Saturday Morning Obscurities

Sorry we haven't posted a new episode in a few months! Here's some info on how we're updating and reshaping the podcast moving forward. Hopefully with a couple changes, we'll be less likely to hit another big hiatus like this again in the future. Thank you for staying tuned!

Christina (She/Her) returns and she has brought us the short-lived 1977 cartoon Space Sentinels. Astrea, Hercules, and Mercury are three immortal beings with godly powers who live on a spaceship in the bottom of a dormant volcano. Their computer Sentinel 1 sends them out on missions like investigating a multi-dimensional cube and finding the stolen North Pole.   We discuss the history of animation studio Filmmation, how the show changed its name from Young Sentinels to Space Sentinels to capitalize on the Star Wars craze, showing your dad a cool rock you found, and yogurt.    Here's that Space Sentinels Activity Book page that made us laugh so much.   Follow Christina Woods! @CWoodsArt   Check out her podcasts! @WaywardOCpod @FaithFullPods @LoserLikeMePod     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched Disney's 1986 Halloween TV special, Mr. Boogedy! The Davis family moves to Lucifer Falls to open a new Gag City joke shop, and find that their house is haunted by appliances that move on their own and a mysterious green light that may be tied to an old town legend.   We discuss the cool ghost effects, fake joke glasses, Hot Clothes, and the element of slime. Thanks for listening to us for the past two years and have a fun Halloween!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our first returning guest Tanner (They/Them) is back to talk about the 1998 TV show The New Addams Family! It's the family you know and love, still creepy, still kooky, remaking old episodes from the 60s show for the radical 90s.   We talk about the family's love for each other and acceptance of strangers, the mysterious origins of Thing, being friends with a gorilla, forgotten movies you can find on Tubi, and how "Lurch" is a surprisingly common nickname for dads.   We had some slight audio cutting difficulties this episode, and they're very noticeable around 25min in. We did our best, but sorry we couldn't fix it entirely!      Follow Tanner! @SparkyUpstart   Check out their podcasts! @LoserLikeMePod @NIIRYFPod @Pkmn_Millennium       Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Every episode, we invoke his name. Now it's time to really talk about Scooby-Doo by covering Mystery Incorporated, the Cartoon Network animated series that ran from 2010-2013. This story places the gang in the seaside town Crystal Cove, where they discover a history of supernatural problems, and a history of other mystery-solving teams that met dreadful ends trying to uncover the town's secrets.   We talk about how the story stands on its own but is also a metacommentary on the entire Scooby franchise, how it gives these characters a wider emotional range and new team dynamics, the homages to all kinds of horror and mystery media, and The Hex Girls.      Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week we're shining a light on a new animated show that debuted on Netflix earlier this year, Dead End: Paranormal Park, based on the comics by creator Hamish Steele.    Barney and Norma are two teens who come to Phoenix Park looking for jobs, and find that the place is haunted! They have to deal with demonic possessions and shadowy owners alongside running theme park rides, but they ultimately find that this is a place they can be their authentic selves.  We talk about the show's clear conversations about LGBTQ+ issues for a younger audience, its knowledge of real theme park operations, demons who eat trash, a hat that's too small for a human but perfect for a dog, and musicals. After recording this, season 2 of the show was confirmed for release on October 13th!!   Also, in this episode we use the phrase "FTM" in reference to a voice actor, and would like to correct ourselves. Trans Man is the more universally appropriate term, and we'll use that in the future!   Beetlejuice The Musical Animatic by Shnikkels   One of Patrick Stump's demo songs   Waking Kitchen Nightmares Podcast     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

On this Saturday Morning Giant, we watched the Hanna Barbera retrofuturism classic The Jetsons to celebrate the canonical birth of George Jetson this year! George and his family live in a future world full of rocket cars and robot maids, and still deal with normal domestic problems like getting a raise at work or feeling jealous about the neighbors.    We compare the original 1962 run to the revival in the 1980s, and discuss the addition of an unnecessary alien pet, impressive pun work, building an indestructible jacket but not indestructible pants, empath superpowers, and defunct theme park attractions.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2012 Disney XD cartoon Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja! Norrisville High School has been haunted by an evil sorcerer and protected by a ninja guardian for centuries, and every four years, a new freshman ninja is chosen. Randy is that ninja! With the help of his best friend Howard Weinerman, he sights off all the sudden monster attacks that his school has grown used to.   