#There’s always THAT ONE person so… no anime yakko for you- all of you

[lunawings]

Animaniacs in Concert, 2/17/24 in Bristol, CT

Or, the story of how I ran into Rob Paulsen and immediately threw up.

Not on him, thankfully.

Where to begin? From the beginning, I guess.

I talk a lot about Japanese voice actors on this blog and I have almost no thoughts about American anime dub voice actors (no offense, I just don't know their work). However, if you asked me my favorite American cartoon voice actor, it's Rob Paulsen. I knew his voice before I even knew he existed, and if you ask me, he's one of the most recognizable male voice actors in Saturday morning cartoons.

He's probably most known as being Yakko on Animaniacs, and "half the Ninja Turtles" as he puts it. ("Maybe if I live to 102 I can voice all of them!") I also personally really liked him in The Mask cartoon, I think it's some of his best work. (Even though he was doing Jim Carey, he kind of wasn't at the same time. He made it his own.) But even beyond his leading roles, he just seems to pop up all sorts of places, and it always makes my day when I recognize him as additional voices.

While Japanese voice actors are often young and excessively beautiful people you're supposed to swoon over, 80s/90s American cartoon voice actors aren't... quite... the same. And yet. I sorta do, in a weird way. I mean I've known Rob Paulsen's voice for as long as my brain has been making memories and that's a pretty huge impact on a person. A few years back, I stumbled upon a few videos of him on YouTube attending cons performing Yakko's World and such, and I just loved his personality and energy so much. So, I added seeing him perform someday to my mental list of goals to accomplish if I ever returned to the US.

Fast forward again to the 2020s, the Animaniacs revival comes out on Hulu (I don't care what anyone says I freakin loved it) and I hear he's touring again with Animaniacs in Concert. I looked up the dates and none of them were remotely near me. As I checked back one day, mourning the possible missed opportunity and debating how far I might go, a new show popped up in Bristol, CT. How random, I thought. I checked if it was doable for me, and it was! It wasn't feasible as a day trip, but still doable. And once I saw there was one FRONT ROW SEAT LEFT, the deal was sealed as I quickly bought the ticket and reserved a room at the only hotel I could find in the area, the Bristol Double Tree.

Fast forward to yesterday. I arrived in Bristol just after noon following an uber and FOUR different buses. I'd woken up way too early, I was hungry and tired, and not feeling too great. I decided food would be my first plan of action, and since I didn't quite understand how to order room service (the menu wasn't loading on my phone anyway) and there wasn't anything within walking distance, I decided to just head downstairs and eat at the hotel restaurant/bar.

As I was waiting for my impossible burger and fries, I decided to take off the Yakko's World hoodie I'd been wearing.

I bought it specifically to wear to the show, and I'd already spilled a little coffee on it this morning and didn't want to risk having to wash it again. So I tucked it behind me in the booth.

Shortly after that, another group walked in and sat at the table next to me. An older guy and some ladies. I wasn't paying much attention to them as I thought they were maybe a part of the wedding party I heard was at the hotel. My food came and I focused on that.

But then someone else walked in and joined them. Someone I very much DID recognize. "Oh there you are!" "Hi, I'm Rob!"

The next moment is kind of a blur so I'm not exactly sure whether I jumped a little or if I did the dramatic eyes widen slow turn, but I definitely had some kind of a visible reaction as I looked over to the table. It was then that I locked eyes with who at that moment I first realized was Maurice Lamarche, voice of Brain (from Pinky and the Brain) and many MANY Futurama characters (more than I realized as I learned later). He was the older man I mentioned earlier, and had been sitting there the entire time. And at that moment I thought perhaps he knew everything. (Both the fact that I recognized the new person who had just walked in, and the fact that I hadn't recognized Maurice himself until now.)

So I'm pretty sure I have at least mild prosopagnosia (face blindness) so it is hard for me to recognize people right away.

But there was something I could never fail to recognize, and that was the voice of Rob Paulsen, who was the person who had just walked into the room and joined the table with Maurice.

I'm not sure how they knew the women they were dining with, but they were all catching up, asking them if they were going to the show, etc. I listened a bit as Rob happily talked to them about the impact of the show and its fans. Such as how devoted fans would actually fly in to see them and how the average age of the audience was about 40 (hah ha... not yet but I'm getting there). He even mentioned Tress MacNeille at one point! Maurice was right in my view, but Rob was at an angle where I couldn't see him without turning my head but oh lord it was definitely him.

I had no idea what to do at this point. Do I say something? Do I not? Would it be terrible to just say hi and that I'm looking forward to the show??

I've been to a lot of events with voice actors in the past, especially in Japan, but I still just... cannot handle meeting famous people that I admire. Actually seeing them up close is intense enough, but actually TALKING to them? I don't know how anyone can do it.

I'm reminded of Amari in Idol Land PriPara, that episode where she meets Hibiki...

Yeah, basically me. For the people who visualize in their head while they are reading something, just replace whatever you imagine I look like with Amari and this story will fit very well.

All while this is all racing through my mind, I'm still shoveling french fries into my mouth while trying (and probably failing) to stay calm and act normal (even though I'm pretty sure Maurice is onto me) and I soon realize I've got a couple fries stuck in my throat (as often happens when I'm eating without paying attention, as I'm a very fast eater). I exaggerated a little in my previous post when I said I was choking, but it was hard to swallow and I realized I'd have to sneak off to the bathroom to deal with it without causing any more of a scene. I basically threw my credit card on the table and ran, though (which was dumb in hindsight, but I didn't want anyone to think I was dine-dashing).

In the end, after I came back, I decided to just quietly pay the bill and leave without saying anything, scrunching and hiding my Yakko hoodie the best I could. I didn't want to interrupt them during their private time, and for that reason I didn't try to take any photos or videos either. So I have no proof that this happened but it very much did.

And it made sense, I realized later. I already knew that the Double Tree in Bristol was literally the only hotel in the area, where else would they be!!?

After leaving the table I was so worked up I basically walked straight out of the hotel because I didn't know what else to do and headed to the Carosel Museum of New England where I killed at least two whole hours sitting on a bench looking at intricately carved 100+ year old wooden animals while nursing my exhaustion and caffeine cravings. (The museum isn't that big, I just literally did not know what else to do with myself.)

But I learned that most carousel horses are only decorated on the side that faces the customers. And since they were all hand-carved back then, the opposite side would often be carved by a less experienced carver in training or something. ISN'T THAT NEAT?

I thought that was neat.

Anyway.

Eventually I downed an energy drink I bought from a convenience store as I went on my way to the venue of the show.

I was still super early since I ran out of the hotel super early but there was already a crowd gathered outside. At first I didn't know this was the reason people had gathered, but the first 40 people to line up were eligible to sign up for a "meet-and-greet" with everyone after the show. And when I reached the front of the line, it was still open.

"Sure?" I said, not really fully understanding what I was signing up for. And so I headed inside.

The show opened with Yakko's Universe (SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SONG) and of course closed with Yakko's World as the finale. What came in between was quite random. Despite not being an actual cast member, the real star of the show was composer Randy Rogel. Rob of course voiced Yakko and his other characters, and Randy voiced... almost everyone else haha. Just using his own voice most of the time, but still. He sang as Dot a lot.

And it seemed like he picked the songs they played not necessarily by what songs were popular, but by what songs he and Rob had stories to talk about. For example, they did a bunch of songs from the failed show Histeria when Rob literally broke into tears (he was acting) while talking about how Randy had to actually, physically, go to a library to research the topics he was writing about back in those days. Randy also played an alternate version of the song LA DOT that had sat untouched in a folder for decades.

Rob's voice doesn't sound quite the same as it used to, as anyone who has seen the 2020 Animaniacs series would know, but he can still do it all! And considering he survived throat cancer, and came back to not only work again but sing live!? He sounds amazing!

Maurice Lamarche was also of course a part of the show, and although he only "sang" one song as Brain, his interactions in character as Brain with Rob as Pinky were probably the highlight of the whole show. (They did a whole "Who's on First" sketch talking about what countries to conquer, with Pinky misunderstanding "Hungary", "Turkey" and "Chili".)

Maurice also did a showcase of his voice, including so many other Animaniacs and Futurama characters I had no idea were him, not to mention frikkin Toucan Sam and the narrator of Lexus commercials.

The only thing that disappointed me a little about the show, was they didn't really do anything from the 2020 series, but I guess Randy wasn't as involved with the music in that. So, oh well.

I didn't take many photos/videos during the show, since I wasn't fully sure of the etiquette (still kinda have my Japan brain for these sort of things) and since I was in the front row I wanted to give them my full attention. I think there are plenty of videos online anyway, since at least one segment was one I'd already seen before.

So, after the show ended, people began to line up for the meet-and-greet, and it was then that I fully understood what I had gotten myself into.

Each of us would get about a minute to talk with them individually, get their signature, and get a picture if we wanted. I was really kicking myself for not bringing anything to sign! I really had no idea it would actually be an option! (In the days leading up to the show I had been looking at Rob's website where I noticed he normally charges $60 for an autograph, so I didn't think he would do it for free.)

But more importantly, I realized I was going to have to actually face them. TALK TO THEM. The exact thing I had run away from earlier in the day.

And again, I considered just running away. But I had taken a spot on that list. A spot that could have gone to someone else and it was too late to give away now. So, I told myself, I had to see this through. No matter what.

As the line inched closer I panicked over whether they would recognize me from the hotel or not as I rehearsed in my head over and over again all the things I could say. I was honestly juggling between two or three entire scripts by the time it was finally my turn and when realized... after all that...

I did not need to say anything.

Rob saw my hoodie ("It's me!") so he knew I was there for him, and he knew I was nervous. So he did all the talking. (After all, that is his job. Literally!) He took my hand and complimented my hoodie, my hair, and everything. He said so many nice things about me (I even got a "Hellooooo nurse!") and even broke the ice by introducing me to "his friend the Brain" so I got to shake hands with Maurice as well. (I STILL THINK HE KNEW. So I felt a little awkward then but other than that) it was just such a wonderful interaction. Rob was so nice and kind and I got the impression he really, really cares about his fans.

So I missed out on the autograph, but I did get a picture, and I left the entire experience feeling so warm and fuzzy and oddly complete. Childhood dream achieved.

It took me another four busses and an uber to get home today (I left around 8am, walked into my door after 4...) but it was all very worth it.

I'm mostly at peace with how things turned out, but if I ever get the chance to see them again, at a Comicon or whatever, I'll be sure to bring a Futurama DVD boxset for Maurice to sign and maybe try to acquire an old Animanics or Mask the Animated Series VHS for Rob!

You know, it's pretty ridiculous how easy it is to meet and get signatures from famous voice actors in this country. That almost never happens in Japan. I mean, I'm planning to go to an actual Love Live concert in Japan next month, and here I am oddly depressed I can't fly out to Seattle to see Chiemi and Coco at Sakura-con instead because I might get to actually meet MEET them there haha.

Even though it would be another disaster if I actually did.

Hahah...

#another very long and rambly event/travel story from my life #maybe mostly so i myself can look back on it #but maybe you'll enjoy reading it too #animaniacs #rob paulsen #maurice lamarche

[cf56]

In the reboot the Warners are very openly violent with each other, they go after each other in ways that in the original series they saved solely for their enemies. Do you think this is something they are being forced to do by their new writers or has there been some sort of negative shift in their relationships with each other? Primarily it seems to be Wakko and Dot against Yakko. Could this even be part of the reason Yakko created Yolko?

I think criticism of the reboot can often be over the top, but this is one point I do agree with. I think the writers (real world writers) fell into the trap of knowing they needed to include cartoony violence but didn't know when or how to use it. In much of the reboot, the Warners are the only cartoon characters around, so they end up directing the violence at each other. If you think about it compared to the original, though, they also seem to be strangely reserved when it comes to using violence against their human "special friends" in the reboot. Why aren't they dropping anvils on Ralph or smashing Nora with a mallet? They just sort of hang around and talk most of the time. Almost seems like they've mellowed out, but the opposite has happened in regards to how they interact with each other.

