Writers Get Animated

050 - It Still Writes Itself

It's our 50th episode! In celebration of reaching Episode 50, Chris and Mackenzie once again bring out the Wheels of Crossover! The rules are simple: two shows enter, one show leaves! We spin the Wheel of Shows to pick two shows to combine. Then, we spin our Wheel of Tropes to come up with a crazy concept for the crossover. Three rounds, three crazy crossovers! Happy 50th episode! *Noisemaker Sound Effects* Links Listen to the first Wheels of Crossover episode http://apple.co/2fdTpTf About Transformers http://bit.ly/2fdNm0R About DuckTales http://bit.ly/2fdOxgT About Aladdin http://bit.ly/2fdLe9j About The Mighty Ducks Movie http://bit.ly/2fucP1b About The Mighty Ducks TV Show http://bit.ly/2gn1Afz About Star Wars: Ewoks http://bit.ly/2fu9TS8 About Akira http://bit.ly/2gn12X9 About The Lion Guard http://bit.ly/2fucQlL

049 - We Always Wanted to Write for The Simpsons

Chris and Mackenzie are heading back to Springfield! They deconstruct two episodes of The Simpsons in which America’s favorite family gets into some nasty trouble on their travels. What makes a good “The Simpsons are going to…” episode? How many plots are in a successful episode? How much trouble does Lisa cause? What is the punishment for killing an alligator in Florida? What do zombies and alligators have in common? How can John August help us make an episode of The Simpsons better? Links Watch Bart vs Australia http://bit.ly/2fKDkRw Watch Kill the Alligator and Run http://bit.ly/2fKDyrR About Bart vs Australia http://bit.ly/2fKCHaA About Kill the Alligator and Run http://bit.ly/2fKDd8q The Simpsons Renewed for Two More Seasons http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/04/simpsons-renewed-two-more-seasons-gunsmoke About John August http://johnaugust.com/ About the Writer Emergency Pack http://writeremergency.com/ Listen to our List show 10 Great Episodes of The Simpsons After Maude Flanders Died http://bit.ly/wga-014 Listen to our other Writer Emergency episode Saving Superman http://bit.ly/1WQGdlR About Michael P. Fay http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/26/us/us-student-tells-of-pain-of-his-caning-in-singapore.html About Yahoo Serious http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo_Serious About Rand McNally Globes http://store.randmcnally.com/globes-decor/globes/desk-globes.html About car phones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_phone Listen to Captain Jack by Billy Joel https://itun.es/us/Nt1Dj?i=158815598

048 - The Best Animated Shows Of 2016

This one is HUGE! Chris and Mackenzie relive the best parts of 2016: the animated shows! We talk Ask the StoryBots, Bunnicula, Elena of Avalor, The Lion Guard, The Loud House, Milo Murphy's Law, Peanuts, The Powerpuff Girls, and Voltron:Legendary Defender. What do we recommend? What will we keep on watching? Find a new favorite show! Links Our best of 2015 episode http://bit.ly/wga-002 Ask the StoryBots https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ask_the_StoryBots Watch Ask the StoryBots https://www.netflix.com/title/80108159 Bunnicula the series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnicula_(TV_series) Bunnicula the book series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnicula Elena of avalor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_of_Avalor Watch Elena of Avalor http://watchdisneychannel.go.com/elena-of-avalor 'Elena of Avalor' Celebrates Día de los Muertos With Special Episode http://www.teenvogue.com/story/elena-of-avalor-dia-de-los-muertos-episode-clip The Loud House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Loud_House Milo Murphy’s Law (starring Weird Al) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_Murphy%27s_Law Watch Milo Murphy’s Law http://disneyxd.disney.com/milo-murphy-s-law Listen to “It's My World” from Milo Murphy’s Law on Apple Music https://itun.es/us/x7rzfb?i=1164255206 The Lion Guard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Guard Watch The Lion Guard http://watchdisneyjunior.go.com/the-lion-guard Listen to our episode about The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride http://bit.ly/wga-032 Watch Bunga and the King http://watchdisneyjunior.go.com/the-lion-guard/video/vdka0_u850h9z4/01/13-bunga-and-the-king Peanuts https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts_(TV_series) About The Peanuts Movie http://www.peanutsmovie.com/ The Powerpuff Girls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Powerpuff_Girls_(2016_TV_series) The New Powerpuff Girls Is So Self-Conscious About Its Feminism That It Forgets What Made the Original Great http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/04/04/the_new_powerpuff_girls_leans_so_hard_into_self_conscious_feminism_that.html Son of Zorn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Zorn Listen to our episode about Son of Zorn http://bit.ly/wga-042 Voltron: Legendary Defender Netflix (Dreamworks) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltron:_Legendary_Defender Listen to our show about Cliffhangers http://bit.ly/wga-05 Greatest Party Story Ever https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Party_Story_Ever Animals HBO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals High-concept https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-concept Princess Sofia Is Not Latina, Says Disney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/disney-princess-sofia-not-latina_n_2005288.html About Hedda Gabler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedda_Gabler About sofrito https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofrito About A Pup Named Scooby Doo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pup_Named_Scooby-Doo About Parks and Recreation http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation About Phineas and Ferb http://disneyxd.disney.com/phineas-and-ferb About The Weird Al Show https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weird_Al_Show Gravity Falls Is Ending (And That’s Okay) https://ohmy.disney.com/insider/2015/11/23/gravity-falls-is-ending-and-thats-okay/ 'Wander Over Yonder' to End with Season Two Finale http://www.rotoscopers.com/2016/03/05/wander-over-yonder-to-end-with-season-2-finale/ About Bordertown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordertown_(2016_TV_series) ‘Regular Show’ Creators, Cast Talk About The Movie And Season 7’s Finale http://www.avclub.com/article/regular-show-blast-itself-orbit-final-season-242500

