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

"There's no need to fear, The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show is here!"

Some of you may know that my computer went more than a little haywire this week, thus preventing me from doing anything digital until I could get to the studio. As you can imagine, that kept me from getting the blog done. Here's the podcast for the Underdog show. The next entry will be back to normal. ;)

Podcast for 01/07/10 - Underdog

Listener Vince sent me this link, though I didn't see it until today, and it is awesome on so many fronts. I couldn't not share it. Thanks Vince. :) Yay Ted!

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Okay, Merle, bring on The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show!"

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully you heeded my pleas last week and have returned to us in one piece and unscathed, ready for 52 more weeks of animated awesomeness. I know I have.

Due to a technical snafu, we were unable to bring you Underdog the week as we'd originally planned, but unless you're the world's biggest Underdog fan, I think you'll be most pleased with the show we aired in its stead, Blazing Dragons. It's historical, it's irreverent, and it's made by Monty Python alum Terry Jones. Totally sweet, no? He's such a delightful geek for and about this era and it shows in the quality of the writing and general ambiance of this show. 

Podcast for 01/02/10 - Blazing Dragons

My guess is that most of our American listeners never got to experience the show, but even if you have, you're still in for quite a treat. This is a great cartoon for radio, but the animation and physicality that makes the visual aspect so much fun should also be checked out at least a little bit, so here's a nifty little sample for you. You can, of course, find the rest of the episode on YouTube.

This episode of the SMCS also features a wide variety of theme songs, many of which made their debut on the show this very day. If there's ever anything you want to hear and it's not show time, you can always e-mail us or drop a line via Facebook, the links for which you'll find just to your left. :) Please use them. We do so enjoy pandering to our audience! That goes for song and cartoon requests, so don't be shy.

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"I never thought it was such a bad little Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

We've made it through! Things got downright crazy this month for ol' DJ Muppet and I must apologize for the lack of updates, but I shall make up for that right now with a massive post featuring all of the holiday special shows. Here you go! :)

Podcast for 12/05/09 - How The Grinch Stole Christmas & Twas The Night Before Christmas

Podcast for 12/12/09 - The Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

Podcast for 12/17/09 - Eureeka's Castle Christmas & A Rugrats Chanukah

Podcast for 12/26/09 - A Wish For Wings That Work & A Charlie Brown Christmas

We'll see you in the new year for a day for this gem, by very special request.

Be safe on the 31st and come back to us on the 2nd in one piece, ready for another totally sweet year of cartoons, giant puppets, and chicanery of all kinds. Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Do you want to try it, Pokey?" "No thanks, I prefer The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show."

Claymation rules! Today is Gumby day, so hopefully you lot are in the mood for some short, but action packed clay-based adventures.

Begun as a student project at USC by creator and Michigan native Art Clokey,  Gumby ended up being not just a beloved TV show, but a merchandizing machine. The 233 episode run inspired everything from lunch boxes and figurines to endorsement deals from the Library of Congress and a video game, made nearly fifty years after the first cartoon air. That's some mighty powerful mojo, my friends. 

Podcast for 11/28/09 - Gumby

And as promised, here are a couple of episodes that don't really work on the air, but are super cool nonetheless. Plus what's Gumby without at least a little bit of visual? You can totally see Davey & Goliath in these designs.

Don't forget to put in your requests for holiday specials, as next week is our big kick-off and we want to have plenty of time to find the ones you want that we may not already have.

And for those of you who might've missed the announcement on the show, Cookie Jar Entertainment finally did something with all the amazing properties they own and it is called (for better or worse) Jaroo. It's essentially a Hulu for cartoons and it's awesome. We're not getting anything from them for mentioning it or saying we like it, I'm just really happy with what's been made available (DREAMSTONE!!!) and couldn't not share with you guys. :)

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Is there a Saturday Morning Cartoon Show in every century?"

Welcome back, everyone, or should I say welcome back...to the future! :p Yes, I know, that was awful, but if you say it in a Michael Scott voice it's actually pretty funny. No, no it's not... 

Anyway, today's cartoon is in fact Back To The Future: The Animated Series, a smart, silly romp through both time and space featuring good writing, surprisingly impressive voice acting, and anachronisms that only lead to fun, something Quantum Leap couldn't say. The live action sequences with Christopher Lloyd that opened and closed the show are as much of a hoot as the show itself, plus they're all sciencey.

