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The Animanicast- An Animaniacs Podcast

The Animanicast is a podcast dedicated to the classic animated television series "Animaniacs." Join your hosts Joey, Nathan and Kelly as they revisit each episode in the order in which they were released. They'll discuss their favorite moments, jokes, characters as well as their memories of first watching the episode. The show's pop cultural references are also discussed and explored in detail. (You might just learn some cool facts!) In the end, each episode receives a "Water Tower Rating" from the hosts. So cue up an episode of Animaniacs on Hulu or on DVD and then listen to the Animanicast to keep the fun going!
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Now displaying: 2018
Jun 3, 2018

We Have So Many Issues (of Animaniacs Comics)

The Cover of Issue #6

Nathan and Joey talk about this funny and incredibly detailed cover. There's tons of gags to find and the cover leads right into the first story!

Egyptian Conniption

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot visit Ancient Egypt and mistake Cleopatra's palace for a hotel! After some extreme remodeling and general zaniness, Julius Caesar finds his true calling of becoming a chef and creates the Caesar Salad and Cleopatra becomes a headliner at her own Hotel and Casino!

Pun Fight at the O.K. Corral

Wyatt Earp is running people out of town and is being a jerk! The Warners come from the Pony Express to deliver a pony to Earp but he wants the Warners to leave him alone and leave. Eventually the Warners get Earp dressed up in drag and up on a saloon stage. Earp ends up loving it and goes off to Hollywood! Joey and Nathan talk about their favorite gags and Joey talks about the comic reminding him of songs from Spike Jones and the City Slickers.

The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth

Wakko needs to go to the dentist and is incredibly scared. Yakko and Dot calm his fears by going to the dentist's office and terrorizing the dentist! In the end, all the siblings realize that going to the dentist isn't so bad, as long as there's attractive dentists and nurses to hang out with.

Discord Group!

Come on over to the RetroZap Discord group! Talk with listeners of the show as well as the hosts of the Animanicast and other RetroZap podcasts! Head over to Discord.Animanicast.com to sign up.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

May 27, 2018

Each and every week, Joey, Nathan and Kelly revisit an episode of Animaniacs in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find in "My Mother the Squirrel," "The Party," "Oh! " Say Can You See," and "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

My Mother the Squirrel/The Party/Oh! Say Can You See/The Twelve Days of Christmas Song

My Mother the Squirrel

Little Blue Bird from the cartoon "Wild Blue Yonder" returns but this time he mistakes Slappy for his mother. This is a very cute segment, with two Rueggers in it and with plenty for the hosts to discuss  

The Party

The Warners are having a fancy pants party and just about everyone is invited. Plotz doesn’t want to go, until he hears that “Steven” is going to be there. When guests arrive, Wakko is wearing pants! And Christopher Walken is there. Plotz is not having fun at the party, and is just about to leave when Steven finally arrives… just not the Steven he was expecting. This is a fun episode, and you can bet Kelly was excited to talk about Steven.

Oh! Say Can You See

The Flame is back and this time he is helping write the Star Spangled Banner. Luke Ruegger's appearance makes this the third Ruegger brother to appear in this episode!

The Twelve Days of Christmas Song

Little Blue Bird performs a special rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas with the Animaniacs orchestra.  The hosts discuss the backstory of this short, but very cute segment.

Join the Party!

Head on over to Discord.Animanicast.com today to join our RetroZap discussion group. You'll get to chat with the hosts of this show as well as the hosts of other RetroZap podcasts! 

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

May 13, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of Animaniacs in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find. Today's episode is actually the 100th recorded episode so the hosts discuss their favorite Yakko, Wakko, and Dot moments.

"The Animanicast's Spectacular Spectacular"

Warner Sibling Moments

The hosts discuss their favorite Yakko, Wakko, and Dot moments from the episodes that they've reviewed so far. They also make sure to list off some honorable mentions!

Favorite Podcast Moments

Joey, Nathan and Kelly list off some of their favorite moments recording the show together. Many of them have to do with the interviews that we've had with Animaniacs creator, Tom Ruegger as well as others from the show.

Listener Survey!

We're coming to the end of our initial run of Animaniacs episodes! What should we talk about before the reboot comes out in 2020? Let us know by going to Survey.Animanicast.com! Note: You will need to have a google account to take this survey.

Free Decals for iTunes Reviews

We're giving away free Animaniacs decals to the first 50 listeners who leave us 5-star positive reviews on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). Just send us an email with the review that you've left and we will send out a random Animaniacs decal to your address. This offer is open even to listeners who left us iTunes reviews in the past!

