Tag Archives: cartoons

Free Family Entertainment

My 8-year-old is hooked on retro cartoons. I have the Smurfs to thank for that. Ever since the blue guys debuted on the big screen and I told my daughter that I grew up watching them on TV, she’s been obsessed with viewing animated shows from the 70s and 80s, including the Snorks, Hong Kong Phooey, and Heathcliff. Retro cartoons are fun to watch as a family; however, the pleasure can really put a dent in your wallet if you are not careful. When my daughter expressed interest in watching the same cartoons I grew up with I offered to … Continue reading →

Goofy New Check-In for Disney Cruises

Have you been considering going on a Disney cruise vacation, but aren’t quite sure that the whole experience would be enough fun? Sure, Disney cruises are some of the most luxurious vacations out there, but they’ve also got the potential to become a bit claustrophobic, and there were all those food poisoning incidents on cruise ships last year, even if none of them were on Disney ships. Well, either the execs at the Walt Disney Corp. cruise division thought their marketing scheme needed an extra push, or someone over in the animation/graphic design department was feeling whimsical, because the Disney … Continue reading →

Cartoon Review: Chowder

In our home, most all of the television that we watch is something I’ve pulled up from our recorded shows. We rarely watch live television. Because of this, my son hasn’t seen many of the cartoons that are shown on live television. Up until recently, the only cartoons that my son had been exposed to were the following: *Tom & Jerry *Spongebob Squarepants *Looney Toons *Dora the Explorer *Garfield Most of the time, my son watches recorded episodes of Spongebob Squarepants or his dvd collection of seasons of Spongebob. Since he was so interested in everything Spongebob, I never really … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Television: The Electronic Babysitter

I have been criticized more than once for letting my toddler watch television. It is often referred to as the electronic babysitter, mostly by people who don’t think toddlers should watch television at all. However, I do not consider the television to be an electronic babysitter, so much as a source of both entertainment and education. There have been times when I have joked that I’m happy to have my electronic babysitter. That usually occurs when I desperately need to finish dinner and my son wants to play ball. I need a few minutes to get plates on the table … Continue reading →

Happy Smurf Day!

Okay, I admit… I was into the Smurfs. The little blue guys captured my heart and a good chunk of my allowance as a kid. I owned a stuffed Smurfette and once spent all my birthday money on an entire set of 2-inch tall plastic Smurf figurines that included Papa Smurf, Handy Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Farmer Smurf, Baker Smurf, even Sassette. So when I heard my former blue pals were celebrating the big 5-0 I immediately thought: I’m old! Fifty years and Smurfette doesn’t look a day over 18. It’s true; I saw her on TV last night … Continue reading →

Me and Scooby Doo

A funny thing happened Sunday while I was alone. Tyler was with his father watching the football games and I was sitting in the hotel reading the newspaper and flipping the channels trying to find something half-way interesting to watch on TV. At one point I flipped to Scooby Doo and for a split second I thought about stopping but then I hurried on. When I didn’t find anything, I made the rounds again and when I came to the channel that had Scooby Doo on, once again I was tempted to stop and watch. But somehow I felt that … Continue reading →

More Viral Animal Emails: Doggone Hysterical

Previously I wrote about viral emails I’m guilty of spreading and ones that have tugged at my heart. Well, here’s some that I’ve found just doggone hysterical. Off the Mark Cartoons My neighbor Marlene forwarded an email with “From a dog’s point of view” in the subject line. It contained a bunch of Off the Mark cartoons by Mark Parisi. These were cartoons I’d never seen before and had me in stitches because I thought they were incredibly clever. My favorites were: • “Aromatherapy Candles” – a dog’s standing in front of a rack of dog rear end candles, with … Continue reading →

Meet Cartoonist and Cattle Capers Author Dawn Kravagna

Dawn Kravagna is a cartoonist, writer, and the mastermind behind the book Cattle Capers starring Master Detective Adam Steer. She began drawing comics when she was very young (or as she put it “since I could hold a pencil”). Her father was a jockey’s agent, so she grew up in the horse racing world, and there was even a cow in her –-and her dog’s– life. (See the quote at the end of the interview for more on that.) For a time after college she was involved in animal welfare, which she still tries to be as she supports the … Continue reading →

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

I just had the most fun watching “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” I’ve gone through a long dry spell when it comes to film and this was a blessed relief. Brendan Fraser stars as DJ Drake, a security guard on the Warner Brothers lot. Jenna Elfman is Kate, the vice president, who wants to make meaningful movies and can’t picture Daffy Duck as contributing to her overall goals. Bugs Bunny, she’ll keep, but the duck has got to go. Telling DJ to throw Daffy off the lot, Kate is sure she’s done what’s best for the company, but the Warner … Continue reading →

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000)

Buzz Lightyear returns to the screen in a way we’ve never seen him before – animated and in space. Our lovable ranger from “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” is out to conquer the Evil Emperor Zurg, who wants to take over the galaxy. With his gung-ho attitude and his strict adherence to regulations (most of which he wrote himself) he’s the man for the job. The LGMs (little green men) are in danger, and Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen) along with his partner Warp Darkmatter, is sent to save them. But while on this mission, a battle ensues and … Continue reading →