Kings of Jing-a-ling

     Nothing quite says Christmas like the classic Rankin/Bass specials. Last year, I drew just a few of the characters and this year I decided to go all in.

Half the Battle

     There comes a time in a person's life when they asks themselves, "Who are my favorite G.I. Joe characters?" Then they draw those characters as adorable penguins.

That last bit is just a thing I do. It doesn't necessarily apply to everyone.

ReBoot (1994 - 2001)

     I noticed that there’s a new series on Hulu titled Reboot. As far as I know, this show has nothing to do with the original ReBoot but nevertheless, my mind instantly defaults to Saturday morning cartoons. So, with that, we have another installment of the Saturday Morning Kablama Slam! 

     Oh… and the fact that we now live in a world where the term ‘original reboot’ is an actual thing feels weird to me.

   

The Premise: Set within a computer, a guardian named Bob protects the city of Mainframe by fighting in games or fending off viruses such as the sinister Megabyte. 

     ReBoot was created by a Canadian company called Mainframe Entertainment (Hey! Mainframe! Just like the show!) It ran in Canada on YTV and in America on ABC, and will go down in history as one of the first EVER computer animated television shows! You may notice that the show ran for seven years, which is a little misleading. The series actually only consists of 4 seasons. After its first season, the Walt Disney Company bought ABC and subsequently canceled the show. Maybe they were clearing room for Pixar to make its way around the bend. I dunno. 

     It continued to run for a second season in Canada and was… REBOOTED in 1997 for a slightly grittier third season. Finally, in 2001, ReBoot was REBOOTED yet again for a fourth and final season in the form of two direct-to-DVD movies. Boy, they sure got a lot of mileage out of that title! 

     ReBoot, for me, tapped into that love I had for Captain N: The Game Master and this whole pre-Wreck-It Ralph concept of people living inside video games. The other allure, of course, was the computer animation. As I understand it, the show’s creators had been developing the show for 10 years prior to it actually airing, just waiting for the technology to catch up with their vision. It’s cutting edge stuff and, in my opinion, they don’t get near enough credit for what was accomplished! I mean, this was the first computer-animated TV-series and no one ever really talks about it! The only time I ever hear it referenced is in comparison to CGI that’s pretty bad by today’s standards. 

- Ha ha! That looks like ReBoot! Remember THAT show?

- I absolutely remember that show! That show was ahead of its time! Is that what you’re saying? That this pharmaceutical ad is ahead of its time?!? 

- I’m sorry… I wasn’t talking to y... 

- Because that would certainly be a hot take if that is what you’re implying, and one that I’d be inclined to argue with considering it’s an ad that only utilizes the bare minimum of technology available today and is void of all personality as opposed to the adventures of the stalwart Bob the Guardian which was, in fact, ripe with it!

- Dude! This is a Wendy’s!

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: I just found out that ReBoot was rebooted yet AGAIN in 2018! 

Shut up, already!

Mickey's Boo To Oogie Not So Boogie Bashtacular!!

     Disney parks raised ticket prices, did away with free Fastpasses, got rid of Magical Express, Dining Plans, AND canceled the construction on that cool two-story thing in Epcot! 

But hey! The characters in the parks match the ones on all the merch, and I see that as a win.

Happy Halloween?

The Star Wars Afternoon presents... BATINE & PRINCESS WYNDLYN GALE

     The concept of swimming in a giant money bin doesn't really fit into the Star Wars universe,  so I decided to instead have Scrooge's counterpart's one love be a small, but prosperous, moon called Bindo. And since Scrooge's favorite color is probably gold, I gave the people of Bindo gold skin, as you can see here with Mrs. Beakley and Webby's counterparts.

Batine and Princess Wyndlyn Gale

Batine is the chief handmaiden and loyal bodyguard of Princess Wyndlyn Gale, heir to the throne of Bindo. During the attempted occupation of Bindo in 35ABY, tragedy struck the royal household. Though the First Order was ultimately driven from the paradise moon, the young king and queen were killed in the skirmish, leaving none but their infant daughter Wyndlyn to assume the throne. Until the young princess is of proper age, Baron Ansil Maddoc, one of the few outsiders welcome on Bindo, has been tasked as the small moon’s steward and protector. 

Although Batine and the baron may clash from time to time, they both have Wyndlyn’s best interests at heart and do their best to make sure the kindhearted princess grows into the wise and powerful queen that the people of Bindo need.

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The Star Wars Afternoon presents... CHOLIE PADLAP

My idea here was simply Launchpad... but as a gungan. 

Cholie Padlap

Very few gungans are capable star pilots, and Cholie Padlap is definitely not among them. But if there’s a high level of risk, and a low level of expenditure, then there’s no one better suited for the job! 

