Remember, remember the toons of November
Sing it with us, to the tune of "We Didn't Start the Fire": New season of the horse show! Ghibli comes to HBO! Ein the corgi steals the show!
A newsletter that should not be forgot! Don’t miss out on all the latest animation news, our newsletter exclusive interview with You’re Not a Monster creator Frank Lesser, some thoughts on the gentle ways Steven Universe addresses trauma, and more.
What’s news, pussycat?
The latest pieces published on our site.
If You Understand Borderline Personality Disorder, Steven Universe’s Latest Antagonist’s Actions Make Perfect Sense
The new Steven Universe movie explores trauma and mental health in the same gentle but powerful way the show always has. In this piece, writer Amelia Kidd explores how the backstory of the film’s villain, Spinel, depicts the cycle of abuse, a particular form of intergenerational trauma, and how creating space for pain can heal past wounds.
A Spoiler-Free Review of That Feelings-y Horse Show
You heard it here, folks! Editor Eric Vilas-Boas gave us the only accurate and totally spoiler-less review of Bojack Horseman, that cartoon you love to cry to while uttering “How dare you!?” over and over again under your breath.
There Are Only Three Good Seasons of Spongebob Squarepants
What happens to shows that run past their prime? Usually nothing good. Writer Nicole Ortiz explains why the first three seasons of Spongebob are the only ones that hit the mark.
[Read more of our latest posts here.]
But it ain’t me, babe
Great writing and news on toons from sites that aren’t the Dot and Line!
John Witherspoon Has Died at 77 [New York Times] RIP to the great actor who voiced Robert Jebediah “Granddad” Freeman, fictional civil rights legend of The Boondocks fame.
Lotte Reiniger, the Genius Before Disney [New York Times] A touching obituary for the director, artist, and thinker who told fanciful stories in animated films with her hand-cut paper silhouettes.
The Studio Ghibli Films Will Stream Exclusively on HBO Max [Polygon] In earth-shattering news, the rights to all Studio Ghibli films were secured by HBO. Happy streaming, folks.
Netflix Has Plans for Beloved Fantasy Bone [Deadline] The streaming service has officially secured the rights to Jeff Smith’s bestselling series, and animation is about to give it a special treatment.
The Touching Response to Aaron Paul’s BoJack Character’s Sexuality [BuzzFeed] Paul spoke with BuzzFeed News about the final season of BoJack Horseman and how his character’s asexuality helped fans.
Give Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal the Oscar [Polygon] How Primal’s series-turned-movie is a payoff of Genndy Tartakovsky’s whole career, from our very own Eric Vilas-Boas.
BoJack Horseman is a Worthy Successor to Neon Genesis Evangelion [Polygon] Have you gotten enough of our editors writing for Polygon and/or about BoJack Horseman? Too bad! John Maher gets extra nerdy in this visual breakdown.
Looks Like Cowboy Bebop’s Live-Action Ein Is an Extremely Good Boy [Gizmodo] The results are in and all signs point to this IRL corgi being GOOD.
Happy birthday to toons
Every day brings another oppor-toon-ity for another classic’s anniversary.
Will All Dogs Ever Go to Criterion Heaven?
We have a bone to pick. That is, editor Eric Vilas-Boas has a few things to howl about—like the treatment of movies like All Dogs Go to Heaven, which is now 30 years old and deserves JUSTICE.
More anniversaries: Over the Garden Wall is 5 • The Princess and the Frog is 10 • The Incredibles, Tom Goes to the Mayor, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie are 15 • Courage the Cowardly Dog and Toy Story 2 are 20 • A Bug’s Life is 21 and can drink now • Spider-Man: The Animated Series, The Pagemaster, and The Swan Princess are 25 • The Little Mermaid and Wallace and Gromit are 30 • Sherlock Hound is 35 • Sesame Street is 50 • The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show is 60
Throwing it back
Revisit some favorites from our archives.
Why the Queer Love Story “In a Heartbeat” Took Over the Internet
Never say four minutes isn’t enough time for queer love to triumph. Writer Cara McKeown explores why the animated short about Sherwin, the shy boy outed by his very own heart, stole all of ours.
Ask Scratchy: I Failed Everyone. How Do I Go On?
Over at our favorite column, Korra of The Legend of Korra asks Dr. Scratchansniff how to go on when she feels she’s failed every member of the Air, Fire, Water, and Earth nations to come. (P.S.: Ask Scratchy is coming back! If you’re an animated character who needs some answers to hard questions, please ask the good doctor here.)
