From Mr. Magoo to Speedy Gonzales - How Animation History Keeps Repeating Itself (Ep. 342)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Tv & Film, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Right in the thick of awards season, Drew Taylor and Jim Hill cover a wide swath of animation history and current events - from box office heavyweights and streaming announcements to the complicated legacies of mid-century cartoon characters. Along the way, they connect the dots between past controversies, present-day reappraisals, and how modern creators are recontextualizing classic animated icons. NEWS • Why Avatar: Fire & Ash remains unstoppable at the box office, holding the top spot for a fifth straight week • Zootopia 2 climbs into the global Top 10 all-time, surpassing Inside Out 2 and Disney’s The Lion King remake • A new Phineas & Ferb movie is officially in the works for Disney+, with a time-bending premise • What’s next for Pixar’s Hoppers, following Drew’s recent trip to Emeryville • Updates on How to Train Your Dragon 2, including Cate Blanchett’s return as Valka FEATURE • A deep dive into the rise and fall of UPA, from Mr. Magoo’s Oscar wins to the studio’s eventual collapse • How changing cultural standards sidelined characters like Magoo, Cholly, and UPA’s Dick Tracy supporting cast • The newly revealed documentary Animation Mavericks: The Forgotten Story of UPA and why it matters now • Why Jorge Gutierrez developing a Speedy Gonzales movie could signal a long-overdue shift in how legacy characters are handled 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, where you can save up to 12 percent on Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando tickets. Learn more at UnlockedMagic.com and be sure to 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 tune with Drew Taylor, you're one stop
0:33.1	shop when it comes to animation news and commentary.
0:36.1	I'm entertainer writer Jim Hill and Mr. Taylor,
0:38.7	whose writings in the industry you can regularly read over on the rap
0:42.0	and whose musings on the Mission of Possible movies,
0:45.0	you can still listen to over on Light the Fuse,
0:48.0	the official Mission Impossible podcast.
0:51.0	As we get started here,
0:53.1	there is some breaking news that's very much on the sad
0:59.0	side. And Mr. Taylor, you only just learned about this as we're recording the show today.
1:05.5	And I've written up a piece that will go up on the rap shortly. But do you want to talk about
1:10.5	who we just lost?
1:11.7	Yeah, yeah, we just lost Roger Allers, who is a legend in animation, you know, caught his start
1:20.7	with Steve Lisberger on Animal Aniacs, or Animal Olympics, I should say, and he worked on Tron, and then later, you know, worked on rock and rule for Nevada, and then he went over to Japan and worked on Little Nemo.
1:40.2	But, of course, we'll be best remembered for his work with Disney throughout the Disney Renaissance and directing of course
1:46.6	the Lion King with Rob Mink and overseeing
	...

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