Wow, did this end up being a jam-packed episode to make up for a longer-than-usual wait since the TMNT talk. Not only is Chris back on as a guest for the first time, not only is TV editor and writer Alan Denton (Sonic Boom/Sunny Day) making his show debut, and not only does the opening contain talk of pets and how John's Anime USA 2018 experience was the most linked to prior show topics by pure chance, but we also tackle maybe the biggest game of the year and maybe the biggest TV cartoon of all time. All for the low low price of absolutely nothing. (Cue Bart's "If anything, you owe them" argument but not really.)
As the sole Rockstar Games enthusiast of the three, John dishes out his thoughts on what he's played so far of Red Dead Redemption 2, discussing why he thinks it's destined to go down as a divisive game while praising its writing, depth, and ideas. But the fun really begins when everyone takes a look back at Matt Groening's dysfunctional yellow-tinted family who changed the face of TV animation as we know it, as we take an overarching look at The Simpsons. Specific episode discussions mostly focus in the Season 1 to 10 era, but we also discuss topics like the movie, both what inspired the show and what later shows were influenced by it, differing experiences in how we were introduced to it as kids, various opinions on why we don't tune in as regularly any more, Mr. Burns tickling the Pillsbury Doughboy, Batman being a scientist, Kevin Spacey dying on the way back to his home planet, and so, so much more (That all makes sense when you listen, we promise). And yes, we do talk Apu a bit as well.
Timestamps:
2:18 - Intro (Alan introduction, catching up with Chris, Anime USA 2018)
14:41 - Red Dead Redemption 2 (Light spoilers for first few hours)
34:23 - The Simpsons retrospective
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Alan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanTheWriter
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Patrick Fleury makes his now-annual appearance on the show, which ended up revolving around New York City-based superheroes entirely by chance. He and John give their spoiler-free thoughts on Insomniac's stellar PlayStation-exclusive take on Spider-Man (And some extra thoughts on existing Spidey movies and TV series), with the expected Arkham gameplay comparisons, appreciation of the game's storytelling and character focus, and addictions to web swinging.
But the bulk of the episode is focused on another nostalgia-heavy retrospective, only while Chris and Tyrone were Transformers kids growing up (Go listen to Episode 12), the Fleury boys had more experience with a quartet of radical, pizza-loving reptiles, so we set out to discuss every film and TV iteration of the Ninja Turtles. Opinions and highlights include what makes our shared favorite movies stick out the most, what makes our picks for the worst movie and show particularly grating, Patrick's unexpected choice for favorite turtle, brief praise for the Turtles in Time game, and John surprising Patrick between entries with some....interesting and little-known clips from less respected TMNT videos. All while we eat pizza, wax nostalgia, and make plenty of funnies.
Timestamps:
5:10 - Spider-Man (2018 PlayStation 4 game)
27:13 - Ninja Turtles origins and memories
34:00 - Ninja Turtles movies (1/Secret of the Ooze/3/TMNT/reboot/Out of the Shadows)
1:04:34 - Ninja Turtles TV series (Original/Next Mutation/4Kids/2012/Rise)
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Patrick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleuryp
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Check out John's video review of WarioWare Gold: https://youtu.be/zX_va_ptdOA
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
We're back! I'm in a hurry to end this hiatus and get this uploaded with the essentials like timestamps, so long story short, me and Ben Reynolds talk the latest MCU film, the latest Mega Man compilations, and a classic fantasy anime franchise. Expect more detailed text here later. Episode 31 will be the long-promised Ninja Turtles retrospective with Patrick. - John
Timestamps:
10:00 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Spoilers - Infinity War spoilers at 21:12)
30:16 - Mega Man X Legacy Collection
47:27 - Record of Lodoss War (Heavy spoilers for OVA & light spoilers for TV series)
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
Ben's portfolio site: http://ben-reynolds.com/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Check out the trailer for John's next WarioWare cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXmXNcOxCdo
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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The guest co-host train keeps on truckin' as podcasting veteran Dave Roberts talks in-depth with John about a diverse variety of topics. John gives his overall thoughts on the recent PS4 hit Detroit: Become Human (Hint: They involve Walking Dead comparisons, observations on David Cage's recurring flaws and strengths, remembering when games came with more cheats and extras, and Clancy Brown's buddy cop subplot stealing the show), while Dave gives his mixed opinions on the current state of the shows that make up DC's Arrowverse (Hint: They also involve Walking Dead comparisons, which show sticks out as the weak link, and Trevor from GTA 5).
