Saturday Morning Cartoons XXIX: Reader’s Choice
Posted by Ross Rosenberg
Eliza put out a call for suggestions and the Ectomite Hive Mind responded with a bevy of bizarre links and nostalgic requests leaving us with a hodge-podge of old childhood favorites and surreal art-house films. Thanks to everyone who took the time to post and if you don’t see your contribution here, rest assured it will make an appearance in the very near future. Now, go Ectomomites! TO THE JUMP!
•This is it folks, the sixth and final episode of FLCL. As many times as I’ve seen these they never get old.
•The Cathedral, directed by Tomasz Baginski: On a distant planet a stranger comes upon a foreboding, half-finished cathedral. From the director of Fallen Art featured last week. Thanks, twokurts!
•C.O.P.S. “The Case of the Lowest Crime”: I had forgotten all about this one but thankfully Six mentioned it. An over-the-top action cartoon about law enforcement “in a future time” from th ’80s. In this episode a new drug called “crystal Twist” is on the market and as we all know, there is nothing worse than drugs. Even Big Boss and his hardened gang of humorously named henchmen won’t stoop that low. “Hey, I don’t need drugs; I get my kicks from crime”
•The Black Heart Gang Presents: Tale of How: The surreal story of a giant octopus with a tree on its back. Thanks, Mike!
•Codehunters: A short, CGI film for MTV. Set in a barren world a group of armed misfits takes over a train to unleash its mysterious cargo. Thanks, clevetheripper!
•Rocko’s Modern Life, “Wacky Delly”: A season 2 episode (notice the B-52’s version of the theme song) of this awesome show that is STILl INEXPLICABLY NOT ON DVD. Ralph Bighead wants out of his contract with his studio so he enlists Rocko and the boys to help him create a new animated show, which he is sure will be terrible. He’s in for a surprise.
•The Mouse and His Child: A movie about toy mice on a quest to be “self-winding”. I haven’t seen this in forever and I can’t wait to sit down and watch the whole thing. Thanks, mikewolf!
• Lastly is a new Chris Ware animation for the new season of This American Life on Showtime. I’m not as enamored with this one as I was with his first but it’s still excellent.
Categories: Hive-mind, Anime, Ectomites, 80s, Octopus, Eye Candy, Rail, Cartoons, Cephalopods, Science Fiction, Film, Crime, Artists, Readers, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Animation
Posted at 10:24 am on May 10, 2008
6 Comments -
Line of the episode for COPS:
Poor kid;
Once you were a man,
Now you’re just a mess
The B-52’s did the theme for Rocko’s Modern Life? Neato.
Comment by Six — May 10, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
Aw man, it’d been years since I’ve seen “Wacky Delly”. Thank you!!
Comment by Dedos — May 10, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
I DON’T NEED DRUGS I GET MY KICKS FROM CRIIIIIME
Comment by Eliza Gauger — May 10, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Ahh, FLCL. Has there been a finer anime produced? I’d honestly say no, no there has not.
Comment by Oni — May 11, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
Man, did I love me some C.O.P.S. as a kid. I thought the robotic K-9 unit (”Bowser”? or was that the cop himself?) was the coolest thing ever. It’s funny when you grow up and start to see the subtext that was so obvious but flew under a kid’s radar. Still, the ’80’s were a golden era in animation that despite my disconnect due to age I don’t believe any cartoon really enjoys in the same way today.
I’m not sure people realize it, but Heffer on Rocko was performed by Tom Kenny, now better known as the voice of Spongebob Squarepants. Rocko himself was performed by Carlos Alazraqui, who plays Junior on Reno 911! Interesting where careers take people.
Y’know what I’d love to see next week? Some of those animated shorts that used to run on The Great Space Coaster. I think they were Italian in origin, but I’m not certain. Maybe also some Bravestarr for an ’80’s toon and anime-wise, I hear good things about Cromartie High School.
Comment by License Farm — May 12, 2008 @ 2:42 am
Its nice to see Rocko’s modern life on here. Its been so long since I’ve seen it I almost completely forgot about this episode and it is one of the best. Also contains the phrase, “no more spunky in my Salmon Bush”
Comment by Hlaode — May 12, 2008 @ 10:13 am