In the original, they were kind of written in most cases as a single character with three different personalities. Rarely separated, always pursuing the same goal. Basically, if you wouldn't write a single character malleting themselves, you shouldn't write the Warners malleting each other. I think the change can be described succinctly like this: they went from acting like the Marx Brothers to acting more like The Three Stooges.

In-universe, I think there are some things we have to establish first when looking at this dilemma. First, toons cannot be permanently injured except by means of a plot device specifically devised to injure them (Dip). It's also unclear if they actually feel pain, or if they just have comedic reactions to violence that simulate being in pain. It's possible that the Warners aren't hurting each other at all. If you knew you could hurt your siblings without actually causing them pain, would you?

Perhaps the answer to that is irrelevant in the Warners' case, because the Warners are closer than regular siblings. They are not just the only family each of them have ever had. The only people in general who care genuinely about them is each other. Their relationship is built on total, implicit trust. Whether they can really hurt each other or not, the fact that they try at all is troubling. I'll get into detail on that lower down.

I have one solid theory on why it started happening, in-universe. We all know the Warners can't physically change. But I think some people let that fact trick them into thinking the Warners also can't mentally change. Like any other living being with a brain, the Warners learn and develop and grow (mentally). If they didn't, they wouldn't really be living beings. People have often pointed out that it feels like the Warners are older in the reboot. And, yeah, they kind of are. I don't know if that's what the reboot writers intended, but I don't think it's really canon-shattering to think that the Warners aren't exactly the same now as they were in the 90's. There's one particular event that may have changed their outlook on life permanently- the cancellation of their original show, followed by whatever happened in the 22 years in between that and the reboot.

My headcanon is that the cancellation of the original show deeply affected Yakko in a negative way. He felt like he failed his siblings, let their livelihood and ticket to freedom be taken away. Worst of all, he didn't even know exactly what he did wrong to deserve the cancellation. In truth, it was nothing, just the changing economics of the animation industry, but that doesn't stop him from blaming himself. So, when the Warners are reanimated and put back on air, his mindset has changed. This is what led him to becoming more openly protective/paternal towards his siblings in the reboot. It led to him becoming more anxious as well. He has decided that he must guide them more firmly if he wants to protect them and avoid another cancellation. However, becoming more like a father figure and exercising his authority over his siblings had an unintended side effect- his siblings started to rebel. Not in any major way, but they take what liberties they can to get back at him for his annoying behavior, which is where the violence comes from. I have explored this concept in some of my fics, most openly in "The Warners Write."

That's my best explanation for this- but it isn't that simple. Before I elaborate, let me eliminate some other possibilities. First, that the Warners are simply getting tired of each other after almost a century. Maybe, but I don't think it's the case. I don't think it's possible for the Warners to get tired of each other. They adore each other, now and always. Second, the possibility, as you said, that they are being forced to do it by the fictional writers of their in-universe show.

There's nothing about that theory that inherently makes it unlikely. It probably is the best explanation overall. I just don't like it, because it's kind of... lazy? I don't know, there's probably a better way to describe it. But when you start getting into this territory, there's nothing to stop you from saying that everything the Warners do is just part of the script, and then the entire canon falls apart and we're back to square one. If nothing the Warners do represents their actual personalities and actions, then there's no point speculating on anything they're shown to do, ever, at all. Plus, if everything they do is part of the fictional show, then there's really no difference in discussing it from discussing it as a real world show. They're still directed by writers and live a fictional life, which is exactly how it really plays out on our screens. You're just adding another pointless meta-layer to it.

Anyway, now to that big climax I've been putting off. You heard my best explanation. That explanation works well enough for when it's the younger siblings directing violence towards Yakko. The problem arises when it's Yakko directing violence towards them.

The single worst instance of this inter-sibling violence problem in the reboot, the one I absolutely can't stand or explain at all, is, coincidentally, its very first scene. There's just no way to explain it that's consistent with the characters of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.

When I first saw this scene... it didn't bother me at all, of course. It was the first scene of Animaniacs I ever saw. I couldn't have known then how awful and out of character this moment is. But I do now. And it's hard to watch. Am I being too dramatic about it? You be the judge.

It isn't the using Wakko as a battering ram that bothers me. It's the slap after. Yakko says "Oh, right, it's a pull, not a push." Then he promptly punishes his little sibling for his own mistake, after he already gave him a pointless head bashing against the door. Neither he nor Dot even show an ounce of concern at any point.

Now, sometimes siblings play rough. Sometimes they seriously hurt each other. This doesn't necessarily harm their relationship. In some cases, it even makes it stronger (as long as it doesn't rise to the level of bullying). The same would not be true if, say, a father did the exact same thing to his child. That would be abuse, possibly, negligence at best, if it was accidental, and the father should feel guilty for it.

To see what I mean, imagine this exact same scene playing out, but Slappy is in the place of Yakko and Skippy is in the place of Wakko. Kind of changes the connotation, doesn't it? But it shouldn't, really. By and large, Yakko is just as much of a parental figure to Wakko as Slappy is to Skippy. The size difference is even similar. Some of you may not know this, but Yakko is actually taller than Slappy.

Point is, Yakko holds the absolute trust of his siblings. They can be violent to him, but him being violent to them is a completely different ballgame. Using Wakko as a weapon, making him visibly beat up, and then twisting the blame for your mistake onto him and hitting him once more for good measure is almost abusive-level conduct. It would be straight-up abuse if we didn't know these were toons who can take damage without actually being injured. There isn't a way to explain it in-universe. As much as I hate to resort to such simple answers, the best explanation here is that the reboot writers simply got it wrong. They tried to write the Warners like Daffy and Bugs. This scene would be absolutely fine if it was between those two, because they're rivals, not the closest set of siblings in the world.

Sometimes the reboot gets it right, though. For example, when Nora knocks Wakko off the desk, and the next frame shows his siblings at least checking on him.

Since the egregious example of Yakko hitting Wakko happened in the first scene of the first episode, I can just chalk it up to the writers not really knowing the characters yet (though they should've, but that's beside the point). To frame this all in a more positive way, ignoring that one scene, I think Yakko might actually be proud of his siblings for standing up to him more and developing their own boundaries. He did his job- he raised them to be self-confident and assured. It took a century, but he did it, and he can withstand a little physical pain along the way. It's worth it.

As for Yolko, if you take my main theory earlier, it could be connected. Yakko is proud that his siblings are branching off a little, but he does miss when they followed him without question. So he gave himself someone else to raise from scratch, an egg. Though it probably isn't literally alive, since it would need to be constantly incubated.

I didn't really intend for this post to turn into a long rant about the reboot. If this is the only post of mine you've seen, you might think I'm some reboot hater. If you've been following me for some time, though, I hope you already know that isn't the case. The reboot got me into Animaniacs. Even if it was the worst thing in the world, I could never hate it. And it's far from the worst thing in the world. It has a few flaws, some glaring, but overall I still love it, and I think it's only gotten better as time has gone on.

I'm really pleased with the number of asks coming in over the past few days. If the current pace of asks continues, though, I probably will not be able to continue answering them the day they come in, especially since I returned to college yesterday. Keep sending them if you have them, but my response may not be instantaneous.

#animaniacs #yakko warner #wakko warner #dot warner #the warner siblings #animaniacs 2020 #answered ask #cfposts

[poognthebrainbois]

🍄 🍐 and or 💬?

(All 3, let's go!)

🍄 - How did you get your system name?

Okay so technically a friend of ours thought of it.

But:

We've since extrapolated meaning from it that I will now share with you all.

For a little context: we grew up with musical theatre. We were majoring in it at university. And singing has always been important in our life. So in a general sense, we knew it had to be something surrounding that. Anyway,

I can't find it but we wrote a whole thing once about how

the concept of a songbook is a collection of a performer's go-to songs for auditions and such, and how some they may know much better than others, but they're all meaningful in some way to the performer, and each song helps showcase a different aspect of that person's abilities, and shows what they value and the versatility of the person. A performer will often take out old songs that no longer fit or serve them, and add new songs that they've only recently learned, but every song was once a part of the book. And I feel the same way about our system. We're all songs in the Songbook, and some of us are very new, and some of us have seen our worst and best moments. But we're all part of the same book, and we're all important for our own reasons.

That, and we've actually met and/or gotten to know a lot of headmates through singing.

While we were at school, we used to lock ourself in a practice room in the music building and do karaoke by ourself.

Specific songs had meaning/hit hard for some headmates, who would either have picked the song for that purpose, or have come to front during the song without even realizing. It's such a surreal experience.

🍐 - Are there any nonhuman headmates (in the system)?

Yes! Several! That number actually used to be much higher.

We've got a couple vampires, a couple werewolves, a couple introjects of dnd/LARP characters that are very unique (mostly elves but also some more obscure races). Uuummm... We have various magic users? Not sure if that counts... Some fae-adjacent people. A couple pure animals (A cat, a wolf, and a bird), a demon, a couple Time Lords, aaaaand whatever the hell Yakko Warner is.

💬 - Free space! Talk about anything!

OKAY SO

A number of us/our headmates have personal Spotify playlists and/or Pinterest boards. And I would absolutely love to link them for you if you want.

Also! We made a Google Slide Presentation about each of the headmates our friends were likely to meet!

Each headmate has 4 slides.

An Introductory Slide, containing basic information like name/pronouns as well as a little blurb about who they are/what they're like, and other info like system role, indicators when fronting, and likes and dislikes (sometimes containing positive/negative triggers).

A "faceclaim" Slide (we don't usually use the word faceclaim), which is covered in mostly Picrews or personal art of the headmate, to get a sense of what they look like.

An Aesthetics Slide, compiling a lot of stuff from their Pinterest board if they have one. Outfits and aesthetics indicative of their color pallete, Pinterest quotes, things of that nature.

Aaand a Miscellaneous Slide! Most of these are just a bunch of tumblr posts that "fit the vibe". Also other various memes, or pics dreamed "not sophisticated enough" for the Aesthetics Slide.

Another key feature of these slides is that everyone's slides are their favorite color, and the Introductory Slide is typed out in a font that either matches their vibes or is similar to their handwriting.

An example (that's probably outdated) can be seen in this post (cw aro discourse).

As always, feel free to ask whatever questions you want!!! Fill that inbox!!!

Thanks for asking/reading! :)

#Songbook System #system ask game my belovèd #did ask game #system ask game #ask games #ask game #dissociative system

[rainbow-filmnerd]

NEW SERIES ON BLOG: My Top 5 Favorite Voiceover Roles (1/???)

I decided to do a fun new series on my blog sharing my Top 5 Favorite Voiceover Roles by a different actor. Only cartoon, anime, and mayhaps video games will be used (no live action roles).

For this first post, I'll be sharing my top 5 for... Rob Paulsen! He's my all-time favorite voice actor and celebrity in general. Super talented man who's been voicing many of the cartoons/movies we grew up watching for generations.

But first, the honorable mentions!

ZeFronk from Tasty Time with ZeFronk (cute Disney shorts with Rob using a fun French accent. Did I unlock a core memory?)

Yakko Warner from Animaniacs (undeniably one of his most iconic roles)

The Narrator from Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers (overall a fun charming role that has Rob really show off his singing chops)

Jack Fenton, the Box Ghost, and Technus from Danny Phantom (hard to really choose between the three, which are all fun roles which have very differing personalities)

Raphael from 1987's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (a role I really felt was Rob's breakout animation role)

Foot Lieutenant from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (since he was the series' voice director, it felt natural that a TMNT legend like him to lend his voice in another iteration)

Rev Runner from Loonatics Unleashed (whether the fast-paced speaking was all Rob, Rev makes for an entertaining character)

Now onto the Top 5!

5. Pinky from Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain

This is one of the newer roles I've been exposed to (I didn't have a childhood connection with the series), but as an adult, I've grown to appreciate how much of an amazing staple to cartoons it is. Pinky is one of two characters Rob voices in this beloved franchise. Between the two, I grew to love Pinky over Yakko because the amount of heart this seemingly dumb lab rat has. Pinky is very endearing and I can see why this is one of Rob's favorite roles.

