Stick to Shorts: A Classic Cartoons Podcast

About Stick to Shorts: A Classic Cartoons Podcast

Short films can be a big deal. Join J.D. Hansel (ToughPigs.com) and friends as they discuss the animated shorts of Hollywood's Golden Age. From the elegance of the Disney shorts to the hilarity of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, they'll explore the cartoons that made animation what it is today.

Publisher

J.D. Hansel

Category

tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Mar 2025

Latest episode

23 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Feb 2026

   Podcast Announcement

   Stick to Shorts is closing down for the foreseeable future. I would like to thank the listeners who have stuck with it and especially thank the guests who donated their time to record with me. - J.D.

2. 

   9 Feb 2026

   Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)

   In this especially nerdy episode, we're going back to the land before time (the silent era) to discuss the work of Winsor McCay! Learn about where animation comes from and just how much McCay changed it. Host/Producer: J.D. Hansel Guest: Kristi O. Cartoon Content Warning: smoking. If you’d like to support the podcast, you can contribute on Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/jdhansel. Notes The source I relied on the most for my understanding of silent era animation was Of Mice and Magic by Leonard Maltin. The Maltin quote about cave drawings is from page 2 of the revised and updated edition, as is the quote about the zoetrope; "One might say that Gertie launched an entire industry" is from page 5. I also paraphrased another statement from page 5: "For years Gertie has been named in film histories as the first animated cartoon. With all its impact, it might as well have been." The Charles Solomon quote about Gertie and the development of character animation is from page 17 of his book The History of Animation: Enchanted Drawings. For my explanation of straight ahead action and pose-to-pose animation, I relied on The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. I was also influenced by this tutorial video. I got a little bit of additional info about McCay from this video of his biographer, John Canemaker - I mostly used it for clarification about his Split System. Click here for information about why a dinosaur would eat a rock.

3. 

   26 Jan 2026

   Introduction II: The Vaudeville Legacy | Show Biz Bugs (1957)

   Welcome back! It's the Season 2 premiere, so the podcast is reseting as we transition to a more chronological, narrative driven format. We begin with a discussion of vaudeville, list our favorite Friz Freleng cartoons, and talk about one of the all-time great Bugs and Daffy shorts! Host/Producer: J.D. Hansel Guest: Anthony Strand Cartoon Content Warning: self-immolation. Episode Content Warning: mentions suicide; describes of minstrel shows. Go to 00:35:28 to skip past the minstrelsy history. Go to 00:42:02 to skip the vaudeville and radio history and go straight to the cartoon history. Go to 00:58:08 to skip to the Show Biz Bugs section. If you'd like to support the podcast, you can contribute on Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/jdhansel. Notes The cold open for this episode and the premise for this season were largely inspired by Donald Crafton's book Shadow of a Mouse. The book proposes that the cartoon characters can be thought of as performers, develops a framework for understanding cartoon performativity, considers the function of the classic cartoon as a "memory palace" of vaudeville, and examines the development of cartoon acting in the years after the appearance of Mickey Mouse. Relatedly, this interview with Crafton is how I found out that early Paul Terry shorts received funding from a vaudeville circuit. I got my vaudeville information from the PBS American Masters episode about it. To hear more about the connections between vaudeville and cartoons - especially their use of slapstick comedy - seek out the documentary short Vaudeville, Slapstick and Tom and Jerry from the Blu-Ray Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One. My Friz Freleng info can mostly be attributed to the documentary Friz on Film - specifically the fact that this cartoon was one of Friz's favorites of those he directed. I believe I got the idea that the filmmakers behind Show Biz Bugs seem to be expressing a frustration they felt about Bugs Bunny's stardom usurping Daffy's from a quote from Jerry Beck in the "Behind the Tunes" featurette "Hard Luck Duck": "It’s funny that the animators themselves acknowledged that Daffy wants to be the star. ‘He is the star, and who’s this rabbit?’ ‘Cuz I think that’s the way they felt. And we can identify with his frustrations." Other cartoon shorts referenced: What's Cookin' Doc? (1944), What's Up, Doc? (1950), Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943), Three Little Bops (1957), Back Alley Oproar (1948), Canned Feud (1951), Baseball Bugs (1946), High Diving Hare (1948), Daffy – The Commando (1943), The Chuck Jones Hunting Trilogy (Rabbit Fire [1951], Rabbit Seasoning [1952], Duck! Rabbit, Duck! [1953]), Ali Baba Bunny (1957), Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (1953), Drip-Along Daffy (1951), Deduce, You Say! (1956), Robin Hood Daffy (1958), You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940), Tick Tock Tuckered (1944), Booby Traps (1944), Ballot Box Bunny (1951), Hair-Raising Hare (1946), Broom-Stick Bunny (1956), Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939), The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950), Rhapsody in Rivets (1941). Fig Leaf Rag by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100701 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

4. 

