What A Cartoon! - The February 2023 Schedule

This February, we're turning the shortest month into a super month as we fill these 28 days with plenty of cape-related content. That's right, we'll be dipping into the Superman well twice in the coming weeks by exploring his animated origins and one of his finest moments in the silver age of WB cartoons (which includes a side order of Batman). And if you're not sick of superheroes yet, we'll also be discussing Futurama's take on the subject matter! Plus, we've got another TalKing of the Hill coming your way as we continue exploring the show's amazing third season.

And remember, if you'd like to listen to this month's episodes of TalKing of the Hill and Talking Futurama, you'll need to sign up at the $5 level or higher on the Talking Simpsons Patreon. Once you subscribe, you'll get to hear our miniseries episodes as soon as they go live, and also access our extensive back catalog of Patreon-exclusive podcasts—over 100 to date!

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

Superman (The Fleischer Cartoons) - "The Mechanical Monsters" and "The Arctic Giant" [Patreon: When It's Ready - Free Feed: A Week Later]

We've talked plenty about the WB superhero cartoons of the '90s, but this February, we'll be traveling back to the 1940s to see where these animated adaptations began. These gorgeous, high-budget shorts wowed wartime audiences with pure spectacle, and showed the Fleischer studio working at the absolute top of their game. And since they've fallen into the public domain, watching them all is a simple Google search away!

Note: The Christmas holiday and unexpected travel delays have messed with our production schedule a bit, so this episode will be posted to the Patreon in February as soon as it's ready, and then on the WAC free feed exactly one week after that.

Talking Futurama - "Less Than Hero" [Patreon: 2/13/23]

In an episode written before the Spider-Man movies proved that the Batman films weren't just a fluke, the Futurama writing staff gets to show off their superhero knowledge at a time when such things were only possible in unpopular Fox sitcoms! With the powers of Captain Yesterday, Clobberella, and Super King combined, the New Justice Team forms to fight crime in a fashion very similar to the 1960s Batman show. Listen in and don't be surprised if their theme song gets lodged in your brain!

TalKing of the Hill - "Pregnant Paws" [Patreon: 2/20/23]

We get a surprising amount of continuity for a late '90s animated sitcom with an episode that kicks off Peggy's pregnancy arc. As Hank worries that Ladybird may be getting too old to bear one last litter of puppies, he pulls out all the stops—all while being completely oblivious about Peggy's own needs. Plus, Dale becomes a bounty hunter to hunt the most dangerous game of all: man. No matter what you're into, there's something to love in this episode about vigilante justice and loosening tubes.

Note: Since we covered "Peggy's Headache" on What A Cartoon in 2018, we decided to skip it and go on to "Pregnant Paws." But if you want to check it out, here are links to the Patreon version and the free feed version.

An Extended Free Preview of Batman/Superman: World's Finest [Patreon: 2/27/23 - Free Feed: 3/6/23]

Superman: The Animated Series' second season stunned viewers with the three-part World's Finest storyline: a crossover of epic proportions that pit Batman and Superman against The Joker and Lex Luthor! And while WB eventually edited these three episodes into a direct-to-DVD movie, this month, we'll be looking at all three of these as they originally aired. Sure, we're breaking format a bit, but it's worth it to examine this stellar exercise in DC superhero action.

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's all we've got for you this February! Thanks again for your support, and stay tuned for more great podcasts to come.