Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #15: The Kid from S.C.H.O.O.L

Nickelodeon 

 Previously, Vampires are friends not food ...   [HERE ]

   #15 The Kid from S.C.H.O.O.L 

                                             Season 2, Episode 5b  

    Bob Boyle is back for the other short he created, this one is a co-creation with Bill Rilling. Rilling as also worked on "King of the Hill" as a story board artist,"Family Guy", "Tutenstein" and more stuff.   

       The Kid from S.C.H.O.O.L  sounds like someone was parodying    The Man from U.N.C.L.E .

    It doesn't say Butch Hartman but the designs feel like a Butch Hartman thing.  He may have had something to do with.  Our main character is a boy named Jake Slade (voiced by Jason Marsden) from  he's from Secret Command Headquarters Of Official Law-enforcement. It starts with him stopping an evil genius from hypnotizing a girl to make her take him, Simon Cerebellum (get it?) to the dance.   Stephanie likes that she was saved and asks Jake to the dance, but  she says no to Simon unless he was the last boy in school and Simon decides to get rid of all boys in the school. 

          The fun of this whole thing is that you are getting all the cheesy spy stuff  , there's even bad puns with an added comic timing.  I like how the school is called  Benedict Arnold High School , though I am actually confused they look more like maybe early middle school at the oldest. There's a lot of fun gadgets ,traps it's a fun romp.

   

   If it was a series , It would probably need a rotating  cast of  villains to make it work , there some things if it stayed the way it was here that would stretched a little thin. 

  Pretty much check it out 

       That's it for now, tune in next time when we investigative who put the screw in the tuna.   

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #14: Mina and The count

Nickelodeon 

 Previously, hello I'm a cereal addict, hey Steve! [H

#14 Mina and the Count 

                                           What a Cartoon!   Season 2 episodes 4c, 5c, 7c, 9c, and 13c

        This  is going to sound weird, (what ever that means for this blog)  but our journey takes us away from Nickelodeon and "Oh Yeah! Cartoon" for a moment.  That's because this one has a longer story than some of our others

        Mina and the Count was created by Rob Renzetti , and it started as  a student film and eventually made a premiere on Cartoon Network's  "What A Catoon! Show" that's right it first aired on Ted Turner's cartoon station. 

   So here's how this post is going work, we are going to look at the five "Oh Yeah! Cartoon" shorts,but we are going to start with the "What a Cartoon!" short just to have some fun continuity. 

What a Cartoon! Mina and the Count; Interlude with a Vampire 

              Vlad the Count is doing what he does best going out and looking for fresh blood, for vampire reasons. We first meet Mina, our main character, and then our vampire guy wakes up because it's nighttime and that's when they wake up.  He shows up in Mina's room and uses his vampire hypnotism powers and realizes he made a mistake he was supposed to get her older sister who's 17 and not Mina who's 7.  (Ooops)  He accidently gets her out of the trance and she's attached to him and won't let go. ( a normal reaction to a creature of the night)  

       He tries to do anything to have her let go,  and ends up having to play with her.  Most of the cartoon has Vlad running off and being found  and having bad luck along the way. Her father hears the noise and sees Mina's room is a mess and her out of bed, the vampire hides as a doll (that works) and flees before dawn. Later he beats up Igor for screwing up.

 

  Mina and The Count: My Best Friend

     Oh Yeah Cartoons! Season 2 episode 9c

                 

        We now make our journey back to "Oh Yeah Cartoons!"  There are some changes not just to the animation, but the voice actress for Mina changed from Ashley Johnson to Tara Strong. The interesting thing about the switch over is that there is no re do of the pilot. It's just throwing you into maybe knowing already. 

       Mina is in school  and does a report about her best friend, talking about the vampire. (She  put in  the work though)  anyway a  boy makes fun of her because the whole vampires aren't real. The  boy's name is Nick so, hmmm wait.  

        Vlad seems to accept that he's Mina's friend, interesting, anyway he shows up and she tells him what happened.  He decides to teach her how to uh fright. It's kind of sweet to see him try to show her how  to scare to stop the bully.  Next day, she dresses like a vampire and tries to  make Nick not make fun of her, this doesn't work. 

 

       The next next day, Nick tries to stalk Nina but instead gets a note and gets to meet Vlad. The twist is kind of fun and you should watch it for that, but I'll say the resolution is good for Mina, at least. 