We discuss the surprisingly complex lore of the show, the questionable role that ninjas inhabit in pop culture outside their Asian origins, parkour, robots, black and white art films, and the time our dad got so invested in a chili cookoff that he bought his own meat grinder.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Ignacio (He/Him) from the video game podcast Crossplay joins us to talk about Digimon Tamers. In a world where Digimon is a fictional game, young Takato draws a picture of his original Digimon Guilmon -- and it comes to life! His friends soon pair up with Digimon of their own, and the kids travel to the Digital World, where they explore these partnerships and the unique evolutions of their Digimon as they fight the furious Beelzemon.    We compare the English dub to the original Japanese script and discuss food metaphors, characters who crossed over from the video games to the anime, a kid's introductions to more dramatic storytelling, and a bird biker with three eyes.   Follow Ignacio! @IgnacioRojasB   Check out Crossplay on The Whatnauts network! @thewhatnauts     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

In brightest day, in blackest night, no episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series will escape our sight! This 2011 Cartoon Network show follows the adventures of the DC hero Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern crew as they search the galaxy for new recruits and fend off the attacks of the Red Lanterns and the Anti-Monitor.   We discuss the lantern colors and powers in this universe, the Green Lantern that is an entire planet, lawful good smugness, Star Trek, and a romance so powerful that it echoes through future DC animated shows.      SPOILERS WARNING The second episode we cover is the finale. We also talk about an event in season 4 of Young Justice.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We continue Pride Month by watching the 1997 anime Revolutionary Girl Utena! Instead of dreaming of marrying a prince when she grows up, Utena is determined to be a prince herself. She dons a masculine uniform at school and challenges a member of the mysterious Student Council to a duel to defend her friend's honor. She wins the duel --and her prize is being betrothed to the magical Rose Bride.   We discuss the glamorous character designs, the surreal dream logic, the apocalypse song, the business monkey, and Our Flag Means Death.        Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're kicking off Pride Month with the 1999 cartoon Cybersix! Our titular hero escaped from the evil science lab that tried to make her into a super-soldier, and she now spends nights as a protector of her city -- and days as mild-mannered high school teacher Mr. Adrien Sidleman.    We discuss the lead's dual gender identities, and the fellow high school teacher who has a crush on both of them. We also talk mud monsters, excessive breakfasts, a sudden panther, the oldest Beyblade, and taking over the TV at a family function.   The Live Action Cybersix Series     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Let us introduce you to Meet the Robinsons, a 2007 Disney animated feature film that's way more chaotic than you'd expect.    Lewis is a young orphan who's constantly inventing contraptions that backfire, and he's worried his obsession means he'll never be adopted. A mysterious boy takes him on a time travel adventure to the future, where he meets the wacky but loving Robinson family, learns that you can't have discovery without failure, and stops a villain literally called Bowler Hat Guy.   We discuss a puppet wife, putting a steak on a black eye, custom-printed phone cases we found with screenshots from this movie, and having a big head and little arms.   Weird Goob merchandise: Action Figure Phone Case   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Special guest Pete (He/Him) joins us to talk about The Big O, the 1999 anime that aired on Toonami and Adult Swim. Roger Smith is a negotiator in Paradigm City, a place where everyone lost their memories 40 years ago. He uses The Big O, his mech, to help fight mysterious monsters and other mechs found or built by criminals, always unsure of where any of this comes from. We discuss how everyone says Roger's name like they're cursing at him, the soup dad, the strong sassy robot, the secret to immortality, and Batman.   1980s early CGI animations   The Vern Fonk Insurance Commercial   Follow Pete! @TheEdgeOfMyPete   Check out the Hello Hyrule podcast! @HyrulePod     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week, the wonderful Wilkinsons watched Where's Wally! This is a 1991 cartoon based on the popular seek-and-find books known in the US as Where's Waldo. Wizard Whitebeard shows up in Waldo's attic to send him on missions to fantastic landscapes, to help people in need, outwit the dastardly Odlaw, and get himself lost in crowds.   We discuss the jarring theme song, the narrator breaking in to affect the story, dogs who wear glasses, and nerds who can date princesses.     Sorry for Jams's low quality audio! We accidentally recorded it from the wrong mic, oops!