Special guest Tim Ingle, creator of the Bearly Biblical animated series on Loor.tv-- and coming soon, the Bearly Biblical trading card game-- returns to Toon My Heart to talk about The Little Troll Prince: A Christmas Parable. This 1987 Christmas television special with a very explicitly Christian message, produced by Hanna-Barbera and backed by the International Lutheran Laymen's League, carries a lot of nostalgia for host Tracy Herold. But despite airing on Cartoon Network for many years in the '90s, many people today have never even heard of The Little Troll Prince-- and Tim was one of them! Without nostalgia goggles, will he still find things to appreciate in this traditionally animated musical holiday special? In this final "Forgotten Christmas Specials" episode for 2025, we discuss the history of Hanna-Barbera, including the role that faith played in some of Joseph Barbera's pet projects; the uniqueness of a Christmas special that doesn't mention Santa once but does mention the Savior; how the themes of love, faith, heart transformation, and God's sovereignty are presented in story of the troll prince Bu; and our pros and cons and how we might choose to tell the story differently.

Please follow @bearlybiblical on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok; follow @intellectric on X and @intellectricanimation on Instagram; and visit BearlyBiblical.com

Mentioned or referenced in this episode:

• The Gospel According to Hanna-Barbera on Yowp
• The Little Troll Prince on archive.org
• Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas/The Little Troll Prince DVD on Amazon

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.

Despite first airing in 1996, "Arnold's Christmas," also known as the "Hey Arnold! Christmas Special," was a new watch this year for Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold, suggested by this episode's special guest, Kevin T. Rodriguez, also known as iCritic. What starts out as a pretty typical Christmas episode for a kids' TV show turns out to be something deeper and much more special by the end. And the story behind it is just as compelling. Find out why this episode almost didn't make it to air on Nickelodeon thanks to story elements dealing with the Vietnam War; what Arnold, Helga, and Gerald all think the "true meaning of Christmas" is; how we think this secular Christmas special still conveys some deeply Christian themes about miracles, love, empathy, and bearing one another's burdens; and why-- whether you grew up watching this Nicktoon or not-- we think "Arnold's Christmas" is worth a watch.

Mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.icritic.net
• https://www.youtube.com/@KevinTRod
• Hey Arnold claymation shorts
• "Hey Arnold! Christmas Special" ad
• Buy Me A Coffee (Donate)
• Toon My Heart TeePublic Store

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.

When you think of Disney and Christmas specials, the first one that comes to mind is likely Mickey's Christmas Carol, and for good reason. But five years before that short came out, Disney released another Christmas special called The Small One, directed by none other than Don Bluth, shortly before he left the company to form his own animation studio. Although it seems to have largely been forgotten by Disney, Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and special guest, artist and animator Monica Theiler both have fond childhood memories of watching this story of a boy seeking a new home for his beloved donkey and finding one more special than he could have ever imagined. And in this episode, we talk about what it shows us about true friendship, how to love like God does, and God's perfect plan and purpose for every "small one."

Visit Monica Theiler and buy her books at artistmonica.com

Find Monica's books on Amazon

Follow Monica on Instagram @artistmonica, and Youtube @artistanimatormonica

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Watch The Small One on Disney+
• The Small One: A Story for Those Who Like Christmas and Small Donkeys by Charles Tazewell
• Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth
• The Small One: A Good Samaritan by Katherine Brown

Thank you to soundeffectfactory.com for the sleigh bell sound effects used in this episode.

Light of the World is the second animated film released in 2025 about the life of Jesus, so how does this traditionally animated project compare to the 3D-animated The King of Kings that came out earlier in the year? Produced by The Salvation Poem Project and with the talent of former Disney animators and directors and unique storybook-style animation provided by Lighthouse Studios, a joint venture between Cartoon Saloon and Mercury Filmworks, Light of the World tells the gospel story from the point of view of the Apostle John as a young teenager. Find out host Tracy Herold's initial thoughts upon seeing this film in theaters.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Salvation Poem Project: https://salvationpoem.com
• Gavin Ortlund, "These A.I. Videos Raise a Theology Question": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiLDeIFqw2s
• The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast: https://bancroftbros.libsyn.com
• Lighthouse Studios: https://lighthousestudios.ie
• Light of the World on Christianbook.com: https://www.christianbook.com/light-of-the-world-blu-ray/pd/044399?srsltid=AfmBOoqbNaHy2ec5a0wdJldsjdKRgBQUCjZVjT-_RmO3TnqpCP2_nFjP

