This week we are headed back to Japan with a much loved classic 1988 children's movie: My Neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli.

Aly starts us off with a discussion of shinto, what exactly Totoro may or may not be, and some spooky conspiracy theories that surround the subtext of the film.

Sarrah takes this opportunity to tell us more about the life of Isao Takahata, who we lost earlier this year in 2018.

Together we discuss the massive impact Totoro has had on culture!

Our walkthrough has us fangirling all over this film, loving the beautiful backgrounds and animation, as well as being a wee bit wary of the Catbus.

So plant your acorns, grab your umbrella, and let's fly off to meet our Neighbor Totoro!

After a haitus, Aly & Sarrah have returned!

This week they are discussing a child-hood, nostalgia inducing, classic: Disney's (now) The Brave Little Toaster, from 1987!

Aly as usual, starts us off with a biography on the author of the original novella - Thomas M. Disch. We learn that once again, writers sometimes have awful lives. She also breaks down some differences in the plot points of the book and the film.

Sarrah talks studio and how this WAS a Disney movie, LEFT Disney, then came BACK to Disney. It's a saga.

We then break down all of the very talented voice actors who took part in this film, talk video release and reviews, and wrap up with a bit of a discussion on sequels and nightmare toasters.

Our walk-through has us discussing the problem with plugs, questioning whether there were dirt jokes involved, and generally wondering who plays with appliances as a child.

So let's go on a journey together to find our own bravery and talk about the Brave Little Toaster!

Podcast Music by: bradleyparsons (via Fiverr)

We will be back to a regular schedule starting next week (Thursday, September 6th). 

And we have a few changes to let you know about!

1) We are changing our release schedule. With the exception of the first two months (due to a two-parter and Halloween) which will be 4 on, 1 off, we will be uploading 3 weeks in a row, then taking a week off. This is so we can have a nice thing called work/life balance. We're looking forward to it :)

2) We will be having some new people on the show! So you'll be hearing from people who aren't just us, but artists working in different fields (like....composing!) who will have a different viewpoint and experience to lend to us!

3) There will be a YouTube channel in the near future! We will be launching it with a special (very late) series, and then will be uploading companion episodes with new trivia, new segments, and making sure we give our star-rating to the films we watched before we implemented it. More information on the upload schedule for that will be coming soon!

That's it! We're getting to the GOOOOOD stuff, guys! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this little preview of what is to come!

Music by Bensound & BradleyParsons

Hello Listeners!

You're probably wondering "where did last Thursday's episode go?".

Well, there wasn't one.

We're taking a short hiatus here at Cartoonin' In. All is well and we should be back soon.

In the meantime, have another episode of us being morons! These are almost all of our mistakes and weird tangents that we've been saving since December.

We hope you enjoy!

This week we are finally discussing anime! And who better to usher us in but Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli? We're discussing their 1986 film, Castle in the Sky.

This week Aly and Sarrah trade off a bit, as a lot of their information was shared.

Aly talks about Miyazaki's TV show 'Future Boy Conan', which many believe had a direct influence on Castle in the Sky. Together, Aly and Sarrah discuss Retrofuturism and Steampunk, and how those styles influence this film.

Our Voice Cast Corner discusses both the original cast from the Japanese release and the Disney 2003 dub. Sarrah tells us about the release and reviews, and together we discuss a Twitter world record and other places we see Castle in the Sky being referenced in the world.

So sit back, strap on your goggles, and let's watch Castle in the Sky!

Podcast music by: Bensound.com

Welcome to Part 2 of our episodes discussing Disney's 1986 film, The Great Mouse Detective.

This week Aly introduces us to Eve Titus' book series 'The Basil of Baker Street Mysteries', the children's novels that this film is based upon.

Sarrah gives us a feeling for the studio at the time of this film and talks us through the journey that Basil took to be made into a feature film. She gives us some fun facts, and we even find out who animated each character!