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

 

May 6, 2018

"The Sound of Warners" and "Yabba Dabba Boo"

The Sound of Warners

The Warners now have a nanny in this Sound of Music parody.  Here the Warners face one of their toughest adversaries, someone who just wants to help.  In the end the Warners need to call on the help of an old friend (literally). The hosts discuss each song, and pick their favorite parts of the episode as well as discuss memories of the source material.  

Yabba Dabba Boo

Chicken Boo is back as a Script Doctor for Amblin. Just when you think "The Flintstones" can’t be improved, Chicken Boo finds a way.  Nathan, Joey, and Kelly dissect the segment looking at all the gags and caricatures of writers on Animaniacs.

Reboot News

Joey has some exciting news for the Animaniacs Reboot.

New Give Away

Stay tooned for information on how to receive some free decals!

Next Week’s Show

Joey Nathan and Kelly need some help with their 100th episode.  Listen to find out what you can do to help!

Apr 29, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Joey, Nathan and Kelly welcome back Tom Ruegger as well as the incredibly talented Randy Rogel who wrote some of the most iconic songs from Animaniacs!

Discussing the Music of Animaniacs with Tom Ruegger and Randy Rogel

Richard Stone and the Orchestration of Animaniacs

Tom and Randy discuss their song writing process and what it was like to collaborate with Richard Stone and other composers working on Animaniacs such as Steve and Julie Bernstein. Randy talks about the writing process and the excitement of seeing a full orchestra perform the songs that he wrote. Randy states that "The music was born at the podium."

Some of the show's musical parodies are also discussed including "Les Miseranimals" which was so close to the original "Les Miserables"  that at one point Tom was certain that they would all get sued!

Tom Ruegger mentions that he heard that the newest incarnation of Animaniacs will continue to use a live orchestra which is very rare in today's world.

Yakko's World

Tom and Randy discuss Randy's first song he wrote for Animaniacs, "Yakko's World!" Tom marvels at the complexity of the song and talks about how it started off as a song involving Yakko wearing different hats of the world and eventually turned into

Influences

Randy and Tom talk about their musical influences. Tom's influences are eclectic and include everything from Rock n' Roll to TV theme songs. Randy talks about his background in musical theater and how it influenced his writing. Randy's performance in "Singin' in the Rain" is discussed as well as how the satirical compositions of Tom Lehrer had an influence on his writing.

Soundtracks and Alternative Lyrics

Randy and Tom talk about the difference between lyrics on the show versus the show's soundtracks. Randy talks about the time his song "A Quake! A Quake!" was re-recorded for the soundtrack "Yakko's World" and how he scrambled over to Tom's office to try to stop his lyrics from being changed!

Animaniacs in Concert!

Randy talks about working with Rob Paulsen and performing the songs of Animaniacs in front of a live audience. Randy and Rob have toured across the country and will have a eight shows coming up at Joe's Pub in New York. Cody Ruegger is also set to appear for one of the shows as well! For more information, go to AnimaniacsLive.com!

Apr 22, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of Animaniacs in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find in "This Pun for Hire," "Star Truck," "Go Fish," and "The Multiplication Song!" Joey, Nathan and Kelly go over each segment, as well as discuss Dream Works, Star Trek, playing games alone and math in general.

"This Pun for Hire," "Star Truck," "Go Fish," and "The Multiplication Song"

This Pun for Hire

It’s a tour de force of puns and cameos in this Film Noir Parody. The Warners are on the case from Hello Nurse to find Dr. Scratchansniff, and end up running into Ralph the Guard and Minerva Mink as the plot twists into something else. As the title suggests, there are puns a plenty.  We also get our first cameo from Freakazoid, and another cameo from *gasp* Steven Spielberg! Kelly explains the fast moving plot of the episode, while Nathan and Joey discuss as many jokes and references as possible. Duh, by gad, sir, I claim this segment to be worth listening to.

Star Truck

It’s Animaniacs meets Star Trek, when the Warners find themselves in an episode of their favorite show, Star Truck.  There are so many references to the original show and movies, that there are plenty of jokes for a Trekkie and casual viewer alike. Joey, Nathan, and Kelly go over as many as possible.

Go Fish

Wakko plays Go Fish by himself, but then starts accusing himself of cheating. It’s a great segment, but it does bring up questions of Wakko’s sanity.  Dot might say it best: "I'm worried about the Beaver."

Randy Beaman Segment

It's another story from our favorite kid, Colin.  We also find out what Randy Beaman has been up to for almost thirty years.