For the main topic, John takes advantage of Chris being absent and picks a show dear to him that the Wades have a shared disinterest in - the 2015 anime sleeper hit Death Parade. We dissect the show's unique themes and concepts, its standout episodes and moments, its slick visuals and emotional power, and somehow fit in discussions on automated grocery store checkouts and the Christopher Robin movie. And yes, we discuss THAT character cameo.
(Good news: Episode 30 will almost definitely feature Patrick from the Pokemon and Batman episodes and be a Ninja Turtles retrospective. Bad news: John's taking a cross-country trip for the remainder of July, so please bear with us since we probably won't record until he's back in the States.)
Timestamps:
05:11 - Detroit: Become Human review (Mild spoilers)
24:54 - Arrow/Flash/Supergirl/Legends of Tomorrow thoughts (Mild spoilers)
40:17 - Death Parade review and discussion (Heavy spoilers)
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Dave's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealDaveRoberts
Dave's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
If our E3 thoughts didn't fill the Sketch Watch Play-sized hole in your life quite enough, how about a full hour and a half reminiscing on one of our favorite video game genres? John and Felipe chronicle both the general history and their standout experiences with rhythm-based video games, from its infancy through rapping paper-thin dogs and dance pads to crazier ventures like Elite Beat Agents and Rez. And yes, we devote a huge chunk to our experiences with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as fan-cultivated successors to 2/3 of the games mentioned in this paragraph. Which ones? Discover that for yourself. Also, Felipe recreates a lot of song lyrics and at various points we end up talking about Heathcliff, and that stupid Donkey Kong cartoon again, just because.
Timestamps:
5:45 - PaRappa the Rapper series
14:08 - Dance Dance Revolution series
23:05 - Space Channel 5
25:14 - Gitaroo Man
26:50 - Mad Maestro!
28:50 - Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents
34:10 - Frequency/Amplitude
38:35 - Rez
40:50 - Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Clone Hero
1:06:50 - osu!
1:12:00 - Other miscellaneous titles
Check out John's review of The Metronomicon, one of the newer games he recommends in this episode: https://youtu.be/7kL_rksg_VU
Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Another temporary hiatus for Chris means a return to a revolving door of guest co-hosts new and old for John to geek out with. Generation Animation's own Felipe Diaz-Vera returns for a gargantuan talk regarding a recent movie, a recent video game expo, and an entire genre of games we both enjoy....But because neither of us had a time we needed to sign off and it's been a month since the last episode, John chose to do another two-parter so we can have new content for you patient listeners sooner. So our rhythm game retrospective will have to wait.
We start things out by discussing Chris's status and some personal projects, then John gives his thoughts on the Pixar sequel he's long desired above all others (Spoiler free since it only just came out and Felipe hadn't seen it during this recording), and then we dive into our personal highlights of this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo. From Star Wolf possibly being bi to everyone getting Norted, there's a healthy amount of opinions, speculation, and excitement, but honestly, all that really matters is that METAL WOLF IS COMING HOME, AND WILL BE UPHOLDING TRUE AMERICAN JUSTICE. And yes, Felipe followed through on his promise of making this episode's majestic thumbnail.
