Podcast updates!

I hit so many wrong buttons and I'm sorry! I had nice long posts and I thought I'd hit publish, but I'd only hit save and since I've been working on the KPS vinyl collection for the WIDR Record Swap, I haven't been online hardly at all this week. I thought everything updated and it soooo didn't. Thanks for your patience, guys. Today's show will be up this afternoon. :)

Podcast for 02/27/10 - Cartoon Planet

Podcast for 03/06/10 - The Avengers

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show was merely trying to frighten us."

Good morning, cartoon fans young and old! There are many weeks on the SMCS in which we bring a cartoon because it's just plain funny or because it's of historical value, but today's offering is both, as well as being chock full of high flying robotic adventure and daring-do the likes of which America hadn't even dreamt of in the sixties! It's Gigantor day, baby.

Now speaking from experience, I know a lot of you are fans of other boy and robot teams like Chiro and Super Robot Monkey Hyperforce and Hogarth and The Iron Giant, not to mention the melding of boy and robot we find in Astro Boy, Robotboy, and Big Guy and Rusty, but when it comes down to it, none of them and none of many other cartoons we like would exist were it not for the admittedly raw influence of Gigantor. While most adults didn't get what all the fuss was about, kids embraced Gigantor and a the seeds for future projects and styles of importing cartoons was born. But beyond all of that, this cartoon is just a hoot. It may anger hardcore anime fans because of the massive reediting and the poorly synced voice dubs, but we're on the radio and that won't really have an impact on is. Ha ha ha! We have defeated them. Ha ha ha! No, wait, that was from Speed Racer. Anyway, enjoy the show!

Podcast for 02/20/10 - Gigantor

I thought I'd be able to embed this video, but Vimeo apparently doesn't let me do that, but even without the ease of putting the window right here, everyone should take the extra click and watch this awesome cartoon by Kalamazoo animator Staci Gibson: The Adventures of Justin and Staci. It's sweet, funny, and a true story! Kalamazoo has a wonderful history of contributions to the world of animation and Staci is no exception. I'm geeked to see what she come up with next. Oh, and it's totally appropriate for the youngsters. In fact, those who've seen it tend to adore it. :)

Tune in next week and leave your reason, good taste, and dignity behind. We're rolling with a Lycra-clad buffoon, a megalomaniacal invertebrate, and a dim-witted whatever Brak is. That's right, we're blasting our way all the way up to the Cartoon Planet. It will turn your brain into the most delightful mush. Whee!

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"I am immortal. I have inside me The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

Heeeeeeeeey kids! That's right, featuring Highlander: The Animated Series makes me want to greet you like Binky The Clown. It could be the swords, it could be the ponytails, it could even be the not-quite-Sean-Connery voice they have for Ramirez, but something about this show makes me want to scream with Binky.

I'm sure many of our non-kid listeners are already familiar with the Highlander mythos from both the movies and the TV show (and yes, I am refusing to acknowledge the Raven series. Feh!), but this is one of those rare cases in which it may not be to your advantage. All of you out there who are coming to this cartoon cold will probably like it a whole lot more than those of us who have two decades of immersion in the established world. It's a lot like X-Men Origins: Wolverine; ignoring everything you know will make everything so much more fun. And there is a lot of fun to be had here and throughout the franchise.

Of course we can't forget about the bunnies, bunnies, it must be bunnies! ...uh, I mean, go here to see the 30 Bunnies Theatre version of Highlander, because it's awesome and totally true to the movie. It's even better when you can watch it instead of just listening to it. You'll have fun exploring their stuff if you've yet to do so. :)

Podcast for 02/13/10 - Highlander: The Animated Series

In the spirit of unabashed fangirliness that I know many of you share with me, here's the opening sequence from the original show. Dated? Perhaps, but it brings to mind a great many lovely thing. It also looks 

Note how many thematic elements are shared with the animated opening. What? You thought I was going to bring it up without context? Pishaw.

Now last week I promised a treat and a treat you shall have. It's more than a little old school, but I think it's something special, not only because we rarely get to deal with straight up commercial animated properties on the show, but also because this short wonderfully encapsulates all the good things that can come from entrusting your product to people who know what they're doing, then leaving them alone. I hope you dig it as much as I do. That tune's mighty catchy.

Tune in next week for audio travel through both time and space when, much to DJ Beta's protest, we bring you one of the most important Japanese cartoons ever, Gigantor. Woo anime! He's the original space age robot controlled by a grossly underqualified prepubescent boy, baby!

Whatever you're up to this weekend, have a happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"That's the last time I hire pirates from The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

What a day! You guys burned up our phone lines and we were able to play every single request we got. Thank you so much. It made my day. :)

You'll no doubt notice that this entry is wicked short. That's because I'm visiting a friend on the east side of the state and really need to get on the road quickly, so I'm just posting the podcast for now. However, tonight when I get home I'll beef up the entry properly and throw in a little extra downloadable material to thank you for your patience.

Podcast for 02/06/10 - Danger Mouse

Until tonight, enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"You skipped studying for The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show?" "Doesn't everybody?"

Baby, it's colder than a well digger's hindparts out there, pretty much everywhere in the country right now, so we're doubly glad to have brought you a two hour jaunt into a world filled with sunshine, kickball, and more character development in a single episode than can be found in an entire season of Grey's Anatomy. That's right, it's Recess day! Can you tell I'm beyond stoked for this? Because I am.