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our friend Jason (He/Him) joins us for our first "Saturday Night Obscurities" episode about an adult cartoon, the long-running Adult Swim series The Venture Bros! Dr. Rusty Venture is a former boy adventurer turned unsuccessful scientist, dragging his teenage sons across a world of spaceships, supervillains, and family secrets. We recap the hour-long special "All This and Gargantua-2" that opens season six, and talk about the series as a whole!    We discuss the show's mix of action, comedy, and surprising emotion, the continuity callbacks, characters who are direct Marvel homages, how many literal Venture brothers there actually are, and another one of the greatest "wait, this has a real ongoing plot?" cartoons, Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Welcome back to another episode of Sci-Fi Afternoon Odysseys, the show where we discuss the finest of Sci-Fi Channel's original programming! A podcast we've always been doing! We're still watching Eureka, now on episode 7, "Blink." Two competing teams of Global Dynamics scientists need to race against the clock to complete an anti-missile shield, and they turn to a dangerous super-speed drug to help them work faster.    We discuss isekai anime, Jack's wholesome love of baseball, many small sodas, "Problem Boy," and this YouTube video we found that's the exact normal opening theme for the show but someone pasted their own face over Colin Ferguson.   Eureka intro, Cory edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFWTl8CkT2U   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2004 Icelandic show LazyTown, a mix of live action human athleticism, puppets, and musical numbers. Energetic young Stephanie moves to LazyTown and inspires the local kids to spend more time playing games outside. The villain Robbie Rotten wants to keep the town lazy, but Stephanie teams up with the hero Sportacus to defeat him every time.   We talk about the town's location in a void of endless fields, how Robbie and Sportacus might be the latest in a line of regenerating archetypal primal forces, and the show's contributions to memes, especially the supervillain ska banger "We Are Number One."     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2004 animated series Dragon Booster. Artha lives in a futuristic city where everyone rides a dragon and races them for sport, but he prefers playing dragon-racing video games. After his father leaves him the legendary golden dragon, he takes up the responsibility of becoming its "booster," its trusted rider who will bond with it to protect humans and prevent another human/dragon war.   We discuss the detailed worldbuilding, the character name allusions to King Arthur's court, tall sci-fi cities that you can just fall off of, how nobody can recognize Racer X by his voice or mouth, and why there can't just be a podracing cartoon.   Sorry if you hear any of Jams's sniffles this episode, we tried to edit them out best we could!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

The siblings talk about a siblings-based classic, the 1994 Nickelodeon sitcom My Brother & Me! This show follows the misadventures of young brothers Alfie and Deedee, and their friend Goo. We see the kids act in their school's production of Robin Hood, and when Goo is hit in the face with a basketball, his personality changes to become Sensitive Goo.    We discuss how the show feels naturalistic and lived-in but also filled with wacky sitcom logic, the use of costumes in foreshadowing, a very cool comic book store, and memories of Blockbuster.      Here's an article on the actual origins of the phrase "Curses! Foiled again!"     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod  

We're talking about an old favorite, the 2000 Cartoon Network show Sheep in the Big City! Sheep is a sheep who is wanted by General Specific and his Top Secret Military Base for a sheep-powered ray gun. With his farm in danger, Sheep escapes to the Big City to hide out from the military and try to make a living on his own.   We discuss the omnipotent narrator, the interstitial commercials, the stainless steel wig, the combination of gags, wordplay, and pervasive loneliness, that episode of Pokemon where we see how Meowth learned to talk, and Encanto.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod  

It's Christmas! We watched the 1999 TV special Olive, The Other Reindeer. Olive is a dog who loves Christmas. She hears on the radio that one of Santa's reindeer has broken their leg and can't fly, and Santa will have to rely on "all of the other reindeer" to make Christmas happen this year. Olive believes it is her destiny to be this reindeer, even if she has no idea how to fly.   We talk about the punny character names, the mailman who hates Christmas packages but loves everything else about his job, Olive being a wholesome hero, and the Star Wars Holiday Special.    We're taking January off to restock, see you in February! Thanks for listening and happy December times!!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod  

