What A Cartoon! - The December 2021 Schedule

We've reached the end of 2021 at long last, and we're closing out the year by looking at some classic Boomer-era holiday specials, as well as a modern classic by a beloved filmmaker who left us far too early. That's right, we'll be kicking off the month with a trip back to the world of Rankin-Bass with our examination of Frosty the Snowman, then steering our podcast sleigh towards another 1960s yuletide classic, Chuck Jones' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Finally, we'll close the curtain on December with our first in-depth discussion of a Satoshi Kon film via our What A Cartoon Movie episode all about 2001's Millennium Actress. And don't forget, $5 and up patrons will get to hear the Talking Futurama podcast about "The Route of All Evil" on the second Monday of this month!

Also, we're currently knee-deep in our newest podcast miniseries, Blabbin 'Bout Batman: The Animated Series! In case the title didn't give it away, on this new weekly podcast series, we talk about Batman: The Animated Series—specifically, our ten favorite episodes. And you can only hear it by signing up for the Talking Simpsons Patreon at the $5 level or higher. Signing up also gets you instant access to every podcast miniseries we've released so far, which at this point is over 100 episodes!

Here's what's on the schedule for December:

Frosty the Snowman [Patreon: 12/6/21 - Free Feed: 12/13/21]

Remember that snowman named Frosty who danced around for a bit before melting? Well, there isn't much more to the story, but in 1969, Rankin-Bass decided to turn the famous song into a full Christmas special. And it wouldn't be all that notable without the assistance of some of the most legendary Japanese animators of all time—and you better believe we're covering that element in extreme detail. So join us as we examine the Christmas season's most beloved chain-smoking character!

You can currently watch Frosty the Snowman on Youtube.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [Patreon: 12/20/21 - Free Feed: 12/27/21]

Despite the additional times it's been re-adapted—and bloated beyond recognition—nothing beats Chuck Jones' slim and tidy TV adaptation from 1966. There's a reason why it's become a seasonal classic, and referenced countless times by everyone who grew up with the naked green man who was born with a too-small heart. Listen in and learn a valuable lesson about why you're allowed to rob from people as long as you feel slightly bad about it afterwards!

You can currently stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas via Peacock.

An Extended Free Preview of What A Cartoon Movie for Millennium Actress [Patreon: 12/27/21 - Free Feed: 1/3/22]

It's hard to believe legendary filmmaker Satoshi Kon has been gone for more than a decade. Something that's even harder to believe: we've never talked about any of his works in over three years of What A Cartoon Movie! That all changes at the end of this month as we discuss his amazing 2001 film, Millennium Actress—just in time for its 20th anniversary. So get ready to bring 2021 to a merciful end by listening to our full-length discussion about this truly beautiful film.

And remember: $5 patrons and folks on the free feed will hear an extended preview of the podcast, but if you want the whole thing (and access to all other episodes of What A Cartoon Movie) you'll have to bump your subscription up to the $10 level.

That brings us to the end of 2021, and we can't thank all of you enough for supporting us through another less-than-ideal 12 months as the state of the world slowly improves. Have a great holiday season, and here's to a slightly more normal 2022!