Timestamps:
12:56 - Incredibles 2 spoiler-free review
30:18 - Spider-Man PS4
36:42 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
42:19 - Devil May Cry 5
47:58 - Kingdom Hearts 3
1:01:54 - Metal Wolf Chaos XD
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw
Check out John's process video for his shot in the Donkey Kong Reanimated collab: https://youtu.be/jwlqCY9lcgk
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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After settling back into the podcast groove by talking about Smash Bros. and grandmas who admire Mufasa's face, we prove we can't go an episode without talking something Marvel-related, as Chris gives his thoughts on the latest Avengers film after being unable to join our previous spoilercast (And this does mean we give a ton away, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, note the timestamps below). John also gives his opinion so far on Ni no Kuni 2, and why it's surprising him after what he thought about its predecessor. Also, see if you can pinpoint the part in that section where he had to stifle some burps.
For our main topic, it's John's turn in continuing a theme of little-known stuff one of us loves, and for him, this has been a long time coming. John discusses his history and admiration of the French cartoon series Dragon Hunters, which blew up in Europe and died on arrival everywhere else. John gushes a lot about its strengths and even how it's influenced his own ideas, while Chris tries to wrap his head around that gushing while also speculating on why the series failed to launch in the States. We talk the creative setting and creatures, the fun chemistry and nuances of the main cast, its amazing theme song provided by the most unlikely of bands, and also touch on the theatrical CG film it inspired as well as the unique reasons why you might want to avoid its second season.
(Side note: This marked our first time doing some new recording tricks to preserve Chris's audio during the times he drops out on John's side. You may notice some occasional word jumps and changes in volume and sound quality as a result, but we'll keep working on it and it means you get to fully hear Chris in all his aural goodness.)
Timestamps:
7:20 - Chris's Avengers: Infinity War review (Spoilers)
25:10 - Ni no Kuni 2 initial thoughts (Mild spoilers)
37:27 - Dragon Hunters series & movie review (Spoilers)
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
We've teased it for ages, and we've reviewed the last several Marvel movies in a row, so it makes sense that the long-hyped third Avengers movie gets its own special episode. Tyler Moliterno from Generation Animation (And now two other podcasts!) joins John in giving overall opinions on the movie after all the buildup, naming favorite moments and elements, analyzing some of the key plot points, and yes, reflect on that sucker punch of an ending and speculate what it means for Avengers 4 and the film universe going forward.
The review starts around the 11-minute mark if you're just looking for that, and much like any Marvel movie, stay tuned after the end music for some bonus talk. And in case you missed the title, yes, we spoil this movie to pieces, and more than any other blockbuster we can think of, beg you to go see it before listening. You should behold the latest Avenger, Kevin Bacon, kicking names and taking ass for yourself.
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John's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Tyler's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TylerMoliterno
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Check out John's trailer mashup of the Infinity War and The Dark Knight Rises trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjr_4WQmses
Check out John's first animation stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvwZQ53-bTM
We've got a lot to talk about this week! We start by catching up on some interesting Easter events, John's grandma going viral again, and namedrop some Reanimate collabs we're both involved in now. (Someone beat John to getting a Donkey Kong one going, but he's joined it.) Our main reviews this time are all movies new and old, as John praises Isle of Dogs and Chris has mixed thoughts on Pacific Rim's sequel.
But for the main event, we start a themed month of our picks being fairly obscure titles that mean a lot to us, with Chris having us discuss Little Nemo, the Japanese-American adaptation of one of the first comic strips ever that he grew up watching. We end up doing a full-on spoiler talk of the whole plot, and it's a fascinating talk. From the film's unique history, to the people involved in its production, to how every moment seems to have something to praise and something to critique, to Mickey Rooney providing John's favorite character, to the greatest frog in movie history, it's a rollercoaster of a discussion. And if you haven't seen the film before, it's legally free to watch on YouTube in HD and is a visual achievement for animation geeks like us, so have at it, and note the creepy user comment John mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRs4Y3Kzdt0
(I've picked the French series Dragon Hunters for Episode 27. Only listing it here because you may need to do some digging to find episodes. Expect a bonus Infinity War spoilercast before it, too.-John)
Timestamps:
11:01 - Isle of Dogs review (Light spoilers)
25:33 - Pacific Rim Uprising review
37:03 - Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland review (Spoilers)
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
Watch John's grandma watching The Avengers for the first time: https://youtu.be/YnDE22Sr1QQ
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
We celebrate reaching the 25-episode milestone (Technically more if you count the broken-up and bonus episodes, but whatever) with a healthy variety of topics. First, we talk our thoughts on the surprise announcement of the next Super Smash Bros. game and the obligatory newcomer guesses that come with every new entry in that series, and also briefly say our overall opinions on the recent Netflix hit Devilman Crybaby - though we avoid spoilers as best we can, since John intends to give the show its own episode someday.