Our walkthrough has us wanting to give Dawson a big ol' hug, questioning the relationship between Mouse-World and Human-World, and getting increasingly angry at party decorators.

So let's keep our wits about us to attempt to defeat the Napoleon of Crime, and watch The Great Mouse Detective!

Podcast Music By: www.bensound.com

Aly and Sarrah begin their two-week adventure with Basil and Dawson of Disney's 1986 film: The Great Mouse Detective.

This week it's all about the sources of the sources.

Aly discusses Sherlock Holmes and its author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We learn about Doyle's life, the publishing history of Sherlock Holmes, as well as a quick breakdown of its main characters. She also tells us about the crazily academic Sherlock fan club and it's mysterious "game".

Sarrah shines a spotlight on one-time Disney CEO Ron Miller and his wife Diane Disney Miller. We learn about Ron's history with the company as well as Diane's efforts to preserve her father's work.

Aly comes back in the last third to go over some of the iterations that Holmes has seen over the years. Yes, she misses many. There is just too much! But she hits the highlights, and if there are any that you feel it is a crime she missed, be sure to let us know!

Now that we're all prepped and ready, next week we will be tackling Disney's The Great Mouse Detective and all the information specific to the animated feature. But this week, slip on your smoking jacket and slippers, grab your pipe and violin, and let's get deducting with the world-famous consulting detective!

Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

This week we get deeper into Bluth territory. We thought that American Tail was a well-loved classic, but we've realized in our research that maybe we're not the only ones who preferred the sequel.

Since there's no official source material, Aly gives us some historical background to set the scene on what Feivel and his family were walking into. She touches on American Immigration Acts, and Factory conditions at the turn of the century, as well as some more personal details that helped the filmmakers shape the final story.

Sarrah gives us a deeper look into what was happening at Don Bluth's studio at the time, and some of the issues that arose when combining the experience of animators and live-action filmmakers. We also get a good overview of story-boards vs beat-boards.

Our walk-through takes a look at some potentially problematic pacing problems *wink*, some fantastic parenting skills, and we ponder if Don Bluth ever had a traumatic incident with a cat.

So sit back and let's look somewhere out there to see if there truly are cats in America! Let's take a look at 'An American Tail'.

Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!

It's time to find the power, listeners!

This week Aly & Sarrah watched and discussed Filmation's 1985 release "He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword".

We have another toyline based product! Aly gives us all the details on the motley crew that created He-Man (just to compete with Star Wars) and how they reached the heights...and fell down to the depths.

Sarrah gives us the rundown on Filmation, a studio that gave us such classic TV shows as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and the Archie Tv show! (Archie Comics...pre 'Riverdale').

Our walk-through has us noticing some interesting undertones to the film, celebrating how awesome She-Ra is, freaking out over how much we didn't realize we loved Skeletor, and bopping along to a great theme song.

It may not be an artistic masterpiece, but we have a freaking good time!

So grab your favorite boney-buddy, hoist up that power sword and chant your catch-phrase! It's time to go on an adventure with the Masters of the Universe!

Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

This week Aly & Sarrah watch Disney's 1985 forgotten film - The Black Cauldron.

What's that? GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE? No, Black Cauldron.

Aly starts us off with a biography of Lloyd Alexander - the author of the Chronicles of Prydain, the 5 book series that The Black Cauldron is adapted from. She runs down some of the many changes between book and movie and also gives a BRIEF overview of some of the Welsh Mythology Alexander used as inspiration. So many names are butchered. And that's WITH looking up pronunciations.

Sarrah discusses what studio life at Disney was looking like at the time (it was still a mess), as well as the invention of APT (a new technology to help refine the animation process).

Together we discuss how this movie flopped big time, and what little it left its mark on it the world (but it surprisingly did make a parks appearance or two).

Our walk-through has us exclaiming over cute little piggies, appreciating some fun characters, and getting a wee bit off topic sometimes.

So gather your friends and companions, and let's face the cauldron born on our quest for The Black Cauldron!

Podcast Music By: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music