Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going on a nostalgia train trip. I’m sure by now you’ve all heard about the DuckTales revival (if you haven’t check out my blog post about it here: ). At this point most of us have seen the promo pics and have heard the cast sing the iconic theme song. But now Disney has FINALLY given us the one thing we’ve been craving ever since we first heard about this revival. Are you ready!?! No! It’s not the announcement of a Recess revival (although fingers crossed for that). No, it’s not a Kim Possible revival…stop guessing already! We have finally gotten a DuckTales trailer! Excited! I knew you would be! So if you want to learn all about this AMAZING trailer, then please read on. Ready! Ok, let’s go!!!
The animation is definitely different than what fans of the original series are used to, but if you’re a fan of the the animation on other recent Disney XD shows such as ‘Wander Over Yonder’ or ‘Gravity Falls’ then you’ll love this stylistic choice. Another departure from the original series comes in the form of the voice acting (we’ll sort of). Scrooge McDuck’s nephews Huey(played by Danny Pudi), Dewy (played by Ben Schwartz) and Louie (played by Bobby Moynihan) definitely sound less childlike, and now have very distinct voices. They have also lost the famous Donald Duck lisp which further adds to their unique personalities. Two characters that do sound very similar to their predecessors are LaunchPad McQuack (played by Beck Bennett, most known for his work on Saturday Night Live) & Scrooge McDuck (played by David Tennant, most known for his work as Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who & Barry Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire). LaunchPad McQuack sounds very similar to the voice of our childhood & Scrooge sounds so identical it’s scary (and by scary I mean completely AMAZING!!!). We’re also going to get to hear a voice that we’ve heard many times before due to the fact that Donald Duck will be played by Tony Anselmo (who has been Donald’s official voic since 1985). Earlier this month the show was officially renewed by Disney XD for a 2nd season so the channel obviously had high hopes for this reboot. Personally I’m super excited to see what the new cast & crew can bring to this iconic show. What do you think people of the internet? One thing is for sure, whether this show is a hit or miss, it will definitely take us another 27 years to get that theme song out of our heads again (DuckTales! Woo-oo!).
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about a franchise that has been around for the past 20 years (yeah that’s a long time). Whether you were around from the beginning, or are a new fan, I think we can all agree that Pokémon has earned a unique place in pop culture history. So in celebration of the franchise’s 20th birthday (yay!) we’re going to take a look at the Super Bowl commercial that was recently uploaded to YouTube to celebrate the franchise’s anniversary. Also, Nintendo has announced that they will release the original Pokémon Blue, Red, and Yellow games on the ‘Nintendo 3DS store’, and Blue and Red will be preinstalled in special edition 3DS bundles packs that will also have Red and Blue themed faceplates. So get ready Pokélovers, because 2016 will definitely be your year! Also, if you love Pokémon then please check out my interview with Eric Stuart who was the original voice of the characters Brock and James on Pokémon (Eric Stuart Interview). Now let’s talk about the commercial. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
I really love this commercial because it isn’t an advertisement for a new game/merchandise, or even a small clip show of all of the many seasons of the show. The commercial shows various kids/teens/adults from all over the world engaging in Pokémon related activities. I think that this was a really cool idea, because it shows that Pokémon has many different aspects that we can all enjoy together, regardless of our gender, age, economic status, culture, or geographical location. It’s really amazing to see how this franchise has changed and grown over time, and I know that we’re all excited to see where it goes from here (check out the commercial below, you’ll love it!!!).
•All photos and information used in this blog belong to the creators, distributor, marketers, designers of Pokémon in any way, shape, and/or form, Nintendo, Satoshi Tajiri, Pokémon, Len Sugimori, Game Freak, TV Tokyo, Cartoon Network, Pokémon20.com, and all other original owners. If anyone who deserves credit was not previously mentioned, they are now given credit. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we’re going to discuss an event that we all experience every year. This is something that we all grow up with, and no matter how old or young you are, it still has the same affect. What am I talking about you may ask? A little movie that we all love known as ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’! In 1965 ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ first aired on CBS, and thus started a Christmas tradition that would continue to enchant families for decades. The movie was commissioned by ‘The Coca-Cola Company’, which asked ‘Peanuts’ creator Charles M. Schulz and his team to create the special in 6 months, after they viewed an unaired documentary staring Schultz called ‘A Boy Named Charlie Brown’. This year ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ turned 50 so let’s discuss why this amazing movie has become engraved as a part of our Christmas tradition. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
Although there are so many things about this movie that we love, I think that the 3 main things that you can pinpoint that makes ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ different than other Christmas specials is: the characters, the music, and the risks that this movie takes. One of the most important aspects of a great story is for it to have amazing, memorable characters that we can relate to. The Peanuts universe has brought us a lot of beloved characters from Lucy (the girl we all love to hate), Linus (the intelligent and practical one), Sally (the little sister we all wish we had), Snoopy (the cool one we all wish we were), and of course the wonderfully hilarious and fun Charlie Brown who we can all relate to on some level. Of course ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without it’s amazing music. Whether you love more traditional sounding Christmas music such as ‘Christmas Time is Here’ and ‘Hark the Harold Angels Sing’, or music that brings a fresh feel to the season such as the unforgettable piano jazz number ‘Linus and Lucy’ (which you can check out in the video below), this movie will have you humming along to its’ diverse soundtrack long after Christmas is over. Finally, we need to discuss the incredible risks this movie takes. One of these risks is not using music in the style of what was popular at the time. A lot of times movies use catchy, modern sounds in order to easily win over an audience. ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ uses the opposite (and often risker approach) of using genres that weren’t necessarily in the forefront of the American public’s mind in the 60s, and thus makes very unique music that instantly mesmerizes you because it’s so different. Another risk that this movie takes is that it used actual child actors to voice the characters, and because of this adds a larger sense of authenticity to the roles. Shows/movies are notorious for using adults to portray teens and children, (because of legal, financial, and other reasons), so to use a cast that was primarily made up of children was very groundbreaking at the time (and is still VERY uncommon today). Using children actors also added a sincerity and innocence to the roles that really brought these characters to life on screen, and has set a bar that all Charlie Brown specials have had to try to live up to ever since. Because of all of these reasons, we can see why we love Charlie Brown so much, and why we’ll continue to sing, dance, and laugh along to ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ for the next 50 + years.