Buy Toon My Heart merch at teepublic.com/user/toon-my-heart

Donate to Toon My Heart at https://buymeacoffee.com/toonmyheart

Follow @toonmyheart on Instagram, X, and Facebook

Other links at linktr.ee/toonmyheart

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

On this episode of Toon My Heart, host Tracy Herold is joined by animator Monica Theiler, founder of Moonglow Animation, to talk about Dreamworks' 2010 animated film How to Train Your Dragon. Based on the book by Cressida Cowell and brought to life by the writing/directing team of Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who previously collaborated on Disney's Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon launched an incredibly long-lived franchise, encompassing sequels, TV shows, comics, an arena show, a theme park, and of course, Dreamworks' first live-action remake. But at its heart is a simple message about overcoming fear with love, and learning to love your enemies, just as Jesus Christ taught his followers in the Sermon on the Mount. We discuss how that message is brought to life through the story of Hiccup and Toothless' blossoming friendship on the Isle of Berk, as well as lots of other fun topics, including: the live-action remake trend; what the Bible says about dragons; the symbolism around weaponry in the film; how Hiccup reminds us of Jesus; and more!

Find Monica Theiler at www.artistmonica.com, on Instagram @artistmonica, and on YouTube @artistanimatormonica

Visit MoonglowAnimation.com

Also mentioned in this episode:

• G.K. Chesterton on dragons and fairy tales
• "How to Train Your Dragon: Behind the Scenes" by Tim Nasson
• "How to Train Your Dragon" by Matt Risley
• "Even How To Train Your Dragon's Live-Action Director Has Found The Movie Trend 'Disappointing.' Why He Made The Movie Anyway" by Sarah El-Mahmoud
• "How to Train Your Dragon Review: A Pointless Shot-for-Shot Remake" by Jonathan Sim
• The Plausible Impossible on Disney+
• "Tannin" entry from Strong's Concordance
• "Spurgeon Verse Expositions - Isaiah 43:18-43:28"
• "BibleProject Guide: Dragons in the Bible"

Thanks to the following folks on X for sharing their comments for this episode's discussion: @realpopchrissy, @KevinTRod, @_rockinmrmagic, @KerryStapp, @desertofreelpod

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Disney and Pixar's newest original animated film Elio hasn't had much success in getting audiences into the theater. But does that mean it's not worth watching? Find out why Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold believes this outer space adventure about loneliness, family, and finding a place to belong is worth seeing on the big screen, and how it even reminded her of the Biblical prophet Elijah and his encounter with God in 1 Kings 19. In this episode she also discusses elements of the animated sci-fi film that Christian parents might be concerned about or at least want to know of in advance, and offers some suggestions for discussions to have with your kids after watching the film.

Buy Toon My Heart merch at teepublic.com/user/toon-my-heart

Donate to Toon My Heart at buymeacoffee.com/toonmyheart

Follow Toon My Heart on social media: @toonmyheart on Instagram, X, and Facebook

Other links at linktr.ee/toonmyheart

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

It's time for another special "Showtune My Heart" episode, in which "Toon My Heart" host Tracy and a guest discuss a song from an animated film, analyzing it through a Christian lens. Today's guest is writer, editor, and podcaster Faith Moore, host of the "Storytime for Grownups" podcast and author of the book Saving Cinderella: What Feminists Get Wrong About Disney Princesses and How to Set it Right. Faith's song choice is "So This Is Love" from Walt Disney's Cinderella, and she and Tracy discuss how to understand fairy tale symbolism, why princess stories still matter, some interesting parallels between the Cinderella story and the Biblical account of the life of Jesus, the importance of love in both fairy tales and in the Christian life, and how to become your true self.

