Episode 59: Environmentalism in Cartoons

Captain Planet

Captain Planet - He's a zero!

This week in Animation Aficionados, we’re talking about environmentalism in cartoons. What’s good. What’s not. What’s downright condescending. It’s all here. So get out your Planeteer rings, cut up some soda can rings, and dig out your NiCad batteries. We’re giving a shout-out to Mother Earth!

Widget the World Watcher

...ugh


The Hitler-Stache

Hitler's mustache is SO OFFENSIVE, that they turned him into Triple-H.

Stuff we talk about:
Captain Planet
Toxic Crusaders
Widget The World Watcher
Yogi’s Gang
Tiny Toons
…& more!

Bonus! Bonus!
Download Ben Heckendorn’s Possumus Woman!

Possumus Woman Poster

Toxic sludge creates a monster... and there are no condescending environmentalist messages anywhere! YES!

Click on image:
From Ben Heck's "Possumus Woman"

"One of only 3 left on Mother Earth. The Marcupoflias Plant blooms once every 30 years, is ingenous only to this area, and can cure cancer."

Episode 51: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Side-By-Side – 1987 Vs. 2003

Turtles Forever

The Mirage Era goes out with a bang

We’re back to a standard episode this week to do a very special Ninja Turtles retrospective. Today we talk about the ’87 Turtles, the ’03 Turtles, and everything in between. Joining us again this week are JT of Authentic Geek and Kittyhawk of Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki.

We love the Turtles. Though only one show can emerge victorious, this isn’t quite the landslide that was our X-Men Side-By-Side. Both shows here are recommendable. Just stay away from anything involving rewinds or red skies.

Topics:
April’s cleavage
Destroying the Technodrome cures Splinter
Battletoads still sucks ass
Donatello and Jack Kirby save Asgard
Shredder vs. Skeletor vs. Cobra Commander
Neil can find cartoon-accurate live-action hotties
GOONGALA!!!

Va-Va-VOOM!

We loves us some sexy April!


Sexy Irma

JT is responsible for this, and he will pay!

April’s well-animated ass in an otherwise poorly-animated cartoon

Click here for even more ’87 Ninja Turtles animation errors.

Episode 45: Movie Toons

Kylie Minogue oiled up and dressed as Cammy!  RRRRROOOWWWRRRR!!!

Thank you, Kylie! We love you! Thankfully, they never made Street Fighter The Animated Series - The Game.

JT from Saskatoon joins us again to talk about movies that got turned into cartoons. Sometimes you just can’t rake in enough with lunch boxes, coloring books, and flame throwers. You’ve got to throw in the obligatory cartoon adaptation. Cartoons based on films aren’t as common as they once were, but back in the 80s, you could scarcely make it through a Saturday morning without seeing at least one.

Discussed
The REAL Ghostbusters
The Addams Family
Street Fighter
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures
Dumb And Dumber
Ace Ventura
The Mask
Back To The Future
Teen Wolf
The… Warrior King?!??!
…and MORE!

Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf! Comin' out to play!


Warrior King in Street Fighter

A crossover connection between Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter?! Yeah! Believe it or not, this guy made a very brief cameo in the Mortal Kombat cartoon, as you'll see in the very next image.


Click to see full image


Ace and Mask

Nothing is sacred.


Episode 44: The Transformers

The Optimus Prime puppet from the so-called "Season 5"

"Are Kup and Hot Rod gonna be alright, Uncle Prime?" "Kup and Hot Rod are gonna be just fine, Li'l Tommy."

How has it taken 44 episodes to get to this?! Ben and I sit down with TFG1 Mike and JT from Saskatoon to talk about robots that turn into cars, planes, and boomboxes. Yes, it’s The Transformers. At last, this day has come!

I know that it’s not great storytelling. Heck, the show can barely go an episode without contradicting itself. But when it comes to creating iconic characters by the seat of its pants, nothing… I mean, NOTHING tops G1 Transformers. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Hot Rod, Starscream, Jazz, Soundwave, Grimlock, Ironhide, Cyclonus, Kup, and many, many more.

Today, we make fun of G1 a lot, but it’s all out of love.

Topics Discussed
GET THAT CRAP OUT OF MY ROBOT SHOW!!!
Optimus Prime: Death and Resurrection
The immaculate conception of Spike Witwicky
Robots with souls
Gay love Autobots
Of Mice And Dinobots
“No one’s ever really disabled as long as they have COURAGE!”
“Don’t sneak up on me, Tommy!”
Daniel cries like a baby
Rodimus listens to old Cure albums and cuts himself
The birth of AKOM
Toy-accurate Ultra Magnus makes us cry
Targetmaster contortionists
Ninja consultants
A life support system that you wear into battle
Putting dead giant robots into wooden caskets
The F*@!ING CYBERNETIC SPACE CUBE!!!
The Go-Bots movie SUCKS!!!!!!!!!1111oneoneone

Grimlock! Shhh!

Proof that Rodimus is a terrible leader. Optimus would NEVER have taken Grimlock along on a spy mission.

Daniel jumps down Arcee's empty neck!!

And Mike Blanchard wants an explanation for why I think that this is a terrible episode. Isn't it obvious?!??!

The dying and rising Optimus Prime

Here's the guy I pray to every Sunday!


Episode 42: GI Joe

Ze Viper is Coming....

Today, we talk about some REAL AMERICAN HEROES with Thomas Revor and Eric(Eric slips out silently… is Eric a Ninja?).    80’s Patriotism, Consistent animation, hot chicks… this cartoon had it all!  Well, except for people hitting targets worth a darn, but it was the 80’s!

Topics Covered:
Jello fights
Punching a dog!
The Cobra Clutch
Five-Part Episodes
Whatever happened to Major Bludd?
A Cobra to the heart!(and you’re to blame!)
…And knowing is half the battle!

Before Team America, THIS was “America, FUCK YEAH!”