   30 Jun 2025

   You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)

   J.D. Hansel interviews Danny Horn about Friz Freleng's early career, Porky Pig's popularity, and Daffy Duck's debut in the cartoon 'You Ought to Be in Pictures'.

5. 

   16 Jun 2025

   The Invisible Mouse (1947)

   Tori Schmidt joins J.D. Hansel to dissect the 1947 Tom and Jerry cartoon, "The Invisible Mouse," exploring Hanna and Barbera's early careers and the duo's enduring success in this interview episode.

6. 

   9 Jun 2025

   Hollywood Steps Out (1941)

   Hosts J.D. Hansel, Ryan Roe, and Anthony Strand dissect the 1941 cartoon "Hollywood Steps Out," exploring its pop culture references, Tex Avery's career, and the animators' view of their place in Hollywood in this interview episode.

7. 

   2 Jun 2025

   Superman (1941)

   Cartoon experts Danny Horn and Joe Hennes join J.D. Hansel to analyze the 1941 Superman cartoon and its place in Fleischer studio history in this interview episode.

8. 

   26 May 2025

   Dumb-Hounded (1943)

   Cartoon expert Ryan Roe and host J.D. Hansel analyze Tex Avery's "Dumb-Hounded," exploring Droopy's debut and Avery's comedic style within chase cartoons in this interview.

9. 

   5 May 2025

   Brave Little Tailor (1938)

   In our first proper look at the Disney studio, J.D. is joined by artist Kristi O. to discuss this essential Mickey Mouse cartoon. Topics include: Mickey's status as Disney's icon and how that affected his cartoons, how the Disney studio pushed animation forward, the particular talents of animators Bill Tytla and Fred Moore, the weirdness of the Brothers Grimm's publication of "The Brave Little Tailor", where to watch Disney movies in Canada in the 1990s, and Bill Roberts: Mystery Man. Host/Producer: J.D. Hansel Guest: Kristi O. Content Warning for Animated Short: smoking depiction. Selected Availability: Disney+ (unrestored); The Sword in the Stone; Mickey Mouse in Living Color; Mickey and the Beanstalk; Celebrating Mickey; Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts. References: As mentioned in the episode, Devon Baxter's excellent profile of director Burt Gillett for CartoonResearch.com is a nifty history of one of the most impactful cartoon directors. Directing at Disney by Don Oeri and Pete Docter and The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston are cited throughout the episode, but I also relied on Of Mice and Magic by Leonard Maltin for further context. The translation I used for "The Brave Little Tailor" by the Brothers Grimm comes from Jack Zipes' 2002 third edition of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

10. 

    14 Apr 2025

    One Froggy Evening (1955)

    Anthony Strand from ‘Movin’ Right Along’ joins J.D. for a chat about one of the most acclaimed animated shorts of all time, ‘One Froggy Evening’! We discuss Chuck Jones, The WB, and how weird it is that Michigan J. Frog and Kermit the Frog are about the same age. Host/Producer: J.D. Hansel Guest: Anthony Strand Content Warning for Animated Short: involuntary hospitalization. Content Warning for Podcast Episode: mention of outdated language in the original recording of “Hello! Ma Baby”; mention of involuntary hospitalization; mention of suicide. Selected Availability: Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Vol. 2; Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Vol. 2; Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Vol. 1; Best of Warner Bros. 50 Cartoon Collection: Looney Tunes; Looney Tunes Musical Masterpieces References: The Leonard Maltin quote about Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese is from the Behind the Tunes featurette "It Hopped One Night: The Story of One Froggy Evening" The Jerry Beck quote about Jones' early work being "cutesy-poo" comes from his audio commentary track for Naughty but Mice on Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection (Blu-Ray). The Michael Barrier quote about Jones' poses is from his book Hollywood Cartoons, p. 485. I heard the Chuck Jones quote about One Froggy Evening on the audio commentary track. The Tom Kenny quote is from the Behind the Tunes featurette "One Hit Wonder".