Always on the lookout for a bargain, it was Cholie’s nominal fee that first drew the attention of Baron Ansil Maddoc. The baron originally hired Cholie to deliver supplies to his estate on Bindo. Complications arose when a band of marauders attempted to hijack the shipment, however the gungan pilot managed to scrape his way through with the cargo mostly intact! What Maddoc admired most about Cholie though was his unwavering courage and ability to see the job through to the end; something that, in a galaxy of scoundrels and reprobates, is difficult to come by. Despite his reputation for calamity, Cholie was soon hired as Maddoc’s personal courier, and it’s a position that the gungan has never taken for granted.

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The Star Wars Afternoon presents... DV-40

I thought I'd keep this one short. Based on Scrooge's butler, Duckworth, ...here's Deev!

DV-40

DV-40, also known as Deev, is the chief protocol droid and personal operations manager for Baron Ansil Maddoc. Most protocol droids tend to stand on ceremony, operating with an over-abundant sense of pleasantry and decorum. Deev, however, does not. Curt and forthright, he manages the day-to-day operations with brutal honesty. Although this may irk Maddoc on rare occasions, the baron prefers Deev exactly as he is and never questions the droid’s devotion.

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The Star Wars Afternoon presents... BARON ANSIL MADDOC

     I'm back with more of what I'm calling, The Star Wars Afternoon! I'm shifting into DuckTales mode for the next few posts, starting with a character inspired by the famous Scrooge McDuck! Scrooge has always been my favorite Disney character, so naturally this entire fan-fiction universe of mine will revolve around his counterpart in some capacity.

And just for giggles, I thought it'd be fun to make this human interpretation resemble Ebenezer Scrooge. You see what I did there?

Baron Ansil Maddoc

The wealthy elitists of the Corporate Sector often hail from somewhat pompous upbringings, but not the Baron of Bindo, Ansil Maddoc! Raised on a quaint farm on the agriworld of Lazgo, Ansil has always known the value of honest work. As a boy, young Ansil once shined the boots of a deep space pilot, for which he was paid with a single ingot of Republic credit. When Ansil later found out that Republic credits were worthless on Lazgo, he was furious. He vowed then and there to always keep his guard up as to never be outsmarted by others, no matter how trustworthy they may seem. It’s a somewhat callous philosophy, but one that’s served him well. 

Ansil left his homeworld at a young age in pursuit of fortune and adventure. After a series of unsuccessful endeavors on every freighter, shipyard and spaceport from Boz Pity to Black Spire, the exhausted Maddoc eventually turned a handsome profit mining coaxium on the desolate planet of Lonkada III. Through shrewd thinking and pure grit, Ansil quickly transformed that small mine into a lucrative venture, and thus Maddoc Industries was born. Over time, his company grew even more, eventually expanding into a number of other fields such as ship building and cargo transport, and making Maddoc one of the wealthiest barons in the galaxy. 

As fond as he is of his acquired wealth, Ansil’s true love is and will always be Bindo: a small moon on the furthest edge of the Outer Rim virtually untouched by civilization. This peaceful world’s vast resources and kind inhabitants hold a special place in the baron’s heart and he’s fought hard to protect it from invading forces on several occasions. It is in this paradise, among these people, that Ansil Maddoc has permanently taken up residence, managing his ever-growing wealth while clinging to the philosophies of his modest youth; believing that anyone, if they work smart and stay tough, can find success.

_____

Engage

Happy Star Trek Day! 

     I'll be celebrating by doing the same thing I do on just regular days: watching random episodes of TNG and DS9 out of order while thinking to myself, "What does raktajino taste like? Actual coffee is vile. Would Klingon coffee be more vile? Or is it more like an opposite kind of thing and actually pleasing to the palate? Also... if Montgomery Scott, or Ambassador Spock, ran into Lwaxana Troi... would they mistake her for Nurse Chapel? Did Spock mistake Nurse Chapel for Number One?? I think I'd enjoy sleeping in a bucket."

The Star Wars Afternoon presents... OLD TRRJAK & ZEEP

     I haven't decided yet if I'm going to do this whole thing show-by-show, or bounce around a little more, but I had to at least finish the lineup of Rescue Rangers! 

Old Trrjak and ZP-3R (Zeep)

Whether it’s wrestling a crazed happabore, or single-handedly taking on a squad of imperials at the Battle of Bindo, Old Trrjak has never been one to back down from a challenge… nor be remiss to embellish!

After the fall of the Empire, the Tarsunt adventurer found work as an entertainer in Bantha Bel’s Wild Space Spectacular, spinning yarns and regaling audiences with his skills as a sharpshooter. As the years went on, however, and his dependency on fire-water grew, Trrjak’s abilities became less and less impressive. During one performance, the washed-up marksman missed his target and took out one of Bel’s recently upgraded camera droids. He was fired shortly after. 