Podcast for 11/21/09 - Back To The Future

I'm not writing a ton today because a) this is one of those shows that is a lot of fun, but doesn't have a lot of historical or cultural significance and b) I have a friends Thanksgiving tonight and I need to get home to cook! I'm sure you understand. ;)

Join us next week for a show filled with daring do, car chases, and unnaturally living clay as far as the eye can see! Yup, we're doing Gumby.

For those of you in The States, have a great Thanksgiving, and for everyone else, enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Can you tell me how to get, how to get to The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show?"

"You've never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You're gonna love it!" - Gordon, the first lines ever spoken on Sesame Street.

While the current incarnation of Sesame Street has the squeaky clean feel of Giuliani's Disneyfied Times Square, its roots, much like the city it calls home, are funky, anarchistic, and full of vibrant, unpredictable life reminiscent of early Saturday Night Live or The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. When you think about it, can't you see Grover getting a part time job with The Ministry of Silly Walks or the Two Headed Monster paying a visit to The Pit of Ultimate Destruction for a lesson on sharing? Everything really could happen on Sesame Street, because the people and puppets who inhabited it were fully realized individuals with unique personalities and real problems to deal with, from worrying about making friends in a new place or facing the harsh realities of life. Today, though we have a scant two hours to cover 40 years worth of stuff, we dive head first into this exceptional world that gave so many of us a classroom with no walls, a family who always loved us, and a safe place even in hard times.

One of the things I do think is a loss for kids and adults alike is no longer having musical guests on Sesame Street play their own songs rather than parody or learning-ified versions. As much as I like the changes to "Two Princes," kids deserve exposure to good music for its own sake. While no one will argue the benefits of giving Mozart and Chopin to younglings, the same is rarely said about Talking Heads or Mos Def, but anyone with kids in their lives knows that they love to head bang along with "The Immigrant Song" just like the rest of us. I don't know if a moment like the one below would even be possible today, the spontaneity of the kids, the gritty feel, and the undeniable funk, but man, am I ever glad it was once upon a time. Even if things have changed, it means a lot to know that Sesame Street was once a place for a dirty bass line and a soul filled horn section.

Though I have a wide range of opinions and analyses on the subject of all things Street related, I think I'll limit you to what was said on the show. If you'd like to know more about the development of Sesame Street, its impact on culture, or the mountain of general trivia that's out there, follow the links in this blog, make use of the Muppet Wiki, check out the articles done by the New York Times over the years, and get your hands on any of the historical/memoir books about the life of Sesame Street. If you're lucky, you might even get a chance to see the stuff in the Jim Henson traveling exhibit when it swings by your corner of the globe. (Kalamazoo folks? Yeah, we have just under a year until Chicago, but then, oh boy!)

Podcast for 11/14/09 - Sesame Street

We didn't have time to get to so very many things I would've liked to, some controversial nowadays and some just a whole mess of fun, so I've included a few videos that I hope you'll enjoy. If you're old enough to remember these beauties, share them with someone in your life who isn't, and if you're new to them, well, just remember that there are a gazillion more out there just as good waiting to be seen. YouTube is your friend. ;)

As with all things, age has brought changes to how we experience and use the world of Sesame Street. We've seen Bert and Ernie doing gangsta rap, Grover getting his near and far on with The Todd, Big Bird and Elmo on The West Wing, outtakes with comic geniuses, and an entire stage production lovingly satirizing the entire Sesame Street experience and life throughhilariously filthy musical numbers, but none of that changes how so many of us feel when we hear those first few chunky notes on the piano. No matter what crazy things happen in the world around us, we can always count on a vampire obsessed with numbers, a neurotic triangle lover, and an incorrigibly lovable trash can dweller. Well done, Sesame Street.

"Hope you liked it. Now scram!"

- DJ Muppet

P.S. Massive Beta and Muppet congrats to superfan Ray, who informed us today that he and his wife (also a fan of the show) are expecting a baby! SQUEE! We could not be happier for them and wish them all the best. Now I need to learn how to knit baby booties that look like Optimus Prime. :p

"Nothing up my Saturday Morning Cartoon Show...Presto!"

