Podcast for 05/09/08 - Gummi Bears

You lot get an early update today. Woohoo!

We did things a little differently today. The first half hour is all music, which means that those of you who wake up with The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show got an extra snippet of time to relax and groove before having to follow a plot. We think you enjoyed it. ;) After that, we went right back into our normal format and brought you a couple of nifty little episodes of Gummi Bears, complete with Gummi Berry juice and a whole mess of none-too-bright villains. What more do you need? 

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 05/09/09 - Gummi Bears

Well in this case, we're all quite lucky, not only because the voice work fantastic, but also because this show is one of the most well written cartoons ever to grace our screens. It's clever, funny, cohesive, and the characters are allowed to develop beyond their intended archetypes. It's gratifying on a number of levels, which is one of the main reasons it's remained so popular over the years.

I know that the first three seasons of the show were released in a set a couple of years ago, but I don't know the status of the second. I'm sure you guys will be able to find out lickety split if you've an interest though. :)

You won't want to miss next week's episode, as we'll be delving into the wonderful world of DangerMouse, the cartoon, not the producer. If all goes according to plan, we'll even have an episode featuring one of our favorite fearless fowls, Count Duckula himself. All in all, it looks to be an awesome month, so I'm sure you'll be back for it all. In the meantime, don't forget to vote in the new poll and enjoy today's show!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 05/03/08 - Strawberry Shortcake

Before we get things rockin' here, does anyone else out there share my deep and abiding love for The Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak? Best. Melodrama villain. Ever!

As you may have already figured out, today's show take us on a journey to the sugar coma inducing sweetness of Strawberryland, complete with a talking sun, Welches worthy bad guys, and thematically appropriate animal counterparts. Oh yeah, it was the 80's and it was Strawberry Shortcake. 

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 05/03/08 - Strawberry Shortcake

We were lucky enough to have an episode each from the first and second run of specials from the original incarnation of Miss Shortcake. You'll be able to hear some differences in writing, voice work, and plot structure, which isn't as weird as it sounds given the era and change in production companies. ;) You can read all about it in the linked Wikipedia article.

Today is the last day to vote in the SMCS poll about upcoming cartoons, so if you want your voice to be heard you'd best get to clicking.

If everything goes according to plans, you'll be able to subscribe to The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show podcast via iTunes in the next few days. The file will only stay on the WIDR servers for a week though, so you should download it as soon as you can. As always, all podcasts will be available here on the blog as long as the links stay active. Have fun everyone!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 04/26/08 & Bonus Material

Afternoon everyone. :) I'm home now, safely snuggled up with woolie socks and watching an episode of He-Man. If someone were to make book on whether or not I'm going to watch some more, I would not bet against it.

First off, I want to apologize for the lack of promised bonus material. I had some computer issues that I'd hoped would be resolved on Thursday, but it just didn't happen. To help make amends, I've included a bunch of stuff for you to download at the end of the post, as well as a few parodies and tidbits to make The Flintstones episodes more fun. More bonus material! Whee! Now, on to the podcast. If you need help downloading from MegaUpload, please follow this tutorial made by the good DJs over at The Deuce Project.

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 04/26/08 - The Flintstones

The two episodes in today's show, "The Flintstone Flyer" and "Hot Lips Hannigan," are the first two aired (though not produced). They're a really nice change of pace if you're accustomed to the later, more fast and loose episodes in the series. They also have the original beginning and end theme music, which several people I've talked to prefer to the better known "Meet The Flintstones." Here are some supplemental vids to amuse you once you've had your fill of pure Flintstones.

Winston cigarette commercial

The B-52's - Meet The Flintstones

Yeah, I cried a little bit too. Oh Mr. Goodman...but hey, does Kate Pierson ever not look fantastic?

Here is your bonus material. :) I adore very old cartoons, especially ones that were excerpted for Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Download and enjoy this classic Ub Iwerks fare. I also thought some of you might dig having the original themes to The Flintstones, so I put those up too.

Balloon Land (1935)

The Flintstones Theme (Original)

The Flintstones End Theme (Original)

Now that you've got your swag, please take a few seconds to vote in our poll. Look left. Yup, that's the one. :) Take a look at the shows and give one a click to help us choose the next show's content.

Have a great week and congratulations to all of our listeners who celebrated their graduation today. Remember, the number to Drive Safe Kalamazoo is 269-345-0DSK (269-345-0375) . It's going to be a crazy night, so don't be afraid to use it. We'd like all of you alive for next week's show. ;)

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 04/19/08 - Batman Beyond

When I came back to the studio to upload the show the sun was shining and it was raining. I absolutely love days like that. :) It's a little bit like Batman Beyond, today's cartoon, in that it's something that seems quite odd on paper, but is rather lovely when it actually happens. Okay, so maybe lovely isn't the best word to describe anything Batmanish, but this is a great series and today's episodes are certainly indicative of the quality this show consistently brought to the airwaves.

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 04/19/08 - Batman Beyond

Beta and I were very pleased to welcome John into the studio for today's show. As you'll hear, he was the generous soul who adopted The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show during WIDR Week. Not only did he help keep us on the air with his donation of $89.10, but he also got to pick a cartoon for the day and sit in with us on the air. He's a quiet guy, but he likes and knows his Batman. Let this be a lesson to all of you: WIDR Week will return, we love company, and we come cheap. ;) If you missed out on donating during WIDR Week and would still like to, you can donate at any time throughout the year on our website.