More after the jump 

Oh Yeah! Cartoons #13: Earth to Obie

Nickelodeon 

  

   Previously,  We have to believe  that Trixie is magic [HERE]

           #13 Earth to Obie

Season 2, Episode 4b 

         Earth to Obie was created by Guy Vasilovich who has long list of directing, producing, and writing. Like directing 10 episodes of "Growing up Creeipie"  working on other "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" shorts including creating another couple we'll be getting to in the future. 

         This one is about a boy named Obie and he uses imagination a lot, this cartoon with the imagination sequences of Obie seeing the world in weird amusing ways. Obie is with his mom on one the more boring things to do , riding around the grocery store, when the mom says the shopping cart is his prison and he can't touch anything, he imagines a prison.  

  

     There's aisle 13, the cereal aisle and Obie's words (in his mind) that sound like he's Brain from "Pinky and the Brian" says he has a cereal addiction and has to do a prison escape to get the prize.  Most of the cartoon has him with 3 other prisoners doing an escape plan.  Only breaking the illusion a couple times. The ending is funny, but I don't know why. 

    It's weird fun,  the cartoon is presented with dark colors and gives it it other worldly feel. I like how it takes something small and normal, like a trip to the grocery, and makes a weird and fun adventure with a prison escape.  The voice of Mike from Mike Lou and Og , and Luna from The Loud House  , Nika Futterman  provides the normal Obie voice you won't be hearing much. The dream Obie has the prefect voice for a devious prison escaper.  (Voiced by Danny Mann) 

    The other prisoners are cereal mascots, you know , cereal escape. They have Frosty the Flake, who looks like Quisp but has a Frosted Flakes name,  Sugar Puff Daddy, doing a Puff Daddy reference, a sugar daddy reference , and a Golden Crisp reference in one throw. Koko Bird, based on the bird from Froot Loops,  and Tiger of Sugar O's who is based on Tony the Tiger which is justf funny they didn't have him be the Frosted Flakes guy.  Rabbit , is just that rabbit from Trix,  And  Bee, the same thing but with Honey Nut Cheerios. 

   I'm going to say this one is an acquired taste though, I can see why some wouldn't like, I enjoyed it , though. I could see this being picked as a series, Nickelodeon really missed the boat on making something weird around the same time "Courage the Cowardly Dog"  on Cartoon Network. There's a lot of elements that I think would have worked for a series.

      If you're curious, go on, watch it!  

   

 That's it for now, tune in next time when we break free, oh I want to break free! 

 

          

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #12: Magic Trixie

Nickelodeon 

    Previously,  I left my heart in nostalgic days.   [HERE]

                #12 Magic Trixie 

Season 2, Episode 2b 

             Season 2 did have change over all in the series for example, the amount of new shorts kind of drifts to a show with more reoccurring. For example this episode has only this as a new short and with it being flanked by a new "Fairly Odd Parents" short and "Tales from the Goose Lady"  that will be  the trend through this season.   

   

          Magic Trixie was created by  Alex Kirwan, with direction by Rob Renzetti. This short goes with a more retro design again. The thing about 90's cartoons , since this was an era of more original content, and new networks and outlets providing them, the influences of older media would come up as inspirations for many of the time period's ideas. 

                The cartoon also goes for a muted tone where the colors are there but not as bright, giving it a look, only getting brighter when it fits the story.  Our main character doesn't seem to talk, her name is Trixie she's interested in magic. She buys a simple trick from the magic shop. There's a magician, he's flashy and has expensive stuff a contrast to Trixie.   He invites Trixie on the stage and he notices that every time she pulls something from her hat some thing comes out, when he tries it nothing comes out.  

       I get that old "Looney Tunes" vibe with Bugs and Daffy at that moment when the crowd is cheering her and not him. Then  she ends up being an assistant and is able to out do the magician. Oh and she does say words at some point.   

    The magician gets jealous and tries to trap her with some wild animals, where we get a creative sequence of her using magic and getting around his trap.  She has proven herself to have natural talent and  becomes the lead magician while the other one has become her assistant. 

    This one is fun, it's very nostalgic in how it feels like a retro 30's /40's (the 19 ones, for you future readers)  there's a simple fun to it and it's like  a mixture of a silent cartoon and talking one. The short is just plain fun. There's a lot of creativity and a nice little message added in.

   I don't see this one being a good one for a series, the whole concept feels like a complete story told in 7 minutes,  that I'm not sure where a series could go, but that might be limits in thinking about it more than anything else.   Well, check it out!   