Multiplication Song

In a song reminiscent to Tom Lehrer’s ‘New Math’, Yakko explains how to multiple 47 times 83.  It’s more fun than educational, And the hosts have fun discussing their feelings about math

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

 

Apr 15, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of Animaniacs in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's episode features an unconventional group of segments with "Gimme the Works," "Buttons in Ows," and "Hercules Unwound."

Gimme the Works/Buttons in Ows/Hercules Unwound

Gimme the Works

Dot is over the whole tormenting the special friend gag, so the Warners decide to end this segment early.  This is the shortest Warners segment with a title card, so there isn’t a lot to talk about. Still Joey, Nathan, and Kelly dissect the segment and come up with some theories on the writers.

Buttons in Ows

It’s Mindy and Buttons meets Wizard of Oz in this segment!  Mindy chases Toto from Kansas to Oz and back to Kansas, with Buttons hot on her trail.  On the way she meets a witch, a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion, until she meets the wizard who turns out to be a familiar mouse bent on world domination.  Kelly, Nathan, and Joey have a lot of fun discussing theories and similarities to the original movie.

Hercules Unwound

The Warners are back for another segment… but again they don’t really feel like doing it, So Pinky and the Brain become the focus as they try to steal Zeus’ lightning bolt while Hercules is busy cleaning the stables. Pinky and the Brain manage to get all the way to Olympus but as soon as they reach the lightning bolt it’s thrown down at earth, causing a dam to break and cleaning the stables for Hercules.  As a reward, the Warners return to close out the episode. This is another very interesting segment with plenty of references, and Nathan, Joey, and Kelly discuss all they can find.

Wheel of Morality

It’s the last Wheel of Morality… what will the moral be this time? 

Apr 8, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of Animaniacs in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's episode features a great way to memorize the names of the presidents with "The Presidents Song." Then Pinky and the Brain return with "Don't Tread on Us." Finally, "The Flame Returns" to tell the tale of Paul Revere.

The Presidents Song/Don't Tread on Us/The Flame Returns

The Presidents Song

The Warners sing about the presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton in the tune of William Tell Overture. This song is the perfect balance of educational and entertaining. Kelly, Joey, and Nathan discuss their favorite parts.

Don't Tread on Us

Pinky and the Brain are in the year 1776, just in time to swap the Declaration of Independence with the Declaration of Obedience. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned, as Brain gets covered in Ink, struck by lightning, and deaf from the Liberty bell. Nathan starts going off on some conspiracy theory about Pinky and the Brain, while Kelly and Joey both discuss what they enjoyed in the segment. Back to the Future connections are also theorized and shot down. 

The Flame Returns

The Flame is back and reading the poem "Paul Revere’s Ride," while we get visual representations featuring cameos by at least one of every main story character of the Animaniacs cast. This segment stays incredibly close to the source material while keeping things visually interesting for the kids.  The hosts discuss their favorite parts and some exclusive information from Tom Ruegger himself about the making of this cartoon.

Rob Paulsen is One of the Nicest People on Earth

Joey reads off some more listeners emails detailing their experiences meeting Rob Paulsen including Joey O. who shared a link to an interview he had with Rob Paulsen. As well as Kristy Sproul who detailed how Rob Paulsen's work in Animaniacs ended up setting her on the path towards Voice Chasers!

Kathryn Page Rundown

Nathan does a marvelous job acting out the last of the Kathryn Page credit gags! 

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Apr 3, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Joey and Nathan get to discuss another comic book issue of Animaniacs.  This comes after the hosts had their own issues with recording the podcast for episode 75. But no worries!  Nathan and Joey also find some more emails for our ongoing Rob Paulsen segment, and share their thoughts of the Freak-A-Con.

We've Got More Issues (of Animaniacs Comics)

 

The Cover of Issue #5

This cover has almost everyone on it, and all the characters are riding a roller coaster, and it has nothing to do with the comic!!! Oh well, Nathan and Joey discuss it anyways...

Not-So-Model Mother

It’s the 19th century, and the perfect weather for a picnic. When Dot finally finds a spot to eat, her brothers pop out of the basket having eaten her food. Before she gets too mad though, they spot an artist literally painting the landscape, and find out it’s James Whistler, a not famous painter. He laments that he cannot afford a model to paint, so the Warners offer to model for free.  Unfortunately when brought back to is studio, they won’t stay still, and trash the place. Things only get worse for Whistler, when his mom comes into party. All she wants to do is have fun, and won’t let her son paint. Luckily, the Warners come up with a plan to have everyone play musical chairs, when Whistler’s Mom wins the game, she finds out she is glued to the chair, letting Whistler paint his now famous painting.