Good news, everyone! The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show has perfected  time machine and gone back into the past fifty years! No, we didn't do anything to Castro, but we did score a load of most excellent cartoonery and are, therefore, especially proud to bring you a day of Rocky & Bullwinkle.

As far back as I can remember, my life was filled with the adventures of a dim-witted but lovable moose and an eternally patient flying squirrel. I had View Master discs, coloring books (which I still have), figurines, and a host of other doodads sporting their likenesses. The only animated show that came close in amount of love I had for it was Beany & Cecil, which makes a whole mess of sense when you put the two side by side. Both were sharply written for child and adult audiences, both had crackerjack voice actors, and both made liberal use of the pop culture of their times, but where Rocky & Bullwinkle truly stand out is in the way stories, and therefore adventures, were constructed in serial format, much like the popular radio and film series that had captured the imagination of the nation for so many years.

As you listen to today's show, take the time to sit down and really focus on it. It's rare to have a cartoon so well made that functions as well over the air as it does on the screen and I think you'll enjoy the inherent lushness, the luxury of being able to enjoy such a richly layered piece of American animation. Voices from luminaries like June Foray, Bill Scott, Charles Ruggles (you may know him as the grandfather from the original The Parent Trap), Daws Butler, Paul Frees, and their contemporaries make for an incredibly pleasing aural experience. Just don't drink anything during the show segments, as it will come out of your nose.

Podcast for 11/07/09 - Rocky & Bullwinkle

Below, as promised, you'll see a couple of extra bits from the series. The first is a call to action for kids to save their pennies for the future, which is not only highly entertaining, but also a wonderful slice of life that might otherwise go unheard of by future generations.

This second video is the puppet segment that occasionally got Jay ward and his pals into hot water with the parents of children who did what the TV told them too. Hee hee hee. :) Big Ears & Noodle Noggin learned not quite enough.

That's all we've got for this week, boys and girls, but tune in next week when The Saturday Cartoon Show celebrates the 40th birthday of Sesame Street old school style, because we love anarchy the most when in involves Muppets and musical numbers. If you've got a favorite sketch, song, or animated segment from everyone's favorite street, leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail so we can add it to the line up. Heeeeeeeeeere fishy fishy fish!

Have a wonderful week an enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"I got a Saturday Morning Cartoon Show..."

At last we have come to the end, the final farewell, the ultimate expression of Halloween frivolity and the bittersweet truth that many of us are just too old to get away with door-to-dooring it any more. I need a candy beard... Oh right, you came for cartoons. I can scheme later.

Our first offering today is a tale of both sweet belief in humanity and an pumpkin who probably listens to a lot of Joy Division, The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile. While Raggedy Ann and Andy have spent a lot of time in their lives, animated or otherwise, trying to help people, there may be no more pathetic a cause than that of a squash with low self-esteem and an old woman who's afraid of living. Bet you didn't think these things got so deep, eh? (Check out the Toonopedia entry about these dolls, 'cause that's quite a history.) No fear, however, as any cartoon with June Foray (*coughGoBuyHerBookcough*) and Daws Butler just can't manage to stay sad. It's a nice salve to all the things that make us want to hide under the blankets 'round this time of year.

And what Halloween season would be complete without a dog who thinks he's World War II people, the tender faith of a little boy, and a sack of Halloween Rocks? Of course, I'm talking about It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Aside from being one of the longest running and most beloved Halloween specials, this beauty give us excellent last minute costume possibilities. I'll say no more, as I know you guys are eager to get the celebrations started. :)

Podcast for 10/31/09 - Halloween 5 - The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile & It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

If you're headed out tonight be safe, have either a flashlight or designated driver as appropriate for your activities, and have a great time! Bring us candy. ;)

Next week? Ka-preview!

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"Dad, you killed zombie Saturday Morning Cartoon Show!"

It's cold and there are wolves after me! Okay, so that's a stretch, but Beta was out today and spending a rainy Fall morning alone in the studio while doing Halloween specials is enough to put put both heebies and jeebies into the mix. The people creeping around the building, getting ready for the football game, make oddly spooky noises when the sun's not out. Anyway, cartoons!

