Fire in the Ink & Paint Department – How “Banjo the Woodpile Cat” Lit a Fuse at Disney (Ep. 341)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, Tv & Film

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Right in the thick of awards season, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor sit down to read the tea leaves on this year’s animation race while also digging into a pivotal - and often misunderstood - moment in Disney animation history. From Annie Award trends and box office signals to Don Bluth’s garage-era rebellion, this episode covers how a shortage of effects animation talent helped spark one of the biggest talent walkouts the studio ever faced. NEWS • Why KPop Demon Hunters and Pixar’s Elio leading the Annie nominations could matter as Academy voting begins • The third Avatar film dominates the box office again as Zootopia 2 closes in on Lion King-level numbers • GKIDS picks up Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom for a Halloween release • Remembering composer Guy Moon and his legacy across The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, and more FEATURE • How shrinking FX animation departments in the 1970s quietly changed Disney’s films • Why Don Bluth created Banjo the Woodpile Cat as a “training exercise pretending to be a movie” • Ron Miller’s rejection of Banjo and how that decision helped trigger Bluth’s mass exit from Disney • The ripple effects that delayed The Fox and the Hound, reshaped the studio, and helped set the stage for Disney’s 1980s reboot HOSTS • Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com • Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work FOLLOW • Facebook: JimHillMediaNews • Instagram: JimHillMedia • TikTok: JimHillMedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by Unlocked Magic. Save on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets - sometimes up to 12 percent off - at UnlockedMagic.com. When you book, please let them know Drew and Jim sent you. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Redeem your lab bucks on free bet spins or even cash in for real money.
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0:06.4	And for extra satisfaction, here's the T's and C's.
0:08.6	Let's rock.
0:09.8	18 plus participates in selected promotions to get LabBucks.
0:15.3	Go get LabBugs.
0:17.5	Within them four offers or rewards. Lab bucks expire for T's and C's a bride. Welcome back to find out of tune back to find out when it's animation news and
0:34.7	commentary.
0:36.0	I'm entertainment writer Jim Hill and Mr. Taylor,
0:39.3	whose writings on the industry you can regularly read over on the rap and whose musings on the
0:43.9	Mission Impossible movie you can still listen to and still enjoy on Light the Fuse, the official
0:49.8	Mission Impossible podcast, and Drew, we are now in the thick of award season.
0:56.6	In fact, you wanted to point out at the top of today's show that an organization you
1:01.5	belong to, the critic's choice folks, just gave out two awards to K-pop demon hunters.
1:09.0	Is that correct?
1:09.6	That is correct.
1:10.4	That was last Sunday, so that was
1:12.2	right after you and I had recorded last week, Jim, and it won Best Animated Feature and Best Original
1:19.4	Songs. So, you know, congrats to the team. We love our K-pop Demon Hunters, and it seems like
1:26.6	the one to beat for the Oscar. Would you say that, Jim?
1:29.0	I would say that, you know, this is a
1:31.3	great start for that Netflix
	...

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