A Wing and a Prayer

The year is 1903, and the Wright brothers have just built their plane, but neither one is willing to fly it. Luckily the Warners are in earshot, and get recruited for the job.  Dot gets sucked up in the propellers, and Wakko immediately crashes the plane. After it gets rebuilt, it’s Yakko's turn, but he accidentally knocks the Wright brothers onto plane, and they fly off in the sunset. Nathan and Joey find their favorite jokes and whether or not they could see this as an actual episode.

The Trouble With Trainees

Plotz has had it with the Warners destroying the studio, so they are off to boot camp with Ralph to learn how to be a guard.  After some initial difficulties, with Ralph getting mauled by lions, and hit with a security gate, The Warners actually seemed to be taking to their training, but as soon as Plotz starts to relax, he finds out that the Warners have barricaded the lot, and are not letting anyone in, no matter what.  That is the last straw and they are kicked off security duty. Is this the best segment of the Issue? Nathan and Joey will discuss what they liked, and what confused them.

Freak-A-Con

Join Joey and Nathan as they discuss the first ever Freakazoid convention and some highlights. You can see the entire Freak-A-Con replay by going to Facebook.com/FreakACon or go to the Freak-A-Con's YouTube page!

Rob Paulsen: One of the Nicest People on Earth

Joey and Nathan read off some more emails from our listeners who share their memories of first meeting Rob Paulsen.

Mar 25, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Joey, Nathan and Kelly welcome Charles M. Howell IV to discuss what it was like writing for Animaniacs and other shows like Pinky and the Brain. Charles shares his influences, how he got involved in animation, and shares some of his memories of working in animation.

An Interview/Discussion with Charles M. Howell IV

Getting Started in Animation

Charles shares how he got involved in animation at places like Hanna Barbera and how he met Tom Ruegger as an assistant animator. From there he shares how he got involved with Warner Bros animation and got involved in Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain.

Working on Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain

Charles shares some of his thoughts on some of the segments he worked on over the years. One of his favorites, "Hooked on a Ceiling" was even called "the template" of what a Warners cartoon should look like by creator Tom Ruegger.

Charles also shares his memories of working on the spin-off series, "Pinky and the Brain," as well as "Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain." Charles also shares his thoughts on what make Pinky and the Brain such funny and complex characters. 

Thoughts on the Reboot

Charles shares his thoughts on the upcoming reboot stating that it's typical for executives to want to hire popular/hot writers to help sell their cartoons. Original writers tend to not be involved. He has a wait and see attitude and states that , "Good characters always live... they will just keep coming back." He does jokingly hope however that characters like Mindy and Buttons don't return.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Cover art by @jedishua Intro Music performed by Kontra5t

Mar 18, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's episode features a parody of "The Lion King," a sequel to "Yakko's World," a tribute to Dr. Seuss, and Slappy gives actors a lesson in real method acting.

The Tiger Prince/All The Words in the English Language/The Kid in the Lid/Method to Her Madness

The Tiger Prince

It’s a surprisingly well done parody of the lion king opening song. Joey, Kelly, and Nathan compare all the shots and lyrics to the motion picture, and discover some unique coincidences.

All The Words in the English Language

Yakko attempts to top his classic song “Yakko’s World” by singing “All the Words in the English Language”.  Dot and Dick Button act as sports announcers as we repeatedly return to see Yakko’s progress in this three part segment. By the end, Yakko is completely exhausted, and collapses before he can finish. Amazingly he pulls out just enough strength to finish the song,

The Kid in the Lid

It’s a Dr. Seuss Parody staring Yakko as the Cat in the Hat, or in this case, the Kid in the Lid. Just like the Cat in the Hat, the Kids are unable to go outside, and their parents are away. This segment even has Dot and Wakko filling in for Thing 1 and Thing 2 as Kid 1 and Kid 2.  The Warners end up destroying the house only to rebuild it after the parents come home. Nathan, Kelly, and Joey talk about Baynarts' name and their favorite rhymes in this Seussian segment.

Method to Her Madness

Skippy is taking a class in the Stanislavski method, and Slappy decides to watch a class.  Skippy is top of the class, but Slappy only sees the same bored expression over and over. Slappy decides to teach everyone real acting which involves comedic timing and comic violence.  This segment has TONS of caricature cameos and Joe, Nathan, and Kelly try to remember them all while discussing their favorite gags.

Rob Paulsen is one of the nicest People on earth

Kelly recalls her first meeting with Rob Paulsen, and Nathan and Joey read off some more listeners emails remembering Rob.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Mar 11, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Joey and Nathan discuss their memories of meeting Rob Paulsen, as well as sharing some stories our listeners have.

Happy Birthday Rob!