Co-host of the Axalon Archives podcast Daoud (He/Him) is joining us to talk about the 1996 Transformers series Beast Wars. The Maximals and the Predacons have landed on prehistoric Earth and are fighting over the "protoforms," Transformers who have yet to take form, forge an identity, and choose a side.   We discuss the early CGI graphics, the surprisingly deep existential themes, a snake/scorpion with a Texas accent, the difference between Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal, and how the Josie and the Pussycats movie was underrated.    Content Warning: Mention of suicide   This episode came out a little late due to some audio issues. Thanks for being patient, and stay tuned for our Holiday Special episode next time for Olive, The Other Reindeer!     Follow Daoud:  @DaoFAQ   Check out The Axalon Archives: @AxalonArchives     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're back with "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story", the 1993 animated movie about dinosaurs who are given human intelligence and dropped in modern New York City. The dinosaurs crash the Macy's parade, befriend a lonely greaser kid, and stop a scary circus.   We discuss the brothers New Eyes and Screw Eyes, even more hot dog talk, the Thanksgiving setting, and how the movie Moonstruck did not involve any werewolves.     Also, we spend probably too long talking about teeth in this episode, so if you have any kind of dental phobia, feel free to avoid minutes 5:30-9:54.       Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Jake Mason (he/him) joins us to talk about 1999's Sonic Underground, a show where Sonic is a lost prince who reunites with his siblings Manic and Sonia to overthrow Robotnik with the power of rock n roll.    We discuss the show's lack of an ending, how Sonic's family wears clothes but he doesn't, Orson Welles, pumpkin spice, and vaporizing your enemies and then inhaling them.     Follow Jake: @jj_mason   And check out his podcasts! @morphingrid @SPECTRE_Pod @PWTpodcast @kingdomsmarties @CKTcast @rebootcast     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're celebrating the first anniversary of the podcast and our Halloween special by showcasing a Saturday Morning Giant: Courage the Cowardly Dog!   Courage is a small fuschia dog with inconsistent shape-shifting powers who tries to save his elderly family from a wild assortment of supernatural foes.   We discuss the show's mixed-media use of digital effects and live action, the eerie landscapes, the small moments of humanity for Eustace, inexplicable Christopher Walken impressions, and we share Halloween memories of our favorite costumes and Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons.     Thanks everyone for one year of Saturday Morning Obscurities!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We have another Saturday Morning Giant episode for you, focusing on a more well-known cartoon: the Disney Channel musical feel-good comedy Phineas and Ferb. Our titular characters are two brothers who love to invent outlandish contraptions, much to the frustration of their older sister, who can't get their parents to see the mischief they're getting into. Oh also, they have a pet platypus who's really a secret agent fighting a mad scientist.    We discuss the dense visual gags, running jokes, and subtle pop culture references in the show, the close emotional bond between enemies, and yelling in museums.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're getting spooooky and educational with the 1992 PBS show Ghostwriter, about a spirit orb that sends messages to a group of Brooklyn kids who love to solve puzzles and mysteries. Due to a mix-up, Jams watched only the first five-episode arc of the show and Melissa watched only the final four-episode arc. Nine episodes, across three years of the show, with two siblings trying to piece the overall story together.    We discuss a party parrot, a brief cameo by Samuel L. Jackson, the shocking backstory behind Ghostwriter himself, and the deep childhood terror of GOOEY GUS, a monster in a trenchcoat that oozes bubblegum from his mouth.   Also, spoiler alert for Space Jam: A New Legacy from 1:51 to 9:33. We have some qualms.   Here's a picture of Gooey Gus   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2001 CGI show Butt Ugly Martians, about a trio of alien soldiers who are sent to destroy Earth, but instead just want to hang out in an abandoned arcade. The Martians team up with some hoverboard-riding teenagers and a paranoid TV star to defend Earth from other alien threats.    We discuss the Martians' rock-n-roll inspired names, the puddle episode, whatever a "hover park" is, the iDog, and the physics of eating while invisible.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're talking about an old favorite, a very silly time travel anime called Flint the Time Detective. Flint is a prehistoric caveboy who was fossilized and then revived in the 25th century, and even though he's a child with no training, the Time Bureau makes him one of its top agents. His job is to save Time Shifters, cute creatures with a variety of powers who have been lost to history.   We discuss Flint's dad being stuck as a talking rock, disinterested anime boys with their hands behind their heads, the incredible team of a dandy vampire and a sassy pink snail, and whether or not fossils are smelly.