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