But again, Old Trrjak never backed down from a challenge, and as it turned out, being down on his luck was just the challenge he needed. The rough old fighter soon began the uphill battle of getting his life back on track, this time with the help of the one thing he never had: a companion. Using what little skill he had, Trrjak repaired the damaged camera droid ZP-3R and nicknamed him Zeep. The pair have been inseparable ever since. As honorary Rangers of the Restored Republic, Old Trrjak and Zeep stand ready to face the next challenge, proving that in a galaxy this big, there’s always room for another chance.

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The Star Wars Afternoon presents... GAGE MOONWREN

     When I explained to my friend that I was adapting characters from the Disney Afternoon for the Star Wars universe, he said, "I bet Gadget is going to be a freakin layup!" 

I don't really get sports, as is evidenced by, well... all of this, but she was among the easier ones.

Gage Moonwren

Gage Moonwren is the daughter of renowned shipbuilder Djigara Moonwren and has definitely inherited her mother’s knack for ingenuity, though her methods are less conventional. Gage was shortlisted into the engineering academy at an early age, but then promptly dismissed due to her scatterbrained nature and “lack of decorum.” Refusing to be troubled by the opinions of others, however, Gage remained unfazed and opened up a small shop on the Outer Rim where she conducts repairs for the odd passerby, all the while scrapping together custom-made starships that would put the best Corellian engineers to shame, including her pride and joy, The Decanter. 

Though content in her solitude, fate has other plans for this quirky young mechanic, and when a band of rangers enlist her help in tracking down the sinister Facatta the Hutt, Gage will discover that it's the unexpected path that often leads to greatness. 

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The Star Wars Afternoon presents... HITCH RANAGAN

I started with Dale, so obviously Chip had to be the next character to adapt. 

     I guess I should clarify that I'm basing all of these in the yet untouched time period following The Rise of Skywalker where the major powers in the galaxy have either been destroyed or crippled, and Rey's new order of Jedi has yet to be established.

Hitch Ranagan

Born without a strong connection to the Force, the chance of scrappy and stalwart Hitch Ranagan becoming a Jedi Knight is a slim one at best. Nevertheless, Hitch remains devoted to the values of the famed protectors, being among the first (along with his brother Lonzo) to join the Rangers of the Restored Republic, the new guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. On a mission to the Western Reaches, Hitch came into the possession of an actual lightsaber, which he then retrofitted with a magnetic propulser, essentially allowing him to summon it from a short distance. 

Force abilities or not, Hitch exemplifies the Jedi way through resourcefulness and dexterity, fending for those less advantaged and proving that there is more than one solution to a problem, as well as more than one type of hero.

_____

The Star Wars Afternoon presents... LONZO RANAGAN

     The first character from the Disney Afternoon that I'm adapting for the Star Wars universe is Dale from Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers. A while back, Lucasfilm announced a title for a series that they've since shelved: Rangers of the New Republic. The whole 'rangers' concept intrigues me and I figured what better fit for our favorite crime-solving chipmunks? 

Lonzo Ranagan

In the absence of the Jedi, the duty of upholding justice in the galaxy falls to an elite group of peacekeepers known as the Rangers. The life of a ranger, however, is not always as exciting as the intrepid Lonzo Ranagan would like it to be. On more than one occasion, Lonzo has let his reckless nature get the best of him, carelessly racing into a perilous situation that could have easily been avoided. Fortunately for him, his brother and fellow ranger Hitch is always there to bail him out. 

Despite his cocksure demeanor, Lonzo adheres to a conduct of valor and steadfast optimism, always seeing the best in others and motivated by a wish to change the galaxy for the better.

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The Star Wars Afternoon!

     I love Star Wars. I love the Disney Afternoon. So now I bring you The Star Wars Afternoon - "Original" characters for the Star Wars universe that are each heavily inspired by (or based on) characters from the Disney Afternoon!

     Here’s the thing. I love coming up with original characters. I could do it all day. But when it comes to getting these characters out of my head and putting them into a form that’s the least bit tangible and defined, I freeze up. I second guess myself and lose confidence almost immediately. The intent here is to use these preexisting characters as a sort of jumping off point. I'll be working on character designs along with detailed bios for each character, all in the "safe space" of my two favorite fandoms. Then, hopefully, I'll move on to creating ACTUAL original characters for ACTUAL original concepts, but with a little more confidence in my abilities. 

So, in other words, stay tuned for my Star Wars / Disney Afternoon fan fiction?

Wow. When you put it like that... 

Woof.

Did You Say 'Cheap 3D Tricks'?!