But the bulk of this episode is devoted to what has become our mutual favorite Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki film and John's favorite anime film in general, the 1986 classic Castle in the Sky. We discuss the film's well-thought out world-building, wonderful sense of pacing, the balance of great comedy and emotion, and single out some of the best characters and voice performances (Spoilers: Mark Hamill and Cloris Leachman are our MVPs). We also close out with some observations on Miyazaki himself and his ideals, some bonus praise for Mark Hamill, and how this movie even influenced the Rabbids of all things. And that best-animated shot John mentions wanting to make a GIF of? Check the Facebook page, because he did just that.
Timestamps:
2:20 - Super Smash Bros. Switch speculation
19:05 - Devilman Crybaby overall thoughts (No spoilers)
32:07 - Castle in the Sky (Spoilers)
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
Watch John's grandma watching The Avengers for the first time: https://youtu.be/YnDE22Sr1QQ
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
Rather than another series, Chris had the idea to do our first ever look back at an individual studio's body of work this time! We discuss all four of Laika's stop-motion features in depth, including not just our opinions on their quality and our favorite moments, but general observations on the unique and even bold touches they bring to their creepy, risque, progressive, and even heartbreaking stories and characters.
Fair warning that we seriously spoil all of these films' stories, and we'll say right now that they're all worth a look if you haven't watched them (Cases like this are why we include timestamps). Highlights include what makes Coraline one of the creepiest family films of the modern era, a lot of overall praise for ParaNorman, what makes BoxTrolls a good but lesser film in our eyes, and different opinions on Kubo's bold and bittersweet ending.
(Much like the first half, sorry for the audio issues with Chris in this recording.)
06:48 - Coraline
24:23 - ParaNorman
48:19 - The Boxtrolls
1:02:34 - Kubo and the Two Strings
Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss
In a move that will likely surprise no one, the whole recording of Episode 24 turned out super long. And as we prefer to give you an episode consistently every two weeks, here's the first half, consisting primarily of John and Chris's spoiler-filled thoughts on Black Panther. (Us reviewing a Marvel movie should also surprise no one.) Expect talks on the film's clever integration of real-world conflicts, debates on whether or not memes belong in Marvel movies, and John's unorthodox tastes in MCU women.
You'll also want to listen to the intro for some announcements regarding social media changes, new ways to reach out to us, and the launch of a Patreon that will help support the show and let you shape future episodes.
(Also, apologies for some audio issues with Chris in this episode - We're working on it.)
03:40 - Social media announcements/Xenoblade Chronicles 2 thoughts/Chris's final thoughts on Final Fantasy XV (No spoilers for either)
10:04 - Black Panther review (Contains spoilers)
Next episode: Laika retrospective (Coraline/ParaNorman/The Boxtrolls/Kubo and the Two Strings)
Contribute to John's Patreon for early access to new episodes, opportunities to shape the show, and more: https://www.patreon.com/Behonkiss
Show Twitter: https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
Show Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sketchwatchplay
Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
Show email: sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Chris is back! Fellow indie animator Ben Reynolds makes his debut! I can't stop using exclamation points! We talk a healthy variety of topics this week, from opening discussions and projects that drive our longtime message "Animation is hard" home, to Ben's thoughts on the recent Netflix series Altered Carbon, and Chris and John finally dishing out their feelings about Dragon Ball FighterZ after months of personal hype.