I would put Recess up against any cartoon ever made and many non-animated shows for writing, depth of story, and overall quality. It is one of the few shows that can be simultaneously laugh out loud funny and heart breakingly tender. For those who grew up watching and many who came it to as adults, Recess was a spiritual successor to shows like Sesame Street and films like An American Tail that created worlds filled with real dangers, both physical and emotional, without sacrificing the humor, warmth, and ultimate sense of security that helps anyone cope with the inevitable trials of growing up. The love that was put into creating these wonderful products shows in every character and plot point, something that should be recognized as the revenue enhancer it is. If viewers have a plethora of reasons to come back every week, from laughter and musical numbers to surprise and bittersweet moments, that equals more money for whoever releases it. You can make Hannah Montana level money with a product that doesn't pander or whitewash the world. I only wish Recess had been given the chance to.

Podcast for 01/30/10 - Recess

I'm including a segment from the show for those of you not fortunate enough to have actually seen this before and because any cartoon that uses one of their episodes to parody All About Eve deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. It's even cooler than the Spongebob classic movies. The fact that this gem has yet to be released on DVD (keep track of what has and has not been here) is both sad and insulting. (Hey, Disney, I want to give you my money! Why won't you let me? Why?!?) So enjoy this one. 

Oh, and as for the comparisson to Buffy I made during the show, I submit the following exchange between Gretchen, Miss Grotkey, and the rest of the class:

"Okay, so everyone who didn't do their homework last night will be challenged to a double load."

The class groans.

"And everyone who did their homework can have the night off."

"Yes! Woohoo! Um, I mean...boo, the unfairness."

I rest my case. :)

Come back next week for a day of international intrigue, high flying adventures, and anthropomorphic espionage. There may even be a vampire duck, but I make no promises. Danger Mouse! And don't forget about DJ Beta's companion blog Beta Is Dead. If you've not yet checked it out, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to do so. It's a hoot. ;)

Enjoy!

...GOULET!

- DJ Muppet

"I will rule the universe, even if I am the only one left in the Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

Welcome, one and all, to a truly epic episode of The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show chock full of so many things you love: giant robots, lasers, dinosaurs, bad eighties dialogue, megalomaniacal villains of great oratory skills, etc. 

The Transformers universe is vast and multi-decaded, which is no small feat for a product type that was once thought only appealing to a Japanese audience. Begun in the 1970's, Transformers, originally known as 'Fight! Super Life Form Transformer,' made it to American audiences because Hasbro liked what they saw from Japanese toy concern Takara and it was the 1980's, so there was no reason not to make a half hour animated adventure show to sell the newly redesigned Transformer toys. Thus was Transformers (or Generation 1) born.

Podcast for 01/23/10 - Transformers

These are two great episodes, one of which has Beta's favorite line from the series, I do however have one small (*coughmakesmewanttofacepunchthewriterscough*) problem. Why. Does. Grimlock. Speak? Even the most non-grammatically correct people in the world don't have syntax that bad. Such effort has to be put into constructing sentences with that many mistakes in it that he comes across as someone who, for some reason, is trying to make everyone think he's a painfully stupid victim of repeated head trauma who couldn't possibly be a threat to anyone, until one day when his long brewing nefarious scheme is unleashed and he breathes fire across the globe in a terrifying cleanse of the virus we call man. But he's not really that complex! It's all a tease! Why, Transformers writers, why?!?

Ahem...sorry about that. Here are some PSAs to make up for my loss of control. And the yelling. Yeah, I yelled a bit there.

Don't forget that Beta's new blog, Beta Is Dead, has a two part write up/rant about today's featured toon and as those who read last week's article will tell you, you don't want to miss out on these beauties.

Next week we're going all out on what can most accurately be described as The Best Cartoon Of The Nineties! Argue if you like, but you're wrong. Why? Because Recess has Robert Goulet and you don't. :p Keep those requests coming and we'll see you next week. Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Looks like the ultimate warp zone brought us the ultimate Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

Happy Saturday everyone! Break out your Power Gloves and stock up on your potions, because we're following Kevin down the rabbit hole into Videoland for two hours of Captain N: The Game Master. 

Of all the cartoons based on video games, and there are myriad, we've had more requests for Captain N than anything, which I love, because it shows that there are many of us who have no problem enjoying something as geeks that is ridiculous and flawed without driving ourselves crazy over the glaring inconsistencies between the games we play and the animated interpretation of them. Well done, nerdlingers! ;) I'm proud of us all.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of this show, the adventures begin when young Kevin Keene lives the dream of many a gaming culture forefather and gets sucked through his TV into Videoland, where he not only gets to use his Nintendo brand accessories to save the day on numerous occasions, but also enter into a "will they?/won't they?" pseudo relationship with the resident princess. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Zack Morris. Kevin and his new friends do have an overarching mission to restore Princess Lana's father to the Videoland throne, but they usually end up wandering around different worlds and do-gooding with random guest stars, like today's not-quite-video-game-heroes Bo Jackson and Larry Bird. I'm not kidding about that. You're in for quite a thing.

Podcast for 01/16/10 - Captain N: The Game Master

Now, if you've yet to listen to today's show, you've yet to get in the know about the latest, and I must say coolest addition to the SMCS universe. Our beloved DJ Beta has started a blog, Beta Is Dead, in which he can fully vent about all of the things in our featured cartoons that either get his goat or he loves with a fiery passion that burns his very soul. I also suspect there will be other goodies posted from time to time, so bookmark this bad boy, subscribe to the RSS feed, and get even more vitamin B in your 'toon lovin' day.

As always, you can make your requests any time of the day or night via comments on this blog, our e-mail, or the SMCS Facebook page, all of which can be found if you look to your left. Handy, no? Now that we're done for the day, there's naught left but to say "See you next week for dino-riffic mayhem with Transformers!" but since I just said it there's no need to repeat myself.

Have a great week and enjoy!

- DJ Muppet