NEWSLETTER EXCLUSIVE: Three Questions for…Frank Lesser
The Dot and Line sat down with Frank Lesser, creator of IMDb's You're Not a Monster, a web series starring Kelsey Grammer, Eric Stonestreet, Patton Oswalt, Ellie Kemper and Aparna Nancherla. Streaming on Amazon Prime, the series is about a therapist whose clients are, well, monsters. (Just in case you’re not quite over Halloween yet.)
What was your inspiration for this series?
Everyone's felt like a misunderstood monster at some point in their life, so I wanted to make a show about a therapist whose patients really are the horrifying monsters they think they are, because they really are horrifying monsters. I'm not sure why I try to humanize inhuman creatures from beyond the grave, but I suppose that's another thing for me to discuss with my own therapist for $150/hour. But monster have the same worries we all have: not finding love, not living up to other people's expectations, not being able to get all the blood out of your nails.
What's your favorite joke from the show?
I crammed so many jokes into You're Not a Monster, and I've heard them so many times while working with the animation director Lily Streiff that it's hard to pick a favorite. But I think one of my favorites is the running joke where the therapist-turned-vampire John Seward keeps bringing up his most famous client, "a count from Transylvania." We actually recorded many of Kelsey Grammer and Eric Stonestreet's scenes together, and the scheduling nightmare paid off, thanks to their chemistry and wonderfully natural interactions.
What does animation mean to you?
To me, it's the ultimate, most distilled form of creative expression. All film, television and theater—and life!—is creative, of course, but with animation, you're literally making something out of nothing: just voices and a bunch of drawings on paper or celluloid or a computer screen. You and the animators have ultimate control over every aspect of the production, which is both freeing and deeply, deeply terrifying. Yes, in film you have endless options of casting and costume design and which lenses and filters you use, but with animation you get to actually design the entire world, down to the shape of people's noses, eyes and Simpsons-esque overbites.
What are we watching? What are YOU watching!?
The editors (and readers!) dish on our latest obsessions.
John is watching…Undone and gen:LOCK
Look, I know, this newsletter has become the Raphael Bob-Waksberg Appreciation Society’s monthly missive, but Undone, a new show he co-created with BoJack writer alum Kate Purdy, makes another mention necessary here. A rotoscoped masterpiece, this is a show that does everything right, and its first season clocks in at only eight half-hour episodes, so get on it. On another note, did you, like me, overlook gen:LOCK? Because…yeah, that was dumb. Why? Michael B. Jordan. Maisie Williams. David Tennant. Giant robots. Government conspiracies. What are you waiting for?
Eric is reading…Shinichirō Watanabe’s Reddit AMA
Last month, the master of Cowboy Bebop took to the digital streets of Reddit to tango with commenters clamoring to ask him urgent questions like “What can one do to be as cool as Spike in everyday life?” Watanabe, to his credit, gamely answered a whole lot of them, providing insight into his personal philosophy (answer to the Spike question: “I think you should get a dog”), his taste (his favorite recent animated work: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was very good”), and his job (he discusses working with Yoko Kanno and Nujabes, among others). The whole thing is a fun, light read if you’re a fan, and pegged to Bebop being streamable on Channel 4 in the U.K.
Sammy is watching…BoJack Horseman (what else?)
I’ve been a diehard fan of BoJack Horseman from the get-go, so of course I've been watching and rewatching the latest season that just dropped a few weeks ago. Conclusion: It's great, as per usual, and I need a hug.
Elly is watching…Geronimo Stilton and Little Bear
I’m sorry, who else loved the Geronimo Stilton books growing up and forgot to tell me that there was a whole animated season of it on Netflix!? That mouse is the best mouse to happen to me since Stuart Little, OKAY? Let me be cheesy! (Not sorry). Also, I’ve been re-watching episodes of Little Bear on YouTube because clearly I’m in a nostalgic mood that has to do with…animated animals.
Marley is watching…Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I'm watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, both the original series and Nickelodeon's reboot! As much as I love the old version (both due to nostalgia and the fact that the series has held up pretty well imo), the character design in the new version is a nice little touch to visually highlight each turtle’s personality. Both series stay true to what makes the show timeless and special: brotherhood, friendship, pizza, and of course, turtle power!
Aaaaand…that’s all, folks!
Thanks so much for reading our newsletter, which is produced by Elly Belle! If you have any notes, feedback, or tips on what to watch next, email us at thedotandline@gmail.com. And if you like what we do, forward this to your friends and yell in their faces until they forward it to all of their friends. Until next time!
Love,
The Dot and Line