4. Bobble from the Disney Fairies film franchise

How many people remember the Disney Fairies franchise? Did any of you watch the movies? I most certainly did, and I remember how goofy but also charming Bobble was in the first film, named after Disney's most iconic fairy. What makes Bobble extra special for me is that this was the first role that had me realize, "This Rob Paulsen guy is in a lot of stuff I watch". Bobble maybe comic relief, but he's still an endearing character, much like Rob's many other characters.

3. Mark Chang from The Fairly Oddparents

I might be remembering wrong, but I always really liked Mark in Butch Hartman's iconic cartoon series. He was always so funny, even if he was a reccuring character. What I love most about this character is what Rob brought to the table for Mark, including the story behind how he was cast. Rob brought something very different to the table when he first auditioned by giving this alien the surfer dude voice we all recognize, while others gave him a rather generic alien voice. It's hard to imagine Mark NOT be voiced by Rob Paulsen, who we all know is a legend.

2. Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

Hard to find an image that isn't meme related, but Carl Wheezer is a character of my childhood. This was my first known Rob Paulsen character, and Carl has always been my favorite character from Jimmy Neutron. He's very sweet, awkward, and loveable, and Rob delivered it perfectly. This, along with the top pick, is a reason why I wanted to say thank you to Rob for being a big part of my childhood.

And #1 is.... Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)!

Although this series premiered when I was a teenager, it's still a nostalgic favorite of mine. Rob returns to the voice acting stage, and the TMNT franchise as a whole, as the brainy and awkward Donatello. There's just SO much to love about Donnie, because he's always been a great and funny character. Rob is literally the perfect Donatello, and nothing will ever change that.

#kimmy's top 5 fave vo roles #rob paulsen

[thedaddyvladdy]

Today, I ordered vegan marshmallows in bulk. Because it's the future, and if I have to be here, I'm at least going to be here with fucking marshmallows.

Yakko was supposed to go to the vet to have her teeth trimmed, but her doctor wasn't feeling well, so we rescheduled for Friday. There's just one person there who treats rats, so I'm glad I called rather than driving up to White Rock -- they called Mothman, but he didn't realize and I don't think the receptionist put two and two together either, so he didn't know to move the appointment. It worked out, and to be honest I'm relieved. I'll be anxious Friday now, but I was absolutely crumbling earlier, so for now it's the instant canceled appointment heroin rush.

I ordered a bunch of stuff for the house, and I got Mothman and I a drone with a camera (!!!!) and a monocular (!!!!) which is less Monopoly guy and more one sided binocular/short telescope situation. I'm excited to try both once it all gets here, and I think the house things will really help shape up the place. Less cat puke, more sophisticated.

I'm slowly cleaning various messes and corners and closets. It still seems like a pretty impossible task, but the more I get done, the better it feels. I'm a maximalist, without a doubt. But when things are slightly organized, like chaos but on shelves, it is calming and comforting. I'll give it to Marie Kondo on that. Since I work from home, I'm basically always here, and I figured it would be nice to work in a cleaner environment that's moderately sorted. The animals are so messy, so it's a lot. It's really a lot. Maybe I'll take pictures as I finish areas like I did as a teenager. For some reason I was really into documenting what my bedroom and life in general looked like when I was younger, and posting it to Livejournal.

I don't know man, at least I'm not eating Tide Pods. (Just kidding, Gen Z. You guys are great and I freakin' love y'all!)

[zanytothemax6]

Animaniacs pfp’s

And…

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 200+ FOLLOWERS

#There’s always THAT ONE person so… no anime yakko for you- all of you #but anyways… #flattered to know over 200 people choice to see my content everyday! #I really need to chill it with the paragraphs in the tags #animaniacs #yakko warner #yakko wakko and dot #dot warner #wakko warner #zany to the max #warner sibs #yakko and dot #animaniacs yakko #toon me

[inamindfarfaraway]

Animaniacs (2020) LGBT+ Pride Song

I wrote a song I would have the Warner siblings sing in a potential LGBT+ Pride celebration episode. Obviously you can’t hear the tune and music, but I can, and I’ll tell you it’s fast, very bouncy and cheerful in the classic Animaniacs educational list song-style. You can’t tell me Yakko wouldn’t love to make a song out of the acronym. The title of this segment could be “Easy as L, G, B…”. It could start with a bystander of a Pride parade complaining not maliciously, but ignorantly that "there are so many identities these days" and it's "too confusing", so the Warners show up (out of the parade, obviously) to break things down.

The Pinky and the Brain segment would have the two mice finally confessing their feelings and officially becoming a couple. We all want it!

The other Warner siblings segment could be a sketch with their presence added to either a famous point of queer history or a myth or story including queer representation. Ooh, how about them trying unsuccessfully to help a histrionic disaster bi Apollo get a male or female partner who doesn’t die and/or turn into a plant? “Hello, nymph!” He refuses to associate with Eros because he sees him as a rival archer (“Isn’t your twin sister another archer?” “Yeah, and we’re rivals.”). The Warners are happy to step in. Artemis meanwhile, unequivocally not into dating or romance, observes her brother’s string of failures with some pity, but mostly amusement and wry comments. At the end the Warners finally manage to set Apollo up in a genuine, equally loving and respectful relationship with the mortal man Hyacinthus, certain he’s a keeper, and the couple stroll off hand in hand in a picturesque romantic scene. "Hey, for our first date, maybe we could go discus throwing?" "Sounds perfect."

Anyway, I have the visuals of the song in my head, but they’re very dynamic and I can’t be bothered to fully describe them. The initial real world setting is a Pride parade; the bulk of the song is in an abstract space with various manipulatable pride flag backdrops and informational diagrams and example couples and so on; then they return to the parade in the finals chorus. I personally don’t feel very strongly about the nonbinary Wakko headcanon, but I get why it’s a thing and know it means a lot to a lot of people, and it would be cool to be confirmed. I think it should get its own segment were it to become canon. It does give me a cute mental image of Wakko wearing a version of his sweatshirt in the nonbinary or demiboy flag stripes. And the “gender balanced” phrase in the theme song would be more true, with Wakko standing on top of the scales in the middle or something.

Yakko: G for gay -

Dot: And L for lesbian

Yakko: Have meanings much the same

Only the same gender as you can light that special flame

Dot: It’s found all across history, and the animal scene

So the US let them marry nationwide in - 2015?!

(sighs) America is always more disappointing than I remember.

Wakko: B is for bisexual, you like two genders or more

Yakko: Guys, girls or any other, so much nuance to explore

Dot: Now it’s true pansexuality is liking many genders too

Wakko: But when you’re pan gender really doesn’t matter to you

Yakko: Heck, you can be bi and pan if you don’t get the difference!

That brings us to asexual, the oft-neglected A

It means you simply do not feel the need for any ‘adult play’

That’s by no means essential, so a problem there is none

Unless society’s obsession with the business counts as one

Dot: A stands for aromantic too, as attraction can be split

You may feel the physical part, but not the lovey-dovey bit

Wakko: Demisexuals feel ace until they meet a special case

If neither’s there don’t worry, that just makes you aroace!

Warners: Whether you haven’t found a label

Or’ve been sure of yours since birth

No one should be able to deprive you of your worth

If you’re long gone from the closest

Or you'd rather stay inside

No one can erase your place in life’s crazy, wild ride

That’s why we celebrate Pride!

Wakko: Hey, we missed the T.

Yakko: Oh yeah. I thought it might be easier to have the verses for sexualities and genders be separate. You know, because they're totally separate things.

Dot: That makes sense. I bags the first verse!

T is for transgender, a blanket label widely worn

Your gender isn’t what the doctor said when you were born

That one’s names and clothes and stuff can cause you much distress

Though if you wanna keep them, you aren’t made trans any less

Yakko: Growing up we often learn that the genders number two

But there's documented history that proves that isn’t true

Wakko: Some people are nonbinary, and some lean either way

Dot: The genderfluid may be anything at any time of day

Wakko: But wait, why do we even need a binary at all?

One not one big massive spectrum upon which we all can fall?

Dot: The human experience comes in endless shapes and forms

You can’t hope to contain them in one culture’s set of norms

Yakko: Yes, heteronormativity is a social construct utterly

A person is a person and so we should all live free

Warners and Pride Parade Ensemble: Whether you know exactly who you are

Or you’re questioning or queer

If you feel abhorred, then rest assured, you belong right here

No one’s ever put us down for good

Although many have tried

That’s why we celebrate Pride

Warners: And if you’re cis and straight

No need to wait

Allies are always great!

All: So come on and celebrate… Pride!

Wakko: Now what do we do?

Yakko: Have fun! But first, we need to turn off our phones. The fans are gonna go nuts over which of us sang what lines of -

[He starts vibrating like a jackhammer with incessant notifications. Wakko and Dot quickly turn their phones off.]

#i know that isn’t all the identities #but as the warners basically said #there are too many to be listed in one song with a brief explanation #because there’s INFINITE #right? #i am cis and probably ace #and young #so like i’m still learning about a lot of this field #i really wanted to work in an ‘agender’/‘agenda’ pun but i couldn't concisely describe agender to the tune sorry #animaniacs #animanics 2020 #animanics reboot #fan song #original song #original lyrics #pride #lgbt pride #lgbtq pride #lgbt+ pride #lgbtq+ pride #lgbtqia #lgbt+ positivity #nonbinary wakko #nb wakko #enby wakko #the warner siblings #warner siblings #the warner sibs #yakko wakko and dot

[janetbrown711]

Continuing on with the Wakko ask, can you write a scene about the discussion with Lena and William to Angelina the First?

Important note: this is part 2 of the fic I wrote earlier today. Before reading this, make sure you’ve read that. Thank you!

To say Princess Angelina II was furious at her mother’s actions would be a massive understatement. 

Her heart broke upon seeing her precious little boy with an all too familiar bruise on his cheek. She could even see where her mother’s ring had hit specifically. Her mother was petty like that- she’d take off her gloves and be sure to strike with her wedding hand, it hurt more. However, it didn’t seem to break his spirit, which made her happy. 

She wouldn’t let her mother have a shot at survival if she broke him like she did her. 

“Lena, darling, you need to breathe,” William pleaded with her as they stormed through the castle towards Angelina I’s private study. 

“I am breathing, I’m just furious,” She said, before stopping and actually taking a deep breath. 

“Sorry it’s just- you know... hormones,” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. 

“I know Lena, I know,” William put a soft hand on her shoulder and stroked it with his thumb. 

“I’m going to kill her, you know?” She said. 

“As much as I want to kill her too, you know we can’t. It’s treason, and we’d be killed too,” William pointed out quietly. 

“I know,” Lena hugged him. William kissed the top of her head. 

“I’m still gonna kill her- let’s go,” Lena said, her anger resurfacing. William didn’t argue this time and followed his wife’s lead. 

They reached the door to Angelina I’s private study, but found she wasn’t there. With a huff, they then went to the next best place: the throne room. And lo and behold, there she was. 

“There you are, Angelina darling, I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” The queen said coldly, waving away a servant who was showing her the new curtains. 

“How dare you hit my son. You had absolutely no right,” Lena glared. 

“The amount of disrespect that poor excuse of a prince and blood relative has is pathetic. And here I thought you two might have not totally failed with Yakko, and yet here I am,” She glared, showing the bandages on her arm underneath her glove. Lena growled. 

“Whether or not you like him he’s our son, and you can’t lay a finger on him,” Lena said. 

“I’m queen, I can do whatever I want with those disgusting bastards,” Angelina stood. 

“Why you no good-” Lena just about pounced, but William grabbed her arm before she could.  

“You’re more emotional than usual,” Angelina remarked. “How many months?”

“That’s none of your business,” Lena gnashed her teeth, and William was forced to restrain her differently, but he was giving his mother-in-law glares of his own.