   That's it for now, tune in next time, when we turn a goat into an Oldsmobile. 

     

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #11: Fathead

 Nickelodeon 

           Previously, it was to be continued yet it never was...continued [HERE]

#10 Fathead

Season 1, Episode 13b 

             Fathead (what did you call me? I'll sue!)  is also from the season 1 finale and also a special 11 minutes.  It was created by Vince Calandra  who worked on "Rugrats" , "Ren and Stimpy Show",  "Rocko's Modern Life" who later wrote for "Two Guys, a Girl and Pizza Place" which is  kind of just fun to acknowledge. 

 

          

          This one takes place in caveman times, and the intro voiceover sounds like Tommy Pickles, but our main character is named Fathead.  Fathead is apparently the smartest caveman (boy)  who invented golf and fire. (not on the same day that'd be too much)  Of the leaders named Lord Amur comes over and places a  bird's nest on his head. His son, named Junior speaks English so we can understand what this means it's time  for a manhood test for Fathead he has to steal an egg from a T-Rex or get banished. (harsh) 

    His sister, Taung (voiced by Sarah Rayne) explains that Junior technically cheated during his test  why not try a different way to do it.  The thing you'll notice in this short is that the parents don't speak with in normal (to us) talk but the kids do speak fluent English. Essentially giving us a very noticeable generation gap and kind of creative. 

      Later Taung and Fathead's friend, Horst, go and find some Neanderthals to trade some jewels for a rock that is painted to look like an egg. Junior was lurking and knows about the plan, that Fathead doesn't even know about yet. 

      It's the day of the test and Fathead goes out and his sister tells him about the fake egg, he has to find it. The boy decides to not cheat and decides to use that big brain they've been saying he has and trick the T-Rex with a fake T-rex (by appealing to it wanting  mate).  We do get a dino chase scene and a cool pterodactyl tried. It was pretty cool he used his father's story to help think of this plan. 

    Anyway, since Junior thinks the egg on his head is the rock, he declares it fake and smacks it and it cracks open and he gets attacked by a baby T-Rex. Thus proving it wasn't fake and not having to be banished. 

      This was pretty fun to watch, I like how it looked.  The story was pretty interesting, taking place in caveman times, using the framing of the kids being more evolved over the adults but having the adults' old ways still providing some use was pretty good. 

   If it was a series , I could see it working. The concept has a lot of spaces to work , maybe world exploration. I think it work also work if it's not every episode being Junior vs. Fathead but would show rivalry.  It was also pretty nice to have a brother and sister not be at odds with each just because. 

     I do wonder if this one like, "Planet Kate" was meant  to do more than it made. This is another one I wish had ended up being a Nicktoon (another line I'm going to say alot) . I liked the concept and the story of the this cartoon.  It really was pretty interesting and glad it strayed away from anything like a random gross out moment just because caveman days.  

        So I enjoyed that, and give this a look for the fun of it. 

     That's it for now, tune in next time when we pitch a caveman series to CBS daytime and they wonder if we're alright.         

         

   

        

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #10: Planet Kate

Nickelodeon 

Previously, they are called the feelers, and I they made me feel .[HERE]

                                                  #10 Planet Kate

 Season 1, Episode 13a 

        Planet Kate  is the longest short we've looked at so far, that's right it's 11 minutes instead of 7. So a more standard length of non 22 minute cartoon series. This was the part of the season 1 finale.  Created by Jamie Mitchell. It is interesting how this one is longer by 4 minutes, there must have been something they had planned for this, but  not in our timeline apparently.  

          This one even has a theme song intro, so something was happening. It takes place in the desert there's a girl named Kate talking to her mom as she's frantically looking for her map, which was a homework assignment.  Kate is voiced by Shayna Fox, whom was the voice of Reggie on "Rocket Power" that's why I had to tell you that, if you hear her voice and wonder huh? familiar.  She goes to look for her dog named Toby and she talks to us to say that alien dogs have arrived she hasn't told her parents about them. Apparently the dogs are there to dig up to find the lost city of dogs. 

      For the alien dogs they got the voice actors of Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Cree Summer , Nancy Cartwright. Stacked wow!  Yes, the dogs do have her map assignment.  They come back down to Earth with her dog with them as well.  Anyway, she figures out that they are using her map to find the hidden city,  the twist was the map wasn't a real thing, it was just for her assignment. 

