Saturday Morning Obscurities

Sorry we haven't posted a new episode in a few months! Here's some info on how we're updating and reshaping the podcast moving forward. Hopefully with a couple changes, we'll be less likely to hit another big hiatus like this again in the future. Thank you for staying tuned!

Christina (She/Her) returns and she has brought us the short-lived 1977 cartoon Space Sentinels. Astrea, Hercules, and Mercury are three immortal beings with godly powers who live on a spaceship in the bottom of a dormant volcano. Their computer Sentinel 1 sends them out on missions like investigating a multi-dimensional cube and finding the stolen North Pole.   We discuss the history of animation studio Filmmation, how the show changed its name from Young Sentinels to Space Sentinels to capitalize on the Star Wars craze, showing your dad a cool rock you found, and yogurt.    Here's that Space Sentinels Activity Book page that made us laugh so much.   Follow Christina Woods! @CWoodsArt   Check out her podcasts! @WaywardOCpod @FaithFullPods @LoserLikeMePod     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched Disney's 1986 Halloween TV special, Mr. Boogedy! The Davis family moves to Lucifer Falls to open a new Gag City joke shop, and find that their house is haunted by appliances that move on their own and a mysterious green light that may be tied to an old town legend.   We discuss the cool ghost effects, fake joke glasses, Hot Clothes, and the element of slime. Thanks for listening to us for the past two years and have a fun Halloween!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our first returning guest Tanner (They/Them) is back to talk about the 1998 TV show The New Addams Family! It's the family you know and love, still creepy, still kooky, remaking old episodes from the 60s show for the radical 90s.   We talk about the family's love for each other and acceptance of strangers, the mysterious origins of Thing, being friends with a gorilla, forgotten movies you can find on Tubi, and how "Lurch" is a surprisingly common nickname for dads.   We had some slight audio cutting difficulties this episode, and they're very noticeable around 25min in. We did our best, but sorry we couldn't fix it entirely!      Follow Tanner! @SparkyUpstart   Check out their podcasts! @LoserLikeMePod @NIIRYFPod @Pkmn_Millennium       Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Every episode, we invoke his name. Now it's time to really talk about Scooby-Doo by covering Mystery Incorporated, the Cartoon Network animated series that ran from 2010-2013. This story places the gang in the seaside town Crystal Cove, where they discover a history of supernatural problems, and a history of other mystery-solving teams that met dreadful ends trying to uncover the town's secrets.   We talk about how the story stands on its own but is also a metacommentary on the entire Scooby franchise, how it gives these characters a wider emotional range and new team dynamics, the homages to all kinds of horror and mystery media, and The Hex Girls.      Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week we're shining a light on a new animated show that debuted on Netflix earlier this year, Dead End: Paranormal Park, based on the comics by creator Hamish Steele.    Barney and Norma are two teens who come to Phoenix Park looking for jobs, and find that the place is haunted! They have to deal with demonic possessions and shadowy owners alongside running theme park rides, but they ultimately find that this is a place they can be their authentic selves.  We talk about the show's clear conversations about LGBTQ+ issues for a younger audience, its knowledge of real theme park operations, demons who eat trash, a hat that's too small for a human but perfect for a dog, and musicals. After recording this, season 2 of the show was confirmed for release on October 13th!!   Also, in this episode we use the phrase "FTM" in reference to a voice actor, and would like to correct ourselves. Trans Man is the more universally appropriate term, and we'll use that in the future!   Beetlejuice The Musical Animatic by Shnikkels   One of Patrick Stump's demo songs   Waking Kitchen Nightmares Podcast     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

