Oh Yeah! Cartoons :#20: Elise

Nickelodeon 

   Previously,  Making movies is hard to do when the actors are hard to deal with [HERE]

#20 Elise 

Season 3, Episode 4b

    Elise ,or,  Elise: Mere Mortal is another entry from Guy Vasilovich. Our main character is Elise Crump, who's voiced by Cree Summer. This time our MC looks different from his past too, but you can tell Vasilovich was going for  certain vibe for his cartoons.   In this cartoon, Elise has to go the orthodontist, to have her braces tightened. 

    

       The orthodontist is very eccentric,  and really there's an atmosphere to this cartoon that just embraces a whole what am I watching? thing.  There's  a spot where teeth are dancing, for example, Meanwhile in Siberia some scientists shoot a beam that some how make it and zap Elise's braces. (Reminds me of "Braceface") 

      There's a spot where teeth sing a rock song for some reason  and Elise is none the wiser of whatever just happened.(same)  Though she seems to keep zapping  stuff without noticing it, and she's getting radio signals through her braces.  It is kind of weird she doesn't notice the electricity doing stuff. 

  

           The funny thing watching this, is it felt short, like shorter than the 7 minutes, not much happens, it's a strange girl going to the orthodontist then gets zapped , then goes home. She doesn't seem to notice it and nothing goes from that plot. Just weird doctor and stuff just happens and gives up.  If I was comparing it to Vasilovich's other two I've covered  I would say this is the weakest one.  

     If this was like a start of a new series and setting up the idea of everywhere Elise goes something strange happens like she gets zapped, or  the eye doctor thing they mention at the end, she goes there and ends being able to see people naked or something, or have strange stuff happen and she never notices it, that could work. But as is, it wasn't that much to write about, kind of a shame but it happens. 

   That's it for now , tune in next time, when we talk abut the idea of implanting radios into your head so you don't need head phones anymore. (what?) 

 

        

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #19: Skippy Spankerton

Nickelodeon 

Previously,  it's my world, I'll save it if I want too! [HERE ]

  #19 Skippy Spankerton

Season 3, Episode 3b 

    Skippy Spankerton Presents: Hot Tamale Monster Movie Madness!  was created by Eric Bryan and Michelle Bryan. So this is a cartoon about a movie being made by a kid, a 9-year-old girl named Skippy.  Who sounds like Carl Foutley beause well it is Jeannie Elias , who would voice that character.  Kevin Michael Richardson is back too voicing trademark safe not Godzilla, Zolla.  

      Skippy is trying to make a film for the film festival with two monsters  and trying to make a movie before bedtime.  Also the monsters aren't real it was Skippy working with toys, I kind of think that's creative but also kind of sad they revealed it too early, would have been a nice way to end it. 

    Skippy's mom makes her eat dinner, cutting into her time. It's tamale night too (cool).  The parents are kind of  weird, but not bland so that's kind of fun. The super hot tamales gives her an idea to use  for fire breathing monster action. And just to make things mean for Skippy, the father remembers Daylight Saving Time and moves the clock up an hour ,meaning she lost an hour. (Daylight Saving Time is evil  so I give it points for showing that)   

      The wagon is a "Citizen Cane" reference action.  The monsters don't want to eat the tamales because of reasons.  Skippy has to contend with this while trying to get things done.  I can feel the urgency.  Finally she gets her fire breathing and the movie done before the parents check on her and mission accomplished.  We get to see her movie too , which again is just her doing normal things with her toys. 

         I love the concept of this one, even though the idea of making a movie as an idea for a story is kind of basic, the idea of it being Skippy's imagination that the toys are really moving gives it a charm of child imagination. The parents are weird and I feel embarrassed, but pretty funny. The cartoon really is charming and a joy to watch.  Again, I kind of wish they held off the reveal until the end , but the early reveal doesn't hurt it and kind of makes it funnier that she's imagination having difficult actors and we already know they're toys. 

     It works as a one and done story, but if  it was a show I could see Skippy having more adventures with imagination.  

   

  Give this one a watch! 

   That's it for now, tune in next time, when we make our movie about someone making a movie about making a movie. 

   

      

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #18: The Tantrum

Nickelodeon 

 Previously, the bird had a better agent, so top billing for it. [HERE]

#18 The Tantrum 

Season 3, episode 1b

  We head into the final season of the series, that's season 3.   Also runs from 1999-2002, meaning the channel had probably held some stuff over through the time.  "Fairly Odd Parents" became a series in 2001,  and "Chalk Zone" in 2002.  Season 3 is the shortest, and many of the shorts featured were new episodes of the I guess "mini series" they were doing.  Interestingly enough, there was no Chalk Zone shorts.  

        The Tantrum was created by John Fountain,  who also wrote, directed, character designed, and did the voice for the main character.  (source )

  

      The idea is that it's a comedic superhero cartoon with a hero that is triggered by frustrations like "The Hulk"   our main  character is  boy named Travis who sees a toy on TV through an ad and asks his parents for the toy, and the parents say he has enough and being patient is good. 

    Travis  tries to not get angry but he does end up turning into his superhero powers, as the Tantrum to get his frustrations out.  I like that creative idea, that's kind of cool to see a kid hero who does kid stuff like  being frustrated and channels into constructive rage. 

      

  In this case he fights a fire and saves a toy store, which most of the toys are alright, but the one he wanted, because that's a law of cartoons.  He goes to see the president who nervous about aliens coming and I see someone liked "Independence Day"   An alien named commander Twang condemns the president because of space junk and wants it cleaned up. (Which I kind of like the idea of aliens being mad that there's space junk and not just wanting to invade the Earth) 

      

     Tantrum uses his tantrum powers, and the alien has a sleep ray (I wish that was real, that could help alot of people)  and puts the boy to sleep. Then tantrum wakes up, and he thinks everything was a dream and realizes no, this was the dream.  Then he really wakes up. 