But the bulk of the episode goes to Ben's pick of another ongoing Netflix exclusive, as the three of us talk about the characters, action, writing, and other ingredients that make Voltron: Legendary Defender (Seasons 1 & 2 to be specific) something special. Expect some observations on older incarnations of the franchise, Studio Trigger aliens voiced by Norman Reedus, why emo Coran is the best, issues with mech transformation scenes, how Chris can go ahead loving Lance all by his lonesome, and a horrifying Google search that has blessed you with this episode's thumbnail. Plus, listen to the end for our roadmap regarding the next two episodes.
Timestamps:
11:09 - Altered Carbon impressions
20:10 - Dragon Ball FighterZ impressions (Mild spoilers)
45:02 - Voltron: Legendary Defender discussion (Spoilers for Season 1 and 2)
Check out the debut short of John's sci-fi cartoon, Spacious: https://youtu.be/L34V0mq0Fm8
Check out Ben's work in drawing and animation: http://ben-reynolds.com/
Email feedback and suggestions for the show to: behonkiss@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
As teased at previously, John and guest host Marc Gonzales take on something of an intimidating task and devote an hour and a half to a freeform discussion on the juggernaut that is the Final Fantasy series. Typical topics like favorite entries are brought up, but expect tangents on other Square Enix games and JRPGs in general, the series' history and transition from Nintendo to Sony, observations on the cult of FF7, John's old tradition of discovering surprising voice actors throughout the series, what happens when an FF13 fan meets an FF13 hater, and Bubsy. Somehow, we keep bringing up Bubsy.
Check out John's new animated short, "Spacious: Self-Demotion", on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L34V0mq0Fm8 And Newgrounds: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/705055
Check out Marc's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Marc's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DankInEffect
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Opening song: Joe Redifer - Final Fantasy V "ROBOVoice"
Originally recorded in mid-December and teased at in our bonus holiday episode, first time guest Marc Gonzales from Generation Animation joins John to talk about a wide variety of topics. John gives his overall thoughts on Pixar's latest without giving anything away the trailers already haven't, Marc gives his thoughts and expectations on Robert Rodriguez's upcoming big-screen adaptation of one of his favorite comics, and because it was making the rounds when this was recorded, we try to wrap our heads around THAT Zootopia fan comic.
Tangents include Marc's thoughts on recent fighting games, speculation on the ramifications of the Disney buyout of Fox, the Olaf short that angered moviegoers everywhere, and John having the euphoric revelation that Tommy Wiseau is on Twitter now. Look forward to the second half soon, where we take a look back at the Final Fantasy franchise.
20:07 - Zootopia "I Will Survive" fan comic discussion
26:27 - Coco review (no spoilers)
58:29 - Alita: Battle Angel trailer thoughts and speculation
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Marc's Twitter: https://twitter.com/DankInEffect
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Read John's initial real-time reaction texts to Chris while reading I Will Survive: http://behonkiss.tumblr.com/post/168306975227/so-i-sent-that-first-image-to-chris-not-knowing
Check out Marc's podcast, Generation Animation: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
It's a Christmas miracle! Not the great kind though, more that Chris and Serena Wade were able to persevere through their first full viewing of the amazingly bad holiday cartoon The Christmas Tree. John joins in and records a group viewing, with plenty of outbursts, horrified utterances, unintended laughter, and plenty of questions with no chance of an answer.
Listen to the previous bonus episode for a proper review of this thing along with our Best Media of 2017 picks, and feel free to watch along with us via the YouTube upload we used: https://youtu.be/GlFtMxG6mnY
Happy holidays and New Year to all our listeners - look forward to Episode 22, Chris's return and more new guests and topics soon!
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John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Serena's Twitter: https://twitter.com/omnomsenzubean
Episode 22 is fully recorded and still being edited, but with the winter holidays coming up, John decides to pull a Christmas miracle and sneak an extra episode out, not only getting Chris back to co-host, but recording on location at the Wade residence, mercifully sparing us of any Skype & Discord errors. We take this opportunity towards the end of 2017 to do a personal awards show, listing not just what films, TV shows, and games we adored the most, but also look back on Sketch Watch Play's history so far to discuss our favorite episodes and moments as well as plans for the near future, with John throwing a curveball of an extra award out as a capper.