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s Monday Memos I am going to introduce y’all to an AMAZING new band whose music is so infectious and fun, that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. As the summer time rapidly approaches, your playlists definitely need a high energy boost, with music that will serve as the perfect backtrack to all of your favorite summer memories. I’ve always thought that the perfect song, by the perfect band, can make a moment truly unforgettable, and with this band you will definitely have fun summer memories to look back on. Who is this band? Well listen close, because you WILL be hearing this band’s name in the future. People of the internet, please allow me to introduce you to Animal Fiction!!! Now please read on to learn about why you will quickly become obsessed with this phenomenal new band.
Animal Fiction is a three piece indie pop band from Los Angeles, CA that consists of Eben Wares, Julian Walker, and Cameron Walker. Cameron Walker should be particularly recognizable by music lovers, due to his work as a touring member of the alternative pop band ‘The Ready Set’ and the indie band ‘1985’. He has also worked as a songwriter for Showtime, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, ESPN, and ABC. On February 18th, 2014, Animal Fiction released their debut self-titled EP. The EP includes 5 AMAZING songs that are upbeat and perfect summer tracks (think Foster the People meets Vampire Weekend).The subjects of the tracks talk about subjects like: breaking away from the norm and having an adventure, falling in love, and enjoying the freedom of being young. I really love that these songs are energetic and make you want to dance. Also, the sound of the EP is not only radio friendly (and trust me you will hear this band’s music on the radio VERY soon) but also contains a very unique sound that is instantly recognizable. It’s perfect for the upcoming summer season, and is a MUST on any and all playlists (so go to ITunes and get a copy…well finish reading the rest of the blog and then go…trust me, it’s worth the wait).
Animal Fiction’s newest song ‘Walk In The Sunshine’ (which is not included in their debut EP here’s the link so you can check it out Walk In The Sunshine) is another track that I am really excited about. This song is about having fun, being young, and enjoying life. This track shows that Animal Fiction has truly found their sound, and is becoming comfortable within it. I think that this song really shows a growth for the band, as artists, and their ability to craft and perform songs with catchy lyrics and infectious hooks. It can be very difficult for a band to create a sound that will help them have an immediate impactful debut, but Animal Fiction makes this task seem easy with ‘Walk In The Sunshine’. If this song is any indication of the direction that ‘Animal Fiction’ is heading with their music, then I am very excited for what’s ahead for them. I could easily see this song as a crowd favorite at a concert, and would be excited to see how Animal Fiction would visually show this song in a music video or concert setting. This track definitely solidifies the fact that Animal Fiction is a band to watch, and I think that it’s only a matter of time when everyone is blasting ‘Walk In The Sunshine’, and Animal Fiction’s other songs from their car radios.
So are you excited now?!? You definitely should be! I HIGHLY suggest that you check out Animal Fiction, and keep an ear open for all of the amazing new music they have in store. Whether you’re going on a road trip, hanging out by the pool/beach, or going to an awesome party, this is one band that you will NEED to have on repeat. So what are you waiting for!?! You know you want to check them out! Also, make sure you support Animal Fiction by purchasing their EP, checking out their music video for ‘Everyday is New’ (here’s a link to the AMAZING music video Everyday is New), listening to ‘Walk In The Sunshine’, and staying up to date with the band on all of their social media accounts.
Keep in touch with Animal Fiction!!!
Animal Fiction’s Facebook: AnimalFictionOfficial
Cameron Walker’s Facebook: CameronWalkerOfficial
Cameron Walker’s Twitter: cameronwalker