Before sharing voice mails and emails from listeners, Joey and Nathan share some of their memories of first meeting Rob Paulsen back on April 9, 1995. Rob, along with Tress MacNielle and Jess Harnell were touring around to different Warner Bros. stores and stopped by Tucson. Nathan recalls a little bit, but Joey is able to fill in some of the gaps. Nathan remembers the actors singing "Happy Birthday" to him in character and being a little nervous. Joey remembers talking to Rob about voice acting and Rob going above and beyond to make sure that he and his siblings had a great experience.

Listener Stories

We asked for listener stories and memories of Rob Paulsen and we got a ton of emails, so many in fact that we will have additional listener feedback segments so that we can continue to hear and ready. Listeners talk about Rob being friendly, a great listener, and an incredibly nice person. One of our listeners, Jeanie, also sent us a link to her and Rob singing Yakko's World! Check it out HERE.

Did you send in an email to animanicast@retrozap.com and didn't hear your message being played/read? Well, tune in next week and we will read a few more! If you didn't send one yet, please do and you might hear your thoughts on the next show!

 

Merchandise

Joey and Nathan have a follow up on the latest Animaniacs merchandise available at JC Penney and Hot Topic. There's some really awesome designs!

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Mar 4, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Joey, Nathan and Kelly welcome John P. McCann to discuss what it was like writing for Animaniacs and other shows like Freakazoid. You'll also find out what John's been up to since then.

An Interview/Discussion with John P. McCann

Working on Animaniacs

John shares how he first got involved with Animaniacs after first writing an episode for Tiny Toon Adventures. He talks about some of his favorite episodes, characters, and what it was like working with Steven Spielberg. John has some very interesting stories to tell about what it was like working on Animaniacs and why it was unlike any other writing experience. 

Freakazoid

Some time is spent talking with John about his experiences working on Freakazoid. John voiced Dexter Douglas' dad, Douglas Douglas, as well as the heroic and annoying Hero Boy!

Thoughts on the Reboot

John has not been asked to return to the new series. While he remains "cautiously optimistic," he talks about why he thinks the show won't be the same. One of the reasons is that the writing staff will be completely new and the other factor is that John believes that the studio won't invest as much money as they did in the past. While the new show may look and feel different he asserts that, "We'll always have Paris."

Today

John has recently written several e-books and has written a few episodes of cartoons here and there. John's latest book, They Took My Prostate, is about John's experience with prostate cancer. John talks about why he decided to write the book and talks about some of his other books as well. You can check out his work on Amazon HERE.

You can also keep up with John by visiting his blog writeenough.blogspot.com and following him on twitter.com/jpmac5

Feb 25, 2018

Join your hosts Joey, Nathan and Kelly in the "Animanicast!" A podcast dedicated to the classic 90's cartoon show Animaniacs! Today we get to talk about an episode all about us, the fans! Whether we're chasing down our heroes at comic con like in "A Hard Days Warners," geeking out to movie scenes like Skippy does in "Gimme a Break," our just nitpicking everything from previous episodes like in "Please, Please, Please Get A Life Foundation," there’s a segment for each of us. Plus, Animaniacs creator Tom Ruegger stops by to tell us about the upcoming Freak-A-Con, a virtual convention for Freakazoid fans!

Freak-A-Con 

Special guest, Tom Ruegger stops by quickly to let us know about the upcoming event on March 15th, The Freak-A-Con!  The Freak-A-Con is a virtual convention that will take place LIVE on Facebook on March 15th at 5:00 PM PST. The event will focus on how Freakazoid was developed and will feature Paul Rugg, Paul Dini, Joe Leahy and music from Steve and Julie Bernstein! All from a very glamorous venue! Make sure to like the Freak-A-Con on Facebook, and submit your video questions and even a video showing why you should be the next Fan-Boy or Fan-Girl! https://www.facebook.com/FreakACon/

A Hard Days Warners

The Warners are bigger than Jesus, or rather just as big as the Beatles, in this parody of the Beatles classic movie, A Hard Day’s Night.  We even get two Beatles parody songs as the Warners try to escape their relentless fans at the cartoon convention, only to be saved at the last minute by a cameo from none other than  former castmates, Pinky and The Brain. Nathan, Kelly, and Joey discuss their experience with the Beatles movies, comic-cons in general, and about the moral of Beauty and the Beast, as they try to stay on topic of the Animaniacs.

