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Nation of Animation: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Nation of Animation
Nation of Animation is a cartoon book club podcast for all ages! Join lifelong cartoon fans Ryan Stevens and Brooke-Erin Smith every other week as they discuss classic cartoons through a modern lens and celebrate everything cartoons have to offer!
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- 2 weeks ago52 min
Wholesome Fun With Smiling Friends
Just in time for the show's end, Ryan and Brooke tune into adult swim's latest adult animation darling, the anarchistic and internet-laced Smiling Friends! We talk animation style, changing senses of humor, the 00's internet, and whether it's better to burn out or fade-away, all while staying mostly on topic. You picked the BEST time to listen!EPISODES DISCUSS:S1 E6 - “Enchanted Forest”S1 E 9 - “The Smiling Friends Go To Brazil!”S2 E1 - “Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director's Cut)”S3 E2 - “Le Voyage Incroyable de Monsieur Grenouille”REAL WORLD RECSBrooke: 'Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath' by Heather ClarkRyan: Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles II in Hell's KitchenFollow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- May 6, 202657 min
Reclaiming Thumbelina
It's Brooke's birthday, so she gets to pick the movie! She summons up a forgotten mainstay from the VHS players of a bygone era, Don Bluth's Thumbelina. We confront our dubious memories of this childhood favorite, investigate the fascinatin history of the man who would be the Anti-Disney, and consider if, by some strange twist of fate, this movie is actually "good." What does "good" mean in this context? You'll have to listen and find out!Real World Recs:Brooke - "Every Brilliant Thing" by Duncan Macmillan on Broadway, starring Daniel RadcliffeRyan - The Spectacular Spider-Man on DVD (and the spectacular Debora Strang and David Kepner!)Follow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Apr 22, 20261h 15m
Short Podcast Long
The minds behind Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie are back on Netflix with their zaniest creation...an emotionally harrowing portrait of family across the years? And we're sure this is a comedy? Ok, if you say so! This week, we dive into Long Story Short, talk religion, family, time travel, and when we were our most interesting!Episodes discussed:Ep 4 - “Shira Can’t Cook”Ep 6 - “Wolves”Ep 7 - “Kendra’s Job”Ep 9 - “Honoring Naomi Schwartz”REAL WORLD RECSRyan - Marshmallow PeepsBrooke - 'Heart the Lover' by Lily KingFollow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Mar 15, 20261h 15m
OSCAR WATCH 2026
It's Oscar Season once again, and you know what that means -- a ton of movies, both long and short. What are our favs? What has the best odds to win? What was going on this year? Do animated movies still have that magic?FILMS WE WATCHED:FEATURES:ElioDirected by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian MolinaWritten by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike JonesKPop Demon HuntersCo-written and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris AppelhansArcoDirected by Ugo BienvenuWritten by ugo Bienvenu and Félix de GivryZootopia 2Directed by Jared Bush and Byron HowardWritten by Jared BushLittle Amélie or the Character of RainDirected by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho HanWritten by Liane-Cho HanSHORTSButterflyFlorence Miailhe and Ron DyensForevergreenNathan Engelhardt and Jeremy SpearsThe Girl Who Cried PearlsChris Lavis and Maciek SzczerbowskiRetirement PlanJohn Kelly and Andrew FreedmanThe Three SistersKonstantin BronzitREAL WORLD RECS:Ryan - Pokopia for Nintendo Switch 2Brooke - Mary O's Soda Bread in NYCFollow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Feb 21, 202648 min
We See The Elephant (Plus Disney's Future)
We pull together the disparate parts that make a podcast and talk about Adult Swim’s alchemical new special, The Elephant! What is it? What makes it special? What kind of animation A-team put it together? Then, we take a long look at what Disney might do to pull out of their creative slump, and how their past might indicate their future. The vengeful spirit of Walt still lingers!ChelseaChats’ TikTok Video REAL WORLD RECSRyan: A professional massageBrooke: Niall Breen (@niall.breen.comics on Instagram)Follow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Feb 7, 20261h 0m
Dungeons and Dragons and Diners and Drive-Ins and Dives
Get yourself a heaping plate of podcast! We talk about Delicious in Dungeon, the anime smash hit that has us going back for seconds. Will Brooke like this anime? What is the tastiest monster in the land? What video games do the best manga writers play? All these questions and more are on the menu in this week's Nation of Animation!EPISODES DISCUSSED:Ep 4 - “Stewed Cabbage/Orcs”Ep 8 - "Raspberries / Grilled Meat"Ep 12 - "Red Dragon II"Ep 22 - “Griffin / Familiars”REAL WORLD RECSBrooke: Pupsicle Dog ToysRyan: Hobonichi Weekly PlannersFollow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Jan 24, 20261h 1m
The New Yorker(s)
We’re in a New York state of mind! This week, we salute our favorite cartoon depictions of the great city of NYC, ranging from the mythic and the fantastical to the grounded and the grimy. What is the allure of this place, and what do people love to draw from it? What has it been like for us to live here? Take a big bite of this Big Apple and find out!Link to Women In Animation Portfolio ReviewREAL WORLD RECSBrooke: Assassin’s Apprentice, by Robin HobbRyan: The City We Became, by NK JemisinThe State of Animation is New York! Get it? Because it’s a State!Follow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
- Dec 27, 202536 min
The Island of Misfit Toons
We've been adrift in a sea of holiday animation and washed up on a strange island...you'll find no stop-motion reindeer or magical snowmen here, no memorable singalongs or classic characters. You're on the Island of Misfit Toons! We plumb the depths of strange and forgotten holiday animation specials, and come up with three intriguing animations from yesteryear. Join us as we float up to the North Pole, an alien world, and a derelict orphanage to celebrate the holidays in new (and occasionally even entertaining) ways!SHOWS WE DISCUSSEDO' Christmas Tree (1994, dir. Russ Harris & G Brian Reynolds)Aliens First Christmas (1991, dir. Russ Harris & G Brian Reynolds)Christmas Comes But Once A Year (1936, dir. Dave Fleischer and Seymour Kneitel)And from our podcast to your [name of group], Happy Holidays! We'll see you in 2026!REAL WORLD RECS:Brooke: Last Holiday (2006, dir. Wayne Wang) Ryan: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang ( 2005, dir. Shane Black)Follow our bluesky @nationofanimation, our Letterboxd @NationAnimation, and our Instagram and @cartoonbookclub, and follow our hosts@thebrookesmithand @ryanwithcheese on Twitter http://brookeerinsmith.com http://ryangstevens.com&Support secret projects on Venmo @nationofanimationBIG THANKS TO: Jacob Menke for our themeFollow them @menkemaster&Urvashi Lele for our artLearn more about Urvashi Lele's animations by visiting http://www.sirpeagreenstudios.com and follow their endeavors on instagram at @sirpeagreen and @maisonaudmi
About Nation of Animation
Nation of Animation is a cartoon book club podcast for all ages! Join lifelong cartoon fans Ryan Stevens and Brooke-Erin Smith every other week as they discuss classic cartoons through a modern lens and celebrate everything cartoons have to offer!
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