Cartoon Express with Weird Tales

Once again, we are visited by our friends from Warsaw, Weird Tales.

Did you get their new album on BANDCAMP yet?

Anyway, CARTOONS!

1. From a very early age, I gravitated towards anime. I never knew Speed Racer was anything other than just another cartoon.

What is the first one you watched that really shaped your tastes for years to come?

Kriss: I guess like most of the people I started watching “loony tunes” and other WB cartoons anyway as a kid I watched whole bunch of animation so I can't tell exactly where it starts ...

Matt: Man, I had the same. It all started with WB cartoons and CartoonNetwork, then it was only worse. Pretty soon me and me friends start to watch happy tree friends and other drastic catoons during classes. 

Dima: I’m not the cartoon guy, but I used to watch it all the time when I was kid. All the stuff on TV I could find. And I still think X-Men tv series from 90’s is a great one. A lot of social themes there and just cool scenes and stories and characters.

2. The Simpsons came about when I was turning 12. It was a great moment of transition for Americans to finally have animated shows geared towards adults as well as children. Tell me about your first cartoon that wasn't strictly for kids.

Kriss: All animation at the time was pretty much childish or silly like disney or bugs bunny, but then I stumble upon some anime and then I felt like it was the other side of animated stories... .

First animated blood I saw in “cartoon” (an anime to be precise 'cause it;s not the same) was in some mecha anime called “General Daimos”

There was some bunch of scenes with people stabbed with spikes bleeding from their mouths or dying. And that my man ohh it leave the mark on me ;)

But aside from “gore” in animation I think that the “Batman The animated series has a pretty much adult themes. Until now I consider it a cannon for batman stories. In my time there was South park but I've discovered it much much later... .   

Matt: South Park, Family Guy, all those fucked up shows are great. The moment when I saw Princess mononoke and helsing as well as Dragon Ball (the Z!) it all started to make sense to me.

Dima: I guess happy tree friends was the first adult cartoon I have seen. Then a stucked with south park for a long time. It’s genius.

3. It would   be unfair to ask you to name a favorite. So what do you love about your three favorite shows?

Kriss: As I said earlier one of the greatest animation for me is Batman TAS wich in 20 minutes of episode can tell a whole, rich story whitch I feel more impactfull than over 2h live action movies (take a note Mr. Nolan ;) )

Another one is “Adventure Time” one of the greatest animation in style and in story. I always have soft spot for Samurai Jack and Dexters Laboratory.

I think Gendy Tartakovsky is a great storyteller and skillfull animator. His action scenes and scenery in samurai Jack cartoon is masterpiece of american animation.

Also I've always liked He-Man for its mysterious magic/technology mix with underrated soundtrack by Shuki Levi, really adds to the whole climate... . 

From anime for me always the best is Neon Genesis Evangelion, as an antythesis of  classical mecha anime. Also “ghost in the shell”, “Akira” (these titles speaks for themself) also Armitage III I like those cyberpunk animes ;) Of course many many more... .       

Matt: The biggest was Dragon Ball Z for me.

Everyone turned violent on each other after that show (YEAH!). Just yesterday I've seen Tom and Jerry, and man, this show is timeless.

Stupid as hell but awesome. The third best show is hard to pick, but I would go with Death Note cause it broght me fun of watching catroon/anime back again. 

Dima: Oh yeas, That one was good – Death Note. Like I said im not the cartoon guy, but that one I saw and it was really impressive though childish.

4. It was hard for me to really get into REAL anime, but I'd have to say that my entrance   was Princess Mononoke. Tell me about your favorite anime and how did you get into it?

Criss: My entrance Anime was “General Daimos”. It driven me for many years into genre. Then I started to spread my interest onto other series and movies. 

Matt: I'll try not to be obvious, I would pick Knights of the Zodiac.

This show is so underrated but yet so awesome. Still remember it well. I came up to it when I waited for dragon ball to be aired, and this came instead. 

5. The holy trinity of adult shows is The Simpsons, Futurama, and Family Guy. Tell me why your favorite is the best.

Kriss: I was born too late for Simpsons to catch up with whole series... .

So it never spoke to me directly.

And with Futurama and Family Guy I think I like it eventually. Both of 'em got its own humour and comedy dynamics.

But their too different I can't just pick one ;) Don't forget about South Park, Rick and Morty     

Matt: It's gotta be hard to pick between South Park and Family Guy. I simply can't.

Dima: Just to not repeat myself I will go with “Tales from the tour bus” by Mike Judge. Ah, I just remembered that Mike Judge is cool.

I watched a lot of Beavis and Butthead when was in school. And later King of the Hill. Great shows. But returning back to question. Go and watch “Tales from the tour bus” if you haven’t watched it yet. Animated documentary about music.

1st season about Country artists and second about Funk. I don’t know much about country and funk, but it doesn’t matter, show is about real significant musicians from genres and contains a lot of real live musicians stories telled throughout the interviews and then animated.

Every story is a quintessence of why I started playing music. A lot of fun, booze, cocaine, rad gigs and lifestyle there. 

6. Animated shows or features?

Kriss: At now I'm watching WB Animated movies whitch are much better than live action... an much, much more faithfull to their comic book versions.

Also new version of “She-Ra and the princesses of power” whitch I consider have verry well written characters.

I love that the villians don't just “born evil” or crazed upon “taking over the world”. They're changing and living along with the story. Really recomending this one.   

I would reccomend Death Note (anime ofc) cause it got me on egde the whole time.

7. Let's hear about your favorite shows/movies from when you were a kid.

Kriss: The best tv series of 'em all always been The x-files and my favourite movie from when i was a kid Was Terminator 2 the Judgement day I remember watching it over 100 times in 2 months period... . 

Matt: I’d go with Addam’s family