Gimme a Break

Slappy needs a break, and is excited to start her long awaited vacation from violence.  Unfortunately, Skippy is excited to see all the MEGA stars in their MEGA action films, and drags Slappy along.  Somehow, Slappy ends up being directly involved in about a dozen different classic 90’s action films, each time getting great praise from Skippy, until even Skippy has to admit that Slappy needs a vacation.  Joey, Nathan, and Kelly talk about as many different celebrity caricatures and movie references as possible and about each of their favorite moments and gags from the cartoon.

Please Please Please Get a Life Foundation

The Warners may be giving us what we may need most... a life.  This meta cartoon is all about those fans that sincerely care about all the trivial facts that Animaniacs has to offer, (pretty much all the things we talk about in this podcast…) but the Warners are here to help! Any fan who gets a little too obsessed is brought back to reality with a nice blow to the head with a mallet, and if that doesn’t work, we get to see our favorite parody dinosaur, Baloney! This segment definitely hits a little too close to home for the hosts, but at least Kelly gets to talk about a Spielberg reference.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

 

 

Feb 18, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! In this special episode, Kelly is away so Joey and Nathan get to whatever they want, which is of course talk about current Animaniacs merchandise and review the fourth issue of the Animaniacs comic book.

New Animaniacs Merchandise and a Review of Animaniacs Issue #4

New Merchandise

Joey and Nathan discuss what Animaniacs apparel is hot at Hot Topic and other clothing outlets. They also discuss the figurines from Qmx and Funko, and where you can find them!

Animaniacs Issue #4

REANIMANIACS

Plotz is organizing a celebration for the old black and white comedy days for the Big Wig club.  The Warners are determined to help so they hold a seance… and bring back black and white versions of themselves?  Ok, it doesn’t make a lot of sense but Nathan and Joey discuss their favorite parts and where things went wrong

HELLOOOO, WATSON!

The Warners want to order Pizza but the telephone hasn’t been invented, so they help Alexander Graham Bell invent it.  Once the telephone is invented, and the Warners have ordered their pizza, they immediately become the first Crank Callers, causing total mayhem, until Graham Bell cuts their cord.  There are some pretty good gags here, and some wild theories that Joey and Nathan come up with in this atypical Animaniacs segment

SPACE CASE

It’s Pinky and Brain in space!!  Pinky and the brain travel to Venus to meet the Venusians  to obtain their mind controlling technologies, but the Venusians are basically cats, who try to eat Pinky and the Brain.  Listen to Joey and Nathan tear this comic apart, figuratively speaking, as they talk about what may be the worse Pinky and the Brain ever conceived.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Feb 11, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Though it’s the the third episode of Season Three, it is actually the first to air of season three, and right from the beginning, it’s clear why. This episode has everything, suspense, explosions, comedy, music, Steven Spielb...or wait...  well almost everything.

Deduces Wild/Rest in Pieces/U.N. Me

Previously on Animaniacs

We get caught up on everything that has happened since the last episode of the Animaniacs… and everything that hasn’t… mostly hasn’t.  In fact, none of the things on this "previously on" ever happened in Animaniacs, but it’s all done in the homage of classic TV and Film cliffhangers, and it is quite funny. Listen as Joey and the gang talk of the favorite moments and… Oh my…KABOOM!!

Deduces Wild

It’s Sherlock Holmes in his greatest mystery, How to get rid of the Warner Bros.? The Warners are on a scavenger hunt and have enlisted Sherlock Holmes to help, but he is too busy trying to find Professor Mariachi. Listen to the hosts compare this Sherlock Holmes with the real Sherlock, Benjamin Cumberbatch.

Rest in Pieces

Slappy and Skippy have been invited to attend the funeral of Slappy’s arch rival, Walter Wolf.  What would otherwise be a sad occasion is quickly brought back to comedy, when we find out Walter Wolf is only pretending to be dead, in order to Blow up Slappy.  Luckily Slappy is quick to catch on and turns all the explosives back on to Walter. Nathan Kelly and Joey discuss their favorite moments/jokes, and talk about Skippy's new voice.

U.N. Me

Come celebrate the World Peace with Nathan, Kelly, and Joey as the Warners sing about the United Nations.  We get learn about the UN as The Warners run amuck, destroying property, and causing nations to fight.  Will this be the start World War 3?  If it is, at least it starts with a catchy song!

 

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Feb 4, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Just the second episode in the season and we have yet another very Spielbergian episode. This episode has strong segments, plenty of songs and music, and some very clever jokes. How many of the dozens of pop culture references will Joey, Nathan, and Kelly mention before they get distracted and fall completely off the rails?

