How TV Shaped Us Part 3: The House of Mouse

Hey! Welcome to the third and final part of "TV I grew up with that shaped me into the writer I am today" series. If you missed Part One or Two, where I waxed poetic about Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, just CLICK HERE or HERE to get caught up.

(Once more, I'm only doing a cursory reflection of these shows. I'm assuming you've heard of or watched most of these. If you haven't, I highly recommend checking out ALL of these fantastic series for yourself.)

But now it's time to talk about the other major network that, weirdly enough, eluded me for a long time. The one that, now-a-days, has systematically taken over the entire planet whether we like it or not: Disney (and by extension, the Disney Channel).

To start, my primary places to get my 'toon fix was either Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network.....because oddly enough, for the longest time, my family didn't get the Disney Channel in our cable packages. It was its own, separate, pay-per-view network, so for years, Channel 40 on my tiny TV in my room (the kind that had the built in VHS player; remember those?) showed nothing but static (with the occasional ghostly image peeking through if you squinted hard enough). So, to get my Disney fix, I had to solely rely on whatever was out in theaters and VHS tapes. As such, I stacked up a sizeable collection of tapes that each contained a multitude of compilations of shorts that were themed around either a certain character or holiday. This was how I was able to enjoy a ton of the classic Mickey, Donald, and Goofy cartoons. And it goes to show just how virtually timeless they are, as child-me had no clue these cartoons were made back in the 1930s and 40s; they were able to stand right alongside the likes of "Rugrats", "Hey Arnold", and "Dexter's Laboratory".  (This is why you should generally avoid topical humor---it almost never ages well.)

On the subject of VHS, remember those 'clamshell' boxes you cracked open at the seams? This was the only way I was able to see all the classic animated films of yesteryear; my absolute favorite being "The Sword in the Stone". I always loved how chill and laid back it was in comparison to some of Disney's other adventures, with most of the focus being on teaching moral lessons. This one, more than any other, deserved its own educational spin off show (and I often fantasized about Merlin being my teacher---would've made school a lot more enjoyable).

And speaking of the movies, the 90s was one of the best eras to be growing up in, because it meant I got to experience the famed "Disney Renaissance" as it was happening---a golden era where Disney was banging out hit after hit after hit. Some of my absolute favorites included "The Rescuers Down Under"---one of the rare times the sequel was better than the original and was the first usage of completely digital coloring and (along with the Great Mouse Detective) early CGI use (a very criminally underrated movie that quietly revolutionized animation. The renaissance era pretty much owes its existence to this film.) There was, of course, "The Lion King"---the film that everyone adores to this day, and the one that taught us all how to not run away from your problems, taking responsibility, and family legacy. "Aladdin" also got a ton of run time, with Robin Williams' loveable and chaotic genie trying to teach our main protagonist the importance of being your best, truest self. And while it's not talked about as much, I also greatly enjoyed "Hercules" and it's messages about what it means to be a true hero. It may have taken a ton of liberties with the mythology it was based off of, but dang if it isn't fun. (And who else wanted Danny DeVito's character, Phil, to be their exercise coach?)

But then, eventually, one day, our family's cable package got an update....and we FINALLY got to see what was on the mysterious Channel 40. And at long last, I got to play catch up on everything my classmates were watching that I was missing out on. I finally had access to shows like "Recess", "The Proud Family", and the channel's plethora of original movies ("Twitches" and "Halloweentown" remain classics). But out of everything the network had to offer, there were three shows I made the most time for:

The first was "Kim Possible", which was kind of a half spy/half superhero show....but the main character herself didn't have any powers, nor did she dress in a costume or have a secret identity.  Everyone around the world just knew who she was and what she did; i.e, being a normal high school cheerleader who also got called upon to go on death-defying, world-saving missions by whoever hired her. The premise is so odd the more you think about it, but us kids ate it up. It goes to show that you don't have to follow any of the "traditional" genre conventions to make a great story.

Next up was the darker and grittier "Gargoyles". I only caught this when I was older, and I'm kind of glad I did, because I think little kid me wouldn't have understood or appreciated it as much. This was basically Disney's attempt to have their own equivalent to  "Batman: The Animated Series", with a tiny bit of "Ninja Turtles" thrown in, but crank up the fantasy and mysticism elements. (Any "Star Trek" fan will also appreciate how, like, half of "Next Gen's" bridge crew did voice work in it.) It not only highlighted traditionally "monsterous" creatures to be our heroes, but it was also excellent at giving us a cerealized show where you really had to pay attention to what was going on; introducing plotlines early on that would have a payoff further down the line, and complex characters with often morally-grey motives. It taught me how to make your characters more complicated and nuanced, and that you can have the most outlandish plot or setting, but the key to making a truly great story is to make sure that most of your characters are likeable, relatable, sympathetic, or some combo of the three.

And finally, you can't talk about Disney without mentioning the uber-popular behemoth that is the "Lilo and Stitch" film and its subsequent spin-off series. The movie remains one of the most masterfully and tightly written plots of any modern Disney film, teaching the importance of family and community, and how to rebuild your life after a tragedy. And the spin-off show, which involved Lilo finding homes for all of Stitch's "cousins" (aka the previous experiments), was great at teaching the audience how everyone can use their unique abilities for the greater good, and that there will always be someone out there who will love you for who and what you are.

The 90s and early 2000s truly were a great time for kids TV, and it's a pre-streaming era full of creativity and non-money hogging and monopolizing that's sadly probably never really coming back. Even now, it's come full circle that Disney was once a pay-per-view channel, then basic cable finally included them.....and now with the advent of Disney+, they're back to being a paid exclusive again....

....no, the irony isn't lost on me.

Stuff I got done this week:

--Created shadow box art and began sewing dolls for the upcoming "Monster Bash" convention. (See the "upcoming events" tab for more details)

--continued drawing the next "Jamie Jupiter" episode

--continued writing the next "Rini Boe" installment

Do you want to see behind-the-scenes photos and commentary on all these projects? All of this is available in my totally free newsletter! The next one comes out August 26th!