On this Saturday Morning Giant, we watched the Hanna Barbera retrofuturism classic The Jetsons to celebrate the canonical birth of George Jetson this year! George and his family live in a future world full of rocket cars and robot maids, and still deal with normal domestic problems like getting a raise at work or feeling jealous about the neighbors.    We compare the original 1962 run to the revival in the 1980s, and discuss the addition of an unnecessary alien pet, impressive pun work, building an indestructible jacket but not indestructible pants, empath superpowers, and defunct theme park attractions.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2012 Disney XD cartoon Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja! Norrisville High School has been haunted by an evil sorcerer and protected by a ninja guardian for centuries, and every four years, a new freshman ninja is chosen. Randy is that ninja! With the help of his best friend Howard Weinerman, he sights off all the sudden monster attacks that his school has grown used to.   We discuss the surprisingly complex lore of the show, the questionable role that ninjas inhabit in pop culture outside their Asian origins, parkour, robots, black and white art films, and the time our dad got so invested in a chili cookoff that he bought his own meat grinder.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Ignacio (He/Him) from the video game podcast Crossplay joins us to talk about Digimon Tamers. In a world where Digimon is a fictional game, young Takato draws a picture of his original Digimon Guilmon -- and it comes to life! His friends soon pair up with Digimon of their own, and the kids travel to the Digital World, where they explore these partnerships and the unique evolutions of their Digimon as they fight the furious Beelzemon.    We compare the English dub to the original Japanese script and discuss food metaphors, characters who crossed over from the video games to the anime, a kid's introductions to more dramatic storytelling, and a bird biker with three eyes.   Follow Ignacio! @IgnacioRojasB   Check out Crossplay on The Whatnauts network! @thewhatnauts     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

In brightest day, in blackest night, no episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series will escape our sight! This 2011 Cartoon Network show follows the adventures of the DC hero Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern crew as they search the galaxy for new recruits and fend off the attacks of the Red Lanterns and the Anti-Monitor.   We discuss the lantern colors and powers in this universe, the Green Lantern that is an entire planet, lawful good smugness, Star Trek, and a romance so powerful that it echoes through future DC animated shows.      SPOILERS WARNING The second episode we cover is the finale. We also talk about an event in season 4 of Young Justice.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We continue Pride Month by watching the 1997 anime Revolutionary Girl Utena! Instead of dreaming of marrying a prince when she grows up, Utena is determined to be a prince herself. She dons a masculine uniform at school and challenges a member of the mysterious Student Council to a duel to defend her friend's honor. She wins the duel --and her prize is being betrothed to the magical Rose Bride.   We discuss the glamorous character designs, the surreal dream logic, the apocalypse song, the business monkey, and Our Flag Means Death.        Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We're kicking off Pride Month with the 1999 cartoon Cybersix! Our titular hero escaped from the evil science lab that tried to make her into a super-soldier, and she now spends nights as a protector of her city -- and days as mild-mannered high school teacher Mr. Adrien Sidleman.    We discuss the lead's dual gender identities, and the fellow high school teacher who has a crush on both of them. We also talk mud monsters, excessive breakfasts, a sudden panther, the oldest Beyblade, and taking over the TV at a family function.   The Live Action Cybersix Series     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Let us introduce you to Meet the Robinsons, a 2007 Disney animated feature film that's way more chaotic than you'd expect.    Lewis is a young orphan who's constantly inventing contraptions that backfire, and he's worried his obsession means he'll never be adopted. A mysterious boy takes him on a time travel adventure to the future, where he meets the wacky but loving Robinson family, learns that you can't have discovery without failure, and stops a villain literally called Bowler Hat Guy.   We discuss a puppet wife, putting a steak on a black eye, custom-printed phone cases we found with screenshots from this movie, and having a big head and little arms.   Weird Goob merchandise: Action Figure Phone Case   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Special guest Pete (He/Him) joins us to talk about The Big O, the 1999 anime that aired on Toonami and Adult Swim. Roger Smith is a negotiator in Paradigm City, a place where everyone lost their memories 40 years ago. He uses The Big O, his mech, to help fight mysterious monsters and other mechs found or built by criminals, always unsure of where any of this comes from. We discuss how everyone says Roger's name like they're cursing at him, the soup dad, the strong sassy robot, the secret to immortality, and Batman.   1980s early CGI animations   The Vern Fonk Insurance Commercial   Follow Pete! @TheEdgeOfMyPete   Check out the Hello Hyrule podcast! @HyrulePod     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