“Do you forget I’m still the queen of this castle, Angie?” Angelina took off her gloves. “Everything that happens here is my business.” 

“Oh don’t you dare,” Lena glared at the sound of her mother’s ‘nickname’ for her. 

“Then answer me,” The queen demanded, but Lena went silent. 

“Always such a chatterbox, until I actually want something from you,” Angelina rolled her eyes. 

“Oh well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. It’s good to have backups in case Yakko’s training backfires,” She shrugged. 

“Backfires? What do you mean by that?” Lena asked. 

“He bit me, Angelina. You can do basic math,” She rolled her eyes and sat back down on her throne. 

“Then perhaps it’s best we make sure you never have to see either of them ever again,” William suggested. “We’ll have tutors take over the rest of their education and-”

“No.” She interrupted. “I very much will still be teaching Yakko.”

“Why? You hate him,” Lena clenched her fist. 

“Yes, but he still needs those lessons... and I just found the perfect motivation,” the queen said, a glimmer in her eye. Lena and William shared a look. 

“Well, we won’t let you be alone with him. Or either- or any of them. Someone will always be with them,” Lena declared. 

“You keep forgetting I’m the one in charge here,” Angelina argued. “I control all of the servants here, not you.”

“Then William and I will be there. You can’t control us,” Lena fought back.

“With another child on the way? Please,” The queen laughed. 

“But fine, if you’re so dead serious, I’ll have a maid or servant watch me, or whatever you two think you’ll be doing by having someone there,” She rolled her eyes. 

“A-and we won’t let you see Wakko either,” Lena said. 

“Wakkorotti? Please, if I wanted to see a filthy, rabid animal I’d go to the woods,” Angelina waved it off. Lena just about pounced on her again, but William held her back. 

“And we won’t let you see the baby, whenever they’re born,” Lena added. Angelina glared at that. 

“You can’t protect them from me forever, Angelina. Accidents do happen,” The old queen warned. Lena and William froze. 

Angelina smiled. 

“It’s good that you two have something in those thick skulls of yours. Now run along to those ‘children’ of yours. I’m finished,” She waved her hand. However, Lena stayed there, glaring at her mother, trying to think of something to say to her, but coming up completely blank. 

“C’mon Lena, let’s go,” William whispered to her eventually, still glaring at the queen. Slowly, he put his hand on her shoulder, and they started to go, but Lena spun around. 

“What do I have to do to get you to leave them alone?” Lena pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. 

“Lena-” William said, but the queen interrupted. 

“Nothing can be done, Lena. You agreed to this the day you married that... filth-” She glared at William, “-whether you were aware or not.”

“Please mother, I-i’ll do anything,” She begged. The queen shook her head.

“You dug your grave all by yourself, Angelina. Now lie in it.”

With that, she waved them off once more, and William understood that they definitely had to leave now. Slowly, he grabbed her shoulders once more, and together they walked out of the throne room. 

“William- i-i-” Lena was choking on her tears. 

“I know Lena, I know,” He closed his eyes, tears of his own escaping. Quickly, the two of them made it to their bedroom, and once they closed the door, Angelina quickly broke down sobbing on their bed. William sat next to his wife and held her. 

“I hate her William, I-i do!” She sobbed. 

“I hate her too,” He agreed. “She’s a horrible, horrible person.”

“I-i just want them to be s-safe and happy... is that too much to ask?” She looked into his eyes. 

“It isn’t Lena,” He cried and wiped away the tears from her eyes, but she went back to hugging him. 

Together, they cried, and cried, and cried, and cried, Lena, getting sick a few times. Still, they remained together and embracing each other, doing their best to support each other, despite the feeling of utter hopelessness surrounding them. 

They really, really hated the queen.

They stayed like that on the for what felt an eternity, though neither could really say how long. Time seems to slip when one feels like the world is falling apart. They cried, and cried, and cried and cried, and Lena got sick a few times. 

However, soon enough they recognized it was time for them to fetch the boys and go to dinner. So, calmly they freshened up, and William took Lena’s arm and they walked back to the playroom, surprised to find that Yakko was still playing with his younger brother. 

“Boys, it’s time for dinner,” Angelina said softly. 

“Yay! I’m starving,” Wakko bounced up, setting his toys down. 

“Me too,” Yakko laughed and set his down as well. 

“Neither of you gets to eat until you clean this up, remember?” William reminded, and the boys quickly got to putting things away. 

“They’ll be okay... right?” Lena asked. 

“Of course, the boys are resilient, as are you” William smiled tiredly at her. She set his head on his shoulder. 

“I’m tired of being resilient. Sometimes I just want to give up,” She whispered. 

“But you won’t. I know you Lena, and you are not a quitter,” He said. 

“It’s okay to feel hopeless, and to cry for hours and hours, but you can’t quit, Lena. We love you,” He kissed her head. Lena sighed. 

“I hate that you’re always right,” She closed her eyes. 

“I love you, Lena,” He said. 

“I love you too, William,” She smiled softly, kissing him on the cheek. 

“You boys all cleaned up?” She then asked. Yakko and Wakko nodded. 

“Good. Let’s go eat then,” She smiled, and together they walked to the dining hall and had a fairly good meal, filled with laughter and good times, and for a moment everything felt right with the world. 

Despite being trapped in this situation, they had each other to depend on, and that made everything feel okay.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

#my fics #animaniacs #yakko wakko and dot parents #queen angelina ii #queen angelina i #king william warner #yakko warner #wakko warner #angst #tw abuse

[queen-of-my-goofball-army]

"And the Warner sister!

Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca The III

Boys (go fig)

Call me Dottie and you die." (Dot Warner, Animaniacs.)

Throughout much of my childhood even though I watched all sorts of cartoons. But until I reached the ripe age of ten I never related to any of the female characters. They were always too cutesy and not the right amount of tough or they were just a plain old fashioned ditz. It wasn't until I was in the fourth grade once again where this time a girl would change everything for me. This girl character was of course, Dot Warner the Warner sister in the trio.

It was through Dot that I found my voice. I was always too quiet and afraid of offending people but then I saw how snarky Dot was and how unafraid she was of speaking her mind. Whenever there was somebody talking down to her for her "cute" nature she was never afraid to smack talk them to their face. I continue to think about all my favorite moments of Dot snark but I think my ultimate favorite actually comes from the reboot. In the sketch where they're working with the conductor Dot asks him "Who says waving your arms around is a creative process?" I was laughing so hard that my sides were hurting.

I think a lot of the time in cartoons the animators are afraid of making the girls go "full feral" for fear that they'll look less attractive or less relatable if they just go ham with the animation. The only place where I haven't thought that was the case was with the animators for Dot. They're never afraid to make her look like an absolute crazed madwoman. Yes she's cute but that also isn't afraid to absolutely nuts. She carries a giant squeaky hammer in the reboot and to me that just suits her personality. Another thing for "cute" animation is I love the updated ears and how they move around and can be so expressive.

(This is one of those things that I'm talking about. Usually there's this way that animators are afraid to not let their characters get too out of hand but I've always loved when Dot would just lose her cuteness and she would yell at either her brother's or the character from history that they were acting off of.)

If you haven't talked to me for x amount of time than this will be news to you but my favorite voice actress is my wine aunt Tress MacNielle. She's best known for voicing dozens of characters on The Simpsons, Babs Bunny in Tiny Toons, Osono in Kiki's Delivery Service. But to me, she's always going to be Dot Warner. Dot is one of the few impressions that I can do because I talk with her naturally. A few of my friends have asked me about impressions and singing voice but the closest comparison that I've come up with has been Tress's voice now especially her singing voice. It was the first time that I've heard somebody who sung like me in a cartoon.

To me nobody does cute quite like Dot Warner. It's hard to be cute and funny but for me Dot manages it. To me, Dot can be the funniest character on the show and is tragically the most underrated. Most of the fans will either love Yakko or Wakko (I mean I love Yakko too) but to me the most relatable female in cartoons has always been the Warner sister. To the point where one of my favorite urls that I might go back to when the second season is announced was: call-me-Dottie-and-you-die. I loved Dot when I was a kid and that love has stuck with me as an adult. I hope one day I'm able to meet Tress at a con since it's been my dream to thank her for everything that she did for me when I was growing up.

#animaniacs #dot warner #favorite characters #underrated characters #feminine icon #day 7: animaniacs

[shellyfol]

Random toon headcanons

Felix:

After not being used in the industry for a long time the cat decided to test out a music career unfortunately, like his career in animation he also failed at that so for currently he mentors newer retro styled toons in order to help them succeed.

He absolutely hates being called cartoon cat, sure he knows that his good years are far behind him but it tends get quite annoying once the nickname occurs repeatedly (though on the other way around I could see cartoon cat hating being called Felix)

Since he’s no longer in the cartoon industry Felix is no longer monitored by executives so because of that he has the ability to curse with no restriction. 

The Warner siblings 

Their favorite bonding activity is karaoke or just singing along with songs on the radio, you could tell they all like a song if they all three of them know the lyrics and on how loud they sing it. (If they absolutely adore the song they’re singing then you could hear them from far away).

They will personally bonk someone with their mallets if one were to mess with any of the people who they see as family which would include most of the looney tunes gang and the old animaniacs cast. (It could also go the other way around as well if you ever think of locking the Warners back in the tower).

Every Halloween they must wear matching costumes if one had a  unexpected costume change then they gotta find a way to make it match with the theme. For example: Wakko and Dot were in Skid and Pump costumes while Yakko was in a mushroom costume to which they changed it up a bit to make Yakko into The eyes of the universe character they saw in the spooky month video.

Butch the demon (ink bendy)

After the cycle had been broken he currently lives with Henry and Linda , despite Henry still working at another job Butch still tries to find a job in order to both help him out with money and repay him for everything he’d done for getting him and everyone else out of the cycle.

Tiny was born from Butch’s ink falling on one of the bendy model sheets and had crawled out of his ink puddle which freaked Butch out while Henry just stood there and said “Oh my, I’m a grandpa already…”

Whenever Tiny makes friends he always tries to communicate with the friends’ parents however cause of his communication skills he always freezes up into a lifeless statue and stands there trying mutter words which unfortunately also makes the parent nervous.

#felix the cat #the warner siblings #yakko wakko and dot #spooky month #toons #ink bendy #butch and tiny #henry stein #batim #bendy and the ink machine #animaniacs

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: Animaniacs 2020

(CREDIT TO @knightsweeties​ for this rendition of Gentlepenguin support her work and webcomic)

This review will be a bit different then my other reviews, where I just gush about what I saw and give the highlights.

Im going to be dividing it into several sections.

1. Overview.

2. The Good

3. The Bad

4. The Zany (How does each character compare to the original, Yakko, Wakko, Dot, Pinky and Brain.

5. Final Thoughts

With That settled, lets get to it. I’ve got Baloney in My Slacks.

Time to review the Animaniacs

1. Overview

Animaniacs 2020 is a reboot of the Original series that stopped after 1998. Now 22 years later Yakko, Wakko and Dot now face the challenge of being relevant in the age of the smart phones and absolute chaos. Can the Warner siblings show they are Zany to the max even in the chaotic year of 2020?

The interesting thing about the Animaniacs 2020 reboot is that it can be seen  as a sequel series. Since it takes place AFTER the original series.

2. The Good

Yakko, Wakko and Dot are solid. The new theme song is very fitting. 

They still make fun of all the things they should. They have good parodies, hilarious jokes, and there was not a segment that they were in that didn't give me at least a bit of a chuckle.

I was worried on what they would do with Dot, because of the trailer. Especially with cliché ‘#Feminism’ tropes being pushed. (the ones that are clear market grabs and aren't because people actually care. You know what I am talking about ). But everything was handled relatively well. In fact, Dot’s Suffrage song is one of my favorite parts of the new series. Dot was always feminist, so nothing they did was out of character for her regarding this and I am glad. Also her First Lady song was great. For the most part, Dot was phenomenal and I found myself laughing more often at her jokes more than the other two.