But that's far from the only thing we discuss in this episode. The actual reason John went to Chris in person was to show him a little special from 1991 by the name of The Christmas Tree, an independent animation that's got a reputation for all the wrong reasons. Be it the garish character designs, numerous animation errors, abysmal voice acting, or straight-up insane last act, there's a lot here for so-bad-it's-good fans like John (And a lot of pain for non-fans like Chris). Discussions include theories on what was surely a messy production and its director, the possibility of expanded lore that enriches its insane villain, one particularly disturbing early moment that steers it into anime territory, and Serena Wade's first proper appearance on the show.
John recorded audio of our entire watch, and will put that up as an additional bonus commentary soon. If you're curious about watching this thing for yourself, either check out the reviews John mentions towards the beginning or the actual special here if you have the stomach for it: https://youtu.be/GlFtMxG6mnY
01:25 - The Christmas Tree review
44:38 - Best of 2017 awards
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Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's analysis of Sonic Forces' ridiculous writing: https://youtu.be/xLWBRhj83AM
John and Tyrone finish off their X-Men movie retrospective by tackling the films past the original trilogy. Tyrone covers Origins & Apocalypse, both tackle First Class, Days of Future Past, & Logan, and we honestly both skipped The Wolverine because neither of us were ever interested enough to see it (And Deadpool, because although we both liked it, it's a different beast compared to the main series- Apologies.)
Topics include how Origins' director seems like a bad fit stylistically, how First Class mishandles the first appearance of a particular character, John's controversial opinion of Days of Future Past, and more talk about Logan than the rest because it's such a unique beast (HA!) of a sendoff film, and there's a lot about it to dissect.
One more thing: The recording of this episode brought with it a record number of technical problems while recording, leading to an extended editing period and numerous spots where John's stereo sound isn't equalized. We tried our best to correct things, but still apologize for what's noticeably off and have figured out how to lessen these issues going forward.
00:20 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine
07:19 - First Class
18:28 - Days of Future Past
27:40 - Apocalypse
36:37 - Logan
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Tyrone's Twitter: https://twitter.com/tyronehydraulic
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Check out Tyrone's webcomic, Elements of Light: http://eolcomic.blogspot.com/
Check out Tyrone's indie film fest Soul 4 Reel: https://twitter.com/Soul4Reel
Watch John's analysis of Sonic Forces' ridiculous writing: https://youtu.be/xLWBRhj83AM
Thanksgiving break is winding down, which means that John is finally editing together the behemoth that is Episode 21 (And by behemoth we mean it - hence the Part 1). Tyrone Selby returns as the latest rotating co-host for an unintentionally Marvel-centric episode, as the two discuss their overall thoughts on the latest Thor film to hit theaters, then dive into the long and varied juggernaut (HA) that is Fox's X-Men movie franchise. This episode covers the original three present-day films, with Part 2 touching on the Wolverine spinoffs and the more recent prequel entries.
Observations include the great central conflict that drives the characters, coming at the series with varying levels of background knowledge, some iconic characters that get a bum deal, why we didn't find The Last Stand the disaster everyone cites it as, and John's stance on why he'd prefer the series stay independent from the MCU. Special bonus: So many audio issues that John had to add a disclaimer at the start.
09:37 - Thor: Ragnarok review (Spoilers)
39:22 - X-Men/X2/X-Men: The Last Stand discussions (Spoilers for all three)
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Tyrone's Twitter: https://twitter.com/tyronehydraulic
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Check out Tyrone's webcomic, Elements of Light: http://eolcomic.blogspot.com/
Check out Tyrone's indie film fest Soul 4 Reel: https://twitter.com/Soul4Reel
Watch John's grandma seeing the original Thor for the first time: https://youtu.be/DDztQDoOtbY
What better way to celebrate Halloween than talking about a movie series that birthed a million cosplays? (I guess we could have talked an actual horror series, but whatever.) Patrick Fleury finally returns to the show and records alongside John once again, kicking things off with Patrick's thoughts on Destiny 2 so far, with a sprinkle of Star Wars Battlefront 2 beta impressions thrown in for spice. John also dishes out his thoughts on the adorable indie platformer A Hat in Time to balance out all the gunplay.
