Ali discusses the movie that kicked off the Disney Renaissance era, The Little Mermaid. She talks about why “Part of Your World” is her all-time favorite Disney song and recaps her favorite moments from this beloved film.
The Little Mermaid
Category: Animation
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Ali discusses the fantastically creepy cartoon, Courage the Cowardly Dog, created by John R. Dilworth. She reminisces about lines she and her siblings would always quote, terrifying villains that freaked her out as a kid and why Courage is the perfect protagonist for always facing his fears to protect his owners since, as he always says, “The things I do for love.”
Hey Arnold! + “Care”
Ali discusses the amazing Nicktoon, Hey Arnold!, created by Craig Bartlett. She shares her interesting interpretation of the show’s title when she was a kid, poignant moments that move her to tears, various lines that always crack her up, key scenes that stood out to her as a kid and what she feels is the all-encompassing theme of the series. She also talks about the qualities she admires most about Arnold and the reasons Helga G. Pataki is one of her all-time favorite characters. Afterward, she shares a Hey Arnold! story she wrote called “Care.”
Ed, Edd n Eddy + “Edd the Stud”
Ali discusses the gut-bustingly hilarious cartoon, Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci. She shares her favorite episodes, quotes and fourth wall breaking moments, plus a few behind-the-scene tidbits and her theory on what’s under Double Dee’s hat. She also shares her thoughts on the fitting series finale, Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show, and she shares an Ed, Edd n Eddy story she wrote called “Edd the Stud.”
Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus + “Sitting in a Tree”
Ali discusses the movie, Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, written by series creator, Jhonen Vasquez. She shares everything she loved about the movie in all of its ridiculous glory, from the incredible visuals to the hilarious dialogue to the surprisingly sweet moments. Afterward, she shares another Invader ZIM story she wrote called “Sitting in a Tree.”
Be sure to also check out Invader ZIM + “Dodgeball of Doom.”
Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling with Sylvie
Ali and special guest, Sylvie, discuss the Netflix special, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, written by series creator, Joe Murray, with additional writing from Mr. Lawrence, Martin Olson, Cosmo Segurson, Dan Becker and Tom Smith. They discuss first reactions to finding out Rocko’s Modern Life was getting a special, favorite meta jokes and callbacks, thoughts on the overall theme and message, their opinions on how this special compares to other Nicktoon reboots and much more!
Check out Sylvie’s podcasts, the Sylvie Soul Writing podcast and The Vacant Lot – a Hey Arnold! podcast, as well as her website, sylviesoul.com. Be sure to also follow her on Twitter.
Rugrats
Ali discusses her all-time favorite childhood cartoon and one of the original three Nicktoons, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain. She shares some of her favorite episodes and heartwarming moments throughout the series, plus all the ways she admires her favoritest baby, Tommy Pickles. A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do!
Be sure to also check out The Rugrats Movie.
The Lion King Movies
Ali discusses the iconic Disney movie, The Lion King (1994), its direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998), as well as its clever retelling, The Lion King 1½ (2004). She shares her thoughts on everything that makes the original film such an absolute masterpiece. She also reminisces about seeing The Lion King musical on Broadway, and she compares the original movie to the 2019 remake. Hakuna matata!
Toy Story Movies
Ali discusses Pixar’s first feature film, Toy Story (1995), and its sequels, Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019). She shares her favorite moments from each movie that make up this phenomenal franchise and capture the universal themes of friendship, growing up, purpose and unconditional love.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Ali discusses the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, written by series creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Pam Brady. She reminisces about watching the movie for the first time with her siblings on a long car ride home, reliving all the filthy language and fantastic songs.
Storytelling Saga 