047 - Good Grief! It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Turns 50!

Good grief! Keep the Halloween Spirit alive as Chris and Mackenzie wait in the Pumpkin patch to discuss It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Is there really a Great Pumpkin? How is Linus like Lisa Simpson? What does World War I have to do with Trick or Treating? How cruel is the world really? Links Watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown http://abc.go.com/movies-and-specials/its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown Buy It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Blu-ray https://www.amazon.com/Great-Pumpkin-Charlie-Brown-Blu-ray/dp/B003NLE5K4/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1478219450&sr=1-2 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_the_Great_Pumpkin,_Charlie_Brown About The Great Pumpkin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pumpkin About A Charlie Brown Christmas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas About Charlie Brown’s All-Stars http://peanuts.wikia.com/wiki/Charlie_Brown%27s_All-Stars Quest for 'Great Pumpkin' puts Peanuts in corn mazes http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2016/10/06/1-quest-for-great-pumpkin-puts-peanuts-in-corn-mazes.html It’s The 50th Anniversary Of The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-mirarchi/its-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown_b_12456016.html Why ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ is the greatest ‘Peanuts’ visual achievement https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/10/19/why-its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-is-peanuts-greatest-visual-masterpiece/ About The Peanuts Movie https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peanuts_Movie The meaning of Boffo http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boffo Garfield’s Halloween Adventure https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield%27s_Halloween_Adventure About The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_(series) The Simpsons Halloween of Horror https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Halloween_of_Horror Listen to Linus and Lucy https://itun.es/us/Vrawi?i=139986099 Listen to Great Pumpkin Waltz https://itun.es/us/-FVzi?i=140965957 About Werner Herzog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Herzog About Phineas and Ferb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_and_Ferb Rule of three https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)

046 - What Are You Doing Here? The Struggles and Failures of BoJack Horseman

What are you doing here? Listening to Chris and Mackenzie discuss the trials and successes and failures of BoJack Horseman! Will BoJack ever succeed? How bad can things get for BoJack? Can the story of BoJack be called “The Great American Novel?” What does “The Emperor’s New Groove” have in common with “BoJack Horseman?” Links About BoJack Horseman http://bit.ly/2egGpHQ BoJack Horseman Recap: Under the Sea http://bit.ly/2e2v2FL BoJack Horseman: “Brand New Couch” - The A.V. Club http://bit.ly/2eXeix7 ‘BoJack Horseman’ redefines the cartoon with dark humor http://bit.ly/2fl3mOm How BoJack Horseman Created the Boldest Cartoon Episode in Decades http://bit.ly/2eVNvCT THE BLEAKNESS AND JOY OF “BOJACK HORSEMAN” http://bit.ly/2eX9k3H How 'BoJack Horseman' Got So Good at Depicting Mental Illness http://bit.ly/2e2szLu How BoJack Horseman's Music Made It One of the Boldest Cartoons of the Year http://bit.ly/2dNg1ZL The Great American Novel: http://bit.ly/2egFmrx Why Are We Obsessed With The Great American Novel? http://nyti.ms/2fl2M33 Excerpt from The Great American Novel by John William DeForest http://bit.ly/2dQXzL0 About Wendie Malick http://bit.ly/2e2uEY0 About Space Pens (Chris’s favorite pens!) http://bit.ly/2dNg0VK

045 - Bologna In Our Slacks: Animaniacs!

