A Special Presentation, or Alf Will Not Be Seen Tonight

Jules Feiffer's comics in the Village Voice were THE THING back in the swingin' 60s or maybe the 50s, but we still remember them best as the thing that the last liberal wanted to read before he got got by Milo and Cutter John in Bloom County. Well, Feiffer wrote a movie script based on his comics back in the 80s and it got lost for 30 years, but now they found it and they made it. Bernard and Huey... get old!

Everyone knows Prince Valiant, the comic strip that's NO FUN. You look at that wall of text and those serious illustrations and you just know this is a scam -- it's no whimsical fun comic strip, it's probably trying to teach you something! In 1997, Prince Valiant was adapted into a theatrical film with Katherine Heigl, Ron Pearlman, Warwick Davis, and Joanna Lumley, which, in a different world, might have filled the Krull-shaped hole in our hearts... If only!

Everyone knows Prince Valiant, the comic strip that's NO FUN. You look at that wall of text and those serious illustrations and you just know this is a scam -- it's no whimsical fun comic strip, it's probably trying to teach you something! In 1997, Prince Valiant was adapted into a theatrical film with Katherine Heigl, Ron Pearlman, Warwick Davis, and Joanna Lumley, which, in a different world, might have filled the Krull-shaped hole in our hearts... If only!

This week, we're going back... back... back in time to look at the very FIRST ever comic strip, Mutt and Jeff. America couldn't get enough of the adventures of a short guy and a tall guy who hung out together. Come for the weird Mutt and Jeff stitched-together Frankencartoon, stay for a long digression about Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, and a brand new anti-woke movement just for Travel Lodge bear cosplayers.

Marmaduuuuuke! He's a big dog.

Once again, we're spending some time with Canada's favorite sons: The Foobs! Lynn Johnston's For Better or For Worse has an animated special all about the birth of April! What's the deal with April? Let's investigate!

Jane was a saucy 1940s British comic strip about a sweet young thing names Jane, famous for fighting nazis and losing her clothes through various contrived and saucy means. Jane was credited with helping the British drive back the axis in Burma, but does this late 80s big screen adaptation capture the sauciness of the original strips? We investigate!

Did you know that there are folks behind the Funnies? It's true! This 2018 documentary talks to all the big names: Lynn Johnston, Mell Lazarus, Mort Walker, Scott Adams, Etc, to learn all about what it takes to be a folk behind a funny. But you gotta listen to the notes that they're NOT playing!

Did you know that there are folks behind the Funnies? It's true! This 2018 documentary talks to all the big names: Lynn Johnston, Mell Lazarus, Mort Walker, Scott Adams, Etc, to learn all about what it takes to be a folk behind a funny. But you gotta listen to the notes that they're NOT playing!

Did you know that there are folks behind the Funnies? It's true! This 2018 documentary talks to all the big names: Lynn Johnston, Mell Lazarus, Mort Walker, Scott Adams, Etc, to learn all about what it takes to be a folk behind a funny. But you gotta listen to the notes that they're NOT playing!

In 1971, Michael Eisner decided he was going to make a commercial competitor for PBS's then ascendant Sesame Street. The result was Curiosity Shop, a show about four kids going to a curiosity shop run by the absent Mr. Jones. It featured music, puppets, and animation -- including appearances by the cast of Miss Peach, Dennis the Menace, BC, and Wizard of Id. Only two episodes remain, so we take a look.

In 1971, Michael Eisner decided he was going to make a commercial competitor for PBS's then ascendant Sesame Street. The result was Curiosity Shop, a show about four kids going to a curiosity shop run by the absent Mr. Jones. It featured music, puppets, and animation -- including appearances by the cast of Miss Peach, Dennis the Menace, BC, and Wizard of Id. Only two episodes remain, so we take a look.

In 1993, everyone's favorite menace, Dennis, made the jump to the big screen -- in a film that could almost be good if John Hughes wasn't so dedicated to recreating the success of Home Alone. Walter Matthau is forced to carry an entire film by himself, but, damn, does he do it!