 

   The alien dog group is sad that this was all for not, during their sadness they reveal a second half to the map, which is on a rock structure they dug up and it's apparently more map and some how Kate's map fits with the half they found.  

       They take her homework again, now realizing that by change it might be real.  She takes Toby with her and leaves them be, and we get the three saddest words ever, "To be Continued"

     That's right , there's a To be continued.  Now I'm sad.  First off this was a great start, there's an idea of this lost city of dogs being searched by aliens, they have a hook with the map proving to maybe be real, and the characters seem interesting.  The style also kind of reminds me of "Hey Arnold" crossed with "All Real Monsters" which is not a sentence I expected to write.  Kate does look  a little like Arnold's relative in some way. 

   

       I do wonder if Nickelodeon had bigger ideas for this one but then something fell through, that's sad, the to be continued line kind of hurts, I would like to see more. It was a fun short to watch, it was engaging. So yeah I did really like this one and now wish I could go to a parallel world where this was a series.  If you are alright with a little pain of watching something you know doesn't have more, then check this one out for the curiosity at least or to lament at what we could have had.

    That's it for now, tune in next time when we see what our parallel universe blog is writing about instead.   

      

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #9: The Feelers

Nickelodeon 

       Previously,  three superheroes save the town, but not the three you think [HERE]

   

  #9 The Feelers

Season 1, Episode 11c

Hey look another short crated by Bill Burnett.  I kind of like the concept of personified bugs, there's something fun about that idea to me. This one is about an insect band who are trying to make it big, meaning to appeal to humans. 

                   The first song kind of feels like an 80's song with the lead singing bug , Mitzi, is giving me Joan Jett vibes. The bugs are in our normal world, so they are small and almost getting crushed under humans.  Mitzi gets an idea to visit a recording studio to appeal to humans.  

    The song the two humans singing is kind of funny how self aware it is.  They find a spider to help them with the stuff to record. Mitzi starts singing a love song about lightbulbs because she's a moth. Every song in this short is fun, I love that's there's  love song about a lightbulb.  They decide that humans don't want a love song about lightbulbs (sung like that, I'll take any song) 

      They make a song about going to Hollywood and making it big.  Then the record producer returns and bug sprays them, the other bugs think Mitzi is dead. The record executive shows up to hear the song that the humans were making and producer ends up flying the Feelers song. Mitzi isn't dead.  The executive now wants the Feelers. The short ends with the bugs dancing.  

                This is one I really wish had become a series, it seems like fun idea. The songs were really fun, they had that cool 80's vibe to them. I like character designs and the bug idea appeals to me. There's something really fun about this one.   There feels like potential in this one.(I'm going to be saying that alot too huh?)  

          This one didn't bug me. (boo!)  It's hard to find anything negative in some of these. since it's judging a seven minute short pilot that would have been modified if it had become a series. If I do find something I really don't like I note it, but that's not always going to be a big case.  

  That's it for now, tune in next time when I listen to a fly band.    

Oh Yeah! Cartoons : #8: Youngstar 3

Nickelodeon 

       Previously, A boy and his dog, a classic story   [HERE] 

  #8 Youngstar3

Season 1, Episode 10b 

         Another superhero theme huh?  A timeless idea. Youngstar3 was created by Miles Thompson. There are three superheroes Youngstar, a little boy,  Shero, a robot woman, and Old Man, an old man.  There's a giant monster causing havoc and our heroes have to go out and hero.  

   

           That's really what I can say about it from that point. It's 3 odd heroes fighting a giant fish monster. It's fun, I  like the three heroes they have their own unique characteristics and seem like an interesting team. The ideas they use to stop fight the monster are creative and really gives a really fun viewing expirence.

    

      I love the animation style too, it does fell very 90's (because duh) but it seems like it would fit on Nick or Cartoon Network at the time It feels like alternate world "Powerpuff Girls" by the simpe background designs and the character designs feel very Dexter's Lab/ Powerpuff Girls.   

   

         I think this would have been a fun series, there are so many ideas that could have been done for episodes, different monsters and villains. Giving the characters a little more personality through the episodes would have been fun to see. 

    There is something very charming about it, the jokes don't always land but they all feel earnest. And bonus points to having a grandpa be a superhero that's kind of fun, you don't see that really.  Give this one  a watch, it's fun.  

   That's it for now, tune in next time, when say a boy, an old  man , and a robot woman walk into a bar, I ducked.