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the French-Japanese animated series Oban Star-Racers, about a girl who tries to reconnect with her absent father after he left her behind for his career managing starship races. He's been approached by a cosmic entity to represent Earth in a race where the winner will be safe from impending galactic attack. His daughter, too scared to reveal herself as the forgotten child and pretending to just be an unrelated aspiring racer, is swept along to become part of the crew.    We talk about podracing, nobody having a nose at any angle, how the only girl on the team is of course underestimated just because she's a girl, and whether or not an elevator is considered "transportation."     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched Cartoon Network's 2011 series The Looney Tunes Show, which reinvents the classic characters for a sitcom format where Bugs and Daffy are mismatched roommates in a modern human city. Bugs is trying to live a quiet life and date Lola, while Daffy is getting into schemes like running for city council, taking cosmetology courses under his girlfriend's name, and changing his name to Professor Duck and then teaching a college political science course.   We discuss the show's surprisingly tight plotting and sharp dialogue, Daffy just casually driving a parade float as his everyday car, Wile E. Coyote's middle name, and whether or not our society at large thinks Bugs is beautiful when disguised like a woman.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

*Due to an unrealized error, there is a slight echo in this episode that couldn't be edited out. Sorry and thanks!*   Special guest Sera (she/her) brings us a true blast from the past with Mummies Alive! Four mummies awake from their sarcophagi in 1997 San Francisco, sworn to protect the pharaoh's lost son Rapses, who they believe is a cool boy with a skateboard named Presley. They live in a secret room in the history museum when not fighting Scarab, an evil sorcerer with inefficient plans.   We discuss the "mummy mania" of the late 90s, toyetic vehicles, hiding magical creatures in your room, a spooky costume ball that isn't explicitly for Halloween, and how almost every voice actor also had a credit on X-Men: Evolution.   Sera: @SeraSomeone   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched Kidd Video, a 1984 show about a teen rock band that is transported into a magic musical realm called The Flipside, where the devious Master Blaster wants to harness their music energy to take over the world. The show starts with live action kids who become animated, voiced by the same actors, and every episode ends with a return to live action for a music video! We talk about how, despite the fact that the show is named after a single character and that character is named Kidd Video, everyone in the band seems like an equal protagonist.   We also discuss Hit Clips, vocoders, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, and a fitness center where you pretend to pilot a giant robot, or if you will, a Pacific Gym.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the charming 1991 cartoon Rupert, about the whimsical adventures of a bear in plaid pants and his other dapper animal friends. We see him go to Gameland, Toyland, and Mirrorland, and he falls in and out of all of these realms completely nonplussed.   We discuss the very peaceful vibes of the show, bringing back tiddlywinks, the best Spider-Man to comfort you when you're in danger, whether or not Raggedy Ann is a clown, and what if there was a Toy Story movie where the toys mistook a human for also being a toy.   A Picture from a Rupert Bear Exhibit     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched a 2001 anime from the Fox Kids block, the pun-heavy Fighting Foodons. Long ago, a king asked which of his dinner options was the "strongest" and his chefs developed magic meal tickets to stick on their dishes to bring them to life FOR COMBAT. Now, the land is embroiled in a rebellion with food as their weapon, and a young boy named Chase hopes to become a great foodon chef like his dad.   We try to make sense of a foodon as a sentient living creature and how long it can possibly live, which takes us to the life spans of Pokemon and dinosaurs. We also discuss levers that drop you down into a pit, hot hats, and the last time we can remember eating a fish stick.    The lost media video on Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9YjoSPcyPU&t=747s&ab_channel=blameitonjorge   Melissa finally found that bacon sculpture: http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.com/2015/04/sandy-skoglund.html     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're covering our first Disney Channel Original Movie, the overstuffed but underrated Phantom of the Megaplex! A small town movie theater is preparing to host a blockbuster Hollywood premiere, but a mysterious cloaked figure is sabotaging every aspect of the night. It's up to the theater's overworked teenage staff and two cinephile children to see the pattern in the mayhem and stop it before a giant inflatable dinosaur crushes all the celebrity guests. We talk about the film's huge cast of players running around this one building, all the fake movie titles, the references to fellow DCOM Smart House, and how this story should be updated for the contemporary movie landscape.      Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We tried watching something we'd never seen and recommended by Tanner, the 1980s Canadian cartoon The Raccoons!  This charming show follows the misadventures of Bert Raccoon as he fumbles in trying to pull off great stunts to please his friends. He makes Evergreen Forest fun, but local crabby millionaire Cyril Sneer has all the money in the world to try and make the forest as quiet as he wants it.    We talk about Bert obliviously intruding on his best friend's marriage, how the show is mostly normal animals except for these unexplained alien creatures, the amazing synth power ballads in the soundtrack, and whether or not Paul Bunyan would be considered a kaiju.   Thanks for 500 total downloads!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're doing a special episode on the "Groovies," the short music videos that would air during Cartoon Network commercial breaks. These would feature remixed audio and visuals, or original songs with experimental new animation, covering both contemporary shows from the Cartoon Cartoon block and old Hanna-Barbera classics. We discuss the existential hellscape of "Circles," the Powerpuff Girls concept album behind "The Signal in the Sky" and "Go Monkey Go," the lack of Ed Edd n Eddy continuity in "My Best Friend Plank" and "The Incredible Shrinking Day," how Will.I.Am wasn't even in the same room as Dexter when he made "Secret Formula," and more!   We don't own or claim to own any of the music sampled in this episode!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Tanner (They/Them) is our special guest this episode and they've brought us the Canadian fever dream Hoze Houndz, a show about cartoon dalmatians who are supposedly firefighters, but mostly just get into a series of absurd sci-fi misadventures. The houndz fall into a time travel portal, get brain-swapped with a rival team of cat firefighters, join a cult obsessed with lint, flash some cash, and are kidnapped by pirates in an episode inexplicably featuring the Canadian folk band Great Big Sea.  We talk about the catchphrase-shouting robot who is featured heavily in one episode and then never seen again, a character unfortunately named Squirt, and how this is kinda like Promare for pets.   Follow Tanner! @SparkyUpstart   Check out their podcasts! @LoserLikeMePod @NIIRYFPod @Pkmn_Millennium     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're doing our first "Saturday Morning Giant" episode this week looking back on a well-remembered show, Jackie Chan Adventures! This animated version of Jackie Chan is a mild-mannered archeologist who just happens to be excellent at martial arts. He stumbles into a dangerous world of magical artifacts, and it's up to him and his chaotic niece Jade to stop a sentient dragon statue from gaining control of 12 Zodiac-themed talismans.  We read the surprisingly detailed Wikipedia profiles on the villain's three lead henchmen, and talk about the show's many catchphrases, finding a talisman in a pie, and Rumble McSkirmish.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

For our first Saturday morning cartoon based off a movie, we watched 2001's Evolution: The Animated Series, aka Alienators: Evolution Continues. A meteorite carrying alien organisms crashed into a small Arizona town and scientists at the local community college figured out how to stop it, but there's always another organism hiding out there, growing into another threat. Now they ride around town in a fire truck fighting alien monsters with dandruff shampoo. Definitely real science at work! We talk about translating the actors to animated form, a new innovation in spit takes, and how all three episodes we watched involve a scene in a basement.   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week we're talking about the candy-colored CGI adventure Cubix: Robots for Everyone. Everyone? Everyone! Connor moves to Bubbletown, a city full of robot companions, and he's determined to find one for himself. He fixes up a junk robot no one believes could be repaired again, and with the power of friendship, the robot unlocks transformative abilities and helps Connor and his friends fight off the evil Dr. K. We discuss kids with jobs, the villain's bonkers lair, and Burger King toys. Remember: you're not in the pit forever!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our friend Jacq (she/her) joins us for a discussion on the infamous flop Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, a 2012 musical movie for young kids where the audience was encouraged to get up and dance along in the theaters. Goobie, Zoozie, and Toofie are celebrating their friend Schloofy's birthday when his five magical birthday balloons float away, and they have to race across Lovely Loveville to collect them again. The adventure takes them to a diner that only serves gross milkshakes, a tractor-trailer full of bubbles, a giant flying sombrero, and a series of puzzling celebrity cameos.    