Dawn of the Cartoon Commercial

In the late 90's, Disneyland was suffering from severe budget cuts as a result of the failure of Euro Disney.  In the midst of this, they debuted a new ride, the Rocket Rods, a thrill ride built on top of the track of the old peoplemover.  However, this ride would be plagued by constant problems; computer malfunctions, poor car design, noise issues, etc etc, and in the end, its legacy would be one of failure.   

Starting in the mid 60's teachers began to notice a concerning phenomenon where kids were losing reading skills at a rapid pace over the summer break.  In order to combat this summer slump, two separate local PBS stations partnered up to assemble the dream team that would create one of the most beloved children's shows of the 80's and 90's:  Reading Rainbow.  But, while Reading Rainbow is one of the most well-known educational shows that taught reading, was it the first?  What came before, and why didn't that program work?  

Sometimes, characters that are created don't get popular in their home countries, but are instead embraced abroad.  This episode tells the stories of several different characters that have become popular outside of the United States where they were born.  Learn the story of Pica Pau in Brazil and his American-Made Movie that catered to the Brazilian Market.  Of Top Cat, whose Mexican-Made animated film is one of the highest grossing Mexican films of all time.  Of the crude, shit-talking, weed smoking teddy bear, Ted, who has somehow found an adoring audience in Japan, and more!  

When Nickelodeon released "Blues Clues" in 1996, it was heralded as a new kind of children's show, one that was interactive, and spoke directly to its young viewers.  But, what if "Blues Clues" wasn't the first? What if there was a different interactive children's program that predated Blues Clues by several decades?    

When people mention famous figures from Nintendo, they often bring up Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Iwata, or even Masahiro Sakurai.  However, without Gunpei Yokoi, the world of video gaming would be vastly different.  From designing the toys that made Nintendo famous, to introducing the masses to handheld gaming, Gunpei Yokoi's many contributions to the industry are still felt to this day.  

The Walt Disney theme parks are well-known for their dazzling nightly fireworks extravaganzas, but what most people don't know is that this company, who purchases more explosives per year than many militaries, has gone extra lengths to ensure that their fireworks are not only spectacular, but that they cannot be copied by other theme parks.  

This episode's a little different mystorians!  Austin and Brenda celebrate 100 episodes of SHONM by answering a couple listener questions, sharing some favorite moments, and just overall reminiscing about the good times.  Thanks for going on this ride with us!  Here's to 100 more!  

This week, SHONM is taking part in the global strike for Palestine.  We understand that not everyone is able to participate in the strike, so please check out our socials for more information and for resources on how you can help.  Episode 100 will be released next Tuesday! 

Is the lovable beagle from Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip "Peanuts" actually Mexican?  The answer is more complicated than you think.  And also more straight forward than you would expect.  And also what you feel is true in your heart.  

When Mattel premiered their Hot Wheels cartoon in the 1960's in order to promote their latest line of toys, they had no way of knowing that they had just opened a can of worms that would change the landscape of children's programming forever, for better or for worse.