Find Faith Moore at faithkmoore.com and @faithkmoore on X.com

Buy Toon My Heart merch at teepublic.com/user/toon-my-heart

Donate to Toon My Heart at buymeacoffee.com/toonmyheart

Follow Toon My Heart on social media: @toonmyheart on Instagram, X, and Facebook

Other links at linktr.ee/toonmyheart

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

Why did the highest-grossing film of 2024 strike such a chord with audiences and critics? To mark the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, host Tracy Herold welcomes back special guest Pastor Jay Nepomuceno, founder of a Christian mental health advocacy ministry called The Climb, to talk about Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2. All of our favorite emotions from the first Inside Out-- Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust-- are back, but as Riley enters puberty, they're joined by new emotions-- Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Nostalgia-- and a struggle for Riley's sense of self ensues. We discuss the fantastic pictures the film paints of how our brains work and the effects that anxiety can have on us, talk about the lessons we can learn from the movie about our mental health and sense of identity-- and how those lessons can be made more complete with the addition of Biblical truths-- and debate whether Anxiety is a villain or merely a protagonist, and how we can put her in her proper place either way.

Find The Climb at theclimbministries.com and facebook.com/theclimbministries

Buy Toon My Heart merch at teepublic.com/user/toon-my-heart

Donate to Toon My Heart at buymeacoffee.com/toonmyheart

Follow Toon My Heart on social media: @toonmyheart on Instagram, X, and Facebook

Other links at linktr.ee/toonmyheart

Also mentioned in this episode:

• "Inside Out 2 Was the Hit Pixar Needed, but the Laid-Off Employees Who Crunched on It Are Still Hurting" (IGN): https://www.ign.com/articles/inside-out-2-was-the-hit-pixar-needed-but-the-laid-off-employees-who-crunched-on-it-are-still-hurting

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

Disney's Moana is the "No. 1 movie in streaming history" according to the Wall Street Journal, having been streamed for more than 1 billion hours! But it's also a story about gods, demigods, monsters, and spirits. Is it okay for Christians to watch such a film? Can we maybe even find glimpses of the gospel within it? Grab a boat snack and set sail with Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and special guest Tim Ingle, creator of the Bearly Biblical cartoon series, as we explore how the story of this unconventional "Disney Princess" echoes the Bible's story of creation, fall, and redemption, and demonstrates our need for a savior, serving as a great illustration of the idea espoused by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien that man-made myths (both ancient and modern) ultimately point toward and find their fulfillment in the "true myth" of Jesus Christ.

Find Tim Ingle on social media: @intellectricanimation on Instagram, @intellectric on X

Watch Bearly Biblical at loor.tv/project/bearly-biblical

Buy Bearly Biblical merch at bearlybiblical.com

Read Tim's animated movie reviews at cartoonsgotsaved.com

Buy Toon My Heart and "True Myth" merch at teepublic.com/user/toon-my-heart

Donate to Toon My Heart at buymeacoffee.com/toonmyheart

Follow Toon My Heart on social media: @toonmyheart on Instagram, X, and Facebook

Other links at linktr.ee/toonmyheart

Also mentioned in this episode:

• "It's Disney's Biggest Surprise Hit--8 Year After Its Release" by Ben Cohen: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/moana-disney-streaming-movies-frozen-452ef412
• C.S. Lewis' letter to Arthur Greeves about the concept of "the true myth": https://www.cslewis.com/lewis-on-tolkien-3
• J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter: https://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Biography-Humphrey-Carpenter/dp/0618057021
• "Myth Became Fact" from God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis: https://judithwolfe.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2017/08/Myth-Became-Fact.pdf

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

The first of three Bible-based animated films coming out in 2025 came out just in time for Easter-- but is it any good? Toon My Heart host Tracy Herold and her daughter share their thoughts on The King of Kings, the first full-length feature film from Korean director Seong-ho Jang of Mofac Studios, a creative retelling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ inspired by Charles Dickens' short book "The Life of Our Lord," featuring an all-star cast, including Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Uma Thurman. Tracy discusses the history behind the source material, the arguments for and against depicting Christ on film, the positives that both kids and parents can get from the film's immersive storytelling, and some of the shortcomings Christian parents should be aware of as well.

Music by REDproductions, sourced from Pixabay.com

Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email [email protected]

Follow @toonmyheart on Facebook, Instagram, and X

toonmyheart.com

linktr.ee/toonmyheart