After that, the two take a deep dive into one of their favorite film series, as we tackle Christopher Nolan's iconic take on Batman in order of release. Expect observations on character reinventions, brief thoughts regarding other Batman series, what each entry does better and worse than the others, Patrick's adoration for Bane, John's adoration for The Dark Knight in general, A smorgasbord of Christian Bale impressions at the end, and possibly the first recording of someone wiping their nose with a laptop caught on microphone. And it probably goes without saying that we spoil the crap out of each movie, but fair warning regardless. (As well as a fair warning that John being both tired and excited while recording this led to a lot of very fast talking on his end.)
07:12 - Destiny 2 thoughts
16:55 - A Hat in Time thoughts
27:44 - Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises talk (Spoilers for all three)
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Patrick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleuryp
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's video review of the indie platformer A Hat in Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vx_SSu2V_E
A temporary new era for Sketch Watch Play begins, as John recruits a revolving team of co-hosts to fill in for Chris through the rest of the year. First up to bat is returning guest Felipe Diaz-Vera from Generation Animation, with additional guests and topics announced at the episode's conclusion. We talk working at a movie theater with a certain film releasing, Felipe explains how Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite both delights him on a gameplay level and disappoints him almost everywhere else, while John loses his mind and his mind alone over Danganronpa V3's early twists. And no, the audio did not glitch out around 45 minutes - we don't want stuff spoiled for those interested in the game. If you have played past the first trial or don't mind having a huge spoiler dropped, you can hear the snipped audio here: http://behonkiss.tumblr.com/post/166370386542/my-unedited-thoughts-on-the-big-twist-in-the-first
For this episode's main topic, we get niche, quirky, and hyperactive like a rabbit-y thing, as we discuss every iteration of Steve Purcell's Sam & Max series across print, animation, and video games. Highlights include John's inability to describe how the titular duo talks and emotes, how their road trips made Felipe want to visit Stuckey's, and impromptu discussions on underrated Dreamworks movies.
17:23 - Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
33:20 - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony initial impressions
50:08 - Sam & Max retrospective
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Listen to Felipe's podcast, Generation Animation: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Watch John's video review of the indie rhythm RPG The Metronomicon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kL_rksg_VU
You thought our mammoth Sonic talks were over? Not by a long, LONG shot. Chris returns to not only dish out his thoughts on notable games in the series, but things get truly beefy when he and John both tackle every official Sonic cartoon to hit the airwaves. See where their opinions differ on things like Adventures and the anime OVA, unite in Underground's awfulness and X's boring-ness, argue about certain points on SatAM, and Boom's self-aware nature.
As a bonus, John blows Chris's mind regarding voice actors on almost all of these, and we cap things off both with an announcement regarding the show's future direction and a simultaneous watch of a cringey fan video that leaves Chris flabbergasted and John laughing harder than ever before. (Apologies for Chris cutting out at points - them's the breaks.)
02:49 - Chris's thoughts on the Sonic games (39:24 for Sonic Mania)
59:39 - Adventures
1:18:00 - SatAM
1:37:20 - Sonic OVA
1:48:40 - Sonic Underground
2:02:03 - Sonic X
2:12:22 - Sonic Boom
2:34:55 - Tanic the Hedgehog watch & commentary
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's video review of Agents of Mayhem: https://youtu.be/1Ntwlkzwt2Q
Watch Chris's animated film, The Will of Monsters: https://vimeo.com/217121639/9a918876e6
You thought our in-depth talk about hedgehog character arcs was done? You were so, so wrong. The second half of John and Colin's gargantuan retrospective of the Sonic the Hedgehog games kicks off at the worst (or maybe best?) starting point with the infamous Sonic 06, chronicles the odd road to redemption with Colors and Generations, discusses the stumbles afterward, and finally cap things off with what's on everyone's minds with our thoughts on Sonic Mania. Thoughts include Sega's struggle to give gameplay a consistent identity and not rush games out, the idea of fidelity vs. aesthetics in the early HD era, and some overall thoughts on Mania that hopefully won't lead to any hardcore fans out for our heads on a pike, and will also explain this episode's thumbnail.
