Ben and Zane were so excited to try out for the legendary superhero group, the Teen Titans. They didn't have any powers, but they could go from silly to serious on a dime, and had control over their own emotions. Unfortunately, the Titans weren't as mellow, and attacked the Cartoncasters, thinking they were supervillains, what with the existing in their city. Since it was the first few minutes of the episode, Ben and Zane actually managed to overpower them. They left before the inevitable power-of-friendship dialogue. It was a formulaic, transparent visit, but man was it cool.
49 - Scrambl'd - Red vs. Blue
The Cartoncasters held their breaths. They approached each other in the field of battle, in Blood Gulch, but never as they imagined. Zane crept up from behind a protruding rock, shotgun in hand, as Ben boldly charged ahead, pistols blazing. A brief second of hesitation, indecision... then regret. Zane, a Red, and Ben, a Blue - there was only one way this could end. And after the dust settled, muffled sobbing sounds could be heard behind Zane's helmet, as he teabagged the shit out of that dirty Blue.
48 - Monster Rancher
Ben and Zane were at a farm, just ranching away, when Zane got bored and started playing a game on his phone. He spun around too quickly and both the Cartoncasters and their cow were sucked into the game! Suddenly they were in a world full of weird creatures with amazing special powers. They were a bit disappointed when they realized that these monsters were just like normal people, except with a distinct lack of bones or self-control. The strangest thing they met was a little boy who demanded to know if they were "goodies" or "baddies," and started punching the cow when it said "Moo."
47 - Biker Mice from Mars
Ben and Zane have never been ones for action when talking will do, but a few huge disgusting rodents were adamant that the Cartoncasters help them out. Through a series of high-octane, edge-of-your-seat heartpounding thrills, the team brought down an evil corporation, infiltrated a covert ops enemy base, defeated an usurper in a drag race to the death, and why not, wrestled a bear. Why did they do this? America, that's why. Pass the hot dogs.
46 - Adventures from the Book of Virtues
Ben and Zane had a moral dilemma: should they record an episode while they were sick, out of practice, and had audio issues? They went for a hike to clear their heads, and ran into some wild animals who were all too happy to share their wisdom about what they should do. James Earl Jones Jeremy Irons A bison told them a story about William Henry Harrison, who gave a rousing speech despite the cold rain, and soon died. Ben and Zane nodded, shot the bison, and went back home to enjoy a plate of ribs, their lesson well learned. All thanks to viewers like you.
45 - Back to the Future
Ben and Zane were enjoying the futuristic world of 2015, when suddenly they sensed a disturbance in the time stream. Their memories of the Back to the Future trilogy were fading from history, and soon they would disappear for good. They hopped into their time machine and headed for the past, but they had such a hard time concentrating on the problem that they ended up in all sorts of other timelines. They were too late (somehow), and one of their favorite trilogies turned into something far more generic. They would have worked harder to fix the problem, but they felt the whole endeavor was "too sad."
One-Legg'd - My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic
Hello friends, eggberts, equines of all races! Today we let Zane get over his absolutely dreadful voice. Ben, hero of Equestria, talks to one Ginger Liz (Ginny) about the mane craze sweeping the nation, enrapturing the hearts of 8 year-old girls and grown-ass men alike. Tune in to learn what Ginny and Ben think about magic, friendship, and the conflation thereof.For those whom into the cos-business of cos-play, check out Ginger Liz's facebook page for more!
44 - Inspector Gadget
Ben and Zane were excited to enter their Egg-powered Nostalgia Cannon in the General Area Device Generation Engineering Tournament. It would be some pretty stiff competition, what with the robot dogs built by little boys, and the time machines built by little dogs. They saw a little girl crying, holding a picture of a man in one hand and a wrench in the other. She was working on some sort of mannequin, but when she started saying "It's Alive!" it got up. The Cartoncasters feared for their lives, but this MAD machine was actually completely harmless. The judges loved how well it shrugged, though. Oh well, we'll get that G.A.D.G.E.T next time.
43 - Hey Arnold!
Alright, enough is enough, audience. You've had your fun, with your podcasts, and your jazzy leitmotifs, and your hipster oddly-shaped heads. But you're in Big Bob Patacki's house now, and what Bob says, goes. And Bob says to kick back in those therapy couches, and observe the feeble struggle of one football-headed orphan who cares about "feelings" and "morals" and all that other hippie crap. But mostly pay attention to those fossils he lives with, cuz they're... they're... well. They're... great. They're just the best.