In the early 80s, Hanna Barbera decided to take a little risk and tell the entire history of post-war America through the medium of rock and roll music and also put Scatman Crothers in it as a talking jukebox. It's like if Fantasia kind of sucked but was also about the most obvious boomer pleasing aspects of rock music. Morbiose joins us to talk about this weird rock oddity!

It's Ethan's birthday, so we're taking a little detour from our usual wheelhouse to look at another 80s cartoon robot franchise... The GoBots! You may remember them as the poor man's transformers... and you'd probably be right! Are the GoBots going places or should they be going home? Ha ha, get it? Please yourself then.

Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse!!! To celebrate Steamboat Willie finally, FINALLY falling into the public domain, we look at the 1988 television event Mickey's 60th Birthday, when a wizard makes Mickey lose his mojo and then he meets the cast of Cheers and Family Ties (big sit coms at the time, ask your parents). We ended up talking for two hours because we get distracted by talking about the bizarre history of Roger Rabbit, Jim Hensen's traveling puppet medicine show, the bullshit of Time's Man of the Year, Disney racism, and the black hole of Michael Eisner's charisma.

Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse!!! To celebrate Steamboat Willie finally, FINALLY falling into the public domain, we look at the 1988 television event Mickey's 60th Birthday, when a wizard makes Mickey lose his mojo and then he meets the cast of Cheers and Family Ties (big sit coms at the time, ask your parents). We ended up talking for two hours because we get distracted by talking about the bizarre history of Roger Rabbit, Jim Hensen's traveling puppet medicine show, the bullshit of Time's Man of the Year, Disney racism, and the black hole of Michael Eisner's charisma.

We're leaving our wheelhouse to discuss everyone's favorite Rankin Bass new year's special "Rudolph's Shiny New Year." Rudolph has to go to the archipelago of last years to save the baby new year and the important thing is that there's dinosaurs. A lot of questions are raised about how this worlds works, however.

We're leaving our wheelhouse to discuss everyone's favorite Rankin Bass new year's special "Rudolph's Shiny New Year." Rudolph has to go to the archipelago of last years to save the baby new year and the important thing is that there's dinosaurs. A lot of questions are raised about how this worlds works, however.

In this episode, we look at the Peanuts special that's so normal that it's weird. Snoopy learns to do witchcraft and damns Charlie Brown to a living hell of invisibility. Also, Charlie Brown kicks the football??????!??!?!

What happens when everyone's favorite fat cat goes camping and encounters an escaped panther from the zoo? Well, that's pretty much it. Join us as we look at one of the lesser Garfield specials, we were gonna talk about "It's Magic, Charlie Brown!", the snoopy special with which it was originally paired, but we got too distracted talking about commercials for McDonalds and the concept of cable TV.

Mandrake the Magician has, for some reason, not made the jump to the big screen in this latest round of superhero mania, but the globe-trotting crime-fighting magician of the comics page has so much potential that we can’t help but imagine a much better movie than we got with the sole Mandrake film adaptation: this 1979 made-for-TV lost dud starring Robert Reed from the Brady Bunch and James Hong from everything that James Hong has ever been in.

It's after Thanksgiving, and that means it's time for everyone's favorite Thanksgiving special -- Tubby the Tuba! You know Tubby the Tuba, right? You will soon! Join us for this look at everyone's favorite opera for tiny tots about a tuba who joins the circus and also goes to adopt an orphan melody and there's a frog. This all seemed like a really good idea in the early 70s! The important thing to remember is that Pixar was NOT involved.

The fat orange cat finally got his big screen debut in 2004 with Garfield the Movie, the culmination of Jim Davis' long-time dream to see Garfield in theaters. Was it everything that it was cracked up to be? Why on earth did they CG Garfield but not Odie? We answer the big questions as we try to wrap our heads around the dumbest studio decision in film history.

The fat orange cat finally got his big screen debut in 2004 with Garfield the Movie, the culmination of Jim Davis' long-time dream to see Garfield in theaters. Was it everything that it was cracked up to be? Why on earth did they CG Garfield but not Odie? We answer the big questions as we try to wrap our heads around the dumbest studio decision in film history.

We're back on our Peanuts bullshit! Today we look at TWO, yes, TWO, Peanuts specials that are so slight you might not even believe they were actually specials! Come for Peanuts, stay for tales of bible camp, vampire monkeys, and anime dog fart pranks!

Between 1938 and 1950, they released 25 Blondie movies -- 4 in 1942 alone!!! This week we look at a random one, Blondie's Blessed Event -- which brings us both the birth of Cookie and also the big screen debut of Hans Conried!

We're back on our Dick Tracy bullshit! This week, our good friend Morbiose joins us to talk about the 1990 Dick Tracy movie, starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, and a whole host of A list actors disguised under several hundred pounds each of foam rubber.

We're back on our Dick Tracy bullshit! This week, our good friend Morbiose joins us to talk about the 1990 Dick Tracy movie, starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, and a whole host of A list actors disguised under several hundred pounds each of foam rubber.

Dick Tracy was adapted to the small screen in the early 1960s and you know what that means: lots and lots of racism!! The Dick Tracy Show featured remarkably little Dick Tracy but lots and lots of racism. It has... not aged well. But you know what will always be in style? Two white guys talking about racism. Enjoy!

Dick Tracy was adapted to the small screen in the early 1960s and you know what that means: lots and lots of racism!! The Dick Tracy Show featured remarkably little Dick Tracy but lots and lots of racism. It has... not aged well. But you know what will always be in style? Two white guys talking about racism. Enjoy!

Fearless Fosdick is a comic-within-a-comic from Lil' A bner -- this Dick Tracy parody was ostensibly Lil' Abner's favorite comic, but it was really just an excuse for Al Capp to goof on Dick Tracy. Fearless Fosdick was popular enough in his own right to get adapted into a puppet show... and if anything, this show proved that everything is more fun with puppets!

Friend of the pod Steph Cherrywell joins us to talk about Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back, one of the bazillion Crayon Shin-Chan movies and the one to greet the new millennium with a surprisingly heart-felt mediation on the seductive and destructive powers of nostalgia. Somehow how poignant when we're living in 2023, the year that all the suddenly middle-aged Xers got weirdly obsessively fascistically nostalgic and also decided that their childhood has been ruined by things and stuff.

It's another Charles Schultz oddity... about a giant Snoopy plush that is never identified as Snoopy. He's just The Big Stuffed Dog. When a whiny little kid is separated from his dog that he loves so much he never bothered to name it, said plush goes on a series of melancholy and pointless adventures. It's The Big Stuffed Dog on NBC!

We're back on our bullshit with another look at Nathan Mazri, the legendary entergagpreneur behind Garfield Eats. This week, we talk about Nathan's newest venture: a three episode podcast called Natefield that is "sponsored" by his "app" Egeez. Also a large digression about racist food.

200 episodes!! We've got 200 episodes! It's time to go back to our roots and look at the very first Garfield special... it's "Here Comes Garfield!" Here he comes! Also here comes a weird Jon. Not the Jon we know and love though!

They say that Dragon Half is the funniest anime ever made. Is it? We investigate. It's, of course, based on the manga of the same name about a girl who is half dragon as evidenced by her sexy sexy tail. We're getting super deformed in this one!

Are you extremely online? If so, then you've probably seen the shenanigans of Pop Team Epic, the Japanese webcomic about two school girls being random. But is it TOO random for those not steeped in online irony? Let's find out!

Let's get out of Australia -- now we're going to Japan! It's time to meet my neighbors... The Yamadas! It's a cute little comic strip about a family, like many comic strips, and here's a movie that really captures the vibe of a cute little comic strip about a family. It's by Studio Ghibli!

G'day, mate!!! We're back down under!!! In Australia!!!! This week, we're looking at Australia's favorite little battler, Ginger Meggs. Who's Ginger Meggs? Well, you'd know if you were Australian, maybe. It's another gang of kids movie, but this one has a bangin' rock soundtrack!

We're continuing our down under theme this week! Fatty Finn was Australia's best beloved newspaper comic (citation needed), so of course this ersatz Little Rascals escapade would eventually make it to the silver screen. Let's look at Fatty Finn (who is not fat), his sleazeball dad, his way too sympathetic bully, and a whole cast of corrupt cops and gangster molls set against the backdrop of 1930s Australia.