The first hour of the show features an eighties classic that ran on CBS for fifteen years before finally being retired from regular programming: Garfield's Halloween Adventure. In addition to boasting the first appearance of Binky the Clown, this special generated one of my all time favorite slacker catchphrases, "Candy, candy, candy!" Keep you ears peeled for two musical numbers sung by Lorenzo Music and two more sung by the Lou Rawls, both of whom were tremendous vocal talents. Plus, you know, pirates!

During the show I mentioned Mark Evanier, a man who has his fingers and toes in more pies than I can count and all of them are awesome. His blog is always entertaining, but for SMCS listeners it is his accounts of the shows he's worked on that are the most exciting. If you're a fan of anything related to Garfield, you do not want to miss his section about the work he's done on the Garfield animations. The fact that he has an episode guide makes it even sweeter. ;)

In the second hour I was downright giddy to fulfill a listener request for The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror III. Not only do you get The Simpsons from a great era, but you also get a tale about terrifying toys, the appropriation of an antique ape, and, zounds, zombies! While there have been many wonderful moments in the history of Treehouse of Horror, I can't find a single episode that matches this one for quality of writing, humor, and use of other works. It just may be a perfect half hour of the Simpsons.

Podcast for 10/17/09 - Halloween 4 - Garfield & The Simpsons

Next week we'll be airing one more as-yet-to-be-determined Halloween Special and our traditional closer It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I thought a few of you would be interested in a couple of old TV promos from this one, so below the entry you'll fine two from CBS, one from 1966 and one from 1985. It's a neat little look into how this particular special seemed to tap into the cultural climate no matter the era. Plus it's just cool that the second one also contains one of today's featured shows. Look at how that one is framed, as there's more than cartoons with it.

As always, any requests for cartoons or music can be left right here or e-mailed throughout the week. And for those who missed it last week, yes, we'll play "Riverbottom Nightmare Band" for you. ;)

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

"The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show had a little lamb...BUT I ATE IT!"

Hey all! Sorry about the delay is getting the podcast up. You may or may not know that my car and I were hit last week and dealt a rather nasty blow. I'm safe and, thanks to my dad being awesome, my car is at least drivable, but because of the setbacks in my schedule I wasn't able to get back to the studio and get the podcast uploaded. But I have now!

This show features some truly classic cartoons from the Warner Bros. universe. Both Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes are represented, as well as some of the newer offerings that will send listeners of a certain age back to footy pyjama evenings hiding under a blanker in front of the TV. Since long time WB animation fans are no doubt familiar with most of today's offerings I won't go into great detail commentary wise, however, I do want you to pay special attention to the orchestration and sound effects on the Porky Pig/Sylvester shorts. There's a suitably other worldly quality to these cartoons that I've never heard anyone able to match Carl Stalling on and these are pieces worth taking special note of.

Podcast for 10/17/09 - Halloween 3 - Looney Tunes

I did want to share one of my favorite spooky Bugs Bunny cartoons with you, but alas, we didn't have the time, so below the entry you'll find it in video form. What's a Halloween celebration without Gossamer, after all? ;)

Tomorrow morning we'll be featuring two more full length Halloween specials from our collection, one of which is even a request, so make sure to tune in and, if you've got 'em, send us your requests for music and cartoons for the final week of the SMCS Halloween Extravaganza!

Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet

Goldarn brickle bush. Eh! I've got brickles in The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show

As Halloween grows ever nearer and more of us scramble to get just the right costume - my sassy pirate costume was a complete bust, so any ideas? - The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show is just giddy to bring you two more specials to inspire, educate, and possibly horrify, but that's due more to the idea of beating up a child for a Members Only jacket. Seriously, Alvin, what's up with that?

The first hour has a quintessential eighties tales of fear, isolation, and redemption, all wrapped up in the kind of vapid scheme only Alvin Seville could both come up with and be party to through multiple musical numbers. Kid's got a screw of two loose, am I right? ;) Simon, Theodore, good luck with that one.