Yakko got some interesting character development, and even comes off as more mature. I will say

Pinky and The Brain: OMG PINKY AND THE BRAIN! I don't know how they did it, but outside of the animation improvements, these two fit SEAMLESSLY into the new age! I don't think there was a single Pinky and the Brain segment I didn't like. All of it was hilarious. Brain and Pinky’s dynamic is explored further and we even get a heart clenching back story on WHY brain wants to take over the world. 

The songs are just hilarious, and it is just as self aware as before. The meta jokes are great.

3. The Bad

Okay, so outside of the Warner siblings and Pinky and the brain. The other animated bits, where they were trying new characters.... They were lacking.

Like the contrast between those segments and the main cast are as large as night and Day.

Also, I miss a lot of the extended cast (Slappy squirrel and the hippos especially)

They have one episode that explains what happens to them (which is my personal favorite episode, especially with the plot twist that I didn't see coming).I get why some of the characters didn't come back. But you're telling me SLAPPY SQUIRREL isn't good enough for this? Bull s***

They played it very safe with this season.

That isn't bad, but its clear that in some instances they held their punches.

The show also makes it clear that this was written in 2018, not 2020.

This is a double edge sword.

On one hand, this means they don't have to be 100% on the ball with everything happening in 2020 (which is perfectly fine, I think we could all use a break from 2020) 

But on the other hand it also means you get a lot of the jokes that had been topical at the time but done to death by this year. Thankfully the jokes were still somewhat funny so it wasn't too bad, (some were hilarious) but others fell flat.

I miss Hello Nurse, but the reason she isn't in the show canonically is actually very in character (but the reason she isn't in the show in general is ANNOYING)

4. The Zany

For this I will be comparing how I feel about each of the characters and how they stack up compared to their previous iterations.

Wakko:

He was pretty much the same. Like I really can't distinguish much between the two. Wakko’s antics are timeless and his character was not changed much, if at all through this. So if we are giving a most in-character character for a reboot, Wakko wins.

So 1990′s Wakko = 2020′s Wakko.

Yakko:

This iteration of Yakko was a lot less girl crazy and more centered on his comedy. Yakko double downs on his puns and Jokes, showing that his banter is something he truly focuses on. I think the reason for this is because the show needed to tone it down. 

Yakko’s smart Alec routine felt more reminiscent of Bugs bunny rather than his traditional style. But, the change makes sense. 

Yakko’s comedic jokes are still the best and when he gets a good joke, Its hilarious.

Overall, giving Yakko more Dry humor and less gags actually did hit rather well.

So I would say

1990′s Yakko >= 2020′s Yakko. But maybe season 2 will have me change my mind.

Dot:

The show has me rather split on my opinion on dot, and its not the reasons you think.

Whenever they give her a joke regarding women or anything feminist. It is handled really well and she gets the jokes great.

And her general jokes are handled well, but then there are instances where, she is just a less funny Yakko. I found some of the deliveries of jokes or bits Yakko would have done in the past and Dot just delivered them in a way so similar to Yakko, it was practically interchangeable. I think the problem also is seen in the new theme song. They changed the original lyric from “Dot is cute” to “Dot has Wit”. But they also kept Yakko’s original lyric of “Yakko yaks”. 

I still think Dot is great and I really think the reboot can help Dot shine even more, but the new show needs to find a way to differentiate Dot and Yakko’s humor more.

1990′s Dot >= 2020′s Dot. I do think that Season 2 will improve on it, but they need to be willing to push the envelop more.

Pinky and The Brain:

Perfectly captured.

Pinky and the Brain are timeless. Both of them play off of each other very well. There were instances that I found myself enjoying them more then the original. The two are able to play off of each other flawlessly and these segments of the show, they don't hold any punches.

Honestly, they are the best part of the reboot and if you could only watch one part of an episode, watch the Pinky and the Brain segments. They are the best parts 9 times out of 10.

1990′s Pinky and the Brain =< 2020′s Pinky and the Brain

Final thoughts:

Overall, I give this show 8.0 /10

I think there can be some improvement and I am sure by season 2 the show will be willing to throw more on the wall to see what sticks.

The meta jokes, the bits, the cultural jokes usually land and aside from nitpicks, the show is wonderful.

I do think there are a few things lacking but I think that it can improve more.

I can't wait to see season 2, and I will be sure to bring toast for the Baloney in their slacks.

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#the animaniacs #the animaniacs 2020 #gale reviews #zany to the max #pinky and the brain #animaniacs 2020 #animaniacs

[nuttersincorporated]

Brainladdin

Here’s my contribution to the deez-art’s Brainladdin au. Please check out their art. It’s awesome!

Thank you to cawareyoudoin for betering this. Any mistakes left are my own.

Prologue: The great and powerful genie, Yakko, breaks the fourth wall to argue with the author and introduce you to the Brainladdin au. Also, Arabian Nights has been rewritten for this au.

Fandoms: Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain and Disney’s Aladdin

Word Count: 1031

Warning: The fourth wall may never recover but other than that, nothing.

Oh, you’ve heard of the tale Yes, Aladdin’s well known You’ve watched it and read it before There is magic and love And a carpet above It’s Disney and also folklore

But we’re mixing it up Animaniacs style The writer’s completely deranged Make yourself a hot tea Read this fanfic and see How the story you know has changed!

See fan art tonight! And read fanfic today! The writer has flipped And thrown out the script Hope this turns out okay!

Here’s fan works tonight Based on a cartoon A new role to fill Will Brain fit the bill? Read to find out soon

Hellooooooo, reader!

Tremble in fear, puny mortal! For I am the great and powerful genie, Yakko the magnificent!

Just, kidding! You have nothing to fear. I’m mean, I am a powerful genie but I’m also helping out the storyteller by introducing you to the Brainladdin au. The only thing you have to fear is my killer jokes!

Author's Note: He says he’s helping but really, I didn’t ask for this. I just wanted to start the story in a normal way. Personally, I think this prologue is too meta but Yakko insisted.

Go away! You get to tell most of the story your way. Let me do the introduction. The people deserve to know what they are getting into with this fic!

Author’s Note: Okay, okay! I’m going!

Thank you!

Okay, lovely reader, what’s that look for? You weren’t expecting this fanfic to break the fourth wall? Look, kids; this is Animaniacs meets Aladdin, the fourth wall was never safe here.

That said, don’t worry, it won’t always be this direct. This is just the prologue to set the scene.

Anyway, where was I before the author interrupted and you got all worried about the state of the fourth wall?

Oh, yes. That’s right!

Our story takes place in a place you might almost recognize. ACMEbah is the capital city of the desert kingdom, Warner-rabia. It’s a place full of magic, mystery and wacky animation.

Here are the players in this little pantomime:

Yakko: That’s me! The great and powerful genie of the lamp and star of the show! Outside of this prologue, I don’t turn up in the story until a few chapters in. Don’t be disheartened. It’ll be worth the wait. I’m funny and… -sigh- the author is telling me to get on with it. She also says I’m not the star but what does she know?

Brainladdin: A street mouse with big dreams. At the start of our story, he aims to escape poverty and change how ACMEbah is run. He wants to make it a fair place for everyone, including his young ward Wakko, who I’ll tell you about in a moment.

The guards think of Brainladdin as a petty criminal and public menace. The poorer inhabitants of ACMEbah think Brainladdin is a foolish dreamer who’ll never get anywhere in life. Brainladdin has not let others' assumptions stop him from trying. In fact, given a change of circumstances, Brainladdin might just get the chance to reach higher than even he’s ever dared to dream.

Wakko: I love this kid and so will you! Until a few years ago, Wakko was just another orphan trying to scrap out a living on the streets of ACMEbah. Then Brainladdin saved his life and more or less unofficially adopted him. Wakko now enjoys helping Brainladdin with his plans.

Wakko is a great kid with a heart of gold, a bottomless appetite and almost endless optimism. He loves making people laugh, has no respect for authority, and is extremely loyal to those he cares about.

Princess Jaspinky: Jaspinky has spent his whole life in the palace. He is expected to be the perfect Princess; keep quiet, not rock the boat and marry a suitable Prince to strengthen Warner-rabia’s power on the global scale.

Jaspinky desperately wants to make others happy. Unfortunately, he’s a lonely, clumsy ball of nerves who always seems to say the wrong thing. He feels like a disappointment. This isn’t helped by his distant mother or the fact that most of the staff remain completely professional around him so that he cannot connect to them. If he could admit to wanting anything for himself, it would be a chance to make more friends and to marry for love.

Sultan-CEO: She’s Jaspinky’s mother and the ruler of the kingdom. How does a seemingly human woman have a child that is presumably a mouse? Don’t ask silly questions! Jaspinky takes after his father of course!

The Sultan-CEO isn’t the nicest person, but she does want the best for her kingdom, or at least she wants to make the kingdom more powerful. She is often busy with matters of state and has little time or patience for those who disappoint her.

Dot: She’s a wonderful, cute kid, who’s so witty. Dot (don’t call her Dotty) is Princess Jaspinky’s personal maid servant, and his best friend.

If the Sultan-CEO knew of their friendship, she probably wouldn’t approve. Status doesn’t matter to Jaspinky and he thinks Dot is the best. However, according to Dot, her full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III, so in reality she and Jaspinky are equals anyway.

Snowballjafar: He’s the Royal Vizier and after the Sultan-CEO, he holds the most actual power in the kingdom. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and we don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to his intentions. The manipulation and casual cruelty he uses against everyone – other than the Sultan-CEO – is probably just your imagination.

Ralph: He’s the head of the palace guards. Ralph isn’t the isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but then, he doesn’t need to be. He’s paid to follow orders not ask questions.

Okay, now you’ve met the main players, and the stage is set! Click the link to move forwards and start reading the story proper!

Author’s Note: Okay, Yakko’s gone now. I just want to say sorry for this overly fourth wall breaking intro. I’ll keep him under control more from now on. The fourth wall will be much sturdier in Chapter One, I promise.

#brainladdin au #pinky and the brain #animaniacs #aladdin #deez art #Yakko #Yakko breaks the fourth wall #Disney #yes this is silly #music #video #my fanfics #1001 arabian nights #please know that at one stage I tried to give this 1001 words

[kitkat1003]

For the Love of, and Full of Hope

Wakko isn’t book smart, or social smart, not by any means, but even he isn’t dumb enough not to know that his family is worn thin.  Threadbare and dying.  They need more.

So he goes to get it.

Or: A 12 year old spends a year getting a single hay penny.  Wonder what happened there.

Warnings: Death, Violence

Edit: this is part of a series, here is the Ao3 link

@asilcorner here 

The decision to leave isn’t an easy one, and he can tell Yakko wants to argue.  Of anyone in their family, Yakko is the one least likely to mention a want, but Wakko can tell that there’s one on the tip of his tongue.

I don’t want you to go.

If Yakko said that, Wakko would stay, because Yakko works so hard, Yakko deserves his wants.  But Wakko knows, and Yakko knows, that they both want Dot to be alive far more than Yakko doesn’t want him to leave.  So he thanks the world that train fare is practically free and buys himself a ticket.

“Why do you have to go?” Dot asks, the night before he leaves.  He’s resting right next to her, and her voice sounds hoarse.  Tight.  Weak.  The reason he’s going, to make her better, cements in further.

“We need money,” He tells her, honest.  “Besides, the ticket’s already paid for.  It’d be a shame to waste it now,” he shrugs, smiling despite the ever present ache, from starvation and exhaustion and the chill.

“I wish I could go with you,” She whispers, and he sighs.

“I wish you could too,” Because if she could, he wouldn’t need to leave in the first place.

The next day is joyously morose affair.  He leaves with the hopes of everyone on his shoulders.  Yakko hugs him tight, and Wakko can feel Yakko’s hands tremble against Wakko’s back, balled up in fistfuls of his sweater.

“Stay safe,” It’s phrased more like a plead than a simple farewell, and Wakko would like to be able to make promises, but...

“I’ll try,” he says, and he means it.

