What A Cartoon! - The September 2020 Schedule (Patreon)

The most eventful and (somehow) uneventful summer of our lives is coming to a close, meaning it's time for all of us to slide into the cooler months. To kick off the fall, we've got quite an assortment of shows spanning the '80s, the '90s, and even the 2010s! September's What A Cartoon! schedule starts off with a dark anime series that features a very unique premise, then moves on to the most heralded Sonic the Hedgehog series of the go-go '90s. And for the back half of the month, we're tackling the surprisingly mature early '80s Dungeons & Dragons animated adaptation, then wrapping September up with our mega-long look at Disney's first direct-to-video hit, The Return of Jafar. No matter what you're into, you're sure to find something to enjoy over the next four weeks!

And if you're not a subscriber, signing up at the $5 level will get you each episode a week ahead of time and ad-free, along with our collection of exclusive miniseries (like the recently wrapped Talking Mission Hill and the upcoming Talking Futurama Season 2 Part 2) and over 100 bonus podcasts on top of that! And stay tuned, because our fall miniseries will be here before you know it!

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

Inuyashiki Last Hero - "Naoyuki Ando" [Patreon: 9/7/20 - Free Feed: 9/14/20]

Patron Dave Whittington is back with yet another anime selection, though this one is a little more off the beaten path. Inuyashiki tells an unconventional superhero story where an old man and a teenager suddenly find themselves imbued with incredible abilities, and ultimately take VERY different paths. What follows is a surprisingly dark and touching story about good versus evil that draws upon some extremely modern anxieties, and with any luck our podcast should inspire you to dive into this short little series.

Inuyashiki Last Hero can currently be streamed via Amazon Prime.

Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) - "Super Sonic" [Patreon: 9/14/20 - Free Feed: 9/21/20]

1993 saw the launch of TWO Sonic Cartoons, though ABC's more serious Saturday morning variant made the most waves in the 90s. This version of Sonic the Hedgehog ended up being canceled before its time, but lives on in the hearts of fans to this very day—and also in the form of several million fanfics and OCs. And to discuss this classic series, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes creator Ian-Jones Quartey will be joining us to talk about his Sonic fandom and what it was like to include the famous platforming mascot in an episode of his very own cartoon.

You can check out the original 1993 broadcast of this episode on YouTube.

Dungeons & Dragons "The Night of No Tomorrow" [Patreon: 9/21/20 - Free Feed: 9/28/20]

For a certain subsection of '80s parents, there was nothing more terrifying than Dungeons & Dragons: a vile game that used paper and dice to put you directly in touch with the devil himself. Yet somehow, in the era of Satanic Panic, a pretty good D&D animated series was allowed to thrive; and thanks to patron Devin Hoffarth, we'll be taking a look at this classic series that enchanted Gen Xers but was a little before our time.

Dungeons & Dragons is currently available on YouTube.

An Extended Preview of What A Cartoon Movie! for The Return of Jafar [Patreon: 9/28/20 - Free Feed: 10/5/20]

Disney's parade of shameless direct-to-video cash-ins started all the way back in 1994, when a pilot movie intended to air on television and launch the Aladdin TV series got released on video instead and raked in 300 million dollars. Return of Jafar remains an uneven movie that mostly exists to set up that status quo of the Disney Afternoon adaptation, but still contains some great moments and fantastic vocal performances—including Dan Castellaneta's first time playing the Genie.

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 all other episodes of What A Cartoon Movie) you'll have to bump your subscription up to the $10 level.

The Return of Jafar is currently available on Disney+.

We've got a number of great recordings for fall already in the can, so there's a lot to look forward to over the coming weeks in these very unpredictable times. So stick with us, and look forward to more episodes of Talking Futurama in late October!