This week, the wonderful Wilkinsons watched Where's Wally! This is a 1991 cartoon based on the popular seek-and-find books known in the US as Where's Waldo. Wizard Whitebeard shows up in Waldo's attic to send him on missions to fantastic landscapes, to help people in need, outwit the dastardly Odlaw, and get himself lost in crowds.   We discuss the jarring theme song, the narrator breaking in to affect the story, dogs who wear glasses, and nerds who can date princesses.     Sorry for Jams's low quality audio! We accidentally recorded it from the wrong mic, oops!   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Our friend Jason (He/Him) joins us for our first "Saturday Night Obscurities" episode about an adult cartoon, the long-running Adult Swim series The Venture Bros! Dr. Rusty Venture is a former boy adventurer turned unsuccessful scientist, dragging his teenage sons across a world of spaceships, supervillains, and family secrets. We recap the hour-long special "All This and Gargantua-2" that opens season six, and talk about the series as a whole!    We discuss the show's mix of action, comedy, and surprising emotion, the continuity callbacks, characters who are direct Marvel homages, how many literal Venture brothers there actually are, and another one of the greatest "wait, this has a real ongoing plot?" cartoons, Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated.     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

Welcome back to another episode of Sci-Fi Afternoon Odysseys, the show where we discuss the finest of Sci-Fi Channel's original programming! A podcast we've always been doing! We're still watching Eureka, now on episode 7, "Blink." Two competing teams of Global Dynamics scientists need to race against the clock to complete an anti-missile shield, and they turn to a dangerous super-speed drug to help them work faster.    We discuss isekai anime, Jack's wholesome love of baseball, many small sodas, "Problem Boy," and this YouTube video we found that's the exact normal opening theme for the show but someone pasted their own face over Colin Ferguson.   Eureka intro, Cory edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFWTl8CkT2U   Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2004 Icelandic show LazyTown, a mix of live action human athleticism, puppets, and musical numbers. Energetic young Stephanie moves to LazyTown and inspires the local kids to spend more time playing games outside. The villain Robbie Rotten wants to keep the town lazy, but Stephanie teams up with the hero Sportacus to defeat him every time.   We talk about the town's location in a void of endless fields, how Robbie and Sportacus might be the latest in a line of regenerating archetypal primal forces, and the show's contributions to memes, especially the supervillain ska banger "We Are Number One."     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

We watched the 2004 animated series Dragon Booster. Artha lives in a futuristic city where everyone rides a dragon and races them for sport, but he prefers playing dragon-racing video games. After his father leaves him the legendary golden dragon, he takes up the responsibility of becoming its "booster," its trusted rider who will bond with it to protect humans and prevent another human/dragon war.   We discuss the detailed worldbuilding, the character name allusions to King Arthur's court, tall sci-fi cities that you can just fall off of, how nobody can recognize Racer X by his voice or mouth, and why there can't just be a podracing cartoon.   Sorry if you hear any of Jams's sniffles this episode, we tried to edit them out best we could!     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod

The siblings talk about a siblings-based classic, the 1994 Nickelodeon sitcom My Brother & Me! This show follows the misadventures of young brothers Alfie and Deedee, and their friend Goo. We see the kids act in their school's production of Robin Hood, and when Goo is hit in the face with a basketball, his personality changes to become Sensitive Goo.    We discuss how the show feels naturalistic and lived-in but also filled with wacky sitcom logic, the use of costumes in foreshadowing, a very cool comic book store, and memories of Blockbuster.      Here's an article on the actual origins of the phrase "Curses! Foiled again!"     Jams: @JamsWilk Melissa: @WilkyWit Questions or Suggestions: Email us!: SaturdayMOpod@gmail.com DM us!: @SaturdayMOpod