A Special Presentation, or Alf Will Not Be Seen Tonight

What happens when everyone's favorite fat cat goes camping and encounters an escaped panther from the zoo? Well, that's pretty much it. Join us as we look at one of the lesser Garfield specials, we were gonna talk about "It's Magic, Charlie Brown!", the snoopy special with which it was originally paired, but we got too distracted talking about commercials for McDonalds and the concept of cable TV.

Mandrake the Magician has, for some reason, not made the jump to the big screen in this latest round of superhero mania, but the globe-trotting crime-fighting magician of the comics page has so much potential that we can’t help but imagine a much better movie than we got with the sole Mandrake film adaptation: this 1979 made-for-TV lost dud starring Robert Reed from the Brady Bunch and James Hong from everything that James Hong has ever been in.

It's after Thanksgiving, and that means it's time for everyone's favorite Thanksgiving special -- Tubby the Tuba! You know Tubby the Tuba, right? You will soon! Join us for this look at everyone's favorite opera for tiny tots about a tuba who joins the circus and also goes to adopt an orphan melody and there's a frog. This all seemed like a really good idea in the early 70s! The important thing to remember is that Pixar was NOT involved.

The fat orange cat finally got his big screen debut in 2004 with Garfield the Movie, the culmination of Jim Davis' long-time dream to see Garfield in theaters. Was it everything that it was cracked up to be? Why on earth did they CG Garfield but not Odie? We answer the big questions as we try to wrap our heads around the dumbest studio decision in film history.

The fat orange cat finally got his big screen debut in 2004 with Garfield the Movie, the culmination of Jim Davis' long-time dream to see Garfield in theaters. Was it everything that it was cracked up to be? Why on earth did they CG Garfield but not Odie? We answer the big questions as we try to wrap our heads around the dumbest studio decision in film history.

We're back on our Peanuts bullshit! Today we look at TWO, yes, TWO, Peanuts specials that are so slight you might not even believe they were actually specials! Come for Peanuts, stay for tales of bible camp, vampire monkeys, and anime dog fart pranks!

Between 1938 and 1950, they released 25 Blondie movies -- 4 in 1942 alone!!! This week we look at a random one, Blondie's Blessed Event -- which brings us both the birth of Cookie and also the big screen debut of Hans Conried!

We're back on our Dick Tracy bullshit! This week, our good friend Morbiose joins us to talk about the 1990 Dick Tracy movie, starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, and a whole host of A list actors disguised under several hundred pounds each of foam rubber.

We're back on our Dick Tracy bullshit! This week, our good friend Morbiose joins us to talk about the 1990 Dick Tracy movie, starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, and a whole host of A list actors disguised under several hundred pounds each of foam rubber.

Dick Tracy was adapted to the small screen in the early 1960s and you know what that means: lots and lots of racism!! The Dick Tracy Show featured remarkably little Dick Tracy but lots and lots of racism. It has... not aged well. But you know what will always be in style? Two white guys talking about racism. Enjoy!

Dick Tracy was adapted to the small screen in the early 1960s and you know what that means: lots and lots of racism!! The Dick Tracy Show featured remarkably little Dick Tracy but lots and lots of racism. It has... not aged well. But you know what will always be in style? Two white guys talking about racism. Enjoy!

Fearless Fosdick is a comic-within-a-comic from Lil' A bner -- this Dick Tracy parody was ostensibly Lil' Abner's favorite comic, but it was really just an excuse for Al Capp to goof on Dick Tracy. Fearless Fosdick was popular enough in his own right to get adapted into a puppet show... and if anything, this show proved that everything is more fun with puppets!

Friend of the pod Steph Cherrywell joins us to talk about Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back, one of the bazillion Crayon Shin-Chan movies and the one to greet the new millennium with a surprisingly heart-felt mediation on the seductive and destructive powers of nostalgia. Somehow how poignant when we're living in 2023, the year that all the suddenly middle-aged Xers got weirdly obsessively fascistically nostalgic and also decided that their childhood has been ruined by things and stuff.

It's another Charles Schultz oddity... about a giant Snoopy plush that is never identified as Snoopy. He's just The Big Stuffed Dog. When a whiny little kid is separated from his dog that he loves so much he never bothered to name it, said plush goes on a series of melancholy and pointless adventures. It's The Big Stuffed Dog on NBC!

We're back on our bullshit with another look at Nathan Mazri, the legendary entergagpreneur behind Garfield Eats. This week, we talk about Nathan's newest venture: a three episode podcast called Natefield that is "sponsored" by his "app" Egeez. Also a large digression about racist food.

200 episodes!! We've got 200 episodes! It's time to go back to our roots and look at the very first Garfield special... it's "Here Comes Garfield!" Here he comes! Also here comes a weird Jon. Not the Jon we know and love though!

They say that Dragon Half is the funniest anime ever made. Is it? We investigate. It's, of course, based on the manga of the same name about a girl who is half dragon as evidenced by her sexy sexy tail. We're getting super deformed in this one!

Are you extremely online? If so, then you've probably seen the shenanigans of Pop Team Epic, the Japanese webcomic about two school girls being random. But is it TOO random for those not steeped in online irony? Let's find out!

Let's get out of Australia -- now we're going to Japan! It's time to meet my neighbors... The Yamadas! It's a cute little comic strip about a family, like many comic strips, and here's a movie that really captures the vibe of a cute little comic strip about a family. It's by Studio Ghibli!

