What A Cartoon!

When Cartoon Network began expanding into original content in a big way, Johnny Bravo arrived in the first wave alongside shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Cow and Chicken. But rather than appealing directly to kids with loud, screaming characters, this series instead focuses on a lead that's an overly macho mix of James Dean and Elvis. And when he's not flexing or combing his hair, Johnny Bravo's usually being dealt retaliatory violence by all the unlucky women he hits on. Despite its uncommon approach, this Cartoon Network original ran for a staggering 65 episodes over the course of seven years—and was a very important (but unexpected) launching pad for new Scooby-Doo productions.
This week on What A Cartoon, slick your hair back, forget what you know about appropriate male/female communication, and listen in as we explore the delightfully chauvinistic world of Johnny Bravo. Do The Monkey with us!
Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

Another month has passed at the Talking Simpsons Network, and that means we've got another awesome podcast about a feature film! This month, our $10 Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about 1991's The Addams Family! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all of our previous What A Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today!

In the mid-80s, when no acclaimed film director would deign to enter the world of broadcast television, Steven Spielberg used his immense clout to create Amazing Stories. This big-budget anthology show mostly underwhelmed viewers during its two seasons, but its one animated experiment remains the series' greatest achievement. The brainchild of Brad Bird, "Family Dog" brought theatrical-level animation to the small screen in a particularly dire era for the medium, and presaged creations like The Simpsons—which Bird would later work on. This month on What A Cartoon, join us as we examine this highly influential piece of late '80s animation and desperately try to forget the one-season disaster it spawned many years later.
Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

Another month has passed at the Talking Simpsons Network, and that means we've got another awesome podcast about an animated feature film! This month, our $10 Patreon subscribers get to hear us talk about 2014's Big Hero 6! Listen now to this free extended preview, and then subscribe at the $10 level (or up your current pledge to $10) to hear the whole thing and all of our previous What A Cartoon Movie podcasts. Sign up today!

In 1987, Ralph Bakshi assembled a ragtag crew of animation visionaries for the sake of rebooting Mighty Mouse: a C-tier cartoon hero mostly absorbed by Baby Boomers through ever-present reruns. Though the pitch seems lackluster, the execution certainly wasn't. Bakshi's team of animation rebels turned what could have been a corny concept into pure brilliance, and then went on to inspire and create all of the animation we enjoyed throughout the 90s and beyond. On this episode of What A Cartoon, join us as we explore how this simple show built to relaunch a lackluster character ended up being one of the most important animated series of all time.
Support this podcast and get over 200 full-length bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow us at @TalkSimpsonsPod on Bluesky!