Next time - Sonic cartoons, comics, and misc. stuff (Featuring the return of Chris!)
P.S. Colin's internet connection crapped out on us continuously here, so forgive the audio stumbles.
P.P.S. Listen past the outro music of this one (And some of our past episodes. Hint, hint).
01:18 - Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
15:38 - Sonic and the Secret Rings/Sonic and the Black Knight
27:07 - Sonic Unleashed
39:22 - Sonic 4
43:15 - Sonic Colors
49:45 - Sonic Generations
59:37 - Sonic Lost World
01:05:56 - Sonic Boom games
01:17:56 - Sonic Mania
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Colin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipperwing
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's video on Sonic Generations mods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZVmIkkDBaw&ab_channel=Behonkiss
Check out Colin's animated superhero comic, The Crimson Fly: http://www.thecrimsonfly.com/
Watch Chris's animated film, The Will of Monsters: https://vimeo.com/217121639/9a918876e6
It's been a long time coming, but we're finally taking our first dive into the dangerous behemoth that is the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise! Chris ended up unable to record, but former guest and friend of the show Colin "SkipperWing" Byrd fills his shoes as he and John tackle Sonic's long and wild history of major console titles.
Did I say tackle? Because this is full-on immersion. Despite also intending to discuss spinoff material like cartoons and comics, our discussion on the games along totaled over three hours of audio, resulting in the decision to not only do our first split of an episode into two halves, but to save the spinoff stuff for its own dedicated follow-up episode once Chris returns. Both John and Colin have plenty of memories, opinions, and insight into a series that's become infamous for its hit and miss quality, from what worked and didn't work about the classic Genesis trilogy, the initial leap to 3D in the Dreamcast days, and where things started to get truly wonky once Sega went third-party. Expect more character analysis on Sonic alone than you could ever imagine, too.
Timestamps:
09:47 - Intro to Sonic
16:52 - Genesis games
22:37 - Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
40:30 - Sonic Heroes, Sonic Advance, & Sonic Battle
54:03 - Shadow the Hedgehog
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Colin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipperwing
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's video on Sonic Generations mods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZVmIkkDBaw&ab_channel=Behonkiss
Check out Colin's animated superhero comic, The Crimson Fly: http://www.thecrimsonfly.com/
Watch Chris's animated film, The Will of Monsters: https://vimeo.com/217121639/9a918876e6
While it's still in theaters, John and Chris waste no time in talking about Spider-Man Homecoming after getting several requests, though you'll want to see it for yourself before delving into our spoiler-heavy thoughts, including observations on certain aspects the reboot is handling differently or even better than previous series.
But if you aren't here for superhero talk, you're here to bring on the waterworks. John and Chris take the opportunity to spotlight just how emotional cartoons can get, and take turns coming up with a set of various animated movies and TV shows that drew strong reactions from them. Be they inspiring, thought-provoking, or just straight up heartbreaking, expect a wide variety of series, movies, and probably the most background either co-host has dished out yet.
Timestamps for every title covered have been included this time, as we spoil the crap out of everything we discuss.
Timestamps:
2:34 - Spider-Man Homecoming review (Spoilers)
19:44 - Emotional moments intro
21:25 - All Dogs Go to Heaven
26:10 - Peanuts (Snoopy Come Home & A Boy Named Charlie BRown)
32:07 - Land Before Time
37:37 - Castle in the Sky
42:14 - Pokemon the Movie 2000
48:52 - Futurama (Jurassic Bark & Luck of the Fryrish)
54:50 - Gurren Lagann
1:02:18 - Finding Dory
Show Twitter (Send feedback, questions, and requests!): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristopTheWade
Watch John's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy: https://youtu.be/LAE_qX2-bbc
Watch Chris's animated film, The Will of Monsters: https://vimeo.com/217121639/9a918876e6