The First Annual Cartony Awards
42 - Space Ghost Coast to Coast
The internship was tough for Ben and Zane, filling in behind the scenes at the hot new talk show. The Cartoncasters had to do things like fetch coffee and pull levers, but they also had to prep the celebrity guests and explain to them why they could only be on screen for a few minutes. Plenty of celebs got mad, but one of them, Podcaster and Spellcaster Alex Fleming, asked a Great Question: why would anyone come on this show? The answer of course was, who wouldn't?
41 - Tenchi Muyo
Man, that CartonCast party was crazy. Ben and Zane didn't have a clue how they ended up in a forest in Japan, but they immediately set to enjoying the landscapes. The tree-topped ample hills, the gentle curves of the valleys below, and of course, the luscious yet delicate flowers, just in full bloom. Yessir, a young man could find himself growing up right quick in the presence of such beauty. Too bad local youth Tenchi is too busy spending his time battling demons with his massive shaft. Seriously kid, you'll go blind if you keep using it like that.
40 - Bootlegg'd: A Scanner Darkly
What does a podcaster see? This week in the Cartoncast's reoccurring Bootlegg'd segment, we dive headfirst into A Scanner Darkly, a movie inspired by a book of the same name, written by Philip K. Dick. With a unique animation style and a mindscrew of a plot twist that makes Fight Club look like freakin' Goodnight Moon, A Scanner Darkly delivers equal parts stoner comedy and nightmarish psychological torment. If you dare, listen in, and hope that the Cartoncast can see clearly into this eclectic experience.
Unshell'd - Cartoon Network Fluxx
Welcome to another edition of Unshell'd, where we post extra garbage that wasn't good enough for an actual episode. This time, two guests Joe and Kelley help us stall for time by playing the Cartoon Network version of the card game Fluxx! Who will win? Will Ben and Zane's respective cartoon prowess rocket them to victory? Or will their expertise be used against them in a stunning upset?
39 - Pepper Ann
Not much has happened to Ben and Zane since they moved to Hazelnut, a sleepy little town where people can be themselves and all problems are quickly and neatly resolved. The locals seem a bit too indulgent with their kids, though. They get into all kinds of mischief without getting into trouble, and they don't care about anything but themselves. Whether they're arguing with a mirror, messing with other people just to learn a lesson, or just taking selfies, the kids these days think they're much too cool.
38 - Xiaolin Showdown
It's not every day you get challenged to a Xiaolin Showdown by your own brother! Ben and Zane were both reaching for the Microphone of Perfect Podcasting and grabbed it at the exact same moment. The world instantly noticed how dramatic it was, and the Cartoncasters found themselves in the middle of a thematically appropriate arena that done got jacked up on environment steroids. Ben wagered his 'Villain of Affability' while Zane offered up the 'Demographic Dissection of Wytegai'. Who won the showdown? We all did; this show is actually great.
37 - The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
espite never entering a contest, Ben and Zane won an all-expenses-paid trip to Endsville, a radiation-scarred city with residents who weren't doing much better. Most of the townspeople were either completely oblivious or totally insane, and none of them noticed the tentacles coming up from the sewers or the mysterious cloud of fog. Despite being clawed, chewed, and strangled on their way through town, neither of them died. Maybe it was a bizarre twist of fate, or the beneficence of incomprehensible beings from beyond the stars. Or maybe it had something to do with that skeleton on a leash tied up in someone's yard.
36 - Gargoyles
The Cartoncasters were hard at work, scoping out Manhattan for another story, but took a wrong turn and wound up in the extravagant mansion of a Machiavellian billionaire. A huge shape jumped from the building, revealing itself to be the leader of the Last of the Gargoyles. Goliath (along with some idiots) told the dark tale of how they were betrayed. Ben and Zane were skeptical until they realized Goliath was at least three fourths Batman. In summary, Xanatos wins.
35 - Star Trek: the Animated Series
Stardate 3571-247: Ben and Zane have left the ship to enter a portal leading into a strange landscape. They found themselves in a pocket dimension, controlled by benevolent yet condescending aliens. They propose a test to find out if humanity is truly good: The Cartoncasters must consistently confuse Star Wars and Star Trek on the internet, and hold their tongues against any backlash. In addition, they have to participate in the Prisoner's Dilemma, as well as refute Hume's Guillotine once and for all. With all the knowledge and experience they accumulated over 14 years in Star Fleet Academy, they managed to successfully seduce the aliens.
34 - Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiago
In a twist of fate, Ben and Zane were delayed from their cartoon-centric mission when they were deputized by ACME to catch the notorious criminal Carmen Sandiago. Naturally, what with ACME being the highest form of law on earth, they complied, and immediately C5-ed from place to place, learning about exotic locales and artifacts from Matthew Lesko. They didn't catch Carmen, but they sure did learn how to get free money from the government.