Pride, greed, cartoon lust, and a message of hope
Including an interview with the director of an exciting Peruvian film.
Welcome to the newsletter of The Dot and Line, where we’ll send you the best of all things toons, including newsletter-original recommendations and animation journalism from our site in your inbox every month (for now). Since this is just our third send, we welcome any notes, feedback, and—especially—tips on what to watch next. Email us at thedotandline@gmail.com! We hope you dig it.
What’s neeeews, pussycat?
Director Juan Antin Discusses His New Film Pachamama
“I was trying to give a message of hope,” Antin told Marley Crusch in this Q&A on the newly streamable animated film. Here’s everything else he had to say about the making of the César Award–nominated Peruvian film and why his team used ancient instruments and wild animation techniques to make Pachamama pop.
The Top 10 Authors in Animation
The first ever fictional fiction writer that Deirdre Coyle loved was Daria Morgendorffer from MTV’s iconic ’90s cartoon. Like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Daria reads constantly. Unlike Belle, Daria hates everyone. This list embraces the contradictions that fuel good writers, even the fictional ones.
Cartoons Have Inspired a Wild Meme About First Crushes
Everyone remembers their first crush: the butterflies that filled your stomach when you thought of them, the way their smile seemed to light up the room, and that hilarious catchphrase they said every episode—you know, Ehhhhh, what’s up, Doc? Our very own Marley Crusch ran down some of the best #1stCartoonCrush candidates after the comic book writer Gail Simone made the hashtag blow up.
Throwing it back
Happy Pride Month! These Kids’ Cartoons Treated Their LGBTQ Characters With Respect
The world isn’t perfect, but these cartoons have always given us joy. Cynthia Segal lovingly created this heartwarming list of positive inclusion in animation a couple years ago, and we’d like to re-share it this month. Here are a few more words from us on LGBTQ representation in cartoons that are worth reading too:
> What She-Ra Gets Right About Angsty Queerness
> Why the Queer Love Story “In a Heartbeat” Took Over the Internet
> Two Poems On “Waltz for Venus,” One of the Most Poignant Episodes of Cowboy Bebop
These ACLU Cartoons Offer Practical Advice For Those Targeted By ICE
Almost exactly one year ago, Eric Vilas-Boas blogged about a new set of cartoons created by the ACLU to educate individuals and communities targeted by ICE on their rights. Sadly, with President Trump’s threat of mass deportation this week, this ongoing crisis is in the news again.
The Best (and Worst) “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis“ Covers
The legendary anime Neon Genesis Evangelion comes to Netflix this week—ending a years-long stint in which the massively popular, massively influential show was legally unavailable in the United States. One of its most iconic quirks is an incredibly catchy theme song, which Eric Vilas-Boas, our resident NGE number-cruncher, took the time to roast a while back.
What else is another year older?
Who can say where the rooooooooooad goes, where the daaaaaaaay flows? Ooooooooonly time. Okay, we won’t serenade you but we will remind you that every second is another oppor-toon-ity for another classic’s anniversary.
Wall-E Turns 11 This Month. Here’s What It Said About Capitalism.
The corporate greed is as real in 2019 as it was in 2008, and only seems to be getting worse. In this essay, Seth Dellon looks back on the iconic Pixar film—one in which runaway capitalism essentially destroys human society—and specifically considers its place in the Walt Disney Company, a company with $98.598 billion in total assets (as of 2018).
What we’re watching right now
John is watching…The Pixar Story (soon)
So far, June has been too busy for me to watch much of anything—although Sammy and I spent a recent Saturday at our friend (and contributor, and occasional podcaster) Kevin's place watching old Disney movie song clips on YouTube with friends until 2am like the brainwashed Millennials we are. But I've been in a bit of a documentary mood, which is rare, and The Pixar Story, which I haven't seen but was received warmly by critics, is on Netflix. That's probably next up on my list.
Eric is playing…Batman: Arkham Asylum
Iconic Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. Iconic Joker voice actor Mark Hamill. Iconic Batman writer Paul Dini. This game I’ve just become obsessed with (≈10 years late) has all of the magic of Batman: The Animated Series with the added bonus of putting you in the action as the Caped Crusader. I’ve been watching cartoons, I swear! But I’ve been doing a lot more of this.
Elly is watching…Tuca and Bertie
I am not a person who has a lot of time, and therefore, I am not a person who ever binges TV shows. I can count the number of times I’ve done it in my life on one hand. But Tuca and Bertie is something special, and it makes me feel so. called. out. The ways that anxiety and depression, self-esteem issues, relationships trials and tribulations, and ups and downs of life are played out by some goddamn bird cartoon characters is wild—and I feel especially seen by all of Bertie’s weird singing and dancing about her anxiety. If you’re an anxious person who likes cartoons and weird puns like me, watch it. If you’re not, well…kudos!
Sammy is watching…The Dragon Prince
When you're doing something mundane yet necessary, like packing for a move, there's nothing quite like rewatching a good animated series—after all, you can't pay FULL attention, but still want to be entertained. Even though I've already seen The Dragon Prince, I've been picking up on so many little things out of the corner of my eye as I pack up my stuff—it's definitely worth another watch. And I was reminded that I need to name my next cat Zym.
Aaaaand…that’s all, folks!
Thanks so much for reading. This newsletter was produced by Elly Belle and Eric Vilas-Boas. If you liked it, forward it to your friends, yell in their face until they forward it to all of their friends, and then we…do what we do every night, Pinky: Try to take over the world!
Love,
The Dot and Line