Cartoonin' In

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 where the whole mermaid deal came from and when and how it became so popular. Sarrah steps in with some information regarding the massive changes at the Disney Studio moving into the renaissance, as well as some particulars about how this movie was made. Together we discuss where we are with mermaids today, what's popular? Where can we find mermaid stuff? Where can we find Little Mermaid stuff? We shall tell you! Please check out our blog and our full episode at Cartooninin.com/episodes/littlemermaid So let us dive down deep with our mermaid friends and hear the tale of Triton!

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 Disney Animation. But you might want some tissues handy, because we also cover the sad circumstance of Howard Ashman's death and how if affected his friends and family.

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 no nipples.

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 start our walk through....which just continues to confuse us. Who was this made for? Did our parents ever actually watch this movie with us? Why are murderers allowed in heaven? WHAT IS GOING ON DON BLUTH??? So please, join us in our confusion as we sit down and discuss All Dogs Go to Heaven.

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 took to become a movie, including how Miyzaki went from just producer to director and producer to get the final product he wanted. Together we discuss voice actors, reviews and release information, and where we can find all the good Kiki stuff today! So grab your familiar and your broom, and let us take off with Kiki's Delivery Service!

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). Together we welcome Cheech Marin to the Disney Voice Cast family, and discuss the impact of releasing the same day as Land Before Time! So sit back and listen as we defend this personal favourite against the haters (Siskel) and rejoice in pointing out all it's good points! Why should we worry? This movie is pretty doggone good!

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, and why we have Spielberg to thank! Aly then goes through every single sequel that was made. You're welcome. This is also a very special episode because it marks the start of our newest segment: Aly reads Land Before Time fanfiction synopsis until Sarrah is super uncomfortable! Our walkthrough includes a lot of pondering how they didn't die, the realization that a character tries to desecrate a corpse, and a lot of mocking Cera. So let's get down to it and travel back to the one that started it all - whether we like it or not.

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 so much talent to the fields of manga and anime. Sarrah didn't find all that much on the animation, but she did find a ton of info on the release and reception of this film. So buckle in for some details on that! We also discuss some more modern pop-culture that has taken influence from Akira, including a Kanye West video and the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things. So let's hop on that motorcycle and outrun the explosion of Akira!

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 straight into our (pretty long and in depth) walkthrough! So head into that speakeasy secret room, don't let the rabbit hear shave and a hair-cut, and let's get down to it!

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 of us then get into the nitty gritty behind the scenes details on how this film was made. We talk about the on-set techniques used as well as what went into the animation process after principle filming was done. There's a lot of information here, but if you love learning how movies are made this episode was made for you! We'll be back next week with our usual Voice Cast Corner, Release, Reviews, and Walkthrough!

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 fangirling all over this film, loving the beautiful backgrounds and animation, as well as being a wee bit wary of the Catbus. So plant your acorns, grab your umbrella, and let's fly off to meet our Neighbor Totoro!

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 BACK to Disney. It's a saga. We then break down all of the very talented voice actors who took part in this film, talk video release and reviews, and wrap up with a bit of a discussion on sequels and nightmare toasters. Our walk-through has us discussing the problem with plugs, questioning whether there were dirt jokes involved, and generally wondering who plays with appliances as a child. So let's go on a journey together to find our own bravery and talk about the Brave Little Toaster! Podcast Music by: bradleyparsons (via Fiverr)

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!

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 discusses both the original cast from the Japanese release and the Disney 2003 dub. Sarrah tells us about the release and reviews, and together we discuss a Twitter world record and other places we see Castle in the Sky being referenced in the world. So sit back, strap on your goggles, and let's watch Castle in the Sky! Podcast music by: Bensound.com

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 to give Dawson a big ol' hug, questioning the relationship between Mouse-World and Human-World, and getting increasingly angry at party decorators. So let's keep our wits about us to attempt to defeat the Napoleon of Crime, and watch The Great Mouse Detective! Podcast Music By: www.bensound.com

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 Disney CEO Ron Miller and his wife Diane Disney Miller. We learn about Ron's history with the company as well as Diane's efforts to preserve her father's work. Aly comes back in the last third to go over some of the iterations that Holmes has seen over the years. Yes, she misses many. There is just too much! But she hits the highlights, and if there are any that you feel it is a crime she missed, be sure to let us know! Now that we're all prepped and ready, next week we will be tackling Disney's The Great Mouse Detective and all the information specific to the animated feature. But this week, slip on your smoking jacket and slippers, grab your pipe and violin, and let's get deducting with the world-famous consulting detective! Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

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 filmmakers shape the final story. Sarrah gives us a deeper look into what was happening at Don Bluth's studio at the time, and some of the issues that arose when combining the experience of animators and live-action filmmakers. We also get a good overview of story-boards vs beat-boards. Our walk-through takes a look at some potentially problematic pacing problems *wink*, some fantastic parenting skills, and we ponder if Don Bluth ever had a traumatic incident with a cat. So sit back and let's look somewhere out there to see if there truly are cats in America! Let's take a look at 'An American Tail'. Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

  

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 looking up pronunciations. Sarrah discusses what studio life at Disney was looking like at the time (it was still a mess), as well as the invention of APT (a new technology to help refine the animation process). Together we discuss how this movie flopped big time, and what little it left its mark on it the world (but it surprisingly did make a parks appearance or two). Our walk-through has us exclaiming over cute little piggies, appreciating some fun characters, and getting a wee bit off topic sometimes. So gather your friends and companions, and let's face the cauldron born on our quest for The Black Cauldron! Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

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 all the Care Bear properties that have existed.Our walk-through includes a long and personal look at how kids without parents are portrayed in the 80s and 90s animated movies, as well as the realization that the animation in this is pretty darn good! We also fully appreciate a twist that neither of us saw coming.So put on your story hats, and join us in Care-a-lot! Let's fill up the Care-o-meter while we watch The Care Bears Movie!Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music