G'day, mate!!! We're back down under!!! In Australia!!!! This week, we're looking at Australia's favorite little battler, Ginger Meggs. Who's Ginger Meggs? Well, you'd know if you were Australian, maybe. It's another gang of kids movie, but this one has a bangin' rock soundtrack!

We're continuing our down under theme this week! Fatty Finn was Australia's best beloved newspaper comic (citation needed), so of course this ersatz Little Rascals escapade would eventually make it to the silver screen. Let's look at Fatty Finn (who is not fat), his sleazeball dad, his way too sympathetic bully, and a whole cast of corrupt cops and gangster molls set against the backdrop of 1930s Australia.

We're continuing our down under theme this week! Fatty Finn was Australia's best beloved newspaper comic (citation needed), so of course this ersatz Little Rascals escapade would eventually make it to the silver screen. Let's look at Fatty Finn (who is not fat), his sleazeball dad, his way too sympathetic bully, and a whole cast of corrupt cops and gangster molls set against the backdrop of 1930s Australia.

Did you know that it's always been Snoopy's dream to be in a musical on ice? Neither did we! But apparently it was, so this week we continued our investigation into the strange link between Peanuts and ice skating. What's the deal with that!? Also, we talk about what colossal nerds everyone in 1980s TV commercials were.

Did you know that it's always been Snoopy's dream to be in a musical on ice? Neither did we! But apparently it was, so this week we continued our investigation into the strange link between Peanuts and ice skating. What's the deal with that!? Also, we talk about what colossal nerds everyone in 1980s TV commercials were.

Last week, we learned that Charles Schultz was a huge fan and admirer of the New Zealand comic strip Footrot Flats. We're yanks so we had never heard of it. but turns out there's a movie! We look at the most New Zealand thing ever.

These are the last two Peanuts specials that Charles Schulz did and, boy, they're some weird ones! It's the Bestest Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown! and It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown! And technically he's an accordionist. For reasons.

Popeye's back! And this time, he's got a son! In the 80s, they gave everyone a kid... even Popeye! This attempt to update Popeye for a new generation isn't as bad as you might expect. We investigate further.

Tracy Butler's webcomic Lackadaisy Cats got a cartoon pilot, so that makes it fair game for us, right? We derail A LOT to discuss the eternal question: What makes something furry? Get the answer right here.

Did you know that Popeye used to be a comic strip? Who knew! Popeye may be the world's most successful comic strip to cartoon transition, such that no one remembers the original comic strips anymore. This week, we look at the GOOD Popeye cartoons, the ones that the Fleischers made back in the 30s.

It's the Muppet Babies -- they're like the regular Muppets but babies. You might not know that the Muppet Babies first premiered in the Muppets newspaper comic strip, but also this is an episode that specifically looks at newspaper strips -- including that "funny comic [citation needed] about soldiers in the desert!" Join us as we look at the Muppets and the babies who grew up to be Muppets!

You all know Blondie, right? You should, it's only been in the newspaper  for 100 years! This week, we look at two late 80s Blondie specials --  Blondie and Dagwood (1989) and Blondie and Dagwood's Second Wedding  (1989). For the first time ever, we learn the personalities of Blondie's  kids and also go on a big rant about Dilbert.

You all know Blondie, right? You should, it's only been in the newspaper for 100 years! This week, we look at two late 80s Blondie specials -- Blondie and Dagwood (1989) and Blondie and Dagwood's Second Wedding (1989). For the first time ever, we learn the personalities of Blondie's kids and also go on a big rant about Dilbert. 

Everyone loves Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip that everyone loves! Bill Watterson is famously reclusive, so he doesn't appear in this documentary which delivers approximately 0 new information but still manages to feel worthwhile.

Everyone loves Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip that everyone loves! Bill Watterson is famously reclusive, so he doesn't appear in this documentary which delivers approximately 0 new information but still manages to feel worthwhile. 

All children of the 80s remember Heathcliff! Or, at least, they remember this version: the one where's he's paired with the Cadillac Cats. Heathcliff was originally a comic strip but the Cadillac Cats are a wholly original invention of this series... do they hold up? Are they a worthy pairing with Heathcliff? It turns out... not so much. Some REAL spicy hot takes about Riff Raff in this one, folks! Prepare yourselves!

Everyone knows Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats, but Heathcliff has a long history of getting paired with random other cartoons for reasons. First they paired him with a bunch of Halloween monsters (???) and of course eventually they paired him with Riff Raff. But between those attempts, Heathcliff shared the screen with another funny pages staple: Marmaduke. Why not?

Ethan has long been recognized as the world's foremost Transformers maniac. This week, he shares with us WHAT makes Transformers transform and proves that, indeed, they are more than meets the eye. Mike encounters Transformers in their native habitat for the first time. We also compare a typical Transformers episode, "The Desertion of the Dinobots," and the show's big screen adaptation Transformers: The Movie (1986). (NOTE: Mike screwed up the audio so that's why it sounds like we're interrupting each other here. It's not because we're being rude!!! XP)

It's Sweden's favorite son, Peter No tail! The story of a cat with no  tail and a harrowing parable about the dangerous rise of nazism, Peter  No Tail has been a picture book, a comic, a stage play, an asteroid and  now... an animated film! Join us for discussions of gormless cats and  the confusion about what you call that genre of story featuring rabbits  in waistcoats.

It's Sweden's favorite son, Peter No tail! The story of a cat with no tail and a harrowing parable about the dangerous rise of nazism, Peter No Tail has been a picture book, a comic, a stage play, an asteroid and now... an animated film! Join us for discussions of gormless cats and the confusion about what you call that genre of story featuring rabbits in waistcoats.