We've looked at some of the earliest bits of American and European animation - but what about other countries? What about Japan? We look at the oldest surviving bit of Japanese animation, followed by the oldest surviving animated short. Are they enjoyable to watch in 2021 or later? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This particular film is this podcast's second Gulliver's Travels, the first animated telling of the story, and the second American feature-length animated film. It's also one of two feature films by the Fleischer Bros, better known for Betty Boop and Popeye. This movie begs direct comparison to Disney's Snow White, since it was made to directly compete within the market Disney's movie had just created. How does it compare? And how does it compare to the Gulliver's Travels from nearly 40 years later? Is this one worth a watch, or is it best left forgotten? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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It's time to dive into our first series of theatrical cartoon shorts! We're still a long ways from Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse, but even back in 1919 characters were being created who are still known today! In this particular case, the cartoon stars a clown who would eventually be known as Koko, and would become best known for being a side character in early Betty Boop cartoons. This time it's just him and an obnoxious fly... and also the animator Max Fleischer himself! Is this cartoon from over 100 years ago still funny or enjoyable to watch in the year 2021? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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The very first Disney movie, and the beginnings of animated feature films in America is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Its a film many have seen, but when was the last time they actually watched it and paid attention to it? Is it... worth that? Or is this a relic of a bygone era that's inferior to the vast body of work made in its wake? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Out of all pre-Disney cartoon shorts, Winsor McCay's Gertie the Dinosaur is perhaps the most well known. Today we take a look at it and its predecessor, Little Nemo, based on the comic series of the same name, to examine McCay's best-known contributions to animation as a medium. But, outside that historical context, how are these two shorts as pieces of entertainment? Are they still enjoyable, over 100 years after they were first conceived? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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The oldest surviving animated feature film is actually the third one known to have been made, and even still it is over ten years older than Walt Disney's Snow White. It also does not use traditional animation, but instead a cutout and silhouette animation style hybrid. It's also German, while the story itself is based on the 1001 Nights. So all that said... is it any fun to watch? And does something that is nearing 100 years old still hold up all these years later in like ANY regard? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Animation has existed for well over 100 years now, yet in the grand scheme of things, it is a relatively young medium. How long ago did it begin, exactly, and who pioneered it? What of the earliest bits of animation still survives today, and perhaps more importantly - is any of it any good? Like, historically, sure, but is there any other reason to watch these things? Watch to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Our final episode of the year is another Soyuzmultfilm movie! The most well known in the west of the studio's output, actually. This is a film many people might remember from their childhoods, albeit in an English dub form. But how does the original hold up? Do the Russian voices hold up, and does the film itself deserve to be well known? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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On the second episode of our 2020 Holiganza, we see the final hurrah of the original Animaniacs run, featuring not just the Warner siblings but practically every minor character that ever appeared in the show. It's a wild ride with cartoon antics and zany songs - but in the year 2020 with an Animaniacs reboot already out, how does the finale of the original series hold up? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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For our first Holiday 2020 episode, we cover two classic half-hour Mickey Mouse shorts from the 80s and early 90s. The first is one of the many, many interpretations of the classic Dickens tale, while the second is a classic 'two people from different walks of life switch places' type of story. How do these compare, and more importantly, how do they hold up so many years later? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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