Variety Speak

This segment begins with the Warner’s waiting for an appointment with Dr. Scratchansniff.  In order to pass the time, Wakko imitates a dog for Dot and Yakko grabs the paper because Wakko isn’t house broken. After reading the headline on the paper, the Warners start singing about the Variety Fair, and hollywood lingo.  Be prepared for tons of ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ cameos, including Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Steven Speilberg *GASP*  This song is quite fun and has a lot to talk about

Three Tenors and You're Out

Skippy and Slappy are off to see the Dodgers play baseball.  Unfortunately they go on a night when three Tenors are singing.  Slappy manages to annoy just about everyone in the stadium before getting kicked out.  That’s when things are taken to the next level as Slappy is now intent on ruining the show. After multiple song and costume changes, things quickly escalate with the appearance of a giant spaceship piloted by Slappy and Spielberg, You can bet Kelly has some words to say about this cartoon!

Bingo

Wakko is the only one to show up to Dr. Scratchansniff’s afternoon bingo game.  Of course Wakko immediately drives Scratchansniff bonkers when can’t get Wakko to understand when he is saying a word, or a letter and number combination.  This segment is reminiscent of “Who’s on First” and is the perfect length to keep from being too repetitive.

Listener Feedback and News

Steven writes in to share his thoughts on the upcoming reboot. The hosts share some more of their thoughts and the concern that the upcoming reboot may not include the original voice actors. While it seems unlikely, it seems like anything is possible, especially since the voice talent has not been announced yet.

If you have concerns about the reboot there are a few things you can do, but time may soon be up!

A fan created petition has been created, you can check it out and sign it HERE if interested.

Sending a polite, professional, and positive business to the producers at Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg might be a good idea as well if you want to make your voice heard. Please try to represent the Animaniacs fan community in a positive light!

You can get tips on how to write a business letter HERE

Correspondence to Steven Spielberg can be mailed to

100 Universal City Plaza
Bldg. 5121
Universal City, CA 91608

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Jan 28, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's special episode features more discussion of the upcoming reboot of Animaniacs, specifically the news that Wellesley Wild from Family Guy fame will be the new showrunner and executive producer. Afterwards, Nathan and Joey review issue #3 of the Animaniacs comic book.

Wellesley Wild Announced as Animaniacs Showrunner

Wellesley Wild was recently announced as the new showrunner for the upcoming Animaniacs reboot. This news created an uproar among Animaniacs fans that wanted to see the creator, Tom Ruegger, return to the series. Joey, Nathan, and Kelly share some of the reactions from the Animanicast's Facebook feed, Twitter feed, as well as a couple emails.

One of our listeners, Malik, thinks that the writing team might end up consisting of all new writers from SNL or other franchises seen as cutting edge. This leads Joey to wonder if, much like the recently rebooted Ducktales, the voice cast of the rebooted show will consist of new actors from SNL or similar shows. The recent Ducktales reboot and upcoming Ninja Turtles show has done it. At this point, anything seems possible. Especially since the voice cast has not been announced yet!

Kelly points out that the decisions made so far do not seem to make sense from a creative or financial level. Animaniacs was successful in part because people like Tom Ruegger put their heart and soul into the original show. The decisions so far have alienated many fans and left others confused and often upset. She concludes by saying that Animaniacs without Tom Ruegger would be like the Muppets without Jim Henson. The Muppets just haven't felt the same after Henson passed away. Not having Tom involved in at least a consultant role seems like a bad mistake. If the executives want the show to feel like the original in any way, it would make sense for Tom and his original writers to have an active role in this reboot.

While it is extremely disappointing that Tom Ruegger has not yet been confirmed to be involved in the upcoming series there  is still some time! There are a few things that Animaniacs fans can do if they would like to see him and the original writing staff involved. The key is to do these things now. If fans wait much longer, it may be too late!

  • Stay active and speak out on social media in a positive and proactive way. Let Warner Bros. and Amblin know that you are concerned about the decisions that have been announced.
  • Sign the #WriteAnimaniacsRight petition over at Change.org. The link can be found HERE.
  • Write a positive and professional business letter to Steven Spielberg.
  • You can get tips on how to write a business letter HERE

Correspondence to Steven Spielberg can be mailed to

100 Universal City Plaza
Bldg. 5121
Universal City, CA 91608

Animaniacs Comic #3

Afterwards, Joey and Nathan review and discuss issue #3 of the Animaniacs comic book. Stories include, "Rewriting History," " Coco Anyone?" and  "Guitars and Cadillacs." It's a pretty good issue, Nathan and Joey particularly like a couple of panels.

What Do You Think?

Are you excited about the return of Animaniacs? Anxious? Excited? Let us know your thoughts by sending an email to animanicast@retrozap.com. You can write up your thoughts or send us a voice message via mp3 or other sound file. Who knows? You might hear your thoughts on an upcoming episode!