“See you in a year, sis,” He ruffles Dot’s hair, and she smacks at his hands, but she’s smiling.

“Not a day late or early,” She orders, and he grins.

“You got it.”

And the train departs, and Wakko sits all by himself as the place he knew as his home for all his life gets smaller and smaller as he gets farther and farther away.

He lets himself cry when it disappears, because he’s young, and alone, and afraid.  But he has to do this.  He has to try.  Dot and Yakko need him.

It’s not hard to fall asleep.  Compared to the abandoned orphanage they live in, the train seats are far more comfortable.

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He wakes up a town over, and the train offers hot food, but he declines.  He doesn’t have the money for it, even though his stomach screams for food.  He nibbles on the jerky Yakko bought for him before he left.  Wakko knows just how long he can not eat for before his body rebels against him-earlier than most people.  Yakko says he has what one would call a ‘Chronic illness.’  All Wakko knows is that it makes him more of a deadweight for Yakko to carry, because despite Yakko trying to be slick, he could see at home that his older brother was giving him bigger servings while Yakko got less.

Hopefully, now that Wakko is gone, Yakko can actually eat like a normal person.  With how Yakko is, though, Wakko expects he’ll take that extra food and give it all to Dot.

People come off and on the train at every random stop, but Wakko’s ticket is for a long ways away.  Five towns over.  He’s heard stories there, about how there are always jobs open.  He’s going to do them all.  He’ll work himself down to the bone, and come back with a fortune, and Dot will get better and everyone will be happy.

Days pass.  He gets up, on occasion, to stretch his legs, because the last thing he needs are his muscles atrophying because he couldn’t be bothered to move.  He loses his seat once or twice, but he is very adept at annoying people into moving, so he never loses it for long.  He makes the piece of jerky last, so that even on the last night before he gets off of the train he still has a quarter of a piece left.  It’s easy to not be hungry when you don’t move much.  That must be why Dot hardly has an appetite.

He’s asleep when he reaches his destination, practically thrown from the train by a conductor who holds no pity for a half starved child.  This town is prosperous, due to it’s industrious mining community.  He can see the ‘Help Wanted’ signs plastered on certain storefronts, and tries to figure out what to do.

Yakko had told him that under no circumstances was he to even think about going into the mines.  The mines are where people go to die, and Yakko told him it was better if Wakko came home empty handed than not at all.

They’d had the conversation far away from the house, where Dot couldn’t hear.  She was already near bedridden most days, looking half dead.  She didn’t need to hear about how dire things were, when part of the reason things were that is because she was so sick.  It isn’t her fault, but she wouldn’t see it that way.

He tries first, at the bakery.  He’s young, spry, and wiling to do whatever they need him to.  He’s made to be the janitor, because he doesn’t know how to bake and they don’t need anyone to learn.  When things go in the oven, he clears the work space, sweeps the floor of the spilt flour, wipes down trays, cleans dishes.  It’s not easy work, but Wakko would like to say he works well.

He does not, in fact, work well.

It was probably a bad choice to pick a place filled with food for his first job when he’s been half starved for most of his life, but it seemed a good option at the time.  He can’t help but try and sample some of the goods, so hungry it hurts, and the owner of the bakery doesn’t have time for charity cases.

He gets caught on his third day, and after getting yelled at so loud that his hands shake and his ears ring, he’s unceremoniously thrown out, sliding across cobblestone so hard his skin scrapes and he’s glad that black fur doesn’t show off blood well.  Three day’s pay is a pittance, but it’s enough to get him some food for the night.  He sleeps outside, in an alley, by the dumpsters.

The next day he goes to the general store.  It doesn’t sell food more so than it sells equipment.  A lot of its sales comes from supplying the mining sector with its equipment, and the rest is from the random items the townspeople need.

Wakko is a stocker.  It suits him fine.  He’s always been almost abnormally strong for his age, and he works hard not to mess this up.  It’s a nice routine, though his brain gets ever so slightly bored.  He’s someone who craves unpredictability, who loves chaos.  The doldrum does very little for him, mentally, but he shoves it down and keeps working.  He takes a breath every moment even though the cold air makes his lungs wince and puts his personality on the shelf and works and works and works.

He manages well for about four months.

And then, one night, he gets cornered in an alley.

“Hey, kid,” There are three men surrounding him, tall and lean.  Men is a strong word-they’re teenagers, older than Yakko but nowhere near and adult.  “Heard you’re the new stocker at the general store,” Wakko has no idea why this guy cares, but he just nods, because it seems polite.

The response he receives is having his sweater be grabbed before he is slammed into the wall, head knocking against stone.

“You think you can step in on my job while I’m out of town?  Huh?” He shakes Wakko, as if Wakko can reply when he’s still dazed from having his head knocked around.  “I own that job.  I can come and go as I please, and make money when I want.  That’s how it works here.”

And Wakko hates that.  Hates the cavalier that this teen holds, to be able to come and go as he pleases, to always have a job waiting for him.  Has this guy ever had to wonder if his sibling was going to survive the night?  Has he ever even gone hungry?

It’s the same entitlement Plotz has, and it brings out a fire Wakko didn’t know he had.

“It said help wanted,” he responds, shrugging nonchalantly.  “Not my fault that you were gone.”

That is, apparently, the wrong thing to say.  Wakko has never been good with his words, and that’s why Yakko always did the talking.  He gets a fist to his jaw, dropping to the ground.

“What a smartmouth,” The leader sneers.  “Why don’t we teach this kid a lesson?”

“Well, I’ve never been to school before,” Wakko wheezes, grinning like nothing’s wrong, and he gets a kick to his ribs for that.

He should really stop trying to be Yakko.

“Shut up,” One of the teens say, and he does.

It doesn’t stop them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he goes to work the next day, he has a black eye he can’t see out of and a limp.  Black fur doesn’t show off bruises, but he’s pretty sure one of his fingers is broken with how purple it is.  He shows up to work anyway.

When he does, the owner looks over him appraisingly.

“I see you met the town boys,” He says.  “The leader is the mayor’s son,” Wakko frowns-of course he is.

Wakko gets to work, but the owner follows him.

“I thought he was staying out of town for another week, figured I’d fire you then,” Wakko freezes, holding three boxes of pickaxes.  “But I can’t have the mayor down my neck.  Find somewhere else to work.”

And Wakko isn’t vindictive, not by any means, but he feels a little too good when he says “Okay,” and lets the pickaxes all drop to the floor, hearing the crash and running out before the owner can catch him.

From there, he goes through jobs like they’re candy.  He trips at the candlemaker’s and nearly burns the whole place down.  Tries the printing press, but he can’t really read well, so he can’t tell if there’s any errors, and makes too many mistakes.  Works at a family farm, but one of the animals kicks him into the fence and the family says that it’s a sign that this isn’t his place to work.

No wonder this town has so many help wanted signs , if these are the guys hiring.

His favorite job of the bunch is the inn, because they let him sleep in a spare room so long as he cleans it before he goes to work, and it doesn’t count towards his paycheck.  However, the mayor’s kid comes in one day, sees him, says something to the owner, and Wakko is back on the streets again.

He wants to break down and cry and go home.  He’s trying so hard, he’s doing what he’s supposed to.  It’s been eight months and he never has more than enough to buy dinner because he can’t save when he’s losing jobs a couple months in.

He needs something stable.  Something no one would fire him from.

He looks toward the mines.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He remembers the promise he made to Yakko, to not work there.  Knows he shouldn’t.  But he’s out of jobs, and he’s out of options.

He promised, but Yakko’s broken promises too.  When Dot first got sick, Wakko was nearly in tears with worry.  That’s his little sister, why can’t she play?  Why does she keep coughing?  What’s wrong with her?

“It’s just a cold,” Yakko had said.  “She’ll get better soon.  Promise.”

But she hadn’t, and that’s why he’s here, so if Yakko can lie to make Wakko feel better than Wakko can break a promise too, to make sure that when he comes home he’ll have something to give.  Because, as much as it would break Yakko’s heart if Wakko never came back, Wakko would rather that happen then come back with nothing and watch Dot wither away.

He goes to the mines, and puts on a hard hat, and gets to work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The mines are a grueling place, and Wakko understands very quickly why Yakko never wanted him to work in such an environment.  Half of the time he has to stop and cough, because every breath is coal ash in his lungs, every time he moves he feels like he’s going to drop dead.  Lunch time is fifteen minutes and he doesn’t have anywhere to prepare a lunch so typically he buys some salted meats or preserved vegetables the night before and sticks it in his sweater pocket so he doesn’t starve to death.  He supposes the upside to having been poor all your life is that you’re good at eating quickly.  

You never know when the food you have could be taken away.

They get coal, and then they lug it to the minecarts to be taken out of the mine.  Rinse and repeat.  He doesn’t even have time to be zany when he’s so exhausted, so he’s just as dead eyed as the rest of the toons and men around him.

Every once in a while, there will be a rumble from above, and the whole cave will shake, and they will all freeze and hold their breath, because one wrong move could mean collapse.

One of the older men asks him, one day, “Why are you here, son?” in the soft, kind way that brings back a far faded memory, more a feeling, of a warm crackling fire, and someone large and familiar holding him, of feeling safe and full.

“I need the money,” he responds, and the older man’s eyes go soft and sympathetic.

“Don’t we all, son,” He tells him, patting him on the shoulder, and Wakko half smiles, because kindness is rare like gold and he’s dreaming of diamonds.  “Don’t we all.”

Three months in, and he’s gotten the hang of it.  Nearly made three hay pennies, because the older man, who asks him to just call him Sir, tells him about the safer tunnels, directs him to the areas least likely to collapse.  He takes Wakko under his wing, and if he finds something exemplary, he lets Wakko take the credit for it.

Sir is here because he sends the money back home to his grandkids.  His daughter’s husband ran out on them, and she’s getting ill from the stress and work.

“Don’t have much left in this world,” He says, heaving the pickaxe down against stone.  He teaches Wakko how to hit it just right, and Wakko copies his movements and wonders if this is what it’s like to have a father who is more than a few years older than you.  “But I ain’t losing them.”

“Yeah,” Wakko agrees, thinking of the small shack that is his home, five towns away, with the two people there that are his entire world, that he’s spending his days suffering and working for.

It’s nice, though, to have company.  Sir listens to Wakko’s crazy antics, claps when Wakko has the energy to sing him a song during lunch, and says “you remind me of my grandkids” one day, and Wakko doesn’t want to admit how happy that makes him.

Four months in, and Wakko is venturing into an older tunnel, with a bunch of experienced miners.  That’s the only reason Sir says that Wakko could come with, because he knows this is Wakko’s last month and a big pay off from a new mine would be really helpful.

They get to work, and an hour or so in the ever familiar, paralyzing rumble from above starts.  Only this time, the floor starts to shake, and the ceiling cracks, and rocks start to fall from above as the whole mineshaft collapses.  Wakko is jumping out of the way of debris, letting his pickaxe drop as he moves towards somewhere safe, so focused on the different falling pieces and the people running around him he misses the rock falling above him.

“Kid!” He hears Sir shout, and he’s slammed into by denim overalls and flesh and bone and hits the floor.  There’s the sound of a crack, and then he feels, hears, sees nothing at all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wakko wakes up to the feeling of something on top of him, covered in dust and soot and something wet and sticky.  He blinks out the dizziness and realizes the thing on top of him is someone, someone he recognizes.

“Sir?” he says, asks, hopes.  Carefully, he crawls out from under the man, and looks around.

The cave is dark, and he hears groans from the other men, but he looks back at Sir, and shakes him.  A slab of stone falls to the floor with a loud thud, from Sir’s back, and neck.

Something is dripping from Sir’s mouth.  It looks suspiciously like blood, but Wakko won’t think it is, no.

“Sir?” he tries again, and he shakes him harder.  The older man drops, limp, laying face first on the ground.

Wakko.  Stares.

“Is that the kid?” One of the other men says.

“Sounds like it.  The old man must have got on top of him to save him from the rocks.”