    He uses his scream powers and makes the aliens give him anything he wants and then they leave, I guess he asked for the toy, it cuts to his house, his parents decide to surprise him with the toy for being good. The twist is the alien gave him a real robot so alright then.

       This one is creative, but there are some weaknesses. I do wonder if the executives would have been against the idea of a series based on a superhero based on tantrums just because tantrums. Even if the boy only does it as super powers versus the other way. The story is alright,  could have been fine tuned and it's hard to be too mean to it, since it seems it was very one guy working on it focused. 

     

     I do think a comedic kid saves the world series would work, there is some creativity, some things would have to be changed. Again, it was short/pilot so there could have been some fine tuning, but anyway.  

  

      That's it for now, tune in next time, when we scream for 50 minutes until we pass out! 

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #17: Terry and Chris

Nickelodeon 

Previously,   Lying monsters ate our post  [HERE]

#17 Terry and Chris 

Season 2, Episode 13b

 

    We are in the season finale of season 2, looking at the second  segment of the episode, Terry and Chris. There's an interesting backstory to this one's creator.  John Reynolds  created this one at the age of 11.  Reynolds had not just worked on his own cartoons, but had a complete storyboard,  and character designs.  Butch Hartman supervised, which also explains the why it looks the way it does and he directed it too.  Pretty cool.  (source)   

     If it's not good, we can't be mean to an 11-year-old even if he's not eleven anymore... hmmm. 

   

       It takes place in a fictional town called Valley View, USA (in America),  our main character is a boy named Chris, talking about how normal things are and he is until THEY AREN'T.  Chris goes to a pet store to spend his birthday money for  pet, there's a cockatiel that has the ability to talk. Either the bird changes heads when it speaks in someone else's voice or that's a visual effect so hmm alright then.  

    

     He brings the bird to school for share day, (not to be confused with Cher day, where everyone dresses like Cher). There are two friends he has they all seem to be doing this "cool" act by wearing little glasses or something. (Little glasses are cool)  Oh he named the bird the Terry.  Since Chris does something stupid like telling the bird what they call the teacher behind her back, the law says the bird will repeat it and cause trouble. (Thy rule of writing cartoons be done) 

        Chris doesn't get that much trouble the principal seems to be very understanding and just tells Chris to leave his pets at home next time. (I thought it was Sting day) Chris sees  a girl with an Australian accent (voiced by Kath Soucie) and Chris likes her, you can tell by the music and hearts.  Angela is a new student and he gets to escort her to class.  Angela meets  the two friends  and kisses Chris on the cheek in front of them. 

        Then it gets awkward when Chris says something mean to impress his friends. Then a bully shows up, (I'd mean to people too if I was 4 times their size , otherwise they'd be mean to me)  Angela decides to go with him because Chris hurt her feelings.  Later, Chris gets mad that he didn't do the right then and Terry flies away to help. Jerry talks like Angela and makes Max , the bully, go away.  Chris meets with Angela and apologizes  and things are fine. 

        Simple story, but I liked it, there's a charm to it. (Yeah this is not my don't be mean to the post thing kicking in, it genuine)  The characters are kind static, but again it's a short or maybe a pilot ,so I understand that would be something, that and being written by an 11-year-old. 

     That does bring up the question of the series thing since, I think it would be hard for 11-year-old to run a series and do normal eleven-year-old things, this was done during some school off time. Though it could have maybe been done in the future , if he was still interested. Taking away logic for a moment,  it would be have been the most authentic to the kids series if it was written by a kid.  I could see Terry being used for different plots where things go silly or something.   

        There's some fun to be had here, to watch, it's not A+ , but it's charming in it's own way.

 That's it for now, tune in next time when we (Joke removed it was too stupid) 

   

      

Oh Yeah! Cartoons #16 : Lollygaggin

Nickelodeon 

   Previously,  you can't spell school with out C.O.O.L  [HERE]

#16 Lollygaggin

    Season 2, Episode 8b

             Back to Guy Vasilovich and another short he made. If you looked at Earth to Obie you'll notice that the main character has similar look to him.  Lollygaggin  is about a young girl named Lollygaggin, she's apparently not a well liked person becuase of her many faults. Including the fact the was  a big lair sometimes. 

          In her room she finds a creature that apparently is related to her fibs. He starts eating stuff in her room, including almost her cat. (we almost had a dead cat thing going on here) The monster is played by Kevin Michael Richard, who really brings a lot to the character he makes it feel intimidating and menacing ,yet charming.  The monster has a creative design about him as well. 

        

                   He turns his idea to eating Lolly  and she starts to run away from him. She finds a room of other smaller fibs and they scurry out, the main focus is big thing.  After along amount of running, she runs back home and does the only thing she could do- tell the truth , well that stops the creature as she shrinks down. 

     The plot is a really classic concept of someone's lies turning into a monster and getting worse as they lie more and making the truth a resolution. This a good telling of that idea. The animation style is very nice, I'm getting some Courage the Cowardly Dog  vibes from it.   The parents are kind of funny parodies of 50's ad parents. Marsia Clark and Carlos Alaraqui bring a lot to these characters you see a couple times.  Lolly is an interesting character, too I think a series of this would have been interesting with a main character who is not the squeaky clean protag.  

    

          I did like this one more than Obie , if I'm forced to choose between the two. I think a series would have worked from this one, there's some potential.  If you had to watch this one or Obie, pick this one more (but do watch both) .

 Tune in next time, when we post another blog post. (no fibbing) 

            

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!