Frog and Toad Are Fired Across the Spider-Verse - Renegade Animation #109
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru discuss Frog and Toad, Fired on Mars, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, and this episode quite literally has something we can all enjoy! For our younger listeners, Apple TV+ has adapted Arnold Lobel’s award-winning children’s book Frog and Toad into an 8-episode animated series. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Fired on Mars, an adult animated dramedy created by Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey for Max. Finally, there’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Animation’s highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse. Tune into the podcast to hear the full discussion!
Frog and Toad
There isn’t a whole lot I had to say about this series on the podcast, except that it was a very pleasant experience that took me back to reading those books in elementary school. It has a great voice cast, simple, but effective animation, and just an overall laid-back vibe that’s suitable for all-ages.
“Frog and Toad is a cheery and chill series that perfectly captures the charm and wit of the original books with a beautiful watercolor art style.“ -The Animation Guru
Fired on Mars
While I wasn’t familiar with Sherman and Vokey’s 2016 short film of the same name, I did thoroughly enjoy this series from start to finish! If we want adult animation to move beyond the endless sea of Family Guy clones, we have to support shows like this. Fired on Mars begins as a high concept workplace comedy with sci-fi elements, but evolves into a more sophisticated sci-fi dramedy in the back half of its first(?) season. I would love nothing more than to see this one continue, but if it doesn’t, I’m still satisfied enough with where things end.
“Fired on Mars: An out of this world surprise in the world of adult animation that tackles the philosophical quandary on one's purpose in life with a witty script and a great lead performance by Luke Wilson.“ -The Animation Guru
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
What more can I say about this movie that hasn’t already been said either here on this podcast, my original letterboxd review, or the spoiler discussion I had with Brock on Marvel After the Credits. Getting down to brass tacks, Across the Spider-Verse proved to me that animation is not even close to being done innovating, finding new ways to wow both critics and audiences around the world! This movie pulls out all the stops, expanding the scope and scale of the larger narrative, while still keeping things emotionally grounded. I could see this movie 100 times and still find new things to appreciate about it, that’s how much attention to detail was given to this project.
“There has been a talk about superhero fatigue that has also bled into the world of movies in other avenues, like other big tentpole franchises and even other major movies and some smaller releases. It’s not really fatigue towards superhero movies. It’s fatigue towards films that were either not given enough time to craft their stories or they came up with stories that weren’t great at investing you in the characters that are on screen. People like seeing flashy things and big names, but if the writing isn’t there, if the people in the audience aren’t getting something new or something that feels refreshing and original, then people won’t show up. Spider-Man: Across the Universe is a checklist of how to make not only a good sequel, a better sequel, but an amazing film. Miles and Gwen are put through the wringer as their worldviews are challenged, and these challenges are thrown at them through some of 2023’s best animation and visual storytelling. You have animation that is an awe-inspiring rollercoaster of sights and flair unlike anything else out there, characters that are complex to the core of the human experience of isolation and stress of living up to the way people see you, writing that is whip- smart and continually engaging, action set pieces that should give the animators, artists, and visual effects people all the raises in the world, and it’s only part one! Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a monumental web-slinging time at the films as 2023’s most exciting cinematic experience. Obviously, by the way this film is making money hand-over-web-shooting-fist, people are seeing this film, and if you haven’t done so, it’s an undoubtedly herculean adventure that everyone should go to the theaters to see. “ -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us! Please visit https://entertainmentcommunityfund.org/ and donate under the designation of Film and Television if you wish to support those that are effected by the 2023 WGA Writers’ Strike!