“Poor guy,” The first one says.  “Hey, kid, c’mere,” Wakko stands, on trembling legs, and walks toward the sound of the voices.

A hand rests on his shoulder, and he flinches, and the hand disappears.

“Hey, it’s just me, kid,” He hears.  “The old man told us about you.  There’s been a cave in,” As if that wasn’t obvious.  “We’re seasoned, so they’ll look for us.  They don’t always for the newer guys.”

“Okay,” Wakko says, instead of anything else, because he can feel the wet and sticky on his cheek and it isn’t his blood, and he can’t turn around because if he does he’ll be facing it.

He can’t.  He just can’t

A hand leads him to a spot to sit, and Wakko does.

Time slips through his fingertips, and all Wakko can do is wait and breathe.

They consider making a fire, but it would waste their oxygen.  The find a miraculously non broken flashlight, and Wakko can finally see.  The cave is about half the size it was before it collapsed.  There’s a pile of rocks at the entrance, and some of the men take their pickaxes and try to hit it, but it makes the walls shake so they stop.  Wakko walks around the room, and stays away from one area.

He misses Sir.

A day passes.  He nibbles on the old, near moldy piece of jerky he has, offering it to the other men.  They rebuff him.

“You look like skin and bones, kid,” One of the guys says.  “This isn’t our first cave in,” Wakko wonders when he became their kid, but he supposes it could be worse.

It’s two days and they’re running out of air.  Wakko wheezes in thin, shallow breaths through chapped lips, and tries not to cry because he’s dehydrated enough.  He doesn’t want to die.  He has Dot and Yakko to go home to, he can’t leave them now.

Eventually, he just starts humming, because the silence hurts and he doesn’t want to think anymore.  Isn’t this whole movie supposed to be a musical?  Maybe it hasn’t started yet.

“There's always tomorrow,” It comes out wispy and small, like a a breath, but it sounds unbearably loud, in the small space, “For dreams to come true.  Believe in your dreams, come what may,” His voice cracks on the final word, and he coughs, but the men are all staring at him, a tiny shrimp of a kid way in over his head, singing because there’s nothing else he can think to do.

“There's always tomorrow,” He mumbles out the words, barely keeping up the tune, because he’s so tired. “With so much to do,”

“And so little time in a day,” One of the men finishes the line with him, and Wakko blinks.

It seems that one joining in spurs on the others, because one by one they’re all singing too.

“We all pretend the rainbow has an end,” Wakko sees some of the miners leaning on each other.  A couple of them have broken a bone of some sort, but that’s all forgotten in the ever thinning air, singing because what else is there to do, in times of despair.  

“And you’ll be there, my friend, some day,” Wakko’s eyes flick to Sir, the still body looking pale and the blood dried on the ground, and he forces himself not to cry again.

“There’s always tomorrow, for dreams to come true,” Wakko leans his head back against the stone, coughing a little.  There’s thudding in his ears, he thinks his heartbeat, growing ever louder.

“Tomorrow is not far away...,” They trail off, and then there’s a crack, from the wall behind him.  He jumps, stumbling back from the wall, and he can see light peeking through the rock wall.

Standing was a bad idea.  His legs shake, weak, and while he can see the light as he hears men from the other side calling for him there’s darkness at the edges of his vision, and before the the wall breaks he starts to fall and everything goes black to the sound of the men shouting for someone to catch him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He wakes up at the local hospital.  The mine is paying for the stay, so he gets to eat.  He’s given 10 hay pennies for his trouble-the three he’d already made were lost in the collapse, but he doesn’t care too much because he lost far more important things there, too-, with the incentive not to take legal action against the mining company.  As if he could.  He asks around, asks if Sir’s family will be getting anything.

“Likely not,” One of the men from the cave says.  “He didn’t have enough tenure for that, and his family lives far enough away and are poor enough that the mine won’t bother.”

“Do you know where he lives?” He asks, and he finds out.

He places 9 hay pennies into the envelope.  He is not good at writing, but he knows how to write ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘he was a good man’, and ‘he protected me’, and the sentences hardly make sense with how his hands shake but that doesn’t matter.  He has one of the older men write out the address and sends it off.

It’s not enough, he thinks.  But it’s something.

He tries to go back to work for a little more money, but every time he looks into the yawning pit of the entrance to the mines he can’t breathe and he thinks of the sticky and wet and red that stained his fur until he washed it off two days later.

He knows how to get it out of his clothes, too.  Now.  He knows now.

He didn’t think he would ever need to know, but the past year has been full of learning experiences, he’s sure.

A week and a half later, he walks out of town to that same train, and like the end of a circle heads back to where he started, sitting on that same seat.  The taste of jerky as he chews makes him want to vomit, too familiar, too entrenched in memory to be anything other than unpleasant.  

He comes home, and when he arrives he sees the smiling faces of his family and town, and they don’t need the depressing tale of cruelty and hardship, so he smiles and dances on aching feet and sings about silly jobs that seem more fun than difficult and shows off his earnings and lets himself feel hope because even if it hurt it was enough, because Dot is going to be happy and healthy.

Later, when he is playing a mournful tune on a makeshift harp, he wonders if there was even a point to trying.  If he should have stayed, should have just taken his time with his sister before she was gone, because regardless of everything that happened he’s right where he started.  Except, someone is dead and he’s the reason, and his lungs ache and will spend months to get close to normal and he has to pretend because he can’t let Yakko know he lied, and he was beaten and his youth has been stolen and Dot is still dying anyway.

He’s tired of the cyclical, he needs change, and he looks up the stars and searches for something, anything, to make the hurt worth something.

The Wishing Star gives him a reply to his song, like beams of light through the rocks, like hope in the center of a blackhole of despair that refuses to be swallowed whole, and when Wakko makes the homestretch he asks for the people to get what they deserve, what is fair, what is right, and hopes the mother miles away with two kids and no father or grandfather gets something, too.

#animaniacs #wakko's wish #yakko wakko and dot #wakko warner #yakko warner #dot warner #kitkat1003 #Listen its medieval times do you think people were nice to kids #i will pepper in the fact that wakko nearly vaguely remembers their parents #i will create a side character and kill him off because I think it'd funny to be mean #haha

[strangemagicked]

Anon said: what are your favorite fun facts about each of your ocs?

I don’t think you understand how LONG of an answer this is gonna be but ,,,, 

o k a y 

Note: I have 53 Ocs attached to this blog SO this is going under a readmore lmao (yes this took me three days to answer, shhhhh)

Also, these aren’t all my ‘favorite’ fun facts; they’re just ....normal fun facts because wow i  dont have favorites lmao

Alice ( Alice in Wonderland )

She drinks at least two cups of tea day.

Akemi ( Big Hero 6 )

No matter how good she is at computers, she still messes up long division  

Alyssa ( Seuss )

She cuts her own hair, but never more than a trim.

Amber ( Trolls )

She has a scar on her feet from a bee sting.

Annella ( J&tcch )

She’s made her own glasses for her to wear in her cat form.

April ( Mia & Me )

Her main pet snake is named Sup

Ares ( Harry Potter )

She has a pencil on her no matter what her outfit or anything 

Arlo ( Dt17 )

Has a scar on his left hand on his thumb’s knuckle. Doesn’t know how he got it.

Ash ( Dt17 )

Ash stole one of donald’s shirts and made it into a pillow case

Aspen ( Otgw )

Her outfit in the unknown does not match her outfit outside of it. No I will not explain further.

Aura ( Atla )

Always wears her hair up; but it goes almost to her knees when it is down.

Aurore ( Dt17 )

She normally wears chunky heels.

Ava ( Supernatural )

She has a card that says she is legally allowed to have her crossbow on her at all times. She keeps it in her shoe that way she always has it.

Bai ( Raya )

He has a necklace with Sisu on it; they’re more common than I think raya realized

Beck (Phineas and Ferb)

Has a butterfly clip she keeps in her pocket

Bianca ( Frozen )

She has a higher tolerance for the cold due to being frozen for so long

Bo ( Jwcc )

His spirit guide is a Compy; hence why Arrow took such a liking to him

Crevan ( Hunger Games )

Has a southern accent in modern verses, but lacks an accent in her default verse

Caelan ( Ever After High )

Has a small birthmark that sorta looks like an arrow if you squint.

Candy Hearts ( Mlp )

Is part deer and part pony. She tried to find her birth parents to no avail 

Caramel Cosmos ( Mlp )

Instead of snapping to use her chaos powers, she taps her hoof

Caroline ( Strange Magic )

Her wings let off a gentle pink glitter. It’s similar to love potion in looks.

Cheshire ( Fandomless )

They have many tattoos; including all four suits somewhere on their body

Clarke Navada ( Arthur Christmas )

She replaces the mistletoe on her shirt every three days to keep it fresh

Constance ( Poto )

If ya can’t tell, her and Christine look a lot alike. However, they do not act the same at all, except for their passion and drive

Cyra ( Animaniacs )

Is she just a recolor of yakko? Maybe. But she was never meant to be. Her animator was just really tired of designing and under a lot of pressure by that point

Derek ( Fandomless )

His fiancé died and he blames himself :) Also he has a flask with their name on it

Elliot ( Animaniacs )

Really wants to fly. Has a slight fear of heights. 

Eros ( Descendents)

They do have some wonderland magic to them, but their charm and ability to get people to do stuff for them is just their natural ability. It’s not magic.

Felix ( Camp Camp )

Carries a pocket knife on him at all times. Yes, even in his PJs

Gabby ( Treasure Planet )

Has an older brother & a younger sister. Neither of which realize that she is such a major criminal. 

Gisel (  Ladybug  )

Has a habit of omitting the truth in order to not lie. She will allow people to draw what should be obvious conclusions from what she says, although the obvious conclusion is never the right conclusion

Hatter ( Fandomless )

Tends to speak in riddles, but honestly, no one knows why. Not even he knows why he does.

Jacklyn ( Tim Burton/horror )

You can see her lungs through her ribs! Because while her skin and muscle has begun to dissipate, her organs have not! 

Jordan ( Supernatural )

Always has a cloth tucked into her jeans pocket to use incase she needs it

Katie ( Penn Zero )

Does not have a tail like her father, but does have red eyes like him! 

Killian Jr ( Tangled )

The streak of teal in his hair is natural, and he has his father’s freckles too

Kit ( Animaniacs )

Subtitles appear when they speak in a different language than English. ( Even then, sometimes subtitles will appear for that too)

Lore ( Seuss )

She sewed all of her own clothes ! 

Mica ( Steven Universe )

Has no scars or birthmarks! 

Morty ( Rick and Morty Inspired )

Carries a full eyeshadow palette in his backpack

Nobody ( Seuss )

Anything relating to JoJo is my favorite. but also since i doubt anyone is reading this far; Nobody’s birthname was Mollie Noel Joy. Nobody doesn't know this.

Nia ( Supernatural )

She still has her wings, and her grace. Although, she never uses her angelic powers.

Petal ( Httyd )

Her full name is Petronilla ! 

Rita ( Gravity Falls )

like her father, she keeps a journal. However, hers is less scientific and more personal.

Sahar ( Fandomless )

The first ghost she communicated with was when she was three! 

Seine ( Animal Crossing/nitw, Horror )

Keeps the door to their basement locked with two padlocks

Skyler ( Horror )

Keeps three backup chargers on them

Sunny ( Rotg )

She has a faint glow to her that will change tint from red to yellow to orange depending on her feelings

Tj ( Camp Camp )

It’s real candy in their hair that they glued in with a hot glue gun

Valerie ( Dt17 )

Doesn’t know that donald has that thing with his voice until season 2

Walker ( Horror )

His eyes are yellow, and they reflect like cat’s

Wild Princess ( Adventure Time )

If she were to ever be completely rid of the crown, she’d die from radiation poisoning 

Willow (trolls)

Lost her sight in her one eye during the escape from the troll tree

Xia (White Snake)

She smokes human essence not actual smoke 

#HEY I'M HOME? || MAX ANSWERS; #tw long post

[takeabreathandsmile]

The little tag talk in your reblog about Yakko and change got me thinking. From what I've seen with the 2020 series, a lot of it has changed, but I also think a lot of the same genuine charm of the Warners and Pinky and the Brain is still there, y'know? Animaniacs has always been "woke," talking about the muckiness of society and politics. It's just done it with more modern things because let's be real, so much has changed since the 90s.