It's time for Animaniacs! Chris and Mackenzie finalize their pay for play contracts and sufficiently stuff bologna in their slacks to discuss the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister! Who is the audience for this show?! How has Animaniacs impacted pop culture (and our personal lives)? Will there ever be a reboot? Could Animaniacs be made now? How old are Yakko, Wakko, and Dot? What's up with Wakko? How “meta” is too “meta?” Links Animaniacs http://bit.ly/2dtOo2U Cartoons that might no longer be appropriate in 2016: Animaniacs http://bit.ly/2dtMIXn A.V. Club “Hooked on a Ceiling” Review http://bit.ly/2dtQ3FX “Finger Prince” joke http://bit.ly/2dtOebT The Best of the Animaniacs on Netflix http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/animaniacs-netflix-guide/ Who is Bosko? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosko Pinky and the Brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_and_the_Brain The Behind-The-Scenes Story Of The Rise And Fall Of ‘Pinky And The Brain’ http://uproxx.com/tv/pinky-and-the-brain-anniversary-interview/ Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky,_Elmyra_%26_the_Brain How The ‘Animaniacs’ Dream Team Crafted Songs That Still Get Stuck In Your Head 20 years Later http://uproxx.com/tv/animaniacs-music-history/ Wakko’s Wish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakko's_Wish About Goodfellas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas About The Agony and the Ecstasy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Agony_and_the_Ecstasy_%28film%29 About the Big Eyes paintings http://www.cbsnews.com/news/big-eyes-and-the-eye-opening-story-of-margaret-keane/ What is “Meta?” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta Who is Lee Strasberg? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Strasberg Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwlCzYzjYls

044 - Tale As Old As Time: Beauty and the Beast

Mackenzie! The baguettes! Be our guest (had to say that) as Chris and Mackenzie celebrate the 25th anniversary of Beauty and the Beast! How are The Beast and Gaston the same character? Could Belle have transformed Gaston if she had married him? How old was the prince when he was cursed? Who is the real villain of Beauty and the Beast? What does the lime green color mean in a Disney movie? Links Beauty and the Beast http://bit.ly/2daQ9XF About Howard Ashman http://bit.ly/2daSQbP About Alan Menken http://bit.ly/2daR764 Listen to Beauty and the Beast (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) by Alan Menken on @AppleMusic. http://bit.ly/2daTo1g About Beauty and the Beast on Broadway http://bit.ly/2daQ6LC More Beauty and the Beast on Broadway http://bit.ly/2e5QU0K Listen to Beauty and the Beast (The Broadway Musical) by Various Artists on @AppleMusic. http://bit.ly/2dXsF6D List of Disney Princesses (Chris was wrong) http://bit.ly/2dNZZ0J Learn about designing Gaston from lead animator, Andreas Deja http://bit.ly/2dXtVGX More Gaston from Andreas Deja http://bit.ly/2daPKo7 Disney Movies Taught Us That Lime Green Is A Harbinger of Evil http://bit.ly/2dO238Y About Human Again the song http://bit.ly/2e9x1dU Anatomy of a Showtune: The Life and Times of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST http://bit.ly/2dXtPz3 THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST CAST REFLECT ON WHAT MADE THE REVOLUTIONARY DISNEY FILM SO BITTERSWEET http://on.mtv.com/2emh4Rj About the “I Want” Song http://bit.ly/2dRat1L About the Multiplane Camera http://bit.ly/2dO2hgd About Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas http://bit.ly/2dg1RLM About Hans from Frozen http://bit.ly/2ee9qou 64th Academy Awards http://bit.ly/2dXsdW2 Bonjour, Girl! (NSFW) http://bit.ly/2daRKwF About The Picture of Dorian Gray http://bit.ly/2daPwgE

043 - The Breakdown: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

It's a kind of magic! Chris and Mackenzie conjure the help of a special guest, composer and musician Jacob Reed, to dive into the depths of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Mickey Mouse! What exactly is the chore of carrying water from one place to another accomplishing? How is Mickey Mouse like Walter White? If Mickey Mouse is Superman and Donald Duck is Batman, does that make Goofy Wonder Woman? How does REM sleep work in mice, especially Animated mice? How is the animation of The Sorcerer's Apprentice indirectly related to the Communist Manifesto? Links Learn about and listen to music by Jacob Reed http://bit.ly/2dPuXSU Watch The Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia http://bit.ly/2dPub8o About Fantasia http://bit.ly/2dWCODb About the making of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice http://bit.ly/2dPv2pD About the original poem by Goethe http://bit.ly/2dWmgY0 Text of the poem by Goethe http://bit.ly/2dPu3FR About The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas http://bit.ly/2d7gDrh Look at the score of The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas http://bit.ly/2d7fboM What is a clef http://bit.ly/2d7gd4a About Scherzo http://bit.ly/2d7fWOC About Symphonic Poems http://bit.ly/2dWE4WM About Program music (Programmatic) http://bit.ly/2dz52Rx About Leitmotif http://bit.ly/2dPurUQ About Motif and Motivic Development http://bit.ly/2d7gDHN About Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz http://bit.ly/2dz5orI Posts about Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Andreas Deja’s Deja View http://bit.ly/2dwCpp1 About the Nicolas Cage film The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) http://bit.ly/2dz5GhW About “Uncle Jack” from Breaking Bad http://bit.ly/2dPtXOF Watch a performance of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Moscow City Symphony “Russian Philharmonic” http://bit.ly/2dwCfOk About The Skeleton Dance http://bit.ly/2dwBUvc About The Old Mill http://bit.ly/2d7eYC4 About Kingdom Hearts http://bit.ly/2dwDxZP About Russian Futurism http://bit.ly/2dPu9xo About the bassoon http://bit.ly/2dWDjgg About the contrabassoon http://bit.ly/2d7gfci About fugue http://bit.ly/2dPu7pg About Non-Player characters or NPC http://bit.ly/2dz5orx