The second half of the show will undoubtedly provide you with far more of a challenge to the way you thought the world worked. If you ignore the production dates and only pay attention to the points given in the plot, Halloween Is Grinch Night clearly comes after How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Beta had a poor reaction to the realization of The Grinch's backsliding ways. It's a harsh reality in which the healing power of song and roast beast only lasts through the new year. Personally, I blame the addictive properties of the sour-sweet wind. Below the entry you'll find the YouTube vids of this special. Normally I wouldn't post a complete cartoon we'd just done, but since such a fine work is so rarely seen on TV anymore, I wanted to make sure those unfamiliar with it would get at least a passable visual. Obviously the DVD is better, but that one's on you. I can't run around buying you guys copies of everything I think you should see.

Podcast for 10/10/09 - Halloween 2 - The Chipmunks & Halloween Is Grinch Night

We've had a request for a specific Treehouse of Horror, so we'll definitely be doing that one, but if you have one you'd like we might be able to do a full day of ghoulish Simpsons fun. As always, any other requests are totally welcome. :) We love specials and we love it when we know we're playing ones you guys dig. I also wanted to once more mention our newly founded Facebook group, which we would love you to join, since that's a great place to not only get to know other SMCS fans, but also conveniently make requests for upcoming shows. We're cool like that.

Have a great week, everyone!

-DJ Muppet

The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show, what a name. Kind of odd, but nice just the same.

Welcome to the first day of the Saturday Morning Cartoon Show month long celebration of the animated Halloween special! Twice a year we take a full thirty days worth of Saturdays and devote them to the most memorable and the most holiday underrated specials, and October is such a month. Hooray for Halloween! I'm unusually excited this year and not just because of 

Before we get into the meet of the show, I want to pass on a wonderful site run by my digital pal Adam Selzer. In addition to being an accomplished author, tour guide for Weird Chicago, and nattily dressed musician, Adam has also put together the wicked useful blog HalloweenSpecials.net, chock full of not only write-ups of specials past, but also an impressive collection of video clips. If you're looking for a refresher on a partially remembered show or a summary of a completely forgotten eerie TV offering, this is the site you'll want to spend some time on. He does good work and knows Mr. Boogedy, which would have endeared him too me if I didn't already know how awesome he is. So go poke around there for a spell once you're done here and if anything tickles your fancy, let us know.

In our first hour, we bring you three classic Disney shorts: Pluto's Judgement Day, Trick Or Treat, and Lonesome Ghosts. You can make your own Ghostbusters jokes. He'll slime you, Mickey. The second hour? Oh, my friends, the second hour is one of the best cartoons to come out of the Disney machine, as well as a great adaptation of some of the earliest American literature in existance. If you guessed The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, you're so right and deserve a cookie. Curl up with your loved ones, leave a light or two on, and enjoy day one of our spooktacular offerings.

Podcast for 10/03/09 - Halloween Day 1 - Disney shorts and Sleepy Hollow

Tune in next week for more ghoulish delights, many of which our listeners specifically requested. There's still time to let us know what Halloween specials you'd like to hear, so feel free to e-mail us (address above to your left), leave a comment here, or on our newly formed Facebook group. We'd love it if you joined and we'd love it even more if you said hello. :) 

I ain't afraid of no ghosts! But I might be next week. Tune in to find my terror.

- DJ Muppet

I'll get you Saturday Morning Cartoon Show!

Happy graduation day! Okay, so not all of you are graduating today, but plenty of you are and that's enough to deserve special hoorays and such. :)

While we don't have any graduation themed cartoons, we do have a day of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and that's the kind of ridiculousness that can be enjoyed into the wee hours of your matriculation celebrations. If your consciousness is altered, the Koopa Kids make way more sense from what I understand. We're taking it easy today, as this particular show isn't particularly significant to the development of the genre or clever to the point of being noteworthy. On a sunny day filled with new beginnings, there's no reason to get overly thinky, so sit back, have a cool drink, and enjoy the frippery!

Podcast for 04/25/09 - The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

Next week, thanks in no small part to many of you requesting it, we'll being going back to school and back to the seventies with Interplanet Janet, Bill, and Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla. If you said "Schoolhouse Rock!" you're absolutely right! You also have the opportunity to let us know which songs you'd like to hear during the show by leaving comments here or by e-mailing us at widrsmcs at gmail dot com. Nice and easy. We'll see you next week. Enjoy!

- DJ Muppet