     And now a brief Park Pals tribute to the IP that I don't think gets enough love in the Disney parks... or from Disney IN GENERAL, for that matter! The Muppets!

     I’ve always kind of felt like Disney sees the Muppets as this hand-me-down toy that no one really wants to play with and will drop for the first Star War or Descendant that happens to come out the chute. Because of this mindset, (that I can’t even really explain) I used to get mild anxiety that my favorite Disney attraction, Muppet*Vision 3D, could get the axe at any moment and wouldn’t be there the next time I visited the park. When I DID visit the park, I couldn’t even really enjoy it for thinking that this could be the last time I saw it! It’s ridiculous, but it’s how I felt. 

     Then I thought of something even more ridiculous, and that’s pinning so much of my happiness on something that is 100% out of my control. My mindset turned around when I decided that I can CHOOSE to enjoy this thing while it’s here, as well as choose to be hopeful that whatever Disney eventually replaces it with is good. Maybe even better! I dunno. Change is hard, but it can be good. Don’t ruin the good times for worrying about the good times coming to an end. 

This was a lot for a post of a monster with a paddle ball.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983 - 1990)

Let’s Kablama! 
K-A-B-L-A-M-A Slam! 
Let’s Kablama! 
You’ll have fun if you’re old like I am! 

Aaaaaaand… yeah. That’s the beginning and end of my career as a songwriter. Let’s talk about cartoons!

The Premise: Three anthropomorphic chipmunks named Alvin, Simon, & Theodore balance their lives as international singing sensations and the adopted children of songwriter Dave Seville. 

     So, I’m going to start off by admitting that I used to wonder why Alvin and the Chipmunks were just that… chipmunks. They act like human kids. They even kind of look like human kids. (More so than chipmunks anyway.) Why didn’t they just make them be human kids? Well besides the fact that Alvin and The Other Kids makes a pretty lousy title, the reason is pretty obvious. They sound like chipmunks! It’s basically their whole thing! I don’t remember when I figured this out, but it was a lot later than I should have. 

     Back in 1958, singer/songwriter Ross Bagdasarian sped up his voice for a novelty record and topped the charts. It was a gimmick… basically, like if that Snapchat filter that makes you look old somehow became an entire franchise… and it paid off big. The song was “The Chipmunk Song” (keepin it simple. I dig it.) and you hear it over and over every Christmas. After that, there were more albums, a comic book, The Alvin Show, and a television special until Bagdasarian’s son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. gave us the chipmunk show of my generation… Alvin and the Chipmunks! 

     This show was right up there with the Smurfs and Garfield as a staple of my Saturday mornings. I loved the Chipettes, Uncle Harry, Ms. Miller, and I especially enjoyed the show’s final season devoted to making Chipmunk spoofs of hit movies like Back to the Future and Batman. Buuuut this particular installment of the Kablama Slam is detouring into more of a movie review, because as much as I loved this show, it’s the 1987 film The Chipmunk Adventure that will always be MY go-to for Alvin, Simon, and Theodore viewing. 

     Its plot involves the Chipmunks going up against the Chipettes in a hot-air balloon race around the world… which turns out to be a front for a diamond smuggling operation. Yeah… this movie goes hard, and I am not joking when I say it is one of the most underrated works of animation out there! As I understand it, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. swooped in and hired a bunch of talented animators who were recently laid off by Disney and eager to work. It was a move that definitely paid off because the animation in this thing is incredible! 

     When I was a kid, I would rent The Chipmunk Adventure almost every time we had a “movie night.” It became this reoccurring thing where my parents would groan, “Ugghh, Nathan! Not The Chipmunk Adventure AGAIN!!!” I don’t know why we never just bought it! Maybe we couldn’t find it in stores, but there was at least one copy at the local Blockbuster… and it was checked out almost every weekend!

Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: It’s definitely a family affair. Ross Bagdasarian Jr. voiced Alvin, Simon, and Dave (taking over the roles from his father) while Ross Jr.’s wife, Janice Karman, voiced Theodore and the Chipettes. Their children have also worked on the show’s more recent incarnations.

Snoogle Doodles

     I have a daughter who ALSO likes to draw. She's really good and has taken to Adobe Illustrator like a champ! Here's some of her work:

We Need More Batman!

 ...well... we really don't. There's a lot of Batman already.

     Nevertheless, I wanted to put my own spin, if you will, on the Caped Crusader. I came up with this and slapped it on an Akira background to complete the intended mood.

An Earth's Mightiest Heroes Type Of Thing

 Disney's Avengers Campus has attractions but, honestly, all I want to do is meet the characters!

A Good Time For The Great Taste

No one:

Absolutely no one:

Me: Know what would be cool? McDonald's die-cast character figurines!