If you're here and have a few seconds to spare, please respond to the poll we have posted to your left. As much as we love what we do and (for the most part) know what we're doing, we'd really like to know more about what you guys and gals would like to hear. We'll play cartoons from every decade, but if you have one or two you like better than others we'd be happy to program based on your feedback. The polls change every week or two, so please come back from time to time and let us know what's on your mind. Of course, the comments are open for any musings or requests you may find yourself possessing.

I plan on posting some bonus material this week, so...when? Well I'm not going to tell you that! That would spoil the surprise. Just keep checking back or, even better, subscribe to our RSS feed using one of the convenient links to your left. As always, please pass links on to your cohorts and, if you're a member, give us a little click for Reddit or StumbleUpon. 

Right-O. I have to get to work. Have a great week, everyone, and enjoy the show!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 04/12/08 & Bonus Material - Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet The Groovie Goolies

Is it possible for me to be this excited every week? Yes, yes it is. Frightening isn't it? :)

Today's fare, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet The Groovie Goolies, is what I always imagined mescaline would do to my childhood memories. The voices are hysterical, the plot absurd, and the action so disconected that one's head is likely to throb. Ain't it neat? I honestly can't put much in blog format that can do justice to this fine, freaky cartoon that wasn't said during the show. It's a mindjob and a half. You may want to listen with friends.

The Saturday morning Cartoon Show - 04/12/08 - Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet The Groovie Goolies

As you go through the show, you'll hear about the live action portion that was cut from the copy I have for reasons passing understanding. Well thanks to the glut of nostaligia the internet provides, we are able to restore the missing part of the movie via YouTube. It's a hoot and well worth the few minutes you'd need to see it all.

Mad Mirror Land

An interesting note about this segment comes from YouTube commenter mightyfilm: "You can clearly hear music recycled from Fat Albert at least twice in that segment. The horse riding scene and the Cow stampede/ Sneeae segment both come from the Brown Hornet segments." He's totally right. Now your challange is to find the Fat Albert episodes these snippets come from. If you do, please let us know in the comments.

The other link we've got for you is, as promised, the Groovie Goolies version of Chick-A-Boom. It doesn't make any more sense than the version that was released for airplay and played on today's show.

Chick-A-Boom by The Groovie Goolies video

Okie dokie, I'm tapped out. Have you listened to this thing?!? It's crazy!

If'n you're of a mind, please feel free to leave your requests, comments, and questions in our comments. We'll get back to you in short order.

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 04/05/08 - Rude Dog

63 degrees. Seriously, you guys, I'm going home to put on shorts. Or at least I would if I owned any. As it stands, I'll probably just throw on a flouncy little skirt and find a daisy filled field in which to frolic. What? You can't judge me! Oh right, the cartoon.

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 04/05/08 - Rude Dog & The Dweebs

Rude Dog & The Dweebs, though 100% shill-fare for a line of clothes from Sun Sportswear, is a cute, fun cartoon. The voice acting is great and, as Beta and I learned off the air, it's hysterically funny to imagine different characters voiced by the same actors in the show. "Slimer, why are you repairing that 1959 pink Cadillac?" "Animal, put that train down! What would Nanny say?" And so on. :) The storylines are simple, but definitely fulfill the requirements of basic teleplay structure, something many shows (both live and animated) disregard with unnerving regularity. It's not incredible and it's not bad, it's just a neat little 'toon that's worth taking some time with. 

The only thing that bugs me is the quasi-appropriation of ska culture slang without actual ska. Skankin' with The Dweebs? I am so there! It's California, dog, your music should be better. I know it was 1989-1990 and Powder was not yet electrifying the LA scene, but still. You could've had some Reel Big Fish. I'm just sayin' is all.

There are a couple of cool old, old theme songs in the first hour and a totally sweet Mighty Mouse theme in the second hour that took Beta by surprise with its awesomeness. With any luck, you guys will find some pleasantly surprisingly tidbits too. As always, comments are open for everyone to make requests, share cool cartoon sites, and general wreck animated mayhem. Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

Podcast for 03-29-08 - Aaahh Real Monsters

Afternoon all! The sun is shining and even though there's a bite in the air, it smells like spring and that makes for a happy DJ Muppet. You know what else makes me happy? Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. Since that was our cartoon this morning, you can imagine the nifty little mood I'm in.

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show - 03/29/08 - Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

As you'll hear during today's show, this is one of the cornerstone cartoons from the world of Klasky Csupo and a classic even amongst the greats of the early Nickelodeon years. Funny, smart, and sweetly dark, each episode remains an exciting gem fit for all but the extremely young and uncomfortably squeamish. Another treat to be found in this week's show is an appearance by legend-in-his-own-mind lounge king Richard Cheese and his band Lounge Against The Machine with their version of the Spiderman theme. We've brought you many a cover of this timeless ditty, but none quite so swingin' as this.

We'd also like to welcome our new listeners from across the country and around the globe. :) There are so many of you! We're glad to have you and hope we amuse. If you like what you hear, please pass us on to others so that the cartoonery can spread like an anvil loving virus of fun. We're also giddy to take requests for future shows in the comments section of the blog.  If you prefer your blogosphere automated, feel free to help yourself to our RSS feed, conveniently linked to several popular readers in the list to your left. Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

P.S. One little reminder about next week: this Wednesday is the first Wednesday of the month and that means it's time for DJ Muppet's Playhouse. Chock full of WIDR music for kids of all ages, you'll be able to download the podcast Wednesday by 10 pm EST at The Stagedoor Blog.