I agree to an extent - Animaniacs has never pulled any punches with their jokes, that was part of their charm. 

However, it used to be that they poked fun at everyone and everything, without an obvious bias. They never worried about being “politically correct,” they were just there to provide a fun and silly escape from real world problems. The Warners, in particular, got a kick out of annoying every person they came across and poking fun at programs that tried to force an opinion down its audience’s throat (which is exactly what the reboot now does.)

Sure, the original had its share of political humor, but it was never the focus. The occasional jabs were well-dispersed between movie parodies, historical antics, musical numbers, and just general cartoony shenanigans.

Whether or not you agree with the crew’s politics, it still gets tiring hearing about the same 2-3 topics 20 times over. A comedy show should leave you feeling lighter than you did going in, but there were some episodes that I actually walked away feeling drained and frustrated.

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t dislike everything about the reboot. It definitely has its moments and I never expected everything to be exactly the same. Honestly, there were some episodes that I really enjoyed and felt captured the show’s spirit fairly well. I wish there were more of those episodes. But the problem is, those moments are few and far between, and so quickly overshadowed. 

Rob, Tress, Jess, and Maurice are doing a phenomenal job reprising their roles, but without the show’s (and the characters’) original creator, Tom Reugger, Animaniacs is missing its heart. And Reugger himself is not at all pleased with the approach the reboot is taking.

Taking a quote from a Rollingstones article that put it better than I could:

“In the original show...the Warners were superhumanly annoying, but in service of a greater good. As Ruegger says of their old stories, “Almost all of them are about going up against a**holes, authority figures, and puncturing the balloon of pomposity, hoisting them by their own petard.” The revival has them mostly reckoning with all the ways the world has changed since we last saw them. Where their powers of exasperation once made them unstoppable, now they’re the ones who seem impotent and irritated by the people and culture around them. Thanks to Paulsen, Harnell, and MacNeille, the Warners sound like they should, but the magic is otherwise missing.”

“ Ruegger noted that the original Animaniacs was just contemporary enough to prove more appealing to kids than the Looney Tunes shorts that shared their sensibility. But nods to modern life weren’t prevalent, outside of the line in the theme song about Bill Clinton playing the sax, plus Goodfellas only being a few years old at the time the Goodfeathers were introduced. (And even those shorts were often an excuse to get retro, like a West Side Story parody about dueling bird gangs.) The original writing staff didn’t worry much about whether their target audience would get old references, and just did whatever made their colleagues laugh.”

(I highly recommend reading the full article, it’s very informative.)

The fact that the old episodes are still loved and revered by fans (old & new) today is a testament to how timeless the comedy and the formula truly was. In comparison, a lot of the new episodes already feel dated because the writers are trying too hard to stay up-to-date with trends (which is impossible to do, the animation takes too much time to complete and fads change a lot more quickly these days.)

Honestly - I just don’t think Animaniacs can or should exist without Tom Reugger and the original team (or at least most of them.) Warner Bros was wrong to cut them out in the first place and my hope is that, if the fans demand it loudly enough, they’ll change their minds and invite Reugger back to help with future seasons.

#asked and answered #lilliesofinspirationvalley #animaniacs #tom reugger

[fandomlurker]

A Ponderous Rewatch: Prologue

You know, I didn’t think this would happen. I didn’t go into bingeing the 2020 renewal of Animaniacs with the thought “I’m going to watch this and then go and watch the original Pinky and the Brain shorts and spin-off show and do a rewatch and loose analysis on the whole franchise with special attention on queer subtext and themes”. What I initially set out to do was simply watch the renewal and see if it lived up to the show I watched pretty regularly as a kid in the 90s…or at least what I remembered of it through the haze of decades worth of time.

Pinky and the Brain was my favorite set-up on Animaniacs back in the day. Back then I probably wouldn’t even have been able to tell you why beyond “I think it’s funny and the characters are fun to watch as they screw up trying to take over the world”. Other segments were funny to me back in the day, too. Slappy the squirrel was great in that she was basically just like the classic, near-timeless Looney Toons a la Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but as an old lady toon who’s seen it all and tries to relate to the changing world while proving that the ol’ slapstick ways still work. The Goodfeathers were entertaining despite the fact that I was a literal child and didn’t even know that it was a big ol’ spoof of Goodfellas. Hell, I’ve still never seen Goodfellas, but three pigeons trying to carry themselves like macho tough guy mafia folks while being goddamn pigeons is still funny with or without that context. And as for the Warner siblings themselves? Their skits were pretty consistently great as well. Lots of that Bugs Bunny-like energy of putting terrible folks in their place when they annoy you while coupling it with the dynamic of three child siblings who are very, very active and much too clever for the average person. It was fun!

But as I watched the 2020 reboot with its stripped-down cast now largely consisting of just the Warner siblings and Pinky and the Brain segments for the season (And I’ll be honest, some of the segments from the 90s like Katie Kaboom, Buttons and Mindy, and the Hip-Hippos are ones I’ll be happy to never have return because they were godawful even back then), it brought into focus the strength of those segments compared to most of the others from the old 90s line-up: The strong dynamic and chemistry of the relationships between the main characters of those skits. The Warner siblings are a trio of kids who, despite being truly cut from the same wacky cloth as the most beloved of Looney Toon characters, also very much tap into a very realistic depiction of sibling relationships. Sure, they get on each other’s nerves sometimes. Sure, sometimes they have disagreements on how they view a certain situation. At the end of the day, however, they care about each other more than anything else and work in such perfect sync despite differences in who they are individually.  Sure, Yakko is a talkative theater kid jackass who sasses back at the drop of a dime. Sure, Wakko is kinda quiet and spaced-out and he has the appetite of a garbage disposal. Sure, Dot is adorable and witty and loudly and proudly feminist with an oddly feral streak. But if any one of them is inconvenienced or picked on or threatened in any way by someone, even if that someone is a powerful celebrity of some sort? You bet your ass the other two will immediately back their sibling up and make their tormentor’s life a living hell for the next however long the skit lasts. They’re little gremlin children who love one another, and have a surprisingly tragic backstory that actually speaks to a lot of fans on several levels.

But, okay, the bond between the Warner siblings is great and fun. What about Pinky and the Brain? What makes their dynamic stand out?

Folks, that’s where things get a little more…interesting. To me, at least.

So, watching the beginning of the 2020 reboot got me to slowly remember the parts I loved about the Pinky and the Brain skits from Animaniacs…were actually from their spin-off show. And the things I remembered most clearly from the spin-off were the more heartwarming moments that showed how much they cared about and loved one another, despite Brain being exhausted by Pinky’s dimwitted antics at times. And for a supposedly continuity-light cartoon show, there was a surprising amount of consistency to the main duo and their motivations. There was even a handful of reoccurring side characters the audience was expected to recognize from past episodes, as well, which is a bit strange to have for a show that initially seemed to aim to be strictly episodic. I remembered the odd amount of depth there was to the series. Nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but definitely something more than the average comedy cartoon.

So after watching the first few episodes of the reboot, I took to Tumblr to see if anyone remembered the old 90s show and to see how they were reacting to the new one. In doing so, I came across this post:

“i love that ppl make jokes abt a pinky and the brain version of the destiel confession because that. already happened....... the only difference is that brain pulls pinky out of superhell instead of dying on a barn nail”

Now, look, I’ve never watched Supernatural and only know it through Tumblr cultural osmosis, and at the time we were all riding off the high of the madness that was the finale of that show and the fallout from it. But ANYWAY…

This piqued my interest because 1. I didn’t remember watching an episode of Pinky and the Brain where anything like that happened, and 2. I was already picking up strong gay vibes from the reboot only a few episodes in. So, basically, I just had to hunt down this episode to sate my curiosity and see for myself if there was subtext in this 90s cartoon that I hadn’t quite picked up on as a kid.

I found the episode and started watching it. “Wow,” I said to myself, “this is a lot gayer than I remember…” And after finishing the episode, memories came flooding back to me:

That time the Brain fell for a girl mouse that was looked and acted lot like Pinky.

All those moments where Pinky would wear drag to disguise himself as Brain’s significant other in one way or another to further their plans for that episode, and how I could never remember it being ridiculed.

That one time they accidentally had a child together via a science mishap.

The ending of the Christmas special!...

And as I sat there, dumbstruck and searching Tumblr’s tags to see how far this particular rabbit hole (mouse hole?) went, everything finally clicked in my little bisexual mind.

This was one of the big reasons as to why I loved the Pinky and the Brain skits so much above all the others on Animaniacs all those years ago when I was a kid. It was the same sort of thing that subconsciously drew me to many of the cartoons and anime and media in general I loved as a child, back before I had the proper knowledge and self-awareness to know or express it.

Looking back on my life, I’d always gravitated to and resonated the most with stories and media with queer content in text or subtext. And sure, this cartoon was/is no Sailor Moon or Revolutionary Girl Utena with explorations of gender roles and queerness. It’s no Steven Universe or She-Ra with out and proud queer characters. It’s no The Little Mermaid or The Happy Prince where the stories were made by queer authors and subtextually about queer experience.

However…

However…!

I was surprised to find how deep the gay subtext went with Pinky and the Brain. Hell, I still am. This little Warner Brothers, Looney Toons-pedigree, continuity-light show about two lab mice trying to take over the world in bizarre, hilarious ways has such a weirdly continuous, heartfelt, touching, engaging, and sometimes outrageously raunchy queer undercurrent to it. All done in the 90s! It’s kind of baffling.

This is not to say that the creators and writers of the shows deliberately set out to do this. I don’t believe that anyone involved sat down and said to themselves “I’m going to make this so fucking gay!”. Sure, the voice actors of both Pinky and the Brain have said that they played the dynamic with “the energy of an old gay couple” and they’ve said plenty of suggestive or outright not safe for work things in the character’s voices in interviews and at convention panels. I firmly believe that they’re just having fun as the characters, just as much as I believe the writers were probably just having fun and putting in the gay subtext and suggestive lines as a kind of long running joke and seeing how far they could take it.

(By the time of the Pinky and the Brain comics, however, I’m not so sure. Some of the stuff they got away with in those issues is…amazing, to say the least.)

Regardless of actual intent, I think the writers of Pinky and the Brain (both old and new), have accidentally created a sort of subtextual, yet pretty powerful love story. And you know what? I want to rewatch this story for myself and write down my thoughts as I go along. I tried something similar quite a while back with Droids, and while I kind of ran out of steam as my life got busier and never finished, I have time now for something like this.

I should also say that I’m not out here to, like, convert anyone into shipping cartoon mice together. I imagine most people see Pinky and the Brain as nothing other than very close friends, and that’s a completely valid viewpoint to have. I doubt there will ever be some sort of canonization of a gay relationship between the two, as I imagine most of the writers on the new show (and hell, on the old one) are heterosexual themselves and would view such an idea as “ruining the comedy and the dynamic of the characters” or something similar. I’ve been in the fandom game long enough to know better than to hope and expect any media to sincerely tackle queer relationships in stories that only have the subtext there, especially in comedies.

I guess I’m doing this more to explore something I loved as a child and to see if I can find just as much if not more enjoyment from it as an adult, albeit maybe for different reasons. Hell, it’s also an opportunity to peek into a kind of time capsule from the 90s regarding how far queer subtext could be pushed back then, even when heavily couched in comedy. This is just a little project I wanna do for fun in my spare time. And hey, maybe a few of you out there will have some fun reading it too, who knows?

Either way, see you sometime soon in the new year.

#Pinky and the Brain #PatB #A ''little project'' I say as I look at the 65 episode list of the spin-off series... #What have I gotten myself into?