042 - Daddy Issues: Son of Zorn and The Venture Bros.

In this episode, Chris and Mackenzie explore the complex and complicated world of fathers and sons in the new show Son of Zorn and the not-so-new show The Venture Bros! Where can someone hold a phone in furry underwear? How is Son of Zorn like Mad Men? Who is the most two-dimensional character in Son of Zorn? How do you pronounce Sudeikis? How dangerous is Progressive Rock to one’s mind? How many clones of your sons is too many? Links Christopher Miller http://imdb.to/2d08pi5 Phil Lord http://imdb.to/2d08fYp First look at Jason Sudeikis' live-action/animated comedy Son of Zorn http://bit.ly/2dbF0aj Why you should watch crazy, celebrity-laden new animated show 'Son of Zorn' http://bit.ly/2dp4ejz Son of Zorn review from ScreenRant http://bit.ly/2dp4dMB The Venture Bros. Clone Death Montage http://bit.ly/2de9Psy The Venture Bros. Season 4 on iTunes http://bit.ly/2d08nGZ The Charmings http://bit.ly/2dp4QWb Sassy Mirror from The Charmings http://bit.ly/2dp4fUM About Family Ties http://bit.ly/2dea8DM About Jonny Quest http://bit.ly/2dvNOTL Listen to our episode on Jonny Quest! http://bit.ly/wga-028 New Moana Trailer! http://cnn.it/2dffVXV

041 - We Boldly Go Into Star Trek: The Animated Series

In our most hashtag-laden episode yet, Chris and Mackenzie celebrate Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary by boldly going into Star Trek: The Animated Series! Along for the ride is Josh Culbertson, the Writers Get Animated resident “Star Trekspert.” Is Star Trek: The Animated Series for kids? How much trouble is there and how many episodes are there in the “Tribble-gy?” How could we forget the term “Kahs-wan ordeal?” How can Star Trek continue to challenge and push for diversity? How many Star Wars references can we make during our Star Trek conversation? Links About Star Trek: The Animated Series http://bit.ly/2ddTwcx Follow Josh Culbertson on Twitter http://bit.ly/2ddTt0p Listen to the podcast We Are Compatible by Josh Culbertson and Alex Shanks http://apple.co/2ddTe5C Watch Star Trek: The Animated Series on Netflix http://nflx.it/2ddSoWu Star Trek film series http://bit.ly/2d4lzyc 'Star Trek' 50th Anniversary: Why 'Star Trek: The Animated Series' Is A True Space Oddity http://bit.ly/2d4lsm1 About the episode The Trouble with Tribbles http://bit.ly/2d4l7zV About the episode More Tribbles. More Troubles http://bit.ly/2cHeMa9 About the episode Yesteryear http://bit.ly/2cHeqAr About the episode How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth http://bit.ly/2d4kMwY Tribbles Week: Re-watching Star Trek: The Animated Series “More Tribbles, More Troubles” http://bit.ly/2d4llH8 About Limited Animation http://bit.ly/2cHed00 Bryan Fuller’s Star Trek Show an Anthology Series Taking Place at Various Points in the Main Continuity http://bit.ly/2d4lHO9 Creating Star Trek’s First Alien: Spock from Forgotten Trek http://bit.ly/2cHedxa Nichelle Nichols interview about Martin Luther King Jr. http://bit.ly/2d4ljPz Programming for Cats from the film Scrooged http://bit.ly/2d4m630 Nostalgic Impulse: In defense of… Wesley Crusher http://bit.ly/2d4l5YP Scott Bakula Is the Best Part of Looking http://bit.ly/2cHehwR About Quantum Leap http://bit.ly/2cHeDTT About Stargate http://bit.ly/2d4lOsK About Godzilla Roars http://n.pr/2d4lgn3