Check out Jacq's new podcast, Your Friendly Neighborhood Filmcast! @YourFNFilmcast   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched 1992's haunting Tom & Jerry: The Movie, the one where they realize the other one can talk -- a revelation that does nothing to improve their animosity. The cat and mouse befriend a young orphan girl named Robyn, and help her escape her money-hungry guardians to find her adventuring father, who she believes is still alive after he was lost in an avalanche.We encounter a gang of aggressive jazz cats, a fat dog on a skateboard, and a hand puppet that may or may not be sentient. Also, it's a musical!?   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're doing a special comparison episode talking about Hanna-Barbera's 1972 attempt at edutainment, Sealab 2020, and Adult Swim's irreverent 2000s version, Sealab 2021, which re-used the original animation with new audio tracks. "Scientist-pioneers" of all ages work in an underwater base studying the ocean and its creatures, encountering dangers like radiation barrels, compasses you can't read, and a misbehaving dolphin. In 2021, no one cares about real marine science, they're just arguing about whether or not they would transfer their brains into robot bodies. Will there be a Sealab 2022? We can only dream.   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week we tried looking at a more recent show, the 2010 Disney XD cartoon Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil. Kick is a 10-year-old Evil Knievel determined to make every part of his life into a cool stunt, regardless of how this conflicts with his family's plans. Melissa describes scenes she remembers that we couldn't actually watch because only one episode of this show was available to stream? We talk about how this show is still holding onto some stereotypical gender roles while the cartoon landscape around it starts to advance, the suburban lich, and Grenda. Minor clipping, we're almost out of the clipped audio woods!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our special guest this week is holiday cheer as we watch the 2000 animated movie The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, a St. Nick origin story based on a book by L. Frank Baum.   Nicholas was abandoned as a baby and adopted by a loving community of fairies, and now that he's an adult and traveling among the humans for the first time, he sees many children in need. With a heart of gold and 50 identical handcrafted toys of the same cat, he sets out to deliver joy to the people, and no rock monsters can stop him!    We talk about Rankin Bass holiday specials, dolls that look like your mom, being so good at your job that you're forced into immortality, and We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story.   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our first special guest Christina Woods (she/her) is here to talk about The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald, a series of VHS tapes that you could only get at McDonald's. In the "Visitors From Outer Space" video, aliens land in McDonaldland, Hamburglar agrees to go on vacation with them, and the rest of the gang has to fly a rocketship across the galaxy to save him from being lost in space for the rest of his life. We talk about the familiar cast and crew that animation studio Klasky Csupo brought in for this production, the uncanny puppet sequences, and what if you had to deal with Hamburglar at a family barbeque. We also pitch Hallmark Channel their next hit Christmas romance movie, starring a Krampus!    Also, here's the interview with Doug Jones that Melissa was referring to: https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/episodes/doug-jones-shapeshifter   More clipping mic in this episode, but Jams will have a new mic soon!   Follow Christina Woods! @CWoodsArt   Check out her podcasts! @WaywardOCpod @FaithFullPods @LoserLikeMePod     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week we serve and observe the 1997 edutainment show Science Court, animated in "Squigglevision"! Lawyers Doug Savage and Alison Krempel represent petty citizen disputes in Science Court, bringing in a wild variety of experts to better understand how natural law rules our everyday lives. We talk about the visual gags packed into every scene, kids who are smarter than adults, and how this was probably the first time we heard the voice of H. Jon Benjamin.  More clipping in this episode, but Jams will have a new mic soon!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're talking about Hamtaro, a very cute early 2000s anime about hamsters! Laura and her family move to a new town, and while she's busy settling in at a new school, she has no idea her hamster Hamtaro is sneaking out every day to visit a clubhouse full of other neighborhood hamsters where they have little hamster adventures. We discuss how the massive cast of characters leads to surprisingly nuanced personalities, merchandise this show did have and should have had, and eggs with legs.    Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Comments: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod