Show #152: The Road To El Dorado

Martin Schneider arrives by divine providence to share in our judgement of the godly grifters of The Road To El Dorado!

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Dreamworks' next animated feature after The Prince of Egypt had a lot of expectation riding on it and what emerged was not exactly the second coming, but does it deserve such a bad reputation? We delve into it and much like the film our discussion skews all over the map from old ass jokes that kids won't get to matters of church vs state to equal opportunity fan service. It's a wild ride!

THE SHORT VERSION

A pair of chancers

NSFW

Obligatory GIF

SOTSM x DITB: The Big O Season 2

It's a Sure Promise as we join back with the Dynamite In The Brain boys (and Elliot Page of UK Anime Network) three whole years later to put to bed once and for all just what's what with The Big O Season 2. Does it hold up a decade later? Has the ending become any clearer? Why haven't more shows ripped off that piston punch? The answers to most of these questions can be found if you LISTEN UP!

Show #138: Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2

Sure hope y'all like earth puns because they're coming down like a ton of bricks in Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2!

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While discussion in recent times has shifted to this show's more uneven successor (which we ourselves are guilty of AT LENGTH) it's worth revisiting the roots of the Avatar franchise and discovering anew what carved out its special place in our hearts. The second chapter builds upon an already impressively strong foundation and expands the scope greatly in terms of character, action and wit but without sacrificing the intimate relationships we've come to cherish. Tears are shed, villains are victorious, and it'll be a desperate struggle to restrain ourselves from diving into the last season again too soon!

THE SHORT VERSION

Pint-sized powerhouses

Credible threats

A man without a country

Show #133: Transformers - The Movie (1986)

Hitting the shops just in time for Christmas, Greg Driver and Paul Shipley show off their impressive collection of knowledge on Transformers: The Movie!

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Much has been writ of this fondly remembered cinematic outing on its 30th anniversary this year, so we'll do our utmost to add a personal touch to our remembrances of everyone's favourite 80s toybox slaughterfest, uneven as it may be but still one heck of a good time. Tales are spun of early lessons in the finality of death, myths are busted about the talent behind the scenes and inspiring anecdotes of the films marvellously upbeat soundtrack are shared.

THE SHORT VERSION

Robot Galactus

Robot upgrades

Robot-o-cide

Show #132: Space Ghost Coast To Coast

It's a star studded spectacular as we are joined by special guests Joseph Wade and Libby Cudmore for a special late night talk show on Space Ghost Coast to Coast!

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While we are saddened by the recent passing of an intregal creative talent to this cult classic, we also take this opportunity to celebrate and appreciate how this cobbled together Frankenstein of a TV show made for the spare change in your back pocket somehow went on to touch the hearts & minds of millions of insomniacs around the globe, not to mention opening the floodgates for Adult Swim and a whole host of other surreally humourous late night cartoons and providing a surprising shared cultural touchstone for our weird adolescences.

Joseph's Twitter

Libby's Twitter

Watch Space Ghost Coast To Coast here!

THE SHORT VERSION

Special guests

Format pioneers

The sublimely ridiculous

Show #123: GI Joe (1983 - 1985)

Honouring America's annual tradition of celebrating their independence by blowing things up, it's a sample party platter of the GI Joe miniseries!

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While we're not entire strangers to GI Joe we deemed a franchise as venerable as this one was worthy of a closer look, removed from the bizarre influence of secret snake people and back to good old fashioned red lasers vs blue lasers. The results surprise even us as we find both a fond portrayal of the American ideal embracing all cultures & backgrounds and even stranger goings on than a dozen GI Joe movies. All that plus sailor scam artists, impressions of famous actors and the subliminal message to kids with destructive younger siblings everywhere!

THE SHORT VERSION

Cartoon combat

The lighter side of the fight against international terrorism

Workplace romances

Show #118: Superman The Animated Series

Don't call it a retcon! We tread familiar territory and beyond, this time with the help of David J Majors for a sincere salute to Superman: The Animated Series!

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Remember when folks were excited about the prospect of Superman and Batman sharing the screen together? Well you can be again if you haven't sampled the delights of this 1996 series, which does a similar admirable job to the Dark Knight's celebrated TV outing in modernising and presenting an ideal version of the monolithic hero. Bright, bombastic and bittersweet, its praises can not be sung loud enough, especially considering the groundwork it laid for future DC animated universe installments to come.

David's Twitter

David's podcast repository

THE SHORT VERSION

World's Finest

Super-goofin'

More like JERKseid

Show #117: MTV's Downtown

If you can have a podcast about a podcast, why not a conversation about a show about people having conversations? Kristina helps us navigate the lackadaisical labyrinth of MTV's Downtown!

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We're no strangers to the more unique animated fare offered by MTV in the 90s, but Downtown is a lesser known work that deserves a lot more notice. Emotionally and socially resonant even now it is extraordinary how much effort has gone into expressing and capturing mere mundanity so perfectly. We talk about mistakes of youth, wayward life direction, pop culture attitudes then & now and the giddy thrill of Dinosaur Dentist.

Kristina's Twitter

THE SHORT VERSION

Mature, responsible adults

Everyday weirdness

NERDS

Show #115: He-Man & The Masters of The Universe (1983)

By the power of Grayskull we have the Paul Shipley, here to celebrate SOTSM's fourth year and to share memories of the plastic fantastic world of He-Man & The Masters of The Universe!

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You can't be a cartoon liker on the internet without some manner of opinion about this 80s animation staple, but unlike a number of other pundits we feel no need to make excuses or throw it to the wolves for cheap thrills. Time may have certainly tempered our expectations of a show that didn't look spectacular to begin with but its bright, positive, anything-goes aesthetic is ageless. Cynics may deride it as being satirical or camp, its often bizarre storylines construed as a negative; rather if you embrace that earnestness you'll find a series full of love, compassion and fun that isn't ashamed of what it is.

THE SHORT VERSION

Messages of kindness

Villains just chillin'

We're camp and we don't care!

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 #101: Poop-eye Will Never Not Be Funny

It's back to basics as we delve into one of the most nourishing wellsprings of the cartoons we hold so dear, the one and only Popeye The Sailor!

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An essential history lesson for all you animation fans out there, Popeye came from humble origins to become one of the most iconic and popular cartoon characters ever, inspiring so many more on to greatness in the medium. Popeye went to strange places both in quality and content over the years, also being guilty of some unfortunate representations that were sadly all too common of the era. It's that beating heart of comedy and characters, vitality and violence that keeps us coming back for more even after all these years.

THE SHORT VERSION

Handsome sailors

Pioneers of animation

Fightin'

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 #88: It Sounds Like HR Giger Drew It

It's our first proper show of 2015, and Greg Driver is on hand to jumpstart the SOTSM-mobile with Batman: The Animated Series!

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A bit overdue but still not too late to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Batman, and we intend to mark the occasion with aplomb. But what more can possibly be said about this masterpiece of TV animation? Quite a bit, almost two hours worth! The shows impact on DCs successive output across a range of media, the tragic pathos of many of its villains, and just how does Greg always seem to show whenever AKOM is involved? It's all here in this giant-size issue of SOTSM!

THE SHORT VERSION

Stuper-villains

Life-changing trauma

Sad Batman

Show #84: He Can't Wear Shorts, He Hasn't Got Legs

There's something strange in our neighbourhood... It's Brian Smith and Greg Driver here to round up some revenants with The Real Ghostbusters!

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Returning from the great beyond of 80s cartoons comes a defining series of that era. The Real Ghostbusters does not have a gorilla in a hat. What it does have is the smartest and funniest writing of any show around from that tackiest of decades, both staying true to the comedy of its source material and expanding on the characters, their technology and the world they inhabit. We watch only the good parts mind, none of this business with Slimer getting top billing, and we are handsomely rewarded with an entertaining, good looking and sometimes even thought-provoking cartoon.

Don't forget to cast your vote; #TeamSlimer or #TeamSnarf !

THE SHORT VERSION

Spooky ghosts

Literary references

Deceased politicians