new sequel out this year! We're talking about the old and new movies, shows, and games brought to LIFE since the original Ghostbusters film premiered.

Spin and kick back through your memory to this legendary movie franchise from the mid-2000s to celebrate its third sequel which just came out! We're discussing Awkwafina, the Kung Fu Panda video games, movies, shorts, and overall impact in our newest episode!

This week, we're discussing the raunchy, adult comedy series "Family Guy." The R-rated show is wildly successful, as is its creator, Seth MacFarlane. It's bound to make you cringe and crack up!

Join us as we dive into the camp song-turned-franchise, Baby Shark! We're talking about viral videos, the Baby Shark characters, and the mew movie which came out in December!

Back in December, you may have heard about the newest installment of the animated series of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movies. The film disrupted the order of the books and made things about Christmas, but we loved it nonetheless. Like all of the stories in this series, it was awkward, entertaining, relatable, and hilarious!

In honor of the movie "Wonka" released recently, we're talking about Roald Dahl's most successful story and its variations! Charlie and the Chocolate factory is a story full of imagination, magic, and CANDY, and we think it's delicious!

Happy New Year! To kick off this season, we are talking about a classic claymation film that just got a sequel....Chicken Run! Don't miss the new movie in theaters, and be sure to learn about claymation with us in this episode!

Happy Holidays to you and yours from Animation and Beyond! One of the holidays coming up is Christmas, and what better way to enjoy Christmas than to reminisce about the hilarious Christmas film "ELF!?" We enjoyed discussing our favorite moments, lines, and actors from the film on this episode. We will be back in the new year!

This episode, we're talking about the cunning character of Robin Hood. Robin Hood has been around a long time, but is probably most famous in the early Disney film of the same name! Join us as we discuss recycled animation, animal characters, and more!

"Trolls - Band Together" is out in just a few days, and we couldn't be more excited! With familiar music, plus one ~new~ song by N Sync, it is bound to be another epic addition to the Trolls franchise, which we're talking about in this episode!

Whether it's a camera with terrifying powers, or a yeti that comes to life, the children's book series GOOSEBUMPS is sure to fright! The franchise's newest TV series came out just in time for Halloween last week, don't miss it! And in celebration, we're talking about the books, films, and more!