11. 

    31 Mar 2025

    Introduction | Porky in Wackyland (1938)

    Welcome to Stick to Shorts! Most of this first episode is introductory table-setting to give you a sense of what you're in for and what cartoons you can expect us to talk about. You’ll hear a little bit about classic cartoon distribution, the academic response to a cartoon crisis, the history of the Looney Tunes style, and why it’s kind of impossible to make a good podcast about classic animated shorts. All in all, you’ll learn why it’s important to talk about these cartoons as films and as historical works. Then, this week’s trip through ToonTown takes us to the Bob Clampett masterpiece ‘Porky in Wackyland’ (1938), and Becca Petunia from ToughPigs joins the fun to talk about the appropriately wacky legacy of the Do-Do. It’s a packed show that’ll have you saying, “FOO!” Whatever that means. Host/Producer: J.D. Hansel Guest: Becca Petunia Correction: I said Clampett's inspiration for Porky in Wackyland was a newspaper article about an actual expedition to Africa to find the dodo bird. In fact, that expedition was to find a rare bird, but I don't have any reason to believe they thought they would find the famously extinct dodo bird. Cartoon Content Warning: racial stereotyping (brief, abstract reference to The Jazz Singer). Podcast Content Warning: references to racism; references to Nazis. Selected Cartoon Availability: Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Vol. 2; Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Vol. 2; Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Vol. 2; Porky Pig 101 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age by Michael Barrier Clarifies why Harmon and Ising left Schlesinger and went to MGM (p. 164) Info on the "Termite Terrace" building(s) (pp. 334, 607) History and analysis of Porky's Duck Hunt (pp. 336-337) General history of Looney Tunes The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck The removal of "Injun Joe" from Porky in Wackyland (p. 63) Staff responses to Porky in Wackyland from Tashlin, Larson, and Maltese (p. 62) The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck Steve Schneider: "Warner Bros.' Emancipation Proclamation…" (p. 142) Clampett's inspiration from reading about an African expedition (p. 142) Ted Pierce's voice credit (p. 142) General history of Looney Tunes Madness: The Invention of an Idea by Michelle Foucault Info on the history of folly/madness Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler Walt Disney: "The short subject was just a filler on any program…" (p. 214) The "stick to shorts" story (pp. 267-268) Warren Susman: "The Disney world is a world out of order…" (p. 151-152) General history of Mickey Mouse and 1930s Disney cartoons Nobody’s Normal by Roy Richard Grinker Info on the history of folly/madness Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin Chuck Jones on Three Little Pigs: "There were three characters…" (p. 40) MGM "New Deal" promo (p. 282) Clampett became a director in 1937 (p. 236) Leonard Maltin: "Clampett's first real gem was the incredible Porky in Wackyland" (p. 237) General history of Looney Tunes Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation edited by Kevin S. Sandler As I make clear in episode, I pull a lot from this book’s introductory essay, “Looney Tunes and Merrie Metonyms” by Sandler (pp. 1, 4-5, 11-12, 28) "A Short Critical History of Warner Bros. Cartoons" by Barry Putterman helped with my general knowledge of Looney Tunes history The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Frank and Ollie: “Through the years, the term ‘Stick to Shorts’…” (p. 152) Articles: ScreenRant: “The True Meaning Of 'Foo'" by Ambrose Tardive A history of "foo" LA Times: "Why do so many Mexican Americans defend Speedy Gonzales?" by Gustavo Arellano An interesting article on the status of Speedy Gonzales Cartoon Resea

12. 

    3 Mar 2025

    Podcast Trailer: Stick to Shorts

    Hello, all you happy people! The first season of Stick to Shorts is coming soon! On this show, we'll be talking about notable classic cartoon shorts from Disney, Warner Bros., Fleischer, MGM, and more. Enjoy this sample of the nerdery to come!

Who has been a guest on Stick to Shorts: A Classic Cartoons Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Danny Horn
• Tori Schmidt
• Joe Hennes
• Ryan Roe

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

38

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.