Show #105: Samurai Jack

Leon Everett emerges from a time portal to the far flung past of 2001 to tell future society of the greatness of Samurai Jack.

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One of the shows this podcast was made for, a samurai in the future chopping up hordes of killer robots! It's not all mech massacre though; Genndy Tartakovsky, patron saint of SOTSM, and his company of incredible talent exploit Samurai Jack's malleable setting and characters to the fullest, delivering cinema grade action and atmosphere one moment and providing perfectly pitched levity the next. An unfinished symphony if ever there was one, and a cartoon that will stand the test of time for generations.

Leon's Twitter

Focus Fire Nerd, Leon's game streaming channel

THE SHORT VERSION

Cinematic style

Amusing adversaries

To be continued?

Show #103: Kids Immolated In Classroom Inferno

Slightly regretting not putting this off til episode one-oh-FOUR, but we're just that excited to form a forum on The Fantastic Four!

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It's a game of two distinct halves with 1994's Fantastic Four TV show. Bundled in with the previously discussed Iron Man in the Marvel Action Hour both series had a campy and obnoxious first season before being drastically revamped in the second. It's that latter season of Fantastic Four that really gets down to the core of what makes these characters great, full of cosmic encounters and larger-than-life stories told in breathless comic book style, which unfortunately arrived too late to save the show but did plenty to make it linger in the memory for years to come.

THE SHORT VERSION

Fantastic foes

Nosy neighbours

Musical interludes!

Show # 100: Evil Cyborg Leonard Nimoy

It's our one hundredth podcast! And it's a blowout celebration with our good buddy Mark Shanahan and Centurions!

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A little something we've been saving for a while, and a fitting way to mark this momentous milestone. Centurions adheres to many of the elements often present in your 1980s toy cartoons but it's central gimmick is strong enough to make it stand out from the crowd. Cool technology, a loveable main cast and a whole lot of explosions add up to a wonderful trip down memory lane, not to mention the show's hopeful tone and bright outlook that science will ultimately save this planet is just what we need in a modern, more cynical era.

SOTSM is now also available on Poddirectory, giving you even more options to discover the secret. Here's to a hundred more!

THE SHORT VERSION

Man and machine

Power extreme

The near future?

Show #82: Shut Up Huffer!

Niall & Dwayne merge with Greg Driver and Paul Shipley to form a super robot dinosaur to tackle the awesome might of season one of The Transformers!

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A podcast much delayed, but we shall never be silenced. Even by the cold, hard reality that another cartoon from our youth ain't quite what we thought it was cracked up to be, a fanciful memory eroded by cruddy animation and a relentless soundtrack but not enough to wear away a solid foundation of great voice acting, cool robots and crazy schemes. Considering our appreciation of the subsequent properties which arose from these humble origins it's only fair that we give their source its due, a source of passion that was stayed with us unwaveringly even after all these years.

THE SHORT VERSION

Flawless artistry

Power struggles

ROBOT DINOSAAAAARS

Show #54: Anime Didn't Invent Character Development

Niall and Dwayne embrace their destiny to master all animation as they get stuck into the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender!

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The Legend Of Korra returns for it's second season on September 13th with much expectation already heaped upon it. What better way to get into the mood and brush up on our Avatar lore than revisiting the series where it all started? Well regarded for it's vibrant art style, quality of writing which deftly balances humour, poignancy and drama and most certainly for super powered kung fu this first season does a great job escaping a formulaic opening and developing into a cartoon of substance and style.

Cautiously looking forward to Korra Season 2, and if you wanna know why we went over all that in our earlier podcast on Korra Season 1, which should bring you up to your recommended daily allowance of Avatar related media.

THE SHORT VERSION

Super Kung Fu

Positive Role Models

Anime?

Show #37: Stiffen The Snake

With the second live action film on everybody's minds right now it's as good a time as any to delve into the original feature length adventure of America's highly trained special mission force in G.I. Joe: The Movie!

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This is the biggest exposure that some of us here at SOTSM have had to the 1980s cartoon of the G.I. Joe toy franchise and boy does it throw you in at the deep end. Departing from the series' usual military hardware based firefights in favour of a battle against ancient serpent men from beneath the earth, this film isn't as fondly remembered as contemporaries such as the Transformers movie despite their similarities in introducing a plethora of new characters for the toyline and the dramatic (almost) death of a key figure.

At the very least it is an endearingly silly romp with animation that delivers on the promise of the show's intro, including a gorgeous opening action sequence that neatly sums up all the best points of G.I. Joe.

THE SHORT VERSION

'MURIKAW!

Drama

These snake men hate our lives and our freedoms!

Show #32: XXtreme Characters

Finally getting his day in the sun of the savage outback of the mind, we finally get around to talking about The Maxx!

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Gritty, grimy, a little dark & brooding but somewhat endearing, the Maxx hails from a time when MTV functioned as an outlet for less mainstream and more experimental creative works rather than the sludge pit where dignity goes to die that it has become today. Based on a comic of the same name by Sam Kieth this animated adaptation just scratches the surface of the Maxx universe and offers a refreshingly ponderous alternative to regular cartoon superhero antics.

This podcast is mostly vague about plot details as your viewing will be informed and enhanced significantly by whatever meaning you take from it yourself. However! Certain plot details are alluded to at the 48 minute mark, so those who wish to go in clean would be wise to skip to the end at that point!

THE SHORT VERSION

Julie Winters, freelance social worker and fashion trendsetter

Masters of disguise

Comic interludes

Show #31: Treachery Of The Gods!

It's been a long voyage among cartoons new and old and to get the next leg of our journey off to a great start we delve into the extraterrestrial epic that is Ulysses 31!

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A science fiction retelling of the story of Odysseus, Ulysses 31 updates the content and themes of Homer's epic poem wonderfully. It is mysterious and full of high adventure yet also laced with a profound melancholy that one does not often see in cartoons nowadays. Excellent design work and a soaring soundtrack make up for the show's few shortcomings, most notably the performances of the English dub cast. Our luck with revisiting 1980s nostalgia properties holds yet again!

THE SHORT VERSION

A hero for all eras

A bunch of jerks

Future Fashion

Show #26: Hammer! I Am! Hammer! They Buried Me At Sea!

Brian Smith of Dynamite In The Brain drops into a forgotten corner of the SOTSM archives to help us excavate this artifact of the lost MC Hammer dynasty, the 1991 cartoon Hammerman!

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This podcast almost didn't happen, as if some unseen force compelled us to ne'er speak a word of this awful awful vanity project, a potent example of the sort of output we could expect from a man with more money than sense. Luckily Brian is on hand to suffer through with us and even keep our spirits up with a rousing rendition of the show's opening theme.

Brian's Solo Website

Brian's Twitter

THE SHORT VERSION

The "best" animation MC Hammer can buy

Magic Shoes

Have you seen this man?

Show #21: AT LEAST YOU'D BE ALIVE

A podcast episode cut down in it's prime! Nevertheless we will relay to you the saga of part two of Using Corps Figures As Proxy For Brand Name Toys, aka Sky Commanders!

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In what should have been a joyous occasion we instead mark the consignment of Sky Commanders to the Warner Archives Collection never to be seen again by non-American eyes. But then again were you REALLY after an 80's cartoon about heroic mountaineering experts? If so then this is the podcast for you!

THE SHORT VERSION

In Loving Memory...

Defective Equipment

Behind those shades are the eyes of a killer

Show #16: It's Like Kim Jong Il's Version Of Basketball

We return to pass final judgement on the new Spring cartoons we chatted about a while back, starting this week with The Legend Of Korra!

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It's been a rollercoaster ride with 'ol Korra. We've laughed, we've cried and surprisingly had our fair share of arguments over this short season. Maybe that's alright though, since they say good art invites discussion. Join us as we chart the season's highs and lows and ponder it's future (it involves ghosts!) in part one of UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

THE SHORT VERSION

The sport of kings!

AWKWARD

We've got our eyes on you Season 2

Show #9: Dinoroni, A Cured Meat Made From Dinosaurs

We're back! After a hiatus due to coursework and convention attendance Niall and D return to the sorry task of discussing misplaced nostalgia with the 1988 cartoon Dino Riders!

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Oh dear. We thought we were on such a roll with Visionaries that we'd try another 80s property and see how it holds up. The answer: not well! Dino Riders represents the epitome of squandering a great concept with a half-assed cartoon that is interminable to watch and even harder to squeeze any enjoyment from. On the bright side, the world (and the Smithsonian museum) got some pretty cool dinosaur toys out of it!

THE SHORT VERSION

                                                           Boring People

                                                          The Beautiful Lie

                                                              The Future?

Show #8: Traumatise A Young Ginger Boy

Super special guest Jake Bourke joins us this time to bolster the numbers of our sacred order as we undetake the perilous quest to discuss the 1987 cartoon Visionaries: Knights Of The Magical Light!


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The first in what will become many Hasbro/Sunbow productions we talk about, Visionaries goes down a whole lot easier than it's contemporaries such as GI Joe and Transformers. This may be because of it's single season run or help from the talented Osamu Dezaki and TMS Entertainment. Maybe a wizard did it! Listen to hear our attempts at dramatic reading and learn what Jake is REALLY afraid of.

Jake's Twitter!

Dwayne's Tumblr!

For those interested I shall be in attendance at Kitacon at the Hilton Metropole near Birmingham Airport this coming weekend of Friday the 13th. Seek me out and say hello/punch me in the face, wherever applicable.

THE SHORT VERSION

                                                             Spectral Knights

                                                             Darkling Lords

                                                             Poo Monsters