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

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

If you like what you hear, and would like to support all of the Jim Hill Media Network Podcasts, please consider subscribing - for just $4 / month - to hear more episodes exclusive to subscribers 

Go to disneydish.bandcampcom/subscribe (where you'll find an awesome pic of Jim and Len) to subscribe, then listen for your name to be announced by THE Len Testa on a future Disney Dish.

Thanks for listening!