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Jan 21, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Season three is off with a super strong start in this packed full episode.  This episode kicks off a new variation on the opening credits, which lead right in to our first segment. Then we have a new theme song for Skippy and Slappy. Will Wakko be able to come up with a new Gookie  as well? To finish the episode off we get a song about shaking things up!

Super Strong Warner Siblings

Picking up right after the shoot of their theme song, the Warners do a parody of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. The segment of course leads to the classic monster vs. Robot fight, with an animaniacs twist. Joey, Kelly, and Nathan discuss their memories of the Power Rangers, and are all impressed with how well they adapted the show into this very funny segment.

Nutcracker Slappy

It’s Skippy and Slappy meets Fantasia, as they try to crack a nut and dance ballet, but things quickly get carried too far.  Music is set to Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”, and we get a cameo from Episode 42’s HollyWoodchuck with Charleston Woodchuck moving up in the world.  Did Skippy just make Speilberg reference? Kelly can’t make up her mind.

Wakko's New Gookie

Wakko has decided to kick it off the new season with a fresh new Gookie to replace his old one.  He tries it out for Yakko, Michaelangelo from "Hooked on a Ceiling", Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn, and Larry King, but none of them like it as much as the old one.  The episode ends with Yakko’s attempts at a new catch phrase for season three, and yes, another Speilberg reference.  

A Quake, A Quake!

The Warners sing a song about the 1994 Northridge earthquake to the tune of Schumann's "Happy Farmer". Joey is confused because these aren’t the lyrics he remembers. Nathan is now concerned about living in earthquake ridden LA, and Kelly is impressed about the date we recorded the podcast.

News

Find out the latest about the Animanics reboot, and how Kelly, Nathan, and Joey are processing the information.  We also discuss the strange episode order on Hulu, and share some Listener Feedback!

CartoonBrew.com wrote more about the subject.

A fan created petition has been created, you can check it out and sign it HERE if interested.

Sending a polite, professional, and positive business to the producers at Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg might be a good idea as well if you want to make your voice heard. Please try to represent the Animaniacs fan community in a positive light!

You can get tips on how to write a business letter HERE

Correspondence to Steven Spielberg can be mailed to

100 Universal City Plaza

Bldg. 5121

Universal City, CA 91608

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Jan 14, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's episode features a discussion of "I'm Mad," "Bad Mood Bobby," "Fake," lots of filler, and some  more Animaniacs reboot news.

Different Ways to Support Our Show

If you'd like to support out show there's lots of ways to do it! First of all, you could go onto Apple Podcasts and leave us a five-star positive review.

Also, don't forget to tell a friend about the show! Your retweets and post shares help others find us.

You could also purchase some hand prepared decals from Joey at Decals.Animanicast.com

Interested in getting some Animanicast MERCHANDISE? It's in stock now at TeePublic! Get yours at Teepublic.Animanicast.com

Jan 7, 2018

Each and every week, your hosts revisit an episode of the series in the order in which they first premiered. They discuss their favorite jokes, gags, and discuss all the cultural references they can find! Today's special episode features a discussion of the upcoming reboot of Animaniacs, thoughts from the hosts of the Animanicast, and some statements from some of the original writers of Animaniacs. 

Hulu's Press Release and Reactions

Animaniacs is back on streaming media! Following its successful run on Netflix in 2017, and rumors of a possible reboot in May of 2017, it was announced on January 4th, 2018 that Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment had reached a deal with Hulu to stream classic episodes of the series along with classic episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures, Pinky and the Brain, and Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain. In addition to this, the highly anticipated reboot of the series is scheduled to premiere in 2020 exclusively on Hulu. Two new seasons of the show have been ordered.

The classic episodes of Animaniacs, et al. are all available right now on Hulu for your enjoyment!

Joey, Nathan and Kelly read the official statements from Hulu, Warner Bros, and Steven Spielberg before having a brief discussion of what they hope to see in the future seasons of Animaniacs. Animation style, voice actors, as well as retaining the original creators and writers of the show are all discussed. 

In a late breaking addition, it appears that the original writers and creators of Animaniacs have not yet been asked to return to the series. This is very disappointing news and, while it could change, it puts a damper on much of the excitement that the initial reboot announcement has created. We will share more news as it develops on our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

What Do You Think?

Are you excited about the return of Animaniacs? Anxious? Maybe a little of both? Let us know your thoughts by sending an email to animanicast@retrozap.com. You can write up your thoughts or send us a voice message via mp3 or other sound file. Who knows? You might hear your thoughts on an upcoming episode!

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