We're continuing our down under theme this week! Fatty Finn was Australia's best beloved newspaper comic (citation needed), so of course this ersatz Little Rascals escapade would eventually make it to the silver screen. Let's look at Fatty Finn (who is not fat), his sleazeball dad, his way too sympathetic bully, and a whole cast of corrupt cops and gangster molls set against the backdrop of 1930s Australia.

Did you know that it's always been Snoopy's dream to be in a musical on ice? Neither did we! But apparently it was, so this week we continued our investigation into the strange link between Peanuts and ice skating. What's the deal with that!? Also, we talk about what colossal nerds everyone in 1980s TV commercials were.

Did you know that it's always been Snoopy's dream to be in a musical on ice? Neither did we! But apparently it was, so this week we continued our investigation into the strange link between Peanuts and ice skating. What's the deal with that!? Also, we talk about what colossal nerds everyone in 1980s TV commercials were.

Last week, we learned that Charles Schultz was a huge fan and admirer of the New Zealand comic strip Footrot Flats. We're yanks so we had never heard of it. but turns out there's a movie! We look at the most New Zealand thing ever.

These are the last two Peanuts specials that Charles Schulz did and, boy, they're some weird ones! It's the Bestest Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown! and It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown! And technically he's an accordionist. For reasons.

Popeye's back! And this time, he's got a son! In the 80s, they gave everyone a kid... even Popeye! This attempt to update Popeye for a new generation isn't as bad as you might expect. We investigate further.

Tracy Butler's webcomic Lackadaisy Cats got a cartoon pilot, so that makes it fair game for us, right? We derail A LOT to discuss the eternal question: What makes something furry? Get the answer right here.

Sony really wanted Genndy Tartakovsky to direct Hotel Transylvania so they said they'd let him direct a Popeye movie if he did that for them. Would it surprise you that they didn't hold to their word? The only evidence of Tartakovsky's (possible) "vision" is this strange animatic illegally leaked from the studio, which, if you watch it, makes you a felon. How much does it reflect Tartakovsky's vision and how much does it reflect meddling by studio stooges? Cartoonist ⁠Ryan Estrada⁠ joins us to look at the Popeye animatic!

Sony really wanted Genndy Tartakovsky to direct Hotel Transylvania so they said they'd let him direct a Popeye movie if he did that for them. Would it surprise you that they didn't hold to their word? The only evidence of Tartakovsky's (possible) "vision" is this strange animatic illegally leaked from the studio, which, if you watch it, makes you a felon. How much does it reflect Tartakovsky's vision and how much does it reflect meddling by studio stooges? Cartoonist Ryan Estrada joins us to look at the Popeye animatic!

Did you know that Popeye used to be a comic strip? Who knew! Popeye may be the world's most successful comic strip to cartoon transition, such that no one remembers the original comic strips anymore. This week, we look at the GOOD Popeye cartoons, the ones that the Fleischers made back in the 30s.

It's the Muppet Babies -- they're like the regular Muppets but babies. You might not know that the Muppet Babies first premiered in the Muppets newspaper comic strip, but also this is an episode that specifically looks at newspaper strips -- including that "funny comic [citation needed] about soldiers in the desert!" Join us as we look at the Muppets and the babies who grew up to be Muppets!

You all know Blondie, right? You should, it's only been in the newspaper  for 100 years! This week, we look at two late 80s Blondie specials --  Blondie and Dagwood (1989) and Blondie and Dagwood's Second Wedding  (1989). For the first time ever, we learn the personalities of Blondie's  kids and also go on a big rant about Dilbert.

You all know Blondie, right? You should, it's only been in the newspaper for 100 years! This week, we look at two late 80s Blondie specials -- Blondie and Dagwood (1989) and Blondie and Dagwood's Second Wedding (1989). For the first time ever, we learn the personalities of Blondie's kids and also go on a big rant about Dilbert. 

Everyone loves Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip that everyone loves! Bill Watterson is famously reclusive, so he doesn't appear in this documentary which delivers approximately 0 new information but still manages to feel worthwhile.

Everyone loves Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip that everyone loves! Bill Watterson is famously reclusive, so he doesn't appear in this documentary which delivers approximately 0 new information but still manages to feel worthwhile. 

All children of the 80s remember Heathcliff! Or, at least, they remember this version: the one where's he's paired with the Cadillac Cats. Heathcliff was originally a comic strip but the Cadillac Cats are a wholly original invention of this series... do they hold up? Are they a worthy pairing with Heathcliff? It turns out... not so much. Some REAL spicy hot takes about Riff Raff in this one, folks! Prepare yourselves!

Everyone knows Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats, but Heathcliff has a long history of getting paired with random other cartoons for reasons. First they paired him with a bunch of Halloween monsters (???) and of course eventually they paired him with Riff Raff. But between those attempts, Heathcliff shared the screen with another funny pages staple: Marmaduke. Why not?

Ethan has long been recognized as the world's foremost Transformers maniac. This week, he shares with us WHAT makes Transformers transform and proves that, indeed, they are more than meets the eye. Mike encounters Transformers in their native habitat for the first time. We also compare a typical Transformers episode, "The Desertion of the Dinobots," and the show's big screen adaptation Transformers: The Movie (1986). (NOTE: Mike screwed up the audio so that's why it sounds like we're interrupting each other here. It's not because we're being rude!!! XP)

It's Sweden's favorite son, Peter No tail! The story of a cat with no  tail and a harrowing parable about the dangerous rise of nazism, Peter  No Tail has been a picture book, a comic, a stage play, an asteroid and  now... an animated film! Join us for discussions of gormless cats and  the confusion about what you call that genre of story featuring rabbits  in waistcoats.

It's Sweden's favorite son, Peter No tail! The story of a cat with no tail and a harrowing parable about the dangerous rise of nazism, Peter No Tail has been a picture book, a comic, a stage play, an asteroid and now... an animated film! Join us for discussions of gormless cats and the confusion about what you call that genre of story featuring rabbits in waistcoats.

After looking at Heavy Metal, the adult cartoon for 13 year olds, we look at Robot Carnival, the adult cartoon for adults! It's a feast for the eyes with every kind of robot story that Japan has to offer!

Heavy Metal magazine, the magazine for everything cool when you're 13,  was adapted into a film that's everything cool when you're 13! Mike's  old friend Puppers, a connoisseur of both Heavy Metal the magazine and  Heavy Metal the movie AND the Heavy Metal's original soundtrack pick  Blue Oyster Cult, joins us to ROCK ON!!!

Heavy Metal magazine, the magazine for everything cool when you're 13, was adapted into a film that's everything cool when you're 13! Mike's old friend Puppers, a connoisseur of both Heavy Metal the magazine and Heavy Metal the movie AND the Heavy Metal's original soundtrack pick Blue Oyster Cult, joins us to ROCK ON!!!

This week, Ethan found some comics that no longer exist, obscure failures from the backwaters of long ago... can Mike recognize any of these unknowns? Join us for this little guessing game and then stick around for some babble about the comics in the US military newspaper The Stars and Stripes.

We're looking at another Annie this week, this time it's the 2014 version with Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, and Cameron Diaz. Annie's been updated for 2014! And only for 2014. It's the most 2014 movie ever made... and it was made in... 2014!!!

Eyyy, it's Jacob Bisonowitz... I mean Jackie Bison! When the Simpsons changed animation history, all the other networks scrambled to catch up... you remember Fish Police, you remember Family Dog, you remember Capitol Critters... but do you remember Jackie Bison? Oh, YOU WILL.

Time for Timer! Remember Timer? The anthropomorphic circadian rhythm that appeared on Saturday morning nutrition PSAs throughout the 80s? Yeah, of course you do. In a previous episode, we revealed that Timer made his debut in TV special that taught you all about physical health. Well, Timer came back... this time he's teaching us about MENTAL health! Sort of! Timer's going inside the brain of a modern teenage a-go-go Little Red Riding Hood. 

They've tried to bring Mad magazine to the screen many times, from MadTV to the infamous Mad movie Up the Academy... today we look at The Mad Magazine TV Special, probably one of the most solid efforts! Matt Keeley of Kitty Sneezes joins us to look at Mad's Auto Manufacturer of the Year, the Academy Awards for parents, the Oddfather, and more!

They've tried to bring Mad magazine to the screen many times, from MadTV to the infamous Mad movie Up the Academy... today we look at The Mad Magazine TV Special, probably one of the most solid efforts! Matt Keeley of Kitty Sneezes joins us to look at Mad's Auto Manufacturer of the Year, the Academy Awards for parents, the Oddfather, and more!

In the early 90s, in the wake of The Simpsons, all the other networks  decided that they also wanted some hot adult animated sitcoms. Capitol  Critters was born out of that desire. It's about vermin living under the  White House and, while it was never able to make the topical political  jokes its premise demanded, it made up for that short-coming with  BAFFLING RACISM.

In the early 90s, in the wake of The Simpsons, all the other networks decided that they also wanted some hot adult animated sitcoms. Capitol Critters was born out of that desire. It's about vermin living under the White House and, while it was never able to make the topical political jokes its premise demanded, it made up for that short-coming with BAFFLING RACISM. 

We compared Baby Blues to Mission Hill so much that we decided to just  talk about Mission Hill, the cartoon that is NOT based on a comic but  rather on a comic artist. Enjoy the fictionalized life of a young Matt Groening and also despair that we don't live in a cool loft in a cool  city with cool roommates.

We compared Baby Blues to Mission Hill so much that we decided to just talk about Mission Hill, the cartoon that is NOT based on a comic but rather on a comic artist. Enjoy the fictionalized life of a young Matt Groening and also despair that we don't live in a cool loft in a cool city with cool roommates.

What is Baby Blues about? Well, it's not about a baby. Or any blues. Really, it's about America's favorite sitcom family: The Bittermans! Join us as we unravel why The Bittermans, er, Baby Blues failed to resonate with the futuristic TV audience of 2000 and instead ended up relegated to the Adult Swim zombie revival bloc.

It's Snoopy's Reunion! All the Snoopies are reuniting... that means Snoopy, Spike, Marbles, a bunch of other who-cares Snoopies, and Belle. Learn the dark secret of Snoopy's parentage and stay tuned for sexy sexy V O R E.

Our final stop in Video Armageddon...Tamagotchi Toons!! It's the 90s and the Tamagotchi are coming to Earth to learn about Earth culture! Learn how to draw a Tamagotchi with Handy Warhol (it'll make sense) and meet Bill -- the most 90s guy of all!! -- and his saxophone!

Video Armageddon, our month-long look at failed video games, continues with Defenders of Dynotron City, a rare misfire from those beloved Monkey Island scribes over at LucasArts! This city of mutants is protected by buzzsaw girl, a guy with a detachable head, a monkey, a dog, and more! You have to wonder why the kids didn't go for it. 

For July, we're doing a Special Summer Spectacular!! A whole month NOT of comic strips turned into cartoons, but video games turned into FAILED cartoons. First up, we're looking at Bubsy, the game that was not Sonic but which, if the timeline was different, might have saved humanity.

Nathan Mazri, the infamous entergaging entrepreneur behind the Garfield Eats restaurant, Garfield Eats line of frozen foods, and the Garfield Eats NFT, is BACK with another venture... it's a reality show all about his time as the owner of Garfield Eats, which he apparently spent harassing his employees. Join us for a two hour discussion about the mind of Mazri, including questions about his cologne, his self-awareness, AI Garfield simulations, and an extremely dark dive into America's future racism-theme restaurants.

Nathan Mazri, the infamous entergaging entrepreneur behind the Garfield Eats restaurant, Garfield Eats line of frozen foods, and the Garfield Eats NFT, is BACK with another venture... it's a reality show all about his time as the owner of Garfield Eats, which he apparently spent harassing his employees. Join us for a two hour discussion about the mind of Mazri, including questions about his cologne, his self-awareness, AI Garfield